The chart depicts the organizational structure of the government of City C. Currently, 5 departments report directly to the City...
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
The chart depicts the organizational structure of the government of City C. Currently, 5 departments report directly to the City Manager, and each department consists of 2–5 agencies. Due to budgetary concerns, the government will be restructured as follows. The Human Resources Department and its agencies will be eliminated. Payroll will be moved to the Finance Department where it will be part of a single agency created by consolidating Accounting and Collections; Building Maintenance responsibilities will be transferred to Engineering. The Police and Fire Departments will be consolidated into a single department, and Prevention and Suppression will be merged into a single agency of that consolidated department.
From the drop-down menus, select the options that create the most accurate statement based on the information provided.
Owning the Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Literal Content | Simple Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Current Structure | "5 departments report directly to the City Manager" | There are currently 5 departments under the City Manager |
| Department Size | "each department consists of 2–5 agencies" | Each department is subdivided into 2 to 5 agencies |
| Reason for Change | "Due to budgetary concerns, the government will be restructured as follows." | Budget issues are driving organizational changes |
| HR Eliminated | "The Human Resources Department and its agencies will be eliminated." | HR and its agencies will no longer exist |
| Payroll Movement | "Payroll will be moved to the Finance Department where it will be part of a single agency created by consolidating Accounting and Collections" | Payroll merges into Finance with Accounting and Collections as one agency |
| Building Maintenance Transfer | "Building Maintenance responsibilities will be transferred to Engineering." | Building Maintenance moves to Public Works/Engineering |
| Police & Fire Consolidation | "Police and Fire Departments will be consolidated into a single department" | Police and Fire become one department |
| Prevention & Suppression Merge | "Prevention and Suppression will be merged into a single agency of that consolidated department" | Two agencies become one in the new department |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Component | Observed Structure | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Hierarchy | 3 levels: City Manager > Departments > Agencies | Standard organizational chain of command |
| Departments | 5: Finance, Public Works, Police, Fire, Human Resources | Matches text description |
| Agencies per Department | Finance: 4, Public Works: 5, Police: 4, Fire: 4, HR: 2 | Distribution shows HR is the smallest, Public Works is the largest |
| Agency Names | Labeled per department; e.g. Finance: Management, Meter Reading, Collections, Accounting | Clear breakdown for restructuring impact |
| Structure after Restructuring | Fewer departments, agencies consolidated | Anticipate more consolidation/mergers post-change |
Key Insights
After restructuring, department count drops from 5 to 3: Finance (expands with Payroll/merged agency), Public Works (gains Building Maintenance in Engineering), and a consolidated Public Safety department (merger of Police and Fire, with Prevention/Suppression also merged). Agency distribution per department will become more uneven, reflecting administrative streamlining and new reporting structures due to budget constraints.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Number of Departments After Restructuring
Complete Statement:
As a result of the restructuring, a total of _____ departments will report to the City Manager
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: As a result of the restructuring
- Meaning: We need to incorporate all changes described, such as eliminations and consolidations.
- Relation to Chart: The chart displays all current departments before restructuring.
- Important Implications: We must adjust our department count based on these changes.
- Key Phrase: As a result of the restructuring
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: a total of _____ departments
- Meaning: Request for the new, updated total number of departments.
- Relation to Chart: The chart lists 5 departments before any changes.
- Important Implications: Some departments may be eliminated or merged in the restructuring.
- Key Phrase: a total of _____ departments
- What is needed: The final number of departments that will report to the City Manager after HR is eliminated and Police/Fire are consolidated.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation: Start with the current number of departments, subtract any that are eliminated, and account for consolidations.
- Necessary Data points: Original departments: Finance, Public Works, Police, Fire, Human Resources. HR is eliminated (-1), Police and Fire are merged (-1).
- Calculations Estimations: \(5 - 1 - 1 = 3\) departments.
- Comparison to Answer Choices: If answer choices include 3, this matches our calculation.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: 3
Question 2: Maximum Number of Agencies per Department After Restructuring
Complete Statement:
The maximum number of agencies per department will be _____
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: maximum number of agencies per department
- Meaning: Identify which department has the most agencies after all the restructuring.
- Relation to Chart: The organizational chart shows each department with a list of their agencies.
- Key Phrase: maximum number of agencies per department
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: will be _____
- Meaning: We need to determine the new maximum after the restructuring is complete.
- Relation to Chart: Current maximum can be calculated; need to update after consolidation and transfers.
- Key Phrase: will be _____
- What is needed: The largest number of agencies under any single department after all changes (elimination, consolidation, transfers).
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation: Determine the number of agencies under each new department after all structural changes, and identify the department with the most agencies.
- Necessary Data points: After the restructuring: Finance has 3 agencies, Public Works has 5 agencies, the merged Police/Fire department has 7 agencies (combining all their previous agencies).
- Calculations Estimations: Finance = 3, Public Works = 5, Police/Fire = 7. The maximum is 7 agencies under Police/Fire.
- Comparison to Answer Choices: 7 fits if it is among the options.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: 7
Summary
After the restructuring, the city will have 3 departments reporting to the City Manager. By merging Police and Fire, their combined department will have the most agencies—7 in total.
Question Independence Analysis
Both questions can be answered independently. The number of departments (blank 1) depends on eliminations and consolidations, while the maximum number of agencies (blank 2) depends on the new department structures after these changes. No information from one calculation is required for the other.