Knowledge Loss Risk Assessment

Guidelines for assessing attrition risks

As part of the attrition planning process, section managers perform a position risk assessment for each position in their organization. This assessment is based upon two factors, the retirement factor and the position risk factor.

Retirement factor

The projected retirement dates in the workforce planning system (whether based upon employee estimates or calculated based on age and tenure data) will be assigned a retirement factor as follows:

5 - Projected retirement date within 1 year
4 - Projected retirement date within 1 to 2 years
3 - Projected retirement date within 2 to 3 years
2 - Projected retirement date within 3 to 5 years
1 - Projected retirement date is less than 5 years

Position risk factor

An estimate of the difficulty or level of effort required to replace the position incumbent. Managers and supervisors are responsible for making these ratings based upon the following criteria:

5 - Critical and unique knowledge or skills. Mission-critical knowledge or skills with the potential for significant reliability or safety impacts. TVA- or site-specific knowledge. Knowledge undocumented. Requires 3-5 years of training and experience. No ready replacements available.
4 - Critical knowledge and skills. Mission-critical knowledge/skills. Some limited duplication exists at other plants/sites and/or some documentation exists. Requires 2-4 years of focused training and experience.
3 - Important, systematized knowledge and skills. Documentation exists and/or other personnel onsite possess the knowledge/skills. Recruits generally available and can be trained in 1 to 2 years.
2 - Proceduralized or non-mission-critical knowledge and skills. Clear, up-to-date procedures exist. Training programs are current and effective and can be completed in less than one year.
1 - Common knowledge and skills. External hires possessing the knowledge/skills are readily available and require little additional training.

The workforce planning system will calculate the risk assessment factor times the retirement date factor to give an overall attrition factor.

For example:

Projected retirement date of 07/04/03: Retirement date factor:	5
Critical/Unique skills/Industry training: Risk assessment factor:	x 5
Total attrition factor:	25

The total attrition factor will identify the level of effort necessary to effectively manage attrition.

20-25: High Priority. Immediate action needed. Specific replacement action plans with due dates will be developed to include: method of replacement, knowledge management assessment, specific training required, on-the-job training/shadowing with incumbent.
16-19: Priority. Staffing plans should be established to address method and timing of replacement, recruitment efforts, training, shadowing with current incumbent.
10-15: High Importance. Look ahead on how the position will be filled/ work be accomplished. College recruiting, training programs, process improvements, reinvestment.
1-9: Important. Recognize the functions of the position and determine the replacement need.