Luận văn thạc sĩ a study on competencies of young cadres in public sector the case of dai tu district peoples committee, thai nguyen province, vietnam

Le Quan Datc when the thesis is prcsented: Dcccniber 5, 2014 Aims o f the study Though has repeatedly been mentioned over the vvorld, conipetency development based on competency framewor

M A S T E R T H E S I S O F M P P M

“ A STUDY ON C O M PE T EN C IES OF YOUNG C A D R ES IN PUBLIC SECTOR:

THE CASE OF DAI TU DISTRICT PE O P L E ’S C O M M IT TE E ,

A C K N O V V LE D G E M E N T

I w ould like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Dr Sven-Erik

Svard and Assoc Prof Le Quan for their invaluable useful comments,

remarks, encouragem ent and engagem ent through the learning process o f this

introducing me to the topic as well for the support on the way I sincerely thank

the lecturers w ho enthusiastically imparted useful know ledge on public

m anagement during the master program to all class attendants I also tliank the

support o f the V N U University o f Econom ics and Business, the coordinators

and program m anagers for their support and assistance

I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to my classmates, who

supported me throughout thc course o f this M PPM course, by their aspiring

guidance, invaluably constructive criticism and fricndy advice 1 am sincerely

grateíul to them for sharing their truthful and illuminating vicw s on a num ber

o f issues related to my thesis

Also, I like to thank the participants in m y survey, w ho have willingly

shared their precious time during the process o f interviewing I would like to

thank my lovcd oncs, who havc supportcd me throughout cntirc proccss, both

by keeping me harm onious and helping me putting pieces together

Thank you all very much!

Sincerelv yours,

Level: Final assignmcnt for Master Program in Public Management.

A u th o r: Nguyen Tuan Dung

Superv isors: Dr Sven-Erik Svard; Assoc Prof Le Quan

Datc when the thesis is prcsented: Dcccniber 5, 2014

Aims o f the study

Though has repeatedly been mentioned over the vvorld, conipetency

development based on competency framework approach are hardly found in

Vietnam in general, let alone its application to any particular localities Thus,

the study in its application is conductcd in onc administrative unit o f the

country The study is entitled “A study on competencies o f young cadres in

public sector: The casc o f Dai Tu District Pcople’s Committee, Thai Nguyen

Province, Vietnam”

The study aims:

- To develop the young leader s t a f f o f the district for meeting the demand

oí' the next period

- To idcntity the essential competencies for D P C ’s young cadres

- To clarify the current level o f fulfillment o f the young cadres in

comparison with the near futurc’s nccds

- To indicate barriers and solutions to develop competencies o f the young

cadres bascd on the competency framework approach

Methods

Secondary data are obtained through credible sources as research joum als,

published papers, books, official documents issued by State administration

agencies or websites that associatcd with reputable institutions such as a

With the primary data, questionnaire is applicd by using four survcy

tbrms for getting data Questionnaire is used popularlv tor getting personal

ideas with relatively exact results, so that I choose it for my method o f

obtaining primary data Hovvever, I focus only on staff and offícials o f the

DPC, \vho can provide the most accurate and fair results

Results and Conclusions

The study has systematized general issues on competency framework, its

competencies needed tor the D PC ’s young cadres divided into tvvo clusters:

Cluster I: Building a successful team; Facilitating Change; and Quality

Orientation” , and Cluster II: “ Research and Analysis; Strategic Decision

Making, and Negotiation”

Current levcl o f thc six abovc competencies is evaluated, will overall

average score o f 2.11, vvhicli is adequate for the current needs and have some

potential for the future’s demand The most mạịor barriers are indicatcd as

“ inconsistent support ot' the senior cadres, unclear job descriptions, young

cadres’ resistance, lack o f appropriate communication and unspoken codes”

However, the author has made out some practical solutions for applying the

competency framework in thc DPC, those are “ Maximizing support o f the top

scnior cadrcs, involving participation o f thc wholc staff, comprchensivc

communication campaign, building deserving encouragement policy, and being

closer to the young cadres”

