Some new competencies are expected to be included into the criteria for evaluating the work performance of deputy directors general (DDG) and directors general (DG) when the government issues a new decree on the evaluation.
Head of the Institute of Administration and Science Research, Dr Chantha Onexaivieng revealed this plan on Friday when talking to Vientiane Times about the successful implementation of the second phase of the executive leadership development programme.
The programme was formulated through cooperation between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Civil Service College, with the aim of studying and identifying core competencies of Lao civil servants at the directors general level.
Eleven competencies for DGs and DDGs were identified following the completion of the programme’s first phase, which has been continued from 2012 to 2013.
The competencies are ethics and values, personal development, adaptability and managing change, developing staff, influence and negotiation skills (communication, vision and strategic thinking, results-based implementation, analysis and decision-making, understanding policies, public administration and other legislation, and language proficiencies and ICT skills.
We are waiting for the government to issue the decree on the work performance evaluation of civil servants and we hope the competencies will be part of the decree’s content, Dr Chantha said.
Meanwhile, she noted the importance of training to ensure the evaluation skills of the responsible civil servants are effective using the criteria of the competencies.
Fourteen criteria standards were identified by the government for use in the evaluation of civil servants at the DDG and DG levels. They are political attributes; revolutionary competency; vision; policy, strategic planning and financial thinking; knowledge of organisational structures; creativity in managing work; expertise, decision-making; administrative capability; leadership; ethics; trust; comments from other people, and success.
Ninety percent of the US$885,000 in funds for the first phase of the programme came from Temasek Foundation International (TFI).
Cooperation on the programme was continued from 2015 to 2016 to interpret the eleven competencies into training modules, including I want to lead,’ I can change,’ We have a vision,’ We take initiatives,’ and We work together.’
Strengthening institutional capabilities of the senior officers / master trainers to design, develop, and deliver those modules for the top 1.5 percent of DDG/DGs in the Lao civil service was included in the cooperation for the second phase.
The second phase of the project also developed 28 trainers, delivered 10 training courses with 257 participants, of whom 131 were DGs and DDGs, and 126 were heads of divisions.
The ministry has proposed that the five developed modules be approved by the government, and urged their continued delivery as well as the development of trainers at both the central and local levels.
Source: Vientiane Times
