Good governance & competency dictionary for civil services

Good Governance & Competency Dictionary for

Civil ServicesBy

Dr Satyanarayana Dash,IAS (Retd.)Ex- Acting Chairman, OAT and Ex-Secretary (Heavy Industry),

Government of India

Good Governance is a set of normative principles, administrative reforms measures for standardization of service delivery for the citizens and improve government and its instrumentalities to cater to the basic needs of the citizens in an efficient and effective manner

Prof Harlan Cleveland who used the word “Governance” as alternative to “Public Administration” states that Organizations will not be Hierarchical Pyramids but interlaced webs of tension where control is loose, power diffused and centers of decision plural

What is Good Governance?

“Decision making” will become multilateral brokerage both inside and outside the organization, which thinks it has responsibility of making/announcing the decision

Organizations will tend to be horizontal and likely to be more collegial, consensual and consultative

Governance may have several contexts– National Governance, Corporate Governance, International Governance or Local Governance


Good Governance --- “----- among other things participatory, transparent and accountable. It is also effective & equitable. And it promotes Rule of Law.”– UNDP

It-- ---” encompasses the role of Public Authorities in establishing the environment in which economic operators function and in determining the distribution of benefits as well as the relationship between the ruler and the ruled.”--- OECD


Good Governance---- “ is epitomized by predictable, open and enlightened policy making; a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos; an executive arm of Government accountable for its actions; and a strong Civil Society participating in Public Affairs; and all behaving under the Rule of Law.”-----World Bank

Emphasis is given on “governance” by International Organizations like World Bank, IMF, OECD, ADB, USAID in extending Loans/Assistance/Funding to various countries since 1980s

Problems of Governance in Sub-Saharan African Countries plagued by Corruption & Mismanagement led to World Bank & IMF insisting on Good Governance


“Governance is the manner in which Power is exercised in the management of Country’s Economic & Social Resources for Development.”---- World Bank

“ In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness, in their welfare his welfare; whatever pleases himself, he does not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subjects, he considers as good.”--- Kautilya in “Arthashastra”


(1) Accountability : Governmental Institutions/Private Sector/Civil Society Organizations must be accountable to Public/Institutional Stakeholders. In general an Organization is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions/actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without Transparency or Rule of Law.

Eight Characteristics of Good Governance

(2) Transparency: Decisions are taken following Rules/Regulations and guidelines and not arbitrarily .It also means that the information is freely available and directly accessible to all who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement, may be on the website. Enough information is provided in easily understandable form and in media . There is no secrecy or hiding of any information


(3) Responsiveness: Institutions and Processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable time frame . Justice delayed is justice denied

(4) Equity & Inclusiveness: Society’s well being depends on all its members who have a stake and some groups should not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. Most vulnerable Groups should have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being


(5) Rule of Law: Good Governance requires Legal Frameworks which can be enforced impartially . It requires full protection of Human Rights of most vulnerable groups, weaker sections of society/minorities . It requires an Independent Judiciary and an impartial/incorruptible Police Force

(6) Participation: Participation of men & women in Decision making process directly or through representatives/legitimate intermediary institutions. Concerns of most vulnerable groups should be taken into account in decision making. Participation should be informed and organized . There should be full freedom of association and expression.


(7) Effectiveness & Efficiency : Processes & Institutions must produce results that meets the needs of Society by best use of resources at their disposal . There should be sustainable use of natural Resources and the Protection of the Environment

(8) Consensus Oriented: There should be mediation of different interests in Society to reach a broad consensus in the best interests of the whole community. It requires a broad and long term perspective on what is needed for sustainable Human Development and the path to achieve those goals. Understanding of the Historical Cultural and Social Contexts of a given Society or Community is essential.


Sevottam (Seva+Uttam) is a Service Delivery Excellence Model which provides an assessment-improvement framework to bring about excellence in Public Service Delivery

Sevottam Model has got three components:-(1) Preparation of Effective Citizens’ Charter. Citizens’

Charter publicly declare the information on Citizens’ Entitlements, thereby making Citizens better informed and hence empowering them to demand better services. For example, the time taken to render different services to Public could be displayed on the Notice Boards. Right to Public Services Act, Odisha (RPSA Act) has brought in about 394 different services of various Departments under its purview.