Suggestions for future research

The findings from the study can be examined in a pilot process to check

its compatibility A further research for this study can be “to monitor and

evaluate the pilot process o f the competency frame\vork in Dai Tu District

People’s Committee”, then to propose amcndment and adjustment for thc next

step o f implementation

Limitations

- Due to limitation o f time and resources, this study mainly focuses on

competency dcvclopment tbr young cadres o f Dai Tu District Committee

- Since the sample size is relatively small, the ĩindings cannot be

generalized to the broader community

- The results o f the study (ie: the level o f essential competcncies) can be

affccted by bias o f the respondents

- The study solely mentions to competencies required for needs o f the

district in the next tìve years

Cuntribution of the thesis

The thesis’s results fill in thc gap o f Dai T u ’s knowledge about

compctcncy framework, and are initial basis for dcveloping a comprehcnsive

competency framework for competency enhancement o f young cadres in the

district The thesis also gathers valuablc íìndings on competency-bascd

approach for those who interested in studying this field

Key \vords

Compctcncy, Compctcncy Framcwork, Dai Tu District, young cadrcs,

competency dcvelopmcnt

TABLE OF C O N TEN TS

1 Introdu ction

1.1 Background

1.2 Research Q u e stio n s

1.3 Research Pu rp osc

1.3.1 G eneral o b je ctive

1.3.2 Speci/ic ob jectives

1.4 Scope of s t u d y

2 Frame of re f cr en ce s

2.1 Key c o n c ep ts

2.1 ỉ C a d re s

2.1.2 Civiỉ s e r v a n ts

2.1.3 Young cadres in D ai Tu D istrict P eople's C om m ittee

2.1.4 C om petencv

2.1.5 C om petency fram ew ork (C F )

2.1.6 C om petencv developm ent (C D )

2.1.7 Force-field analysis

2.2 Competency frame\vork practices in the \v o r ld

2 2 1 H istory and developm ent o f C F

2.2.2 Benefits o f applying C F un C D

2.2.3 Barriers ofbuilciing and appỉying C F

2.2.4 Solutions o f building and applying C F

2.2.5 C om petency Assessm ent M e th o d

2.3 Necds of developing competencies of leadcrs in Dai Tu District 2.3.1 Potential developm ent oJ Dai Tu D is tric t

2.3.2 The D istrict 's m issions in the 2015-2020 p e rio d

2.3.3 Current State o f Dai Tu District 's civil servants

2.3.4 D em and o fC D fo r Dai Tu 's civil se r v a n ts

2.4 Needs of CD for thc D P C ’s voung c a d r e s

2.4.1 Introduction to D P C

2.4.2 Young cađres o /D P C

2.4.3 Needs o fC D fo r the D P C ’s voung c a d r e s

1

1

2

2

2

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.12 13

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2.5 Research m o d c l 19

3 Research m c t h o d s 19

3.1 Data c o lle ctio n 19

3.1.1 M ethod o f data c o lle c tio n 19

3.1.2 Steps o f da ta c o lle ctio n 20

3.2 Methods of Data analysis 21

4 Data an aly sis 21

4.1 Essential conipetencies for D PC ’s young ca d r es 21

4.1 ì Two Central/ ocuses ofD cii Tu D istrict in the 2 0 1 5 -2 0 2 0 p e r io d 21

4.1.2 The m ost essential com petencies f o r D P C 's young c a d r e s 23

4.2 Current status of essential competencies of the D P C ’s young cadres 26

4.3 Barriers and solutions for the young cadres’ C D 29

4.3.1 Bcirriers fo r th e y o u n g cadres ’ C D 29

4.3.2 Force-field analysis 31

4.3.3 Solutions Ịor the young c a d re s ' C D 33

5 Conclusions and suggestion for further s t u d ic s 34

5.1 C on clu sio n s 34

5.2 Limitations and suggestion for further s t u d ie s 35

R e ĩer c n c es 36

A p p cn d ices 40

L I S T O F A B B R E V I A T I O N S A N D A C R O N Y M S

HUCF : Harvard University’s Competency Framework

L I S T O F T A B L E S A ND F I G U R E S

TABLES

Table 1: Lists o f chosen competencies for D P C ’s young cadres 22

Table 2: Priority order o f competencies for D P C ’s young c a d r c s 24

Table 3: Assessment o f competencies o f five selected young cadres 27

Table 4: Assessment o f competencies o f fíve selected young cadres 27

Table 5: Current status o f each essential c o m p e te n c y 29

FIGURES Figure I : Force-field analysis m o d e l 6

Figure 2: Organizational structure o f D PC 's Administrative B ranch 17

Pigure 3: Agc structure at the D P C 18

Figure 4: The research m odel 19

Figure 5: Average scores o f the young cadres’ essential com peten cies 26

Figure 6: Forcc-ficld analysis o f competency development for the D P C ’s young cadres 32

