1. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 1
Joyce Lorick , MPA, MB Manager LA Consulting, Inc.
Jeff Thurman, CPM, Consultant LA Consulting, Inc.
Wednesday, April 24th , 2013
2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Prime Osborn Convention Center
Jacksonville, Florida April 22nd–26th
CONSULTING, INC.
“We help Public Works Work”
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• Recognize the span of control within an agency and
be aware of the relationship to management levels
and efficiency
• Discuss the factors that affect span of control
including new technologies and how they may apply
to an agency
• Apply general management concepts to identify
appropriate span of control within their agency
 APWA Reporter Dec 2012
 Water online August 2012
 PW online
 ERSI acknowledgment

2. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 2
Joyce Lorick
Overview of Span of Control
Factors
Relevant Implications
Research
Span of Control:
Impact to Organizational Efficiency
Definition – number of people a manager supervises
The span of control and layers of management helps determine the
way an organization manages operations.
Layers are the number of management steps from the lowest
employee to top management.

3. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 3
 More layers (and managers) between work forces and top level
management
 Potential for confused vision and communications between top
management and staff
 Allows closer communication and direction between staff and
immediate management
 May cause physical separation between upper management and
staff
 Alignment with Top management
 Less direct communication between Manager and
subordinates
 Repetitive tasks or higher skilled/trained employees
require less direction
 Independent work or self motivated employees
 Often physically in same location
Definition – number of people a manager supervises; the span of control and layers of
management helps determine the way an organization manages operations. Layer are the
number of management steps from the lowest employee to top management. Span can be tall
or wide as shown below and this affects communications, direction and vision
implementation
 More layers (and managers) between
work forces and top level management
 Potential for confused vision and
communications
 Allows closer communication and
direction between staff and immediate
management
 May be physically separated
 Alignment with Top management
 Less direct communication between
Manager and subordinates
 Repetitive tasks or higher skilled/trained
employees require less direction
 Independent work or self motivated
employees
 Often physically in same location

4. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 4
 Frenchman (1916)– Fayol developed management functions and concept
of control
 Englishman (1922) – Sir Ian Hamilton – studied military leaders and
suggested 3:1 to 6:1was optimum ratio
 Grancais (1933) – used statistical mathematical potential interactions to
indicate that 4:1-5:1 was the maximum ratio
 Gulick and Urwick (1956) – that 6:1 was a maximum ratio that could be
supervised studying command and control organizations
 Tom Peters (1987) – states with optimal business practices and
communication that span ratios could be as much as 25:1-75:1 with five
layers maximum
 US national Performance Review (1993) – indicates that the optimal span
ratio should be from 7:1 to 15:1 for Federal agencies
Governmental studies in the US
 Indicates span ratios from various agencies ranged from 4:1-11:1
 Studies for State of Texas (2002) and Iowa (2005), City of Seattle (2008) all showed overall span
increases of 20% in a four - five year period
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Fl. Water
Management
District (1993)
Kansas City,
Mo(2002)
King County
Was(2002)
Portland
Org(2002)
Seattle (2005) US Gov (1993) State of Texas
(2003)
State of
Iowa(2007)
Span of Control

5. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 5
MPPA 408-DL Joyce Lorick
Technology may help increase span in many
cases
1. Material and equipment have simplified work and skills such as auto repair
and computer operations.
2. Communications technology (smart phones, tablets, cell phones. Text
messaging, internet, twitter etc) that allow direct communications.
3. Professionally trained managers and higher skilled staff.
4. Use of standardized processes and automated controls such as computerized
manufacturing in auto industry and Telemetry in water production.
 No specific ratio matches all organizations
 Government increasing span of control
 Organizational practices and use of technology impact factors
(standards, quality, simplifications, communications, information flow)
 Less than 3:1 ratio of span warrants review
 Wider span of control may signify that more effective
management processes and systems are in place
 Command and control (Military) system requires more
management layers
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 Old rule of thumb of 4:1 or 5:1 may not apply
 With economic issues Government is enlarging spans
 Higher ranges with technology now occurring
 Consider risk to public
 1:1 and 1:2 should be challenged
 Technology… technology is changing the way we work
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6. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 6
 Defined work
 Specific timetables
 Consistent effort
 Ease of work quality adherence
 Considerable benchmarks
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 High span
of control
 1:20
possible
 1:5-1:10
observed
 Generally same crew
 Travel physically to together
 Some variety in work with
guidance needed
 Some benchmarks
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 medium span
of control
 1:8 possible
 1:3-1:5 observed
 Generally same work
 physically separated
 Managed process
 Trained and independent staff
 Little need for onsite
consultation
 Many benchmarks
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 medium
span of
control
 1:8 possible
 1:3-1:5
observed

7. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 7
 Mandated and defined
processes work by various
members
 May be separated by time or
space
 Technology related work
 High potential risk to agency
 May need technical support
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 medium
span of
control
 1:8 possible
 1:4-1:6
observed
 Mandated and defined
processes work by various
members
 May be separated by either or
both time and space
 Technology related work
 High potential risk to agency
 May need technical support
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 Medium/Low
span of
control
 1:5 possible
 1:3-1:4
observed
 Varied and complex work
 Computer aided design
 Technology related work
 High potential risk to agency
 May need consider and
technical support
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 /Low span of
control
 1:4 possible
 1:2-1:3
observed

8. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 8
 Varied and complex work
 Highly capable employees
 Politically and policy
decisions
 High potential risk to
agency
 May need considerable
coordination
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 Low span of
control
 1:5 possible
 1:2-1:3
observed
 Lack of excessive overhead
 Ease of communication of necessary information
among layers
 Informed and aligned staff and superior
 Quality work is done
 Worker direction with necessary guidance
 High burdened overhead with billing rates in access
of a 3 multiplier
 Micromanagement and lack of any employee
judgment
 Worker over direction with unnecessary guidance
 Multiple jobs overlap with worker and supervisor
 Lack of clear responsibilities

9. 2013 Annual Meeting & Trade Show
Jacksonville FL April 22nd ‐ 26th
4/24/2013
Joyce Lorick, MPA, Manager
Jeff Thurman, Consultant 9
 Poor work and lack of quality control
 Considerable rework
 Minimal or lack of accountability
 Uninformed staff and/or supervisor
 Direction of program not aligned with mission
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Joyce Lorick, MB Office Manager
LA Consulting, Inc.
1209 Manhattan Ave, Suite 310
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: (310) 374-5777
email: jlorick@laconsulting.com
Linked @LA_CONSULTING
Celebrating our 20th year of Helping Public Works Work!
Jeff Thurman, Consultant
LA Consulting, Inc.
1209 Manhattan Ave, Suite 310
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: (310) 374-5777
email: jthurman@laconsulting.com
www.publicworks.com/doc/Span-Of-Control-Impacts-Public-Works-Efficien-0001
www.wateronline.com/doc/Span-Of-Control-Impacts-Public-Works-Efficien-0001