Development of a competence framework in Statistics Norway

1
Development of a competence framework in
Statistics Norway

• HRMT Geneva 15.09.10
• Jan Byfuglien
• Beate Johnsen
• Division for human resources,
• Statistics Norway

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Do we need a new profile for statisticians?

• Modern statistics needs new profile of
  statistician. Knowledge of statistics (concepts
  and methods) must be accompanied by flexibility,
  invention, communicative and language abilities,
  capacities in team co-operation. We need more
  staff with managerial skills, understanding its
  own work in relation to other activities of the
  institution.
• Mr. Jan Fischer at the UNSC High level forum in
  2008

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Some issues in relation to competence development

• What type of competences do we as NSIs need in
  the future?
• Are we able to recruit the right mix of
  competences?
• Are we able to provide the relevant internal
  training?
• Challenges related to technological and
  organisational development and competence
  development?
• Challenges related to knowledge transfer when
  senior staff is leaving?
• The answer a more systematic
• analysis and description of existing
• competences and gaps in competences?

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Competences a broad perspective

• Knowledge (What you know, tacit and explicit)
• Skills ((How you do something)
• Abilities (Talent)
• Attitudes (Values)
• Combination of technical, formal knowledge,
  ability for problem solving and social skills

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Some background Changing staff education level
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The content of this introduction

• How we have developed a framework for competence
  description within Statistics Norway
• How this is being used in practice
• Some lessons learned

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The process to establish the framework

• Started in 2007 as a project Why and how
  competence mapping? National experiences and
  other NSIs
• Discussed in many meetings with managers and
  staff
• Presented and discussed at top management level
• Made more concrete through brain storming
  sessions and pilots in two units
• The final proposal supported by top management in
  January 2010 and the internal process launched

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The main objectives of the competence framework

• To discuss competences in a more systematic way
• To raise awareness among the employees concerning
  own competences
• To identify concrete requirements for competence
  development as a basis for actions
• not only on individual level, but for groups and
  units/sections
• To identify needs in relation to future
  recruitment

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Three main types of competences

• Basic competences required (to different degree)
  of all employees regardless of role or business
  unit
• Core competences Competences linked to the
  primary task of statistics production
• Specialist competences Competences necessary to
  perform specific roles and functions

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The business process model and competence
framework
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Basic competences Statistics Norway

• Basic ICT skills
• Statistics Norway and its role in society
• Communication
• Teamwork and knowledge sharing
• Creativity and result orientation

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Core competences statistics production

• Knowledge of statistical principles and methods
• Numeric and analytical skills
• Understanding the statistical production process,
  routines and quality requirements
• Orientation about social issues and the
  statistical needs of society
• Abilities in using the relevant tools for
  treating statistical data

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Specialist competences

• Specific competences for support functions or
  specialist task in the production process, for
  instance within
• Dissemination
• ICT hardware and software
• Administrative support
• Specialist subject area competences

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Use of evaluation scale

• Advantages
• It forces those involved to perform an
  evaluation of level of competence
• Evaluation of level is necessary and using a
  numeric scale makes it easier to handle for
  analysis and presentation
• Drawbacks
• Competences difficult to fix on a scale and
• the evaluation can be rather arbitrary
• Can be considered as negative for persons/groups
  if used uncritically

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Evaluation scale used

• 1 Low level (strong need for training)
• 2 Average level (some need for training and
  support)
• 3 High level (little need for training)
• 4 Very high level (expert, can train others)

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The main steps in the process

1. Discuss and identify future goals and challenges
   for the unit
2. Discuss and identify specific competence areas
3. Evaluate existing level and future target on
   basic/core competences and on the specified
   competence areas
4. Identify the main gaps and discuss results and
   how to fill the gaps plan of action, priorities

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Evaluation at what level?

• The units/sections owns the process, and the
  results should be useful for planning at this
  level
• The process seeks to combine some elements of
  individual self evaluation with evaluation on
  group level (5 10 persons) and evaluation on
  unit/section level (15-40 persons)
• Follow up on individual level foreseen through
  appraisal interviews
• The results might be used for overall evaluation
  at department level and on SSB level even if
  aggregation is not easy

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How to drill down from general to specific areas?

• The ambition was not to develop a complete
  catalogue of competences but establish a
  framework and allow flexibility in implementation
• The main competence areas rather broad and
  interpretation can differ and thus also
  evaluation
• During the process the main categories might be
  split in much more detail for evaluation
  according to the needs of each unit

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Some challenges

• That all involved have an open mind
• A common understanding in use of the scale
• To avoid going into details before getting a more
  general picture
• To understand how we define basic, core and
  specialist competences
• To avoid multiple, overlapping areas
• To develop an action plan

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Basic competences average of self evaluations
within a section (Human resources)
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Basic competences average of evaluations in 4
groups same unit/section
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Basic and core competences Average of individual
evaluations within a section (data collection)
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Basic, core and specialist competences.
Evaluation at group level
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Lessons learned

• The process within groups/sections is important
  in itself
• The process should be adapted to the requirements
  of the sections
• The framework has helped to identify gaps and
  resulted in concrete follow up actions
• Use of evaluation has helped to quantify the
  issues and raised no major difficulties
• The process has helped staff to be more concrete
  when discussing training needs and prepared the
  ground for follow up in appraisal interviews

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Issues for reflection and discussion

• Communication is a major issue What do we mean
  by?
• Follow up how implement actions? How follow up
  in appraisal talks?
• How to ensure that this is a continuous process
  adapting to changing needs?
• The importance of ownership to the process by the
  organisation and support by top management

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Thanks for your attention!