1 Introduction 1.1 Background

Novvadays, intemational integration is an inevitable trcnd o f most countries in

the world, and Vietnam is not outside o f this trend It brings considcrable

opportunities and challenges to Vietnam in general and each o f its localities in

particular In order to make use o f comparative advantages and respond to

challenges o f the newly complex and dynamic environment, leadership in the public

sector must be radically transíbrmed In a traditional context, public sector oíten

just concentrates on training competency for planning and implementing policies

tor leaders Hovvever, no\vadays, leaders need to have global mind, deep

understanding on international issues, effective leadership and management skills in

a constant change world

It can be said that improvement in quality and efficiency o f human resources

management has been one ot' the important contents in the career o f innovating

State organizations and modemizing the public sector in Vietnam The pressing

demand o f Vietnam to enhance competencies o f the human resources is also stated

in the Strategy for developing human resources toward 2020 o f thc Government

Thereíore, in 2008, a brand new innovative concept named “Job position'’ appcarcd

in Law on Cadres and Civil Servants On that basis, the Government (2013 )1 issued

Decree No 36/2013/ND-C’P on ịob positions and structures o f civil ranks The

Decrce regulated that each job position is required to have its tunctions, missions

and competencies requirements The signiíìcance o f using that approach is to hclp

find right pcrson to do right things, then it can hclp rc-organizc thc civil servants

staff; detect ovcrlapping íunctions and duties o f the job position, agencies and

organizations; effective serve the recruitment activities, utilization o f human

resources, and assessment o f staíT training and planning

Though this issue has repeatedly been mentioncd over the vvorld, official

research on competency development based on competency framework approach in

Vietnam are hardly found, let alone its application to any particular localities Thus,

1 The V ietnam G overnm ent (2 0 1 3 ) D ecree N o.3 6 /2 0 1 3 /N D -C P

L.

the study entitled “A study on compctcncies o f young cadres in public sector: The

case o f Dai Tu District People’s Committec, Thai Nguyen Province, Victnam” is

- To ideníify the essential competencies tor D P C ’s youne cadres

- To clariĩy the current level o f fulfíllment o f the young cadres in comparison

with the ncar future’s nccds

- To indicate barriers and solutions to develop competencies o f the young

cadres based on the competency framework approach

1.4 Scope of study

Tliis study \vill conduct research on essential competencies o f D PC 's young

cadres and application o f the competency framework on competency development

in DPC

2 Frame of refercnces 2.1 Key conccpts

2.1.1 Cadres

Cadres are defined in the Vietnam Law on Cadres and Civil Scrvants 2(2008)

as “ Vietnamese citizens who are elected, approved and appointcd to hold posts or

titles for a given term o f ofíìce in agencies ot' the Communist Party o f Vietnam, thc

State, socio-political organizations at the Central level, in provinces and centrally

run cities, in districts, tovvns and provincial cities (below collectively reterred to as

district level), included in the payrolls and salaried from the State budget”

2.1.2 C ivil servants

The Law on Cadres and Civil servants (2008) also speciíìes civil servants as

“Vietnamese citizens who are recruited and appointed to ranks, posts or titles in

agencies o f the Communist Party oí' Vietnam, the State, socio-political

organizations at the Central, provincial and district levels”

2.1.3 Young cadres in D P C

From my perspective, concepts about young cadres in public sector are hardly

find in the world

Being under 40 years o f agc is one o f the cligibility for receiving the 1PAA

Young Public Sector Leader Avvard’ in Australia The avvard o f Young Global

Leaders 4 (n.d) shared thc similarity in selection criteria with the award 0Í'1PAA in

sctting an cligiblc age o f under 40 years old

In Vietnam, the Central Committee Party regulates in Directive 36/ C T -T W 5

that young members o f the provincial party’s executive committee are under 40

years old, and less than 35 years old at district level

Based on those clues, I dccidc to set the criteria for being a D P C ’s young

cadres as following: (1) Undcr 40 years o f age at the present (2014), (2) under 35

years o f age at the íirst time o f being appointed to the leadcrship position, and (3)

Being a leadcr o f the D P C ’s divisions or higher

2.1.4 C om petency

2 The N ational A ssem b ly (2 0 0 8 ) L a w on C a d res a n d C ivil Servanls.

IPAA (n.d) 1PAA Young P u blic S e c to r L ea d er A w ard.

4 Y oung Global Lcadcrs (n.d) Youiìg G lobal L eaders N om ination Form.

5 The Central C om m ittec Party (2014) D irective No 36-C T/TW

David c McClelland6 (1973) scemed to be tlic one w ho official introduccd

“competency” as an assisting tool for effective work pcrformancc Hc argued that

“best predictors o f outstanding on-the-job períormance were underlying, enduring

personal characteristics”, which he called “competencies”

Atter that, competencies vvas characterized bv Bovatzis7 (1982., p.21) as “an

underlying characteristic o f a person in that it may bc a motive, trait, skill, aspect of

o ne’s self-image or social role, or body o f knovvledge vvhieh he or she uses” , or “the

behavioral characteristics o f an individual vvhich is causally related to effective or

superior performance in a jo b ”

