Conceptually, HR planning should be an integral part of business planning. The strategic planning process should define projected changes in the scale and types of activities carried out by the organization. It should identify the core competencies the organization needs to achieve its goals and, therefore it skills requirements. In as far that there are articulated strategic business plans, HR planning interprets them in terms of people requirements. But it may influence the business strategy by drawing attention to ways in which people could be developed and deployed more effectively to further the achievement of business goals, as well as focusing on any problems that might have to be resolved in order to ensure that the people required will be available and will be capable of making the necessary contribution (Armstrong, 2001:358).