Sevottam Model of Service Delivery

(2) Public Grievance Redressal (PGR)Mechanisms: This system provides for Redressal of Grievances of Citizens who are not satisfied with the Level/Quality of the Service. The RPS Act provides for Appellate/Revisional Authorities and imposition of fines on the officers for their lapses. Hence Citizens will be more satisfied now because their grievances are heard.


(3) Excellence in Service Delivery: An Organization can have an excellent Performance in Service Delivery only if it is effectively and efficiently managing well the key ingredients for Good Service Delivery and building its own capacity to continuously improve Service Delivery. There is need for review/monitoring the mechanisms of Service Delivery to see that the Citizens are fully satisfied.


It requires Change in mindset within Government from administration & control to service & enablement

It requires systematic initiatives for sustainable improvements in Service Delivery

The Organizations should undertake a systematic, credible and authenticated self assessment or Gap Analysis for Citizen centric Service Delivery. Practical Solutions are incorporated into the Day to Day routine of the Organizations


Sevottam Model of Service Delivery was recommended in the Second Administrative Reforms Committee Recommendations

Excellence & Fairness, a Publication of June 2008 sets out a vision of World Class Public Services achieved by (i) Empowering Citizens (ii) Enhancing Professionalism and (iii) Government Playing a more Strategic Role


Excellence & Fairness in Service Delivery is being promoted by:-

(i) Empowerment of the Citizens by giving greater power to people to control services. This includes devolution of power to local bodies

(ii) New Professionalism : Professionals & Frontline staff across all Public Services respond to the needs of the Public and become accountable to them. Model implemented in Indian Post & Passport Services in Passport Seva Kendras.

Excellence & Fairness in Service Delivery

(iii) Strategic Leadership: Government provides Strategic Leadership and sets a Clear Vision instead of micromanaging matters

The Sevottam Model of Service Delivery is like a Total Quality Management (TQM) Framework applicable to the activities of Public Service Delivery Organizations at the point of interface with service recipients. The Framework is a tool in the hands of implementing organizations

Excellence & Fairness in Service Delivery

This Model draws from the Principles of IS 15700:2005, the Sevottam Model and Customer Service Excellence Model of UK

The IS 15700:2005 of the Bureau of Indian Standards is an Indian Standard for Quality Management Systems . It stipulates that a Quality Management System helps an Organization to build systems which enables it to provide Quality Service consistently and is not a substitute for Service Standards

ARC Seven Step Model for Citizen Centric Services

Step 1: Define Services and Identify your Clients: Any Legitimate Expectation of a Citizen should be included in the term ‘Service’. Even Enforcement Departments like Police & Customs render service and they should render the services efficiently. Defining Services rendered by a Department brings clarity relating to what they do & mission of the Organization. Similarly Clients of the Department must be identified & categorized.


Step 2: Set Standards & Norms for Each Service: Setting Standards for each service is based on the Principle of “What gets measured, gets done.” Hence Standards should be fixed for each service after getting inputs from clients about their expectations and organizations’ capability. These Standards should be realistic and achievable. For example, a Tahsildar may fix four weeks time to issue a Caste Certificate . These Standards form part of Citizens’ Charter of the Department.


Step 3: Develop the Capability to meet such Standards: The Organization should have capability to meet the Standards and these must be upgraded from time to time. Capacity of staff to meet such standards must be built up by not only by conventional training, but by imbibing right values, developing a Customer centric culture within the Organization and raising the motivation and morale of the staff.


Step 4: Perform to achieve the Standards: Internal mechanisms should be set up to ensure that each individual unit/person in the organization performs to achieve his targets to meet the standards fixed. For this, there is necessity to have a sound Performance Management System to guide individual performance to meet organizational goals. System of incentives could be thought of for those meeting the standards


Step 5: Monitor Performance against set standards: Organization should develop a monitoring mechanism to ensure that commitments regarding Quality/Level of Services are kept up . There should be Automatic Signaling Mechanism where there is breach of committed standard . Corrective Measures should be taken continuously till the system stabilizes . There should be a system of rewards and punishments to the staff meeting or not meeting the targets.


