STAFF STUDY

AND
STAFF FUNCTIONS
 Short Review on Management Functions
Henry Fayol: Planning
Organizing Command­
ing Coordinating and
Controlling

Knootz and Planning

O’Donnell: Organizing (Staffing)
Directing
Leading and
Control­ling

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 Staffing is the 3rd function of management.
Managerial functions are Planning,
Organizing, Staffing, Directing (Leading),
and Controlling.

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Some useful definitions:

Command
 To control, be in authority over, dominate, restrain
 A troop or ship under one’s authority
 The authority of a commander lawfully exercised over
subordinates by virtue of rank and designation

Commander
 A leader, someone in command
 The one in control
Police Major General
 STAFF
 a group of officers that assists the commander of a division or larger
unit by formulating and disseminating his policies, transmitting his
orders, and overseeing their execution.

 Normally a general staff is organized along functional lines, with

separate sections for administration, intelligence, operations,
training, logistics, and other categories.

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What is the importance of staffing?

Staffing is an important step to keep the turnover rate in check, expand the
talent profile within the org, and keep the retention rates steady. Here are
some more reasons why staffing is an important HR function:
 Getting qualified and skilled people into the team.
 Roles become clearer and the workload works become lesser.
 There is an improvement in the morale and job satisfaction.
 It helps the organization diversify its talent profile and hence aids with
company growth.

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 STAFF
PRINCIPLES
 The Commander

 The commander must use available resources in a manner that

contributes to the accomplishment of his mission.
 He plans, organizes, directs, coordinates and controls his police
forces. He uses his staff and subordinate commander to
accomplish all these tasks in the time and manner required.
 The commander reduces the demands on his
time and energy by decentralizing authority
and making subordinate commanders
responsible for carrying-out assigned tasks and
missions.
 Chain of command enables a commander
to direct and supervise the execution of
his plan without becoming involved in the
details of planning, directing and
controlling the actions of each
subordinate elements.
 The Commanders and his Assistants

Deputy and Assistant Commanders

The commander establishes definite procedures for using his

deputy and assistant commanders. He prescribes their roles and
duties and their relationship with the chief of staff, the staff,
and commanders of subordinate units.
Task of Deputies or Assistant Commanders

- Advising the commander on selected activities as

required;

- Acting as command representative on joint matters;

- Acting as trouble shooters by supervising unusual

situations;
 - Supervising tactical operations training, or combat service support
operations and training;

- Functioning as deputy post commander when the commander also

commands a post;

- Commanding during the commander’s temporary absence;

- Heading a planning staff for future operations or special projects;

 - Commanding a task force;

- Serving as materiel readiness officer of the

command; and

- Commanding an alternate command post

established for tactical operations;
 The Staff
Composition of the staff:
The staff consist of officers who are specifically ordered or detailed to
assist the commander. These officers maybe assigned on full-time duty,
or dual duty.
A unit commander may perform staff duties in addition to his
command duties. Dual assignments should be limited to preserve the
integrity of the line and staff.
The commander commands the staff, but the chief of staff directs and
supervises them.
STAFF FUNCTIONS
FIVE FUNCTIONS ARE COMMON TO ALL
STAFF OFFICERS:

- providing information;

- making estimates;

- making recommendations;

- preparing plans and orders; and

- supervising the execution of plans and orders.

Providing Information
The staff collects, collates, and evaluates the fragments of
information that flow continuously into the headquarters.

The staff processes a large number and variety of items

rapidly and provides the commander with pertinent
information that is evaluated and ready for use.
This is performed by the staff officer by:

a. Gathering information from all available sources. When possible,

the staff establishes procedures to produce an automatic flow of
information to the headquarters.

b. Collating and evaluating information in their respective areas of

responsibilities.
 In collecting the latest information available, staff officer looks for
pertinent information and transmit it promptly to the commander or to
the other members of the command who need it. They:
-determine the significance, reliability, and completeness of the
information without request whenever it indicates new influence on
police operations;
-Ensure the exchange of information within the staff and with the
higher headquarters, adjacent and lower units so that all staff and other
commands can exploit the information.
 Making Estimates
The staff prepares estimates to assist the commander in his
examination of all factors influencing contemplated courses of
action. On the basis of these estimates the staff provides the
commander:

- conclusions on how significant factors will affect the

situation; or
 - recommendations on how available means can best
support the selected course of action.

o Adequate plans hinge on early and continuing estimates

by staff officers.

o Failure to make estimates may lead to costly errors and

omissions.
Making Recommendations
Staff officers make recommendations to assist the
commander in reaching decisions and establishing
policies.

