Principles of Management of Financial and Physical Resources in the Fire Service - Case Study Example

Name Tutor Managing Resources Course Institution Date Managing resources and information report Introduction Snell & Bohlander, (2012) defines resources as sources or supply from which gains are created, which are primarily materials or other assets, whose form are changed to generate a benefit. Resources are essential component to the operation and running of organizations and institutions, large and small, profit and non-profit making enterprises in the public and the private sector. Vereker & Commonwealth Secretariat, (2002) highlights that managing resources effectively is a fundamental process, which influences profitability by enhancing utilization and reducing bench time and more significantly, it helps in creating value for money. There are varied types of resources of an organization that are essential in achieving its set mission, vision, goals and objectives. Among organizational resources includes infrastructure or capital such as buildings, machineries and communication systems among others (Griffin, 2006). According to the author, technology resources entail technology systems and tools which assist in sharing, storage and retrieval of information and in enhancing efficiency in production and service delivery. Among other organizational resources are the work environment, information resources, financial resources and material resources. Through effective management of resources and information, organizations are best positioned to not only acquire and allocate resources, but also, in realizing the most effective and efficient utilization of all their resources (Singh, 2001). More often than not, firms misuse, misappropriate, underutilize and at times, over utilize their resources for failing to manage them well. Resource management therefore, seeks to evaluate how resources are used and illustrating their most valuable and competent uses. Through effective management and knowledge on utilization of resources, one learns vital actual utilization information. This forms the basis of this report which seeks to critically assess human resource management in the fire and rescue service, principles of management of financial and physical resources in the fire service, procurement processes in the fire and rescue service and operational assurance and evaluation. Human resource management in the fire and rescue service The human resources are the other type of organizational resources, which are defined as the most valuable and reliable asset to an organization (Snell & Bohlander, 2012). The human resource is charged with operating all the other resources to make them useful to the organization (Cote, 2003). Employees make up the human resources and they are selected and recruited for their skills, energies, knowledge, expertise, talent and abilities. Griffin, (2006) indicates that human resource management entails bringing the people and the enterprise together in order to achieve the goals of each and ensure their respective needs and expectations are effectively and efficiently met. The main aim of human resource management in an organization is to ensure better human relations in the firm through formation, implementation and evaluation of policies, programs and processes relating to the workforce with the view of enhancing the contribution of the fire and rescue personnel towards achieving the organizational objective of ensuring safety in the communities and neighborhoods (Snell & Bohlander, 2012). Primarily, human resource management in the fire and rescue service focuses on better outcomes in preventing and responding to fire with the engagement and partnership of the human resources within the fire and rescue department (Carter, et al., 2006). Regardless of the type of organization or industry, human resource management is helpful in ensuring utmost individual growth and development, promoting favorable working relationship among employees and between them and their employers and it is applied in key success areas of the organization namely selection and recruitment, training and development, benefits, remunerations and compensation, empowerment and leadership among others (Singh, 2001). Within the fire and rescue service, human resource management is characterized by effective development, implementation and evaluation of selection and recruitment strategies to ensure that the department hires the best candidates in the field who not only are qualified and skilled in the area of fire and rescue but also, those who are committed, accountable and more importantly, creative and innovative in generating new insights into improving service delivery in the fire and rescue department (Griffin, 2006). Through human resource management, the fire and rescue service has been able to recruit the right individuals, at the right time, for the right job positions and the right price (Carter, et al., 2006). Nevertheless, management in this key area is still characterized by infectiveness and inefficiency as some of the top managers are yet to understand the critical role selection and recruitment process play in helping achieve organizational and business goals. Through human resource management, the fire and rescue service has been able to enhance performance among the workforce since they are not only motivated through various motivational techniques such as promotions, financial incentives, recognition and appreciation, benefits and salary increment among others but also, they are better equipped in terms of skills in carrying out their duties (Cote, 2003). The latter has been achieved through regular on-job training facilitated by the human resource management, which is meant to sharpen the skills of the personnel and ensure they are conversant and are up to date with latest information on fire fighting techniques, technologies, systems and programs (Carter, et al., 2006). In addition, training the fire and rescue officers in areas they may seem weak or unknowledgeable on. This has translated to better work outcomes in terms of fewer injuries on the fire and rescue service personnel, low number of fatalities, less damage on property and increased number of people safely evacuated in case of fire and other emergency situations. The annual performance management exercises are carried out too technically and therefore, fewer personnel in