Step 6: Evaluate Impact through an Independent Mechanism: Evaluation of the system should be done by an independent agency for objective and impartial assessment. Such Evaluation could be done through random surveys, Citizens’ Report Cards, Feedback from Citizens during interactions or study by a Professional Body. This will bring out the Citizen centricity of the Organizations and become input for continuous review of the system. It will highlight areas of deficiency in service requiring further improvement.


Step 7: Continuous Improvement based on Monitoring & Evaluation: Improvements in the Quality of Services is a continuous process. With rising aspirations of the Citizens, new services have to be introduced based on Monitoring & Evaluation. Standards may have to be revised and internal capability and systems would require continuous upgradation . ARC has recommended adoption of the above Model by Central & State Governments to make the same mandatory for all Public Service Organizations.


Competencies are those underlying characteristics of an employee--- motive, trait, skills, aspects of one’s social image, social role or a body of knowledge which can result in effective and/or superior performance in a job or role.

This can be picturized as an iceberg partly submerged in water, with Skills & Knowledge visible on top of water, while qualities relating to Social Role, Self Image, Traits and Motives lying submerged

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services

The Competency Dictionary can be utilized by the Departments/Ministries/Training Institutions for various Human Resource Functions including Capacity Development of Civil Servants.

Competency Framework for Civil Services stands on four pillars of Good Governance & Citizen Centric Administration – (i) Ethos (ii) Ethics (iii) Equity and (iv) Efficiency

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services

Ethos: Citizen centric and inclusive, promotes Public Good and long term interests of the nation. The Definition of Ethos consists of the following:

(1) People First: Serving people with special care for Marginalized Sections by being approachable, welcoming, caring and rising above bias

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Ethos

(2) Strategic Thinking : Understand the Dynamic, internal and external environment and its impact. Respond to opportunities & challenges for betterment of Society

(3) Organizational Awareness : Understanding Organization’s mandate, structure, policies & processes, formal & informal structures, power dynamics & constraints.

Competency Dictionary for Indian Civil Services---Ethos

(4) Commitment to the Organization: Understands needs/goals of the Organization and aligns his behaviors and interests accordingly

(5) Leading Others: Ability to engage, energize and enable the team to excel

On the whole competency in Ethos requires the Civil Servant to understand the external and internal dynamics of the Organization and aligning his interests for best performance of the Organization & Society

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Ethos

Competency on Ethics demonstrates Integrity, Transparency, Openness & Fairness. The components of this Competency are:-

(1) Integrity: Consistent Open, Fair and Transparent Behavior, honors one’s commitments and upholds Public Service Values

(2) Self- confidence: Belief in one’s ability to accomplish a task and confidence in handling challenging circumstances without being arrogant or boastful

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Ethics

(3) Attention to Detail: Thorough & Meticulous in discharging one’s duty and complying with Rules, Procedures , Guidelines & Standards. Makes In depth Study and reduces uncertainties & Errors

(4) Takes Accountability: Takes ownership of outcomes, whether success or failure, while addressing performance issues fairly and promptly

On the whole this requires honesty, fairness & openness.

Competency Dictionary for Indian Civil Services---Ethics

Equity means treating all Citizens alike, ensuring justice to all with empathy for weaker & marginal sections of the Society. Various Components of this Competency are:-

(1) Consultation & Consensus Building: Identify all stakeholders and influencers of the Organization, take their views through formal and informal channels, build consensus through dialogue, persuasion, reconciliation of diverse interests and have trusting relationships

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Equity

(2) Decision Making: Taking timely decisions basing on all relevant factors, tasks, goals, risks and conflicting view points. Being aware of the constraints

(3) Empathy: To be able to accurately assess and understand the thoughts, feelings and concerns of others, even when these are not made explicit. Understanding Body Language helps in the process.

(4) Delegation: Delegates Responsibility to subordinates with appropriate levels of autonomy. Allow others to innovate in their work. Encourage them to innovate, make suggestions for improvement and take leadership in their area of work.

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Equity

Efficiency as a Competency means promoting Operational Excellence and Value for Money, managing Human Capital and nurturing Capabilities. Various Components of this Competency are:

(1) Result Orientation: High Drive for achieving Targets and competing against a standard of Excellence

(2) Conceptual Thinking: Understanding a situation by putting the pieces together and identifying patterns which may not be obviously related . Connecting dots while resisting stereotyping. Understanding the External Environment & Different Actors affecting that.