Staff officers also offer recommendations to one

another and to subordinate commanders. (For assistance
only.)
 Preparing Plans and Orders
Staff officer converts the commander’s decisions and policies into
plans and orders. The commander may delegate authority to staff
officers to issue these plans and orders without personal approval.

The staff analyzes the commander’s policies and decisions to ensure

full understanding before formulating plans and issuing orders for their
implementation. The staff coordinates these plans and orders with other
staff within and outside the headquarters.
 The staff also prepares plans based on anticipated events
or conditions. These plans help the commander to make
decisions and reduce policy interpretations and assistance in
resolving difficulties.
Supervising the Execution of Plans and Orders
Staff officers assist in insuring that subordinate elements
carry-out the commander’s plans and orders in an
appropriate manner.

o Supervision eases the commander’s job.

 STAFF
RESPONSIBILITY
 Staff officers are assigned with functional areas of interest and
responsibility for accomplishing staff actions in these areas.
Assignment of staff responsibility for a particular activity
improves efficiency by:

a. Giving the commander a single staff agency for advice and

assistance in a particular functional area of interest;

b. Giving staff and subordinate elements of the command a

commander’s representative with whom they can coordinate or
consult on a particular area of interest;
 c. Insuring that all command interest receive staff
attention;

d. Enabling staff officers to give their complete attention

to a manageable portion of command interest.

Assignment of staff responsibility carries no connotation

of command authority over any other elements of the
command.
 STAFF
AUTHORITY
 The commander specifically delegates authority to the staff, or to a
particular staff officer.

a. The commander normally delegates authority to the staff to

take final action on matters within command policy.

b. The authority he delegates to individual staff officer varies with

the echelon and the mission of the command, the immediacy of
operations and the relationship of the respective staff officer’s
assigned functional area to the primary mission of the command.
 Relationship between the Staff and Commanders, and the
Staff of Subordinate Commands
Staff officers carrying-out basic functions must avoid usurping the
responsibilities of the prerogatives of subordinate commanders and
staffs with whom they work.

A staff officer contacts subordinate commander to transmit orders

or instructions, to provide advice, and recommendations, or to
exchange information.
 Normally, all orders from higher headquarters requiring or
prescribing actions by a subordinate element of a command are by, or in
the name of the higher commander.

Exception to the basic principle occur when:

The higher commander specifically authorizes staff members to issue

orders and instructions. The commander formally announces this
delegation of authority to insure proper distribution and unquestioned
validity.
 The commander delegates operational control of a unit to a staff
officer, also formally announces to insure complete and universal
understanding, Such delegation authorizes the staff officer to issue
orders in his own name.

The technical professional nature of certain activities requires a

special relationship. Technical control represents a degree of
command authority that the commander delegates and announces
formally.
Staff to Staff Contacts
In planning and conducting current operations and other activities,
staff officers of a headquarters frequently need to contact their
counterparts at higher, adjacent, and subordinate headquarters. The
staff officers may need to get information, pass on guidance, or issue
orders or instructions affecting command or staff element operations.

These contacts are for coordination and cooperation only and no

exercise of independent authority over the subordinate headquarters’
staffs.
 Qualification of Staff Officers
The effectiveness of a staff depends on the professional qualifications
of its members:

- Staff officers must have the ability and inclination to lead;

- They must also have knowledge of the structure, capabilities,

limitations, and operating techniques of the units comprising their
organization; and

- They must know how these units functions.

 Generally, command experience or responsible positions
at lower staff levels are criteria for assignment of officers to
principal staff position.
 STAFF
PROCEDURES
 Staff procedures are methods used to accomplish staff
functions, which is a staff operations.

A staff visit is a staff procedure, used in collecting

information, or supervising the execution of task/s.

Effective staff procedures expedite the

accomplishment of staff actions and improve the quality
of assistance provided to the commander.
 Staff officers must have a working knowledge of the
common tools and procedures used in all good staff
work.

