PAG Explains: Capacity Mapping
Here at PAG, we designed a Capacity Mapping service to ensure that the resource and capacity structures in growing organisations are fit for purpose. It is vital to safeguard against lack of capacity within members of your central or executive team to ensure that you can work towards each milestone, project, and strategic priority effectively and efficiently as your organisation grows.
By examining closely the ‘pain points’ of your organisation, Capacity Mapping provides practical recommendations to alleviate pressure on over-stretched team members, such as the CEO or HR manager, and re-distribute key pieces of work to other members. Our final goal is to help you understand how your current structure is impacting the quality of the services you offer and to take action to improve it.
Step 1: Analysing workload
One of the first steps we take as part of our Capacity Mapping process is identifying key roles and responsibilities within the organisation. This includes looking at staffing and governance structures, identifying any recent changes and creating a digital map of staffing structure(s) with breakdowns of each role.
From there, we consult with staff on the specific skills and knowledge required for each role and evaluate the staff capacity across the organisation.
Step 2: Deliver Recommendations
Once we have developed a clear picture of capacity across the organisation, we deliver a report of our findings, including a digital map of pinch-points and capacity distribution. During this stage, there is room for post-analysis discussion, and we can begin looking at future capacity forecasting and developing a Capacity Plan.
Step 3: Implement Capacity Plan
The final stage of the process is implementing a Capacity Plan based on findings from the mapping exercise. This includes establishing a capacity feedback process and project workflows.
Once changes have been implemented within an organisation, we can conduct a post-capacity review to ensure that actions have been effective in improving capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Capacity Mapping important?
Capacity Mapping is a multi-purpose exercise to support organisations with understanding internal barriers to growth, analysing resources and highlighting potential under/over utilisation. By undertaking Capacity Mapping, you can benefit from basing resourcing decisions on a comprehensive skills audit and ensuring that your organisation is working as effectively as possible.
What are some frequent Capacity issues faced by growing organisations?
Some of the frequent issues organisations face include an inefficient distribution of responsibilities against skill-sets, capacity ‘pinch points’ hindering effective growth and movement across the trust and misaligned perceptions of capacity and work-load.