H om by and Thom as8 (1989) explained conipctency as the knowlcdge, skills

and qualities o f effective nianagers to períorm effectively the management

tunctions vvithin the vvorking situation

Bartram et al 9 (2002) had a different view when they considered

competencies as only “ sets o f behaviors that are instrumental in thc delivery ot'

desired results”

A conccpt that I preĩer the most bclongs to Pcople In Aid IO(2007) This

organization đeíines competencies as integrated set o f skills, knowlcdge1 attitudes

and behaviors required to perform cffectivcly in a given job, role or situation

2.1.5 C om petency J'ramework (or com petency model)

Chung-Hcrra and hcr co-authors "(2003) dctìncd compctency framework as

tool to determine the knovvledge, skills, compctencies and manner required for

effectively perfomi task in an organization

6 M cC lelland, D (19 7 3 ) T e stin g fo r com peten cy ra th er than in telligen ce A m erican P sychologist, 28.1-14.

7 B oyatzis, R (19 8 2 ) Tlie C om peten t M anager: A M o d e lJ o r ejfective p e rỊ o n n a n c e , Chichestcr: W ilcy,

pp.21.

‘‘ Bartram, D , Roberton, I & Callinan, M (2002) Introduction: Ả fr a m e w o r k fo r exam ining o rg a n isa tio n a ỉ ẹffectiveness.

10 P eople In Aid (2 0 0 7 ) B ehaviours whìch le a d to e ffe c tiv e p e rịo n n a n c e in hum anitarian response.

co m p eleiìcies m odel.

Strebler ct al 12( 1997) statcd that a competency framework is a tool uscd to

express, assess and measure competencies; it is not merely a list o f competencies

Reccntly, the Charter Institute o f Personnel and Dcvclopment 13 (2014) deĩines

competcncy framework as “a structure that sets out and deíìnes eacli individual

competency (such as problem-solving or peoplc management) required by

individuals working in an organisation or part o f an organisation” 3.1.6

C om petencv developm ent

According to De Vos, et al.1 (2011), competency development is “an

important feature o f compctency management which encompasses all activities

carried out by the oríỉanization and the employee to maintain or enhance the

cinployee’s functional, learning and career competencies”

T am po e15 (1994) found that it is crucial to tocus on the continuous

competency development o f an organization’s employees to have opportunity to

stand out to their competitors

2.1.7 F orce-field analysis

“ Force íìeld analysis model vvas developed by Kurt Levvin lh(1951), for listing,

assessing and analyzing forces for and against a proposed change

The model is also deíìned hy Collins English Dictionary 1 (n.d) as “a

decision-making technique, often prcsentcd graphically, that identitìcs all the

positive and negative forces impinging on a problem”

12 Strebler, Marie, D ilys Robinson & Paul Heron (19 9 7 ) G citin g the B est o u t o f C om petencies.

13 CIPD (2 0 1 4 ) C om peten ce a n d c o m p e te n c v fra m c w o rk s.

m te rg ra tiv e m o d el llìrough a q u a ỉìta tive stiuiy.

15 Tam poe, M (19 9 4 ) E xploiling the c o re com peten cies o f vo u r o rg a n iia tio n Long range planning, 2 7(4),

pp 66-77.

16 L ew in, K ( 19 5 1) F iehi Theory in S o cia l Science.

17 forcc-ficld analysis (n.d.) C ollin s E nglisli D iciion arỵ - C o m p lete & U n a b rid g ed lOih Edition.

DRIVING PORCES

PROPOSED CHANGE

Figure 1: Force-field analysis m odel

2.2 Competency framework practices in the world

2.2 Ị H istoiy and developm ent o f the com petency fra m ew o rk

Competency framework approach is formed and developed extensively in the

educationers and trainers based on the task períormance, the competcncy-based

approach had strongly dcvelopcd to a new level in 1990 vvith application in num bcr

o f national organizations in the us, UK, Australia, Ncw Zealand, Wales, etc (Kerka, 2001 ) ,!i

According to O E C D 19 (2001), thc usc o f compctency íramcvvorks is

widcsprcad throughout the public services

Compctcncy frameworks arc vary among organizations 20 (Sanghi, 2007),

since each organization has its own job position, recruitment, development and

succession process With the same direction, Jirasinghe and Lyons 2l(1995) assume

that competencies (framework) are devcloped through analyzing a profession or a

IQ OECD ( 2 0 0 1) P u blic S e c lo r L eadersh ip fu r the 2 1 11 C enturỵ.

co m p eten cy m odels in organ ization s.

