Public Sector Competency-Based Development and Self-Assessment Handbook: A Self Assessment Handbook for Public Servants, Their Supervisors and Trainers

1. INTRODUCTION

The development of this public sector competency - based and self - assessment handbook aims to solve the fundamental problem of skills and qualification gaps, namely, those individuals cannot define missing knowledge, skills and attributes when these are unknown to them. With the aim to enhance employees’ competencies this handbook will help respondents identify their individual competency development and training needs. It also provides the basis for a comprehensive curriculum that is relevant and common to all government agencies regardless of the specialised or professional competencies in respective functional areas. More importantly it lays the foundation for the future capacity development and performance effectiveness of organisations within the public sector.

In the handbook reference is made to a hierarchy of competency models detailing the relative complexity of context and diversity of duties and tasks at different levels of employment. It targets five levels of competencies in the public sector including national and sub-national entities.

Within the public sector the following general target groups and related competencies can be identified: (i) Governance and Leadership Competencies for Director Generals, managing and executive directors and senior managers (or equivalent); (ii) Professional Staff Competencies, -- based on their profession e.g. accountants and auditors; (iii) Public Sector Management Competencies -- for middle and higher level managers, and executive officers managing a programme or common service, (iv) Programme and Project Management Competencies -- for programme and project officers and technical support staff and (v) Basic Office Competencies -- for operational and administrative staff.

The methodology used for defining public sector competencies refers to the context of public sector reform, transformation, modernisation and continuous improvements involving new legislation, regulations, normative guidelines, standards and measures. The context of government work is further defined in terms of systemic reform, such as, assignment of new mandates, new delineation of responsibilities, new inter-agency relations and improved citizens’ management. Furthermore government agencies are usually assigned new functional determinations and work areas that acquire new duties and tasks to accomplish and new performance standards to