The finance director is the only person who can close the city's books, and year-end is one cycle away. A five-year succession slide already exists. What should HR put in the succession plan now?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
A five-year slide does not close the books next month. Single points of failure need a backup in this cycle, not a pretty deck. Cross-train someone now.
Full Explanation
If the finance director is the only person who can close the city's books and year-end is one cycle away, a five-year succession slide is not an operational control. HR should put cross-training of a second person on year-end close into this cycle's succession plan. Civic continuity of financial reporting, audit readiness, and council trust cannot wait for a pretty long-range deck while a single point of failure sits one illness away from breaking close.
Leaving the five-year slide unchanged because a named list feels sufficient fails by concept: a list without current backup skill is theater. Waiting until after close to discuss backup fails by deferring risk through the exact window where failure would be catastrophic for the city. Adding a second finance director title without training anyone on close procedures fails because titles do not transfer procedural mastery or system judgment.
Exam caveat: cross-training must include system access, segregation-of-duties design, and documented close checklists—not informal observation alone that collapses under audit. Operational check: assign a deputy closer now, run a supervised dry-close on a subledger this month, and report dual-capability status to the city manager before year-end.