21 Jirasinghe, D.J & Lyons, G (1995) M anagem ent com p eten cies in action : A P ra c tic a l fram ew ork.

- Understanding the environment and its impact;

- Thinking and acting strategically;

- Buildine new pattems and ways o f vvorking;

- Developing and communicating a personal Vision o f change (pp 15)

U N PA N 22 (2006) developed the Senior Civil Service Competency Framework,

in which fivc competencies werc idcntificd including:

- Credibility: serves the nation, respects public Service ethics, respects

the rule o f law;

- Outcome orientation: makes decisions and takes rcsponsibility,

achieves results, uses public propcrty reasonably, follo\vs and develops the law (pp

The Government o f Canada23 (2007) indicated four elements o f competencies

for its public sector leaders, namclv:

22 Ư N PA N (2 0 0 6 ) L ea d ersh ìp a n d the Lisbon S tra te g v - A m issin g link in the p u b ỉic secto r?

2Ì G overnm ent o f Canada (2007) K ev L eadership C om petencies.

- Value and ethics: Serving vvith integrity and rcspect

- Strategic Thinking: Innovating through analysis and ideas

- Engagement: Mobilizing people, organization, partners

- Management Excellence: Delivering through action management,

pcople management, financial managcment

The u s Office o f Personnel Management (n.đ) indicated 28 leadership

competencies divided into 06 core groups, namely the abilities to lead change, lead

people, be results driven, have business acumen, build coalitions, and liave other

fundamental competences

The Greater London Authority24 (n.d) indicated in its competency tramevvork

compctencies that are indispensable for effective performance o f the organization

Those competencies are divided into 04 clusters, nainely “ Working with others”,

“Leadership” , “ Delivering results” and “Organizational context”

Harvard Univcrsity dcvclopcd a compctcncy dictionary with 42 compctencics,

which covered from job-rclcvant bchaviors, motivation to technical knowledge/

skills This dictionary will be used as the ìnain references for building a competency

framework for dcvelopmcnt o f young cadres’ competencies in DPC

In Vietnam, the Ministry o f Home Affairs :5(2012) issucd instruction on

building compctency framework, in vvhich competency framework o f cach job

position is built on the basis o f job períbrmance requirements, are reílected in the

respective job descriptions, including the capacity and skills required to complete

the assigned task

Recently, the Vietnam Government :6(2014) set an objectivc to enhancc

compctencies o f young cadres and civil servants in remote and disadvantaged

rcgions No particular competency framework is deíìned, however, some preference

competencies are as following: Plan organizing and implcmentation, time

25 Ministry o f H om e A íĩairs (2012) C ircu lar No I4/20I2/T T -B N V

26 The V ictnam Governm ent (2 0 1 4 ) D ecision No 567/Q D -T T g.

management, communication, presentation, teamwork, and construction o f projects

for socio-economic dcvelopmcnt

2.2.2 Benefits o f applying com petency [ramexvork on developing human resources

Spencer and Spcnccr 27( 1993) mentioned in their book that competency

framework prescnts a widely applicable human resource method “to selection,

career pathing, períbrmance appraisal, and development in the challenging years

ahead”

One advantage o f the competency framework is to enable organizations to

identify and describe the capabilities associated with the íunctions and tasks o f the

organization and each officer Another advantage is to effectively support civil

servants in administrative sector in familiarizing vvith the procedures and principles,

especially when they have job rotation or is assigned more task The nature o f

competency t'ramework is to be associated with the job description Theretore, any

decision o f rotation or assignment will come with assessment o f capacity to meet

the requirements according to the job description and training plan

United Kingdom is among the countries which popularly applies the

competency framework in promoting its public sector effectiveness The Greater

London Authority 2s(n.d) states that application o f competency framework can help

enhance its processes o f managing pcoplc as job role profiling, recruitment and

selection, pertormance management and revievv, and learning and career

development The Department for International D e v e lo p m e n t24 (UK) also builds up

its corc competcncy framework vvith thc purposc o f changing the organizational

culture, build team capability and boost individual períormancc

Horton et al 3°(2002) found out that the usefulness o f competcncy íramevvork

spread across range o f human resource management functions, “from assisting with

:7 Spencer, L.M and Spencer S.G (1 9 9 3 ) C om peten ce cit w ork: M o d e ls fo r su p e rio r p erform an ce.

The Grcater London Authority (n.d) C om petencv F ram ew ork G u ide f o r M an agers a n d sta ff.