They must also know the detailed procedures and

techniques needed in their particular staff sections and
jobs.
PROCEDURES
Completed Staff Action
- a staff officer’s analysis of a problem and his solution presented
in finished form that the commander can approve or disapprove as a
completed staff action.

“completed staff action” which means – negating presentation of

difficult problem, piecemeal to the commander.

Commanders want answers, not questions.

As the staff officer develops his study, he may consult the commander
for additional guidance, or for assurance that he is proceeding in the
right direction.
 - A completed staff paper that recommends implementing actions
includes an implementing memorandum, directive, or letter for the
commander to sign or to approve.

- a theory of completed action usually makes more work for the

staff officer, but it gives the commander more freedom and protects him
from partially developed ideas, voluminous memorandums and
incomplete oral presentations.
 - it should be clear and must furnish concise statements of the
essential facts. Recommended action should reflect consideration of all
feasible courses of action and the views of all agencies concerned and
should present both the advantages and disadvantages.

- adequate command guidance facilitates completed staff action

and eliminates wasted effort. After familiarizing himself with the
problem, the commander limits the area/ scope to be studied and
provides data as appropriate, from past experience or knowledge.
- Completed staff action applies to any staff procedure,
written or otherwise, that is submitted to the chief of staff
section, the chief of staff, or the commander.

It includes follow-up actions by the staff to insure

compliance with instructions or orders.
Staff Coordination
Coordination within a staff is essential for two reasons:
- insure harmonious staff action in carrying-out the commander’s
plans to avoid conflicts and duplications by making necessary
adjustments in plans and policies before their implementation
- most staff action requires coordination. The action officer and all
other interested staff officers examine and correlate all sub-sections
and resolve any conflicts.
 The chief of staff (executive officer) establishes procedures to
coordinate staff operations.
In specific staff actions, the action officer assigned with a particular
task is responsible for staff coordination.
Current organizational and operational concepts rely on rapid,
coordinated action and reaction of police forces. This makes staff
coordination procedures essential. Staff officers must be familiar with
the responsibilities of all staff sections within a command.
Specific coordination procedures include:

- Informal and formal conferences of various staff members;

- briefings;

- prompt distribution of essential information, decisions, and

orders among headquarters staff sections;

- properly functioning staff message control;

 -formal routing of staff papers to appropriate sections for
comments and concurrence; and

- close contact and exchange of information by each staff section

with the corresponding staff section at higher, lower, adjacent, and
supporting headquarters.

Staff coordination is time consuming and it is not always possible to

get coordination when quick action is essential or needed, or to get the
action officer present the plan or the recommendation to proper
authority.
 STAFF
SUPERVISION
General
The staff must continually supervise the execution of plans
and orders so that they will be carried out the way the
commander intends.
Staff officers must be competent observers. They must be
familiar with the commander’s plan and how he wants
thoroughly it carried out. They must also be kept informed of
development that affect the plan and recommend necessary
changes.
Analysis of reports or staff visits and inspections are means of
providing staff supervision
Analysis of Reports
Properly analyzed and evaluated, reports and summaries help staff
officers determine how the command’s operations are progressing.

Reports offer faster means than staff visits to collect current

information on the many different areas of interest. However, reports
often do not cover all the circumstances affecting these areas – a fact
evaluators must keep in mind.
Staff Visits and Inspections
Staff Visits – staff officers visit subordinate units to:
 get information about the subordinate command’s situation
 to observe how orders are being carried out
 to provide guidance and assistance in their respective areas of
responsibilities
 promote cordial relations and cooperation between the staff and the
unit

Explains the purpose of the visit, and before leaving, reports his
findings to the subordinate commander.
 Staff Inspections –
 directed by the commander
 may be made by individual officers or teams
 used for technical inspections and command maintenance
management inspections
 Before the inspection, the unit commander is informed of the nature
and purpose of the inspection.
 He receives an informal report of the result of the inspection before
the inspecting officers or team leaves his headquarters.

Formal and informal inspection reports must be factual, clear and

concise.
Communications
Staff officers use various means of communications in fulfilling their
responsibilities. This means to include personal contact between
individuals, the police communication system, written communication
and liaison.

