Which of the following is NOT one of the four commonly used organizational structures in planning agencies?

• A. Organization by Budgetary Area
• B. Organization by Time Frame
• C. Organization by Process
• D. Organization by Function

Answer: (A)

Organizing a planning agency around the scope of work—what gets done, when it’s planned for, and how the work flows—helps ensure staff with similar goals collaborate effectively. Budgetary area isn’t a way to structure the workflow or the teams; it’s about funding and resource control, which cuts across projects rather than grouping people and tasks into coherent work units. The common approaches group work by function (the kinds of tasks like zoning, transportation, housing), by time frame (short-, medium-, long-range planning), or by process (data gathering, analysis, plan development, implementation). Because those three align directly with how planning tasks are carried out and coordinated, they are typical organizational structures. While geography sometimes serves as a practical way to focus planning efforts on different areas, budgetary area does not—so it isn’t considered one of the standard organizational structures.