The Department tor International D evelopm cnt (n.d.) D F ID C o re C om peten cv F ram ew ork.

dravving up jo b and personal dcscriptions for recniitment, providing morc objcctive

criteria for evaluating and assessing staff and identifying training needs”

Streblcr et al ''(1997) belicved that compctency tramevvork will provide a

com m on language and facilitating change in an organization

com petency framework is used for the top civil servants’ selection and recognize

needs for training and development Particularly, it provides puipose and direction,

makes a personal impact, help applicants think strategically, draw experience and

Creative ideas for enhancing results, and help employer to get the best from their

people via motivate and develop them

In his revievv papcr, Vazirani 33(20 1 0) stated that the application of

competency framework enhances recruiting process, employee development and

períbrmance management; Identiíìes training needs and employee development,

success

2.2.3 B arriers o fb u ild in g and applying com petency fram ew ork

The building and application o f competency framework are not easy and

simple The following are some experience shared by tầmous researchers

F u m h a m 34 (2008) indicated in his book common barriers o f using competency

f'ramework to develop the human resources, those are when there is lack o f beliet'

from senior managers; thc development phase is too long; the framework itself is

communication can cause misunderstanding and contusion; or thc framework also

ncctl to be updated to catch up with changes o f the organization and job positions

11 Strebler, M aric D ily s R obinson & Paul Hcron (1 9 9 7 ) G ctlin g the B est out o f C om petencics.

" V azirani, N (2 0 1 0 ) R eview P aper: C om pelen cies a n d C o m p eten cv M o d e l - A b r ie f o veriew o f its

d e v e lo p m e n t a n d a p p lica tio n

14 Furnham A (2 0 0 8 ) P erso n a lity a n d In telligence at w ork: E xplorin g a n d expiain in g individu al differen ces

at w ork.

Potter ct al 35(n.d.) sharcd a similar idea with Furnham about barriers of

competency framcwork application, most o f the time it is disagreement betwccn

managers and staff, duc to lack o f communication or lack o f clarity within the

frameworks The framework cannot \vork well vvithout involvement o f the \vholc

organization

In the book “Competency Management in the Public Sector: European

Variations on a theme”, Horton et al.36 (2002) explained diffículties o f

implementing and using competcncy framework were lack o f understanding among

staff, absence o f line manager commitment, lack o f support from senior managers

Some other difficulties are on identitying needed competencies, and describing the

behaviors

Vazirani37 ( 20 1 0) found that competencies related to personal characteristics,

traits and motivation are hard to dctìne, and therefore tough to assess He suggestcd

that we can indirectly measure those competencies by assessing behaviors which

associatc with

2.2.4 Solutions oJ building and applying com petency fram ew ork

Spcnccr and S pcncer'8 (1993) put an emphasis on the point that competencics

are requircd to bc closely-conncctcd to performance in the workplacc They

experienced that suríầcc knowledge and skill competencies are quitc simple to

develop compared to personal competencies as scll-concept, traits and motivcs

Thcretore, tliey believed tliat knowledge and skill training for the personal

competencies vvill be more worthwhile than for the others

}b Horton, s , Honderghem , A & Farnham, D (2002) C o m p eten cy M an agem en t in the Public

S ector E uropean V ariations 011 a Theme.

d evelo p m en t a n d ap p lica tio n

'* Spenccr, L.M and Spcnccr, S.G (19 9 3 ) C om pelen ce a t w ork: M o d e ls fo r su p e r io r p e r/o n n a n ce.

As statcd by Potter and C o t t e r 9 (n.d), a good competency framework should

go along with good communication about its purpose, and should bc supported by

good training

Ashvvorth and Saxton4" (1990) advised not to consider competency framework

as an outcome, hecause developmental resource for assisting competency

acquisition can be neglected

Lucia and Lepsinger41 (1999) urged the participation o f the entire organization

to involve in designing, deíĩning competencies needed for the organization, and in

providing avvareness about the competency model

Butlcr and Flemming42 (2002) drcvv valuablc experience on applying

competency framework According to their study, thc identiíìcation o f competencies

need to be clearly linked with the organizational strategy; competencies should be

explained in understandable and clear way, and mechanism should be establishcd

for individuals to measure the desired leveỉ and their ovvn levcl o f accomplishment

betbrc offícially introducing the competencics

2.2.5 C om petency Assessm ent M ethod

The most popular way to assess competencies o f human resources nowadays

is to use 360-degree íeedback tools (or 360 degree assessment)

According to Center for Creative Leadership 43(n.d), 360-degree feedback is a

method o f systematically gather opinions about an individual's períbrmance from a

wide range o f colleagues, including peers, the boss, even the boss's peers - or can be

anyone outside o f the organization, such as clients The beneíìt o f this data

collection type is that we can sec a panorama o f perceptions about an individual,

rather than ju st his/her self-perception, then the overall picture can reveal broader

and clearer

39 Potter, J & Cotter, N (n.d) G etlin g the m ost out o f a co m p eten cv ỷramevvork.

su ccess /ìic to rs in o rg a n iza tio n s.

