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Thanks to all who responded to my message:  Anybody out there?  I received
responses from places including New Zealand, Mexico, California, and Miami, and
Cornell.  It was a relief to know I was hooked in even if the list is currently
"comatose" as one of you described it.
 
By way of introduction, I am an american student in London participating in an
MBA program where I specialised in HRM.  As part of my course, I am doing an HR
internship at a company where I have been asked to look at their succession
planning database, and to improve it.
 
As I understand it they have the following expectations for this system:
 
1.   Provide comprehensive information on the quality and level of talent in
the organisation
2.  Monitor and plan development of high potential individuals
3.  Build a pool of candidates capable of competing for key posts
4.  Develop a coherent picture of key posts/job roles and required competencies
as they relate to business direction.
 
I should mention that the pool of people currently included in this are fairly
senior to begin with.
 
My question focuses on item number 2.  Has anyone seen this element built into
a database before?  Can anyone suggest any literature (so far all the
information I've found is sparse and tends to be the instant recipe variety)?
How does management development fit into this? Does anyone have any expereience
bringing in the deveopemental aspects into a succession planning system?
Should it be part of succession planning?  What do you all think?
 
It seems to me that although there is desire to have a succession planning
system that builds in developmental opportunities, at times it's very easy to
fall into a replacement planning mentality (you know, the CEO falls under the
bus scenario, what happens next?)
 
I think I'll stop now.  Please respond directly to the list, as I think it
would be helpful to me to have discussion around this.  Let me know if I need
to clarify anything I've written.  Thanks and I look forward to your help.
 
Fllory