Competency Dictionary for the Indian Civil Services--Efficiency

(3) Initiative & Drive: Contributing more than required on the job . Refusing to give up in the face of challenges and finding or creating new opportunities

(4) Seeking Information: Keeping oneself up to date with relevant knowledge . Developing curiosity to know about people, things or issues

(5) Planning & Coordination: Making effective utilization of Resources like time, money or people. Planning, monitoring & organizing work for Best output with Least input.


(6) Desire for Knowledge: Keeping abreast with latest Technology and knowledge, sharing latest developments with others and utilize such technology for improving productivity of work

(7) Innovative Thinking: Be open to change, approach issues from different angles, offer out of box solutions and strive for efficiency

(8) Problem Solving: Understand Complex Situation by breaking into smaller parts. Organize information systematically and set priorities accordingly


(9) Developing Others: Provide Developmental Opportunities for individual & Team. Have Genuine belief in others’ capabilities and to take personal responsibility in developing them. Create a Positive Environment for Learning

(10) Self Awareness & Self- Control: Develop resilience & stamina despite prolonged adversities. Control one’s emotional response while facing adverse situation and maintain a sense of professionalism


(11) Communication Skills: Ability to listen and understand the unspoken language , feelings and concerns of others. Articulate information in a way that is clear, concise and easy to understand.

(12) Team Working: Work together as a Team for a common goal and build up the teams through mutual trust, respect and cooperation.


People First:(1) Responds Sensitively to the needs of the

Citizens– Understands need of the weak(2) Anticipates needs of the Citizens :

Accessibility, seeks feedback for of their needs

(3) Promotes the Service to the Citizens: Becomes a Role Model for Community Service, focuses on weaker and marginalized

Levels of Competency in different Components-Ethos

(4) Actively improves the Service to the Citizens: Constantly improves Service, collaborative working with all stakeholders

(5) Drives a Culture of Serving the Citizens: Incorporates Culture of Service and affirmative action for weaker Sections, Leads Community Service Actions at Strategic Level, in depth understanding of the broad range of Community Requirements


Strategic Thinking:(1) Understands own work– Understands his

own role, impact of his work in other departments

(2) Aligns work to Department: Aligns his work to Departmental Priorities, Focuses on End

(3) Contributes to Strategy : Alert to Emerging Trends


(4) Identifies Strategic Imperatives: Anticipates long term impact of national and international developments , political/economic/social/technological/envir-onmental, use of appropriate forms of Technology

(5) Develops Long Term Strategies : Support Department’s Long Term Directions, leverages technology in program design, shapes Department’s purpose in delivering civil service priorities


Organizational Awareness:(1) Understands Formal Structure– Chain of

command, decision making process, Rules(2) Understands Informal Structure : Customs,

norms , Key Players, Influencers, Pressure Groups

(3) Understands Different Perspectives /Agendas : Visualizes others’ views, dynamics of stakeholders


(4) Recognizes Coalitions and Implications of their Agendas: Understand different coalitions and their impact, form unconventional partnerships to drive Organizational Agenda

(5) Predicts Building of Coalitions or Unstated Agenda and its Wider Implications: In Depth Understanding of Socio political and economic context, anticipates trends in political environments and its impact on the Organization


Commitment to the Organization: (1) Aligns Self with the Organization—

Understands Rules/Procedures, follows Rules/norms

(2) Promotes Organizational Objectives—Promotes Organization’s credibility/Visibility

(3) Supports the Organization : Delivers high standards to internal/external stake holders


(4) Puts the Organization First : Organizational needs first, stands by decisions in larger interest even if they are unpopular, Civil Service Values

(5) Encourages others in Putting Organization First: Elicits Commitment to the cause of the Organization from others, able to make difficult decisions, stands by such decisions made by colleagues in interest of organizations


Leading Others:(1) Shares Information/Reasons to Motivate–

Updates team with reasons for decisions explaining the reasons, proactive sharing

(2) Promotes Team Effectiveness—structured approach to promote Team morale and Productivity, welcomes both Positive & Negative Feedback, Takes Inputs from all Members