43 Center for C reative Leadership (n.d.) D ẹ/ìnition o f 3 6 0 A ssessm ent.

2.3 Needs of dcvcloping competencies o f lcaders in Dai Tu District

2.3.1 P otential developm ent o /D a i Tu D istrict

Dai Tu44 is a mountainous district in the Northvvestem o f Thai Nguyen

province, whicli is 25 kilometers far from Thai Nguyen City The district has a total

o f 17,000 people, in vvhich 27% belong to ethnic minority groups, and 80% live in

rural areas This is the district with the rnost administrative branches o f Thai

Nguyen Province, with 28 communes and 02 tovvns divided into 482 hamlets The

district has strengths in production o f food and tea Witli total output o f seed food of

72,155 tons in 2011-2013 period, the district was considered as the food focal area

o f Thai Nguyen Province The total areas o f tea plantation in Dai Tu are account for

one third o f those areas in the province Tea Products in the district have certiíìed

their premium quality in and out the country In addition, the district is rich in

natural mineral resources; 23/30 administrative areas in Dai Tu has mineral mines

as coal, zinc, titanium, iron, etc

2.3.2 The district 's m issions in the 2015-2020 p erio d

In the 2015-2020 period, the district concentrates on accomplishing tliose

following missions:

development to meet the demand o f strongly shift the economic structure to

direction o f industry - services - agriculture, create a finn base for tourism

dcvelopment, rural construction, etc

* On investm ent attraction: To mobilize and effectively use resources to

maintain and accelerate economic growth and shift economic structurc towards

sustainability, continue to propcrly implement administrative reform, improve the

investment environment to encourage and call on domestic and foreign enterprises

to invest in the district; iinplement solutions to remove diffículties for enterprises,

assist the market, and resolve bad debt

44 D ivision o f H om e A ffairs (2014) S ta tistìcs on D ai Tu D islricl.

* On agricuỉtural developm ent: To strongly develop agriculturc with

oricntation on c o in m o d ity production; enhance the application o f Science and new

technologies to produce, encourage businesses associate with farmers to invest in

the development o f production, Processing and marketing o f agricultural Products

* On new rural construction: To strengthen advocacy, niobilizing the powcr o f

the people in building new rural areas, continue to direct the implementation o f the

project, to develop scientiíìc - technological models for developmcnt o f production;

construct rural infrastructure by funding o f the national target on new rural

construction

* On developm ent o f trade and services: to upgrade the communal market

system; 8 communes and tovvns have soliditled market; promote Dai Tu market to

become a Trade Center

* On p overty reduction: To mobilize resources lo poverty reduction targets

and implement eíTective policies and mechanisms to encourage developing

liouscholds’ economy, strengthen propaganda and education to raise awarcness,

self-consciousness for the poor, community and society in poverty reduction

2.3.3 Current S ta te o f Dai Tu district 's civil servants a n d public employees

Up to now, thcre arc total o f over 600 civil servants and public employces in

Dai Tu District45 According to report o f thc district in 2013, those are somc

characteristics o f the civil servants and public employees in particular, and o f the

personnel atTairs in thc district in general

* Stroitg puints

Personnel affairs are regularly and closelv directed by the district authority

The quality o f personnel work has many positive changes; implementation o f staff

alvvays ensure the principle, the provisions o f the Central Government, vvhile

promoting dcmocracy, collectivc responsibility, and responsibility o f the head o f

committees, agencies and units

Cadres, civil servants and cmployees o f the district have been challengcd

through practical training; liave strong political spirit, have good moral quality and a

healthy liĩestyle Professional qualiĩications, leadership abilities, management,

períorm ance tasks continue to be enhanced, contributing to decisions to successíully

implement the Resolution o f the district in the last tenure (from 2011 to 2015 )

* Weak p o in ts

Despite o f having achieved good progress, the pcrsonnel affairs o f the district

does not have strong innovation, no long-term strategy, and focus mainly on

meeting requirements o f the current situation

The rcvicw and evaluation staff in somc units o f low quality, gcncric

expression, one-sided, and compliant, vvhile the staff planning is generally

inconsistent; some being-planned staff are unable to ensure standards and

conditions prescribed

The training and retraining o f existing staff do not express lonu-term strategy,

in some places those affairs are not well-attached to the planning staff Lastly, cadre

rotation has not been donc írequently, and the district does not tìrmly replace civil

servants with w eak sense o f rcsponsibilily and vvork capability

2.3.4 D em and o f com petency developm ent fo r Dai Tu 's civil servants

Ho Chi Minh (n.d) 46 emphasized that “civil servants are the root o f every

w ork” , and “works succecd or fail dcpcnding on whether civil servants are good or

bad” Indeed, officers and managers are the core torce that creates development o f

any district

The Resolution No 0 4 /2 0 12/NQ-HDND o f Thai Nguyen province 47 (2012)

also considered personnel development is one o f the core tasks in the 2012 - 2020,

for meeting the needs o f the province’s future development

J(’ Hồ Chí M inh toàn tập (2002) Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.

