A study on competencies of young cadres in public sector the case of dai tu district peoples committee, thai nguyen province, vietnam

A BSTR AC TTitle: A study on competencies o f young cadres in public sector: The case oí'Dai Tu District People’s Committee, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam.. Le Quan Datc when the thesis

UPPSALA UNIVERSITY &

VNU UNIVERSITY OF ECONOM ICS & BUSINESS

“ 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 ,

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,

A BSTR AC T

Title: A study on competencies o f young cadres in public sector: The case oí'Dai Tu District People’s Committee, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam

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

(Government o f UK, etc.), or well-known non-governmental organizations (UN, etc.).

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 application in compctency developnient; find out the core essential 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.

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

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 o b 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 a nd 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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.3 3 ,3 4 5 5

.6 6

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.13 13 13 14 15 16 16 18 18

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

CF : Competency Framework

CD : Competency Development

DPC : Dai Tu District People’s Committee

DFID : Department for International Development

EI : Extemal investment

HUCF : Harvard University’s Competency Framework

IPAA : Institute o f Public Administration

Pts : Points

us : The United States (o f America)

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 conducted

1.2 Research questions

ì 2.1 IVhat are the niosl essenliaỉ cum petencies req u ừ e d fo r young cadres cit

Dai Tu D istrict Peopỉe ’s Committee?

1.2.2 What are current levels o f essential com petencies o f yo u n g cadres at

Dai Tu D istrict People 's Committee?

1.2.3 Whut are the barriers and solutions to deveỉop com petencies o f the

voung cadres based on the com petency fram ew ork approach?

- 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

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”

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.

8 H om by, D & Thom as, R (1989) Tm vards a b e tte r Standard o f m anagem ent.

‘‘ 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.

11 Chung-Hcrrcra, B G., Enz, c A., & Lankau M J (2003) G ro o m in g [u tu re /lo sp ita lilv leaders: A

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

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.

14 De V os, A , D e Hauvv, s & W illem se, 1 (2011) C o m p eten cy D evelo p m en t in org a n i:a tio n s: B uiỉding an

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 isto iy and developm ent o f the com petency fra m ew o rk

Competency framework approach is formed and developed extensively in the

us in the 1970s in the movement o f training and education for vocational 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

IK Kerka, s (2001) C o m p eten cy-B a sed E d u ca tio n a n d Training.

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.

Sanghi, s (2007) The h an dbook o f co m peten cv m apping: U nderstanding, d esig n in g a n d im plem en tin g

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.

particular job, that also meant each job position ncccỉ to havc its own compctcncy framework.

OECD (2001) set those following criteria for competencies o f public sector leaders, namely:

- Focusing on dclivery o f results;

- Challcnging assumptions;

- 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;

- Having a Vision: crcates Vision, explains strategic choices, setsobjcctivcs;

- Innovation: dcvelops his/her skills, dcvelops the organization and implements innovations;

- Leadership: builds and cncourages the team, dcvelops co-operationnetworks;

- 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

24 The Grcatcr London Authority (n.d) C om peien cv F ram ew ork G u id e fo r M an agers and staff.

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.

30 1 lorton, s , Hondcrghem , A & Fam ham , D (2002) C o m p eten cv m an agem en l in the p u b lic sector.

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, unify corporate culture across organization; Establish connectivity throughintegration o f human resource processes, and establish clear expectations fơr 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 too com plicated with more-than-enough number o f competencies; the 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.

Horton, s., H onderghem , A & Farnham, D (2002) C o m p eten cv M an agem en t in the p tib lic sector.

" 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.

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

5 Potter, J & Cotter, N (n.d) G ettin g the m ost o u t o f a co m p eten cy fram ew ork.

}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.

17 Vazirani, N (2010) R eview P aper: C om peten cies a n d C o m p elen cv M o d el - A b r ie /o v e r v ie w o f its

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 awide range o f colleagues, including peers, the boss, even the boss's peers - or can beanyone 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.

40 A shw orth, P D , & Saxton, J (1990) O ii 'com petence'.

41 Lucia, A D , & Lepsinger, R (1999) T h e a rt a n d Science o f com peten cv niodels: Pinpointing critical

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

Butler, M , Flem ing, s (2002) Tlie EỊỊecúve U se o f C om peten cies in the Irish C ivil Service.

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:

* On perso n n el affairs: To innovatc the personnel management and 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

45 Di o f H om e Affairs (20 1 4 ) S ta tistics on D ai Tu D istricl.

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

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