(3) Backs the Team– Defends Team in Public and Resolves Conflict, secures support of team

(4) Assumes Leadership—Empowers, energizes and inspires team members to thrive in changing environment, motivates the members

(5)Communicates a Compelling Vision– Becomes a charismatic Team Builder, has passion & vision, inspires confidence


Integrity:(1) Act Ethically—Honesty, Openness, fairness,

honoring commitment(2) Models the Civil Service Values—guided by

Public Interest, trustworthiness, impartiality(3) Acts on Values even if not easy– Provides

Honest & Frank Advice, Enforces Law, stand by right decisions

Levels of Competency in different Components-Ethics

(4) Is Seen Unflinching on Public Service Values—Ensures Full Disclosures, challenging Powerful People to take Correct Decisions and hold them accountable, not entertaining unreasonable requests/demands

(5) Is a Role Model—Lead by Example, high standards of Professionalism, take responsibility for own decisions, take principled stand, rewards people demonstrating integrity


Self Confidence:(1) Act Confidently within job role– Execute

work with minimal supervision , willingness to take up additional responsibility

(2) Act Confidently Beyond Job Role: Keep Civil Service Values in mind, act in Public Interest even if Peers disagree

(3) States Confidence in own ability—Expertise to get work done , articulates own point of view


(4) Takes on Challenges—Gets excited by Challenging Assignments , states own point of view clearly when not agreeing with seniors

(5) Is Confident under Extremely Challenging Situations– Takes on extremely risky and challenging assignments, challenges status quo , remains positive under stressful situations, explores multiple ways to tackle a crisis


Attention to Detail:(1) Pays Attention to Detail– Obtains

comprehensive information, consults superiors and peers for validation

(2) Plans & Double Checks– Double checks own work to minimize errors/reworking, thorough & meticulous working

(3) Monitors own & Others’ work– holds self and others accountable for high standard outcomes, monitors others’ work and provide guidance


(4) Proactively manages Standards– Monitors Procedural Compliance & Regulatory Requirements and takes action in case of deviation, builds systemic checks & balances

(5) Contributes to Overall Monitoring of Quality & Standards—Resolves broader issues about risk and compliance and about quality of work and service delivery, identify loopholes and corrective measures to minimize unnecessary risks


Taking Accountability:(1) Delivers Results Consistently– Focus on Time

bound Delivery, take personal ownership for quality of work and keep stake holder informed

(2) Delivers Results Even in Unfavorable Circumstances– Remains focused on achieving Targets while facing setbacks, takes ownership of shortfalls, draws lessons to improve performance, monitors results closely


(3) Manages Performance—Clarifies priorities, Roles & Responsibilities, secures team and individual ownership of objectives, takes accountability for team performance in case of failure

(4) Takes Ownership of Others’ Performance– Energize & Drive Others’ Performance, strong focus on Priorities, Incentivize desired behavior and reward successful performance


(5) Drive Performance Culture—Take accountability for achieving Department’s strategic priorities, drive a Performance Culture across the Department to achieve results through others, resolutely hold others accountable for their outcomes to the Citizens, Drive long term objectives of the Organization even in the face of short term difficulties


Consultation & Consensus Building:(1) Open to Consultation & Presentation of

Views in a Concise Manner with the help of Data—Present views clearly, draw opinions, examine pros and cons of all alternatives and benefits to Public

(2) Consult others & take multiple actions to persuade others– Consult Experts and information sources, contact colleagues to identify synergies and convergence

Levels of Competency in different Components-Equity

(3) Proactive looking out for Convergence– Look for opportunities to partner & transfer knowledge, engage stakeholders for new ideas and solutions, prepare for others’ reaction in advance, find implications of the proposal on wider public including weaker sections

(4) Help Aligning Diverse Interests to a Common Goal—Use knowledge of experts to address diverse interests, communicate with conviction and clarity in face of tough negotiations


(5) Promotes Consensus Building & Convergence– Create Forum where people could interact with each other on the larger goal , identify opportunities to build relationships with external partner and larger communities with the purpose of serving wider public , Willingness to trade off immediate gain with long term benefit, take long term view of Public Good, Inspire others to consult before taking any critical decisions


Decision Making:(1) Follows Guidelines Effectively—Timely

decision based on rules, explains rationale of such decisions, good communication skills