47 Thai N gu ycn P co p ]c’s C ouncil C om m ittec (2012) R esolution N o 0 4 /2 0 1 2/N Q -H D N D

For a fast-growing, strong and stablc economy, and a stablc political situation,

one o f the prerequisites is to have staff in gencral and lcaders in particular witli

good morality and sufficient quaiiílcation in accordance \vith the assigned tasks

Thereíore, planning issues o f cadres and leaders is one o f the key tasks o f the

district

2.4 Needs of competency development for the D P C ’s young cadres

2.4 ì Introduction to Dai Tu D istrict P eople's C om m ittee (DPC)

DPC is the highest administrative agency in the district It is responsible fbr

executing Constitution, law, and official documents o f the higher State agcncies and

Resolutions o f thc District People's Council to cnsurc the implementation o f

policies and measures for socio-economic development, national detense - security

and implement other policies in the locality DPC períorms the State management

locally, and contributes to maintaining the unified đirection and management o f the

State administrative apparatus from the Central to grassroots lcvel

The DPC is composed o f administrative branch and civil Service branch This

research only mentions to the administrative branch

The DPC lias 01 administrative division and 11 functional divisions (see

details in Figurc 2 below)

The specialized divisions o f the DPC advise and assist thc DPC in períbrming

the State management in thc local and períorm a number o f tasks and authorities

under the mandate o f the DPC in accordance with law; contribute to cnsuring the

uniíìed management o f the sectors or ílelds o f works from the Central to grassroots

levels

F igure 2: O rgcm izational structure o f D P C ’s A dm inistrative Branch

specialized divisions o f the DPC are under the direction and management on organization, statTing and \vork ot' the DPC, and subject to the direction and inspection o f higher professional bodies Heads o f the specialized divisions o f the People's C om m ittees are responsible for reporting their work to the People's Committees, higher professional bodics and report to the District Pcople’s Council when required

The DPC has total o f 140 civil servants, of which 30% will rctire within the next five years, and 37% are under 35 years o f age With the priority on staff developm ent o f DPC, soon quite some o f those 37% can have opportunity to be promoted

ĐAI HỌC QUỘC GIA HA Nồl_ 1TRUNG TAM t h ò n g tin thư v iệ n

C T Õ U C T O Ẩ - H

2.4.3 Neecls o f com petency developm ent fo r D P C ’s young cadres

Administrative officials in DPC are entities to conduct the speciíic affairs, the

nucleus o f thc public Service and also the íầctors ensuring e ffe c tiv e n e s s and

effíciency o f the public Service in the district Theretbre, each civil servant is rcquircd to not only have professional qualifications, but also the problem solving skills o f the work Each cadre must have independent thinking, creativity, practicality abreast o f social life understanding the ỉìelds o f expertise and ablc to scttle quickly in professional job consistent with the actual situations Work capacity must alvvays associate with problem-solving skills in the field o f expertise that the civil servants undertake

The process o f international integration is happening quickly, leading to changes in the íunction and duties o f the organization; as well as changes in the criteria for the job Tliis increases the ựap between job requirements and existing capacity o f the job períoriners The task in the ne\v situation requires administrative

civil servants to understand State p olicies, State laws, have knovvledge on State

management, intemational economic integration, have the ability to plan vvork, skilled administrative proíessional with administrative communication skills, ability

to rccognize, analyzc problems, handle speciíic situations in real works and ability

to meet all the job changes in thc future

Barriers and solutions for

applying competency framework

The most csscntial compctcncies nceded for DPC’s young cadres

í

Current status of the most csscntial competencies of DPC’s young cadres

Barriers for applying compctcncy tYamevvork in DPC

Solutions for applying competcncy framework in DPC

Figure 4: The research m odeỉ

3 Research Methods 3.1 Data collection

3.1.1 Methocl o f data collection

Both secondary and primary data will be used in this study Secondary data are obtained through credible sources as research joum als, published papers, books, official documents issued by State administration agencies or websites that associated with rcputablc institutions such as a rcspcctcd univcrsity (Harvard University, etc.), a govemmcnt body (Government o f UK, etc.), or \vell-known non- govcmmcntal organizations (UN, ctc.) I choosc to gct sccondary data and from credible sources because those are trustful bases for rcference and comparison