GlossaryStaffing, accountability, and public reporting
Authorized strength
Authorized strength is the number of positions an agency is approved to have under a specified budget, staffing plan, or other governing authorization.
Authorized strength is the number of positions an agency is approved to have under a specified budget, staffing plan, or other governing authorization. It describes permitted positions rather than employees actually on board. The measure needs a date and personnel scope, such as authorized sworn positions in an adopted fiscal-year budget.
Reading the authorization
The New York City Comptroller's staffing dashboard compares authorized positions with actual employees and vacancy rates. That example illustrates why both sides of the comparison matter. An agency can be below, at, or under some reporting circumstances above its planned level.
A proposed budget is not the same as an adopted authorization. Also distinguish a position allowance from funding available to fill it throughout the year. Local budget documents explain whether a position is funded, temporarily held, or approved for a future date.
Example
Hypothetical example: A city approves 100 sworn positions for the coming fiscal year. The department has 92 employees in that category on the chosen reference date.
Authorized strength is 100; actual staffing is 92 under those definitions. The difference is eight positions. It does not establish that eight officers are missing from every patrol shift, because the workforce covers multiple assignments and schedules.
Common confusion
Actual staffing describes filled employment. Minimum staffing describes an operational floor for a shift, unit, or function. Authorized strength is neither of those measures.
A position count also differs from FTE if some positions are part-time. The unit must match before calculating a vacancy percentage.
Local source
Use the adopted budget or approved staffing schedule, reference date, employee category, and funding scope. When authorization changes, a vacancy rate can change even without hiring or departures. A trend should show both authorized and actual levels so readers can identify what changed.