Personal contact – when they make staff visit and inspections, hand-
carry actions to obtain concurrences, and exchange information and
comments informally.
 Police Communication System – familiarization with the different
communication systems, procedures, and protocols

Written Communication – disposition forms, memorandums, letters,

messages, operation plans and orders, etc.
 Liaison – contact maintained between elements of the police
forces to insure mutual understanding and unity of purpose and
action.

The exchange of personnel whose duties are to maintain

continuity in the exchange of information and to promote
cooperation and coordination of effort by personal contact aids
liaison.

Liaison between comparable staff elements of higher, lower and

adjacent commands is a normal procedure.
Procedures for Making Estimates
a. Staff officer prepares estimates to meet particular
requirements. He makes rapid mental estimates whenever he
considers a new item of information significant. This type of
estimate is limited and is for his own use/consumption only.

He presents oral estimates to the commander or to other staff

officers on request and at briefings.

Generally, oral estimates update previous estimates.

 Written estimates are formal and complete and are prepared for
planning use by the commander.

b. To permit the formulation of tentative plans for future operations,

the staff officer may have to prepare estimates before extensive
information is available.

• Estimates based on current information;

• Supplemented by assumptions about factors that cannot be
definitely established (disposition and capabilities of friendly and
enemy forces, available resources, and time needed to complete a
certain course of action)
• The staff officer informs the commander when estimates are
based on assumptions rather than facts.

• He frequently produces preliminary studies and estimates to

ascertain the feasibility of a particular operations.
• In any case, these preliminary studies and estimates include
estimates of enemy capabilities, what courses of action are open
to the commander, and how enemy capabilities might affect
each course of action.
c. Preparation of estimates is a continuing process.
Development of new information and considerations
necessitates revision of estimates.
 Procedures for Making Recommendation
a. Staff officer primarily concern matters within its functional area
of interest affecting his operations. Recommendations concerning
functional areas that are not his primary responsibility are normally made
to the appropriate staff officer.

b. He follows both formal and informal procedures in arriving at

and making recommendations. Many recommendation based on
observations or person to person are verbal.
c. Regardless of the formality or informality of the procedure,
recommendations are the products of careful analysis and comparison.

It should be candid and objective and are based on the best

information available, not on what the recipient might prefer to hear.
Advantages and disadvantages as well as non-concurrences are stated to
complete the picture.
c. The staff officer coordinates those recommendations that
may affect another staff officer’s activities, before he makes the
recommendation.
 Studies
A staff study is the most frequently used
study procedure in a command. It is a vehicle
for analyzing problems and finding solutions
to it.
 Procedures for Preparing Plans and Orders
a. Responsibility for the overall preparation and
publication of a plan or an order is assigned to a single
staff officer. Other staff officers provide elements of plan
or the order that concerns them.
b. Staff officer who supply elements of the plan or the
order interpret the commander’s desires concerning their
respective areas, prepare initial drafts, handle all
necessary coordination, and submit complete final drafts
to the staff officer responsible for the overall preparation.

c. The responsible staff officer then will review the

component element to insure consonance with the
commander’s decision and makes appropriate
recommendation to the officer who prepared it , if needed,
then forward the same for command approval and
signature.
 Public Safety Service Writing
At division level and above, the complexity of operations normally
requires written directives, reports, orders, and studies. Staff officers at
those levels possess the ability to write accurately, concisely and clearly.

Staff writing is a means of communicating ideas to the commander,

subordinate units and other staff officers through orders,
recommendations, studies, reports and other types of formal and informal
documents.
 Effective staff writing conveys the writer’s exact meaning and is not
subject to misinterpretation. Officers can express themselves clearly by
following the basic principles in writing staff papers:

1.Unity – adhere to a single main idea;

2.Accuracy – check facts; eliminate mechanical errors;
3.Clarity – write simply and clearly;
4.Brevity – use simple words and short sentences. Eliminate superfluous
words and subject matter;
5.Coherence – develop and arrange subject matter logically;

6.Objectivity – keep an impersonal and prejudiced viewpoint; and

7.Completeness – finish the job. Turn in a paper that needs only the
commander’s approval and signature to make it a completed action.
 SO YOU’RE GOING TO BE A STAFF OFFICER:
FIVE PIECES OF ADVICE FOR SUCCESS
 Read and Absorb your Doctrine
 Prepare for Decisive Action
 Be a Leader and a Team Player
 Continuously Evaluate and
Improve
 Give Back
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