The only employee authorized to sign the city's NPDES wastewater reports retires in 11 months, and no successor is in development. How should HR treat this?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Key role is not a fancy title—it is what breaks if that chair is empty. If only one person can sign the NPDES reports, 11 months is a fire drill, not a routine posting. Start succession now, not at the cake.
Full Explanation
Succession for key roles is driven by the consequence of vacancy, not by org-chart seniority. An NPDES signatory is a continuity and compliance role; losing the only authorized signer without a developed successor is an emergency, not a standard vacancy. Waiting for the retirement date, ranking the job below directors, or assuming a regulatory waiver treats a key-role gap as ordinary turnover. SPHR succession work starts while the incumbent can still transfer authority and skill.