the fire and rescue service fully understand its implications and they therefore, fill out their performance appraisal forms with less attention and seriousness which influences the outcomes of performance management strategies developed. Conclusively, the human resource management in the fire and rescue service has successfully enhanced teamwork among fire and rescue service personnel through effective conflict management. It has promoted continuous performance among workers in their assigned roles and it has helped foster loyalty among team members, accountability, commitment and more importantly, it has helped the fire and rescue service officers to take ownership of the set organizational goals and objectives and in so doing, ensuring they are attained effectively and efficiently (Cote, 2003). Principles of management of financial and physical resources in the fire service According to Vereker & Commonwealth Secretariat (2002), managing resources effectively and efficiently is the goal of the management as it focuses on identifying resources that need maintenance, establishing those resources that are underutilized, identifying resources that are misused and more significantly, establishing when, how, why and where additional resources are required to ensure high levels of performance and operational efficiency. Carter, et al., (2006) notes that as single assets, resources cannot generate competitive advantage unless they are incorporated together and designed properly to generate value that is when they begin to develop a base of competitive edge. Snell & Bohlander, (2012) notes that for resources to generate a competitive advantage for an organization, the management needs to identify and acquire a pool of resources which are not only valuable, but also, rare, unique and those that are costly for the competitors to substitute. As earlier mentioned, there are financial and physical resources of an organization. The financial resources, physical resources and technology resources are among the tangible resources of an organization (Griffin, 2006). Financial resources in the fire and rescue service includes money, borrowing power and investments while the physical resources encompasses raw materials such as water for extinguishing fire, physical premises/ fire stations, operational equipments such as fire fighting equipments such as hose reels among others and vehicle fleets which includes fire fighting vans and ambulances (Cote, 2003). To ensure enhanced satisfaction among fire and rescue service personnel and the community, the management is accountable for planning, anticipating, consulting, supervising and acting efficiently to ensure all physical resources required are established, developed and fully utilized responsibly (Carter, et al., 2006). There are four main principles in the management of physical resources in the fire and rescue service which are that all possible physical resources must be identified and utilized correctly to prevent misuse, under utilization or over utilization (Dash & Dash, 2008). The other principles is that the fire and rescue service should utilize all the available physical resources exhaustively and all local resources must be acquired and produced wherever possible and lastly, the utilization of physical resources must be diligently maintained and controlled to avoid wastage (Dash & Dash, 2008). Despite the four principles of management of physical resources, effective management of physical resources in modern departments and organizations such as the fire and rescue service is hindered by lack of finances, lack of trained personnel to handle supplies and maintenance, limited storage space, insecurity, delays in clearance of unserviceable equipments, rising maintenance demands due to limited facilities and equipments and failure in maintaining records (Singh, 2001). There has been increased pressure for the fire and rescue service to enhance efficiency, which necessitate the need for proper use of all the physical, financial, human and material resources in order to offer value for money, for the services given to the community. According to Cote (2003), proper use of all resources means that the prevention, safeguarding and response activities are targeted proficiently to enhance impact and ensure there are the right amount and type of financial, physical and human resources at the right place and at the right time in order to meet changing demands within the fire and rescue service. In regards to management of the financial resources in the fire and rescue service, the core principles are to ensure that all financial resources are safe and protected and more significantly, ensure that financial information on financial resources are readily accessible in a timely, transparent and responsible way. It is crucial that the back office functions in the fire and rescue service offer cost effective support services with suitable economies of scale (Carter, et al., 2006). Effective management of financial resources at the fire and rescue entails preparation of accurate and timely financial reports and budgets, efficient management of cash flow to ensure high rates of returns of human and financial resources, analyzing and where suitable suggesting and consulting on alternatives for reducing costs to the community without compromising on services (Cote, 2003). In addition, reviewing whether the levels of support service and delivery of services are appropriate for best offering responsibilities within the set budgets and identifying new means of generating income for the fire and rescue service. Procurement processes in the fire and rescue service The main priority for organizations in relation to procurement is to acquire the best value for money and facilitate efficient and effective procurement of goods and services through proper planning and management, which is meant to ensure the goals of the department and the needs of the stakeholders are met (Neet, 2001). Majority of products and services in the fire and rescue service are bought from current state and local contracts and through partnership with other firms. More often than not, the fire and rescue service aggregate contracts wherever possible with the view of enhancing process savings. Large scale contracts are advertised in compliance with relevant requirements while low value purchases are bought from an array of known suppliers. The procurement