(2) Gathers Information for Decision Making—Identifies internal & External Information Sources, recognizes scope of own authority, empowers team members for taking decisions, demonstrates Accountability


(3) Draws Conclusion from Complex Information in Short to Medium Term---Consulting Experts and develop feasible solutions, Decisiveness under pressure, analyses past decisions & their impact, lessons learnt from the past

(4) Makes Decisions in Complex Situations—Social Cost Benefit analysis to study & foresee impact of Decisions , Consults experts, generates ways forward to meet goals, confident decision making & clear communication of such decisions at strategic level


(5) Makes Long Term Strategic Decisions—Analyses Complex Data with clarity of thinking, foresees impact and plans to overcome difficulties,, interprets political and national pressures to develop strategies for Public Good , Department wise strategies to mitigate risks, unbiased advice to Ministers on the basis of Robust Analysis and not what Minister wants, Decisions on the basis of good of the Society and defend decisions at highest level


Empathy:(1) Understands Unspoken Content– Active

Listening Skills, Recognizes Body Language, facial expression, tone or voice, recognizes unexpressed thoughts & feelings, picks up signals when others are uncomfortable

(2) Has Concern for Others– Identify the unique characteristics of others, understand others’ emotions, builds trust by showing respect for others’ point of view, sensitive to underlying problems


(3) Acts as a Role Model—In depth understanding of others’ behavior, makes balanced assessment of others’ strengths & weaknesses, Puts right questions at right time to others, understands long term reasons for others’ behavior

(4) Creates & Promotes an Environment of Respect– Culture of Mutual Trust & Respect, Creates Empathy Promoting systems, Encourages others to read deeper into others’ emotions


Delegation:(1) Provides Personal Guidance & Direction—

Finalizes Work Plan in a Participatory Manner, makes Resources available, confidence in ability of team members, keeps monitoring assigned tasks

(2) Expresses Trust & stays Focused– Assigns stretched targets, ensures clarity of task to team members, provides timely feedback & direction, no fault finding in case of failure , Recognizes Success and give credit to tem members


(3) Sets the Criteria for Success—Enables robust decisions after consulting team members, provides directions & standard of performance of delivery, communicates criteria of success

(4) Sets & Monitors Key Policy Objectives—Sets Targets on key indicators and monitors, ensures adequate level of authority required for specified outcomes, provide autonomy to others within Departmental Policies


(5) Pushes the Limits of Autonomy within the norms of Governance--- Have faith in Technical Know how, decision making and managerial ability of others, Delegates Full Authority & Responsibility to team members to provide solutions to Government & Community on Agreed Policies, Creates a Culture of Trust & Empowerment among Team Members


Result Orientation:(1) Focuses on doing what is expected– Tries to

the job as expected, within time line and eliminates waste, inefficiency and red-tapism

(2) Creates Own Measures of Better Results-- Measures outcome against higher standards, On time & Quality Delivery of Services, creative ways to meet Departmental Goals & Objectives consistently, monitors efficiency of work practices for better service

Levels of Competency in different Components-Efficiency

(3) Consistently improves Systems/Performance—Makes changes in systems/work methods to improve performance, achieves key objectives consistently, monitors efficiency for better, faster and more efficient working, improves quality, community satisfaction & morale

(4) Sets Challenging Goals & Works to meet them--- Sets stretched but achievable goals, Benchmarks against standards of excellence, motivates other for higher benchmarks, adopts leading practices from other Departments to improve performance


(5) Creates a Culture of Achieving Challenging Goals---Uses methods to allow team members to achieve higher levels of performance, Recognizes achievements and rewards Innovation, sets higher benchmarks, continuous review and improvement , Inspires all team members to consistently exceed performance targets, creates a culture of high achievement


Conceptual Thinking:(1) Applies Basic Rules– Applies Basic Rules of

the Department and Common Sense and recognizes past precedents having similar situation

(2) Recognizes Patterns—Identifies Key Issues and Patterns, Arrives at conscious rationale or its absence from recurring situations, creates his own analysis/ hypothesis for the current situation


(3) Applies Learning– Applies well researched analogies, Applies/Modifies Complex Concepts accordingly, Applies Existing Models to Current Situation, Reaches Conclusion by Analysis, Steps back to see the bigger picture

