A forecasting methodology for academic manpower requirements in a small sized technical university

The operation of any organization depends on the supply of its manpower, and forecasting manpower needs is an essential part of the future strategic planning. Higher education in no exception, and academic manpower requirements constitute a crucial sector of the human resources development in the country. Subsequently, a simple, reliable yet rigorous method for forecasting such academic, manpower requirements becomes a major element in any strategic planning effort. In this paper, the Stepwise Regression Analysis technique is suggested as a reasonable and reliable forecasting method for a small sized technical university. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) is used as an example for the application of the technique. The correlation established using the PC based Statgraphics software, was significant enough to justify confidence in the use of that technique. This method provides an attractive option for planners to develop reasonable forecasts for the decision makers.