process at the fire and rescue service encompasses five main steps which include defining the business need, developing a procurement plan to help address and resolve the business need and more importantly, assess the market and develop a procurement approach (Carter, et al., 2006). The third step is selecting and reviewing the suppliers through official tender process. The following step entails negotiating and awarding the contract and finally, the induction and integration stage where reviews of contracts are done and the contract are signed prior to order and delivery of goods and services (Cote, 2003). Nevertheless, the fire and rescue service has failed to efficiently and effectively facilitate procurement processes owing to the slow progress in uptake of e-procurement to source, assess markets, order, invoice, pay for products and services ordered from suppliers. Full implementation of e-procurement will enhance competence and success of procurement procedures / exercises generate varied benefits and resource savings for the fire and rescue service and suppliers since the procurement process will be quicker and there will be efficient utilization of information, minimized transaction costs and improved communication between the fire and rescue and its external environment (Neet, 2001). Operational Assurance and Evaluation According to Dash & Dash, (2008) it is fundamental for organizations to monitor the safety of their work systems in order to ensure risks are effectively and efficiently prevented, managed or averted and employees are working in favorable conditions and are using efficient systems to do so. At the fire and rescue service, the need to monitor and evaluate the safety of work systems and operational processes, incident command and output of personnel at operational incidents has been at the core of all operations in order to ensure value and efficacy of operational policies, processes and equipment (Carter, et al., 2006). A key facet of operational assurance and evaluation in organizations is to learn from incidents (Griffin, 2006). The operation assurance and evaluation team at the fire and rescue has been charged with ascertaining that firefighting services and activities are conducted in a safe and effective manner. For any fire fighting personnel, risks are part of the job description and therefore, ensuring safety where possible is elemental to minimizing injury and harm to both the fire fighter and the public. To facilitate this, the fire and rescue service has integrated auditing best practices in all its operations to reaffirm the commitment to protecting the work force and the community and to help facilitate changes to work systems where and when necessary (Carter, et al., 2006). The main objective of the operational assurance and evaluation team is to offer autonomous evaluation of how effective and efficient the department is in attaining its health and safety responsibilities (Singh, 2001). In addition, assessing training exercises for new recruits and existing personnel, assessing customer feedback, debriefs and incident reports with a view to establish trends in how the workforce operates and assess if any improvements are required. Among the main areas of quality operational assurance work for the operational assurance and evaluation team encompasses monitoring how the fire fighting personnel operate when they attend fires where there are numerous response and rescue crews in relation to interoperability, collaboration and following fire fighting procedures. Integrated in the monitoring role is the monitoring of training activities (Carter, et al., 2006). In addition, conducting daily assessment of incidents to establish trends, verifying the quality and management of data from various reports and feedbacks and overseeing analysis of incidents and thereby, generating recommendations for changes in working practice (Cote, 2003). Moreover, assessing the firefighting activities of the fire and rescue service and developing feasible recommendations for reviewing work practices and facilitating team work and inter-connectivity among various departments to enhance performance at operational incidents (Carter, et al., 2006). Conclusion Resources are essential to the operation, sustainability and success of an organization. There are various organizational resources which falls under two categories, that is, the tangible and the intangible resources. Among critical resources that organizations require to effectively operate and integrate them to improve its competitive advantage includes physical resources, financial resources, technology, human resources, information, material resources, work environment and infrastructure among others. Effective management of resources ensures that each resource is effectively and efficient utilized and safeguards against misuse, underutilization or overutilization. Primarily, resource management seeks to evaluate how resources are used and to illustrate their most valuable and competent uses. As highlighted in the report, the fire and rescue service has effectively and efficiently managed its human resources, financial resources and physical resources save for a few shortcomings which can be adequately addressed. In regards to its operational assurance and evaluation systems, the fire and rescue service has charged the operations assurance and evaluation team to ensuring that operation policies, processes and equipment are functioning safely and in efficient manner. The team ascertains that firefighting services and activities are conducted in a safe and effective manner. Bibliography Carter, H.R., Rausch , E., & N.F.P.A. 2006. Management in the Fire Service. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Cote, A.E. 2003. Organizing for Fire And Rescue Services. Sidney: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Dash, M., & Dash, N. 2008. School Management. New York: Atlantic Publishers & Dist. Griffin, R.W. 2006. Principles of Management. London: Cengage Learning. Neet, D. 2001. E-procurement: from strategy to implementation. London: FT Press. Singh, Y.P. 2001. Effective Resource Management. New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. Snell, S.A., & Bohlander, G.W. 2012. Managing Human Resources. London: Cengage Learning Vereker, J., & Commonwealth Secretariat. 2002. Managing resources for development. Sidney: Commonwealth Secretariat. Read More