(4) Clarifies Complex Situations to Stakeholders—Makes Complex situations clear, simple and understandable, Breaks down complex situation into parts, assembles ideas, issues and observations into a clear & useful explanation


(5) Develops New Understanding/Meaning---Develops new ideas that lead to greater efficiency and inclusiveness by analyzing Global Best Practices, Willing to experiment with new ideas without any bias, stereotyped and traditional views, Proposes New Approaches to Department/Civil Services, Proposes Radical alternative Hypotheses and tests them, Redefines the understanding of Stakeholders and Community needs


Initiative & Drive:(1) Takes Action on Immediate Priorities---

Addresses present issues immediately, action oriented and self motivated, continuous striving to resolve issues

(2) Identifies Opportunities & Responds Adequately—Quick to respond to opportunities, overcomes obstacles, tries to predict clients’ needs , uses own judgement to find solutions


(3) Creates Short Term Opportunities---Proactive engagements with new initiatives, introduces process changes to alleviate pressure during busy days, anticipates potential problems and keeps superiors informed about developments, acts quickly to seize opportunity or address a crisis by using past similar experience

(4) Anticipates and Acts for the Medium Term—anticipates situation a year in advance to plan action and build up contingencies, plans ahead and takes initiative in creating solutions that would support the organization in future and pursues specific opportunities


(5) Nurtures Environment Conducive to taking Initiative---Plans for long term to take action on possible opportunities or crises, create environment where team members take initiative without bothering about possible failure, persists in overcoming obstacles, allows team members to learn from past mistakes, accepting mistakes and learning from them


Seeking Information:(1) Conducts Basic Research—Gathers

information from books, journals & internet , asks persons having experience, uses all available information

(2) Investigates Situation---Collects information, conducts field visits, goes beyond routine questioning , understands situation comprehensively, identifies and questions knowledgeable people


(3) Digs Deeper---seeks deeper understanding from subject experts, asks probing questions to get at the root, gains in depth perspective

(4) Conducts Research---conducts systematic effort to get relevant data from wide range of sources, studies best practices of other states or departments or sectors, obtains new insight by conducting formal research, if necessary


(5) Develops own sources of Direct Information---Conducts field visits to gain comprehensive understanding of the situation, gathers information from regular sources or persons, validates the information so obtained through other means or secondary sources

This requires an underlying curiosity to know about things, people or issues and updating oneself with relevant information


Planning & Coordination:(1) Organizes & Schedules Own Work—Develop

time management skills for short & medium term goals , Plans own work schedule & monitors, uses resources optimally, identifies & removes bottlenecks

(2) Monitoring Own Progress—Monitoring Work Plan & modifies if required , makes changes in work plan, timelines & resources as required, identifies risks and early warning signals and modifies plan accordingly


(3) Considers Interrelated Activities—Integrated plan taking into account interrelated activities, prioritizes multiple related tasks, considers all relevant factors like costs, timing, public needs etc anticipates risk and incorporates mitigation plan

(4) Manages Competing Priorities--- Manages resources for competing objectives, creates sustainable environment, regularly assesses priorities, balances priorities of different interest groups, establishes alternative courses of action


(5) Long Term Planning Focus---Creates a stable & predictable Environment to enable the Organization to reach full potential, Incentivizes to create a Level Playing Field for Citizens to be able to harness their capabilities

The Civil Servant should be able to plan, organize and monitor work with effective utilization of all resources like time, money & people


Desire for Knowledge:(1) Maintains Up to date knowledge—keeps up to

date knowledge about policies & practices for performing day to day tasks , Keeps all relevant Documents like circulars, memoranda , OMs in Binders properly indexed

(2) Proactively Keeps Abreast of Change in Environment—Seeks policies, practices & relevant literature, keeps abreast of changes in internal & external environment, utilizes learning opportunities to develop knowledge & share experiences


(3) Develops Broader Conceptual Knowledge– Learning from day to day experience, Interact with experts/ read articles, journals to develop knowledge, consult with other departments and stakeholders to develop conceptual understanding, pursue challenging assignments to develop expertise

(4) Prepares for the Long Term---Develop External Orientation, Read widely, