You are a Lab Manager, a senior analyst is retiring. Why would or wouldn’t you attempt to change that position into 2 technician positions?
You have a huge backlog in Latent Prints, you can’t find a trained examiner. Discuss the pros and cons of (1) waiting, (2) hiring a trainee who will take at least 6 months before they could screen cases and an year and half before they can do cases by themselves or (3) outsource at $150 per hour per person.
Discuss some of the issues involved in equipment purchases. What are the direct costs, the reoccurring costs and indirect costs that you can think of.
Discussion the impact of budget costs on a Lab and the direct and indirect effects on other submitting Agencies. If your costs go up where do you get the money?
Sample Answer
This is a comprehensive set of management and budgetary questions relevant to a forensic laboratory. Here are the discussions for each point:
Senior Analyst Position Replacement
You're considering replacing a retiring senior analyst with two technician positions. This decision hinges on the lab's current needs, budget, and the duties performed by the retiring analyst.
Why You Would Change the Position
Increased Throughput for Routine Tasks: Two technicians can significantly increase the capacity for high-volume, repetitive tasks that don't require the senior analyst's expertise (e.g., sample prep, administrative work, maintenance).
Cost Savings and Budget Efficiency: The salary and benefits for two entry-level technicians are likely less than a single, high-salary senior analyst, freeing up budget funds.
Staff Development Pipeline: Hiring technicians creates an entry point for future analysts, providing a pool of individuals already familiar with lab procedures.
Reduced Training Load: Training two technicians on limited, specific tasks is often faster and less complex than training a full analyst.
Why You Wouldn't Change the Position
Loss of Expertise and Mentorship: The senior analyst provides critical subject matter expertise, courtroom testimony experience, and mentorship. Losing this high-level knowledge could degrade the quality of complex analyses and case strategy.
Loss of Capacity: A senior analyst can perform complex, high-impact cases that technicians cannot. Replacing one expert with two non-experts doesn't replace the expert capacity.
Supervision Burden: Two additional personnel will require more management time and supervision from existing senior staff or the Lab Manager, potentially shifting the workload inefficiency.
Scope Creep and Risk: Technicians may be pressured to take on tasks outside their competency, increasing the risk of errors, quality control failures, and potential legal challenges.
Addressing Latent Print Backlog
You have a significant latent print backlog and can't find a trained examiner. Here is a discussion of the pros and cons of the three options: