Calculating Ratios
- Start with this scenario:
- If a small project had a total of 5.0 FTEs and one FTE was a secretary, the secretarial to nonsecretarial ratio would be 1 to 4.
- If the project doubled in size to 10 FTEs and added another secretary, the secretarial to nonsecretarial ratio would continue to be 1 to 4.
- What did you just do to figure that out? Maybe you said to yourself, "There are 2 secretaries and 8 nonsecretaries, or 2 to 8, which is the same as 1 to 4." To convert the ratio 2 to 8 to the form we prefer, 1 to X, you divided both sides of the ratio by 2, the number of secretaries.
- A little more complex scenario.
- A program has a total of 20 FTEs. Of these, 4.5 are secretaries and 3 are managers. What are the ratios of secretaries to nonsecretaries, and of managers to nonmanagers?
- If there are 4.5 secretarial FTEs, there are 15.5 nonsecretarial FTEs. We want to be able to fill in the blank, "For every secretary there are _____ nonsecretaries." Divide 15.5 by 4.5 to get 3.44. So the ratio is 1:3.44.
- If there are 3 managerial FTEs, there are 17 nonmanagerial FTEs. For every manager there are X nonmanagers. Divide 17 by 3 to get 5.66. So the ratio is 1:5.66.
- A little less handholding on this one.
- Our functional budget shows that the Training cost center has 8.5 total FTEs. Of this total, there are 1.5 secretarial FTEs and .75 management FTEs. What are the ratios of secretaries to nonsecretaries, and of managers to nonmanagers?
- The secretary to nonsecretary ratio is 1: 4.66.
- The manager to nonmanager ratio is 1: 10.33.
- Now go take a nap.