Passing the Torch in the Civil Service

Every government office has its legends—the people who know the backstory of every policy, the origin of every memo, the logic behind every obscure procedure. When they retire, they take more than files with them; they take context, memory, and a way of thinking built over decades of service. We celebrate their dedication at retirement ceremonies, yet the next morning, their desks are empty, and their successors are left guessing where to begin.

This cycle repeats because government is built to honor legacy, not to institutionalize it. We treat retirement as an ending rather than a transfer. The knowledge that sustains an agency is often stored in the minds of individuals, not in systems or manuals. And so, each farewell quietly resets a part of the organization’s learning curve.

But it does not have to be this way. Imagine if every nearing retiree became a mentor by design, not by accident. Imagine if part of their exit process involved structured coaching, documentation, and a final debrief with their successors. Such rituals would cost little but preserve immeasurable value.

Some agencies are beginning to move in this direction. A few have introduced knowledge-transfer checklists or “handover notebooks.” Others pair retirees with younger staff during their last six months to ensure guided transition. These small practices turn experience into institutional safety nets.

Succession planning, seen through this lens, is not bureaucracy—it is gratitude operationalized. It honors a lifetime of service by ensuring that wisdom does not retire with the person who earned it. A well-crafted succession policy, therefore, is less about replacing people and more about keeping their contribution alive.