Competency Framework

The success of the Public Service depends on its ability to optimise on

its employees’ capabilities and performance to ensure efficiency and
effectiveness in the delivery of public services as envisioned. To achieve
this, Public Service should be able to identify, attract, develop and retain
highly skilled human resource by creating robust policies and systems.

The Competency Framework designed by H2H will serve as a tool to

attract, select and recruit candidates based on clearly defined
competencies; identify developmental requirements of individual
employees; and entrench a culture of competency based performance
and capacity building for improved service delivery.

The Framework will outlines individual and organisational

competencies designed to focus on ability and capability of the PSU
employess and form the basis for identification of the required
competencies of any public agency to deliver on their mandate. The
ultimate goal of this Framework will be to this help Public Service
organisationsin their endeavours to re-engineer the human resource
management practices to enhance public service delivery.

Objectives of the Competency Framework

The overall objective of the Competency Framework is to provide the

Public Service with an approach of appraising competencies required for
effective and efficient service delivery.

The objective of the Framework is to:

1. (i) guide in attracting, selecting and recruiting candidates;

2. (ii) identify competencies required for one to perform a task
effectively;
3. (iii) guide performance management in the Public Service;
4. (iv) determine competencies necessary for training, career
progression and development;
5. (v) manage human resource planning and succession
management; and
6. (vi) Institutionalize a value-based and ethical culture in the
organisation
Guiding Values of the Framework

This Framework will be guided by identifying and understanding the

Values and Principles of the Public Service

Developing a competency framework can take considerable effort. To

make sure the framework is actually used as needed, it's important to
make it relevant to the people who'll be using it – and so they can take
ownership of it.

The following principles will be kept in mind in designing a competency

framework:

1. Involve the people doing the work – These frameworks will not be
developed solely by HR people. To understand a role fully, we will
have to go to the source – the person doing the job – as well as
getting a variety of other inputs into what makes someone successful
in that job.

2. Communicate – People tend to get nervous about performance

issues. Let them know why you're developing the framework, how it
will be created, and how you'll use it. The more you communicate in
advance, the easier your implementation will be.

3. Use relevant competencies – We will Ensure that the competencies

included will apply to all roles covered by the framework.

Developing the Framework

There are four main steps in the competency framework development

process. Each steps has key actions that will encourage people to
accept and use the final product.

Step One: Prepare

 Define the purpose – Before we start analyzing jobs, and figuring

out what each role needs for success, we will like to understand the
the purpose for creating the framework. How you organisation use it
will help us understand whom to involve in preparing it, and how you
determine its scope. For example, a framework for filling a job
vacancy will be very specific, whereas a framework for evaluating
compensation will need to cover a wide range of roles.
 Create a competency framework team – we will Include people
from all areas of your business that will use the framework. Where
possible, aim to represent the diversity of your organization. It will
keep the frame work framework updated and relevant.

Step Two: Collect Information

This is the main part of the framework.. You will want to use the
following:

 Observe – Watch people while they're performing their roles. This is

especially useful for jobs that involve hands-on labor that you can
physically observe.

 Interview people – Talk to every person individually, choose a

sample of people to interview, or conduct a group interview. We may
also interview the supervisor of the job we will be assessing. This
helps us learn what a wide variety of people believe is needed for the
role's success.

 Analyze the work – Which behaviors are used to perform the jobs
covered by the framework? We will consider the following:
 Business plans, strategies, and objectives.

 Organizational principles.
 Job descriptions.
 Regulatory or other compliance issues.
 Predictions for the future of the organization or industry.
 Customer and supplier requirements.
Step Three: Building the Framework

This stage involves grouping all of the behaviors and skill sets into
competencies. Follow these steps to help you with this task:

1. Probable competencies that are identified will be reviewed for any

internal consistency and exhaustiveness of competencies to fulfil
the job objectives and purpose
2. Constructing Competency definitions and assigning proficiency
levels
3. Validate and revise the competencies as necessary
4. Have the framework agreed with the management teams

Step Four: Implement

Before rolling the finalized competency framework, to help get a buy-in

from members of staff at all levels of the organization, it's important to
explain to them why the framework was developed, and how you'd like it
to be used..

Here are some tips for implementing the framework:

 Link to business objectives – Make connections between individual

competencies and organizational goals and values as much as
possible.
 Reward the competencies – Check that your policies and practices
support and reward the competencies identified.
 Provide coaching and training – Make sure there's adequate
coaching and training available. People need to know that their efforts
will be supported.
 Keep it simple – Make the framework as simple as possible. You
want the document to be used, not filed away and forgotten.
 Communicate – Most importantly, treat the implementation as you
would any other change initiative. The more open and honest you are
throughout the process, the better the end result – and the better the
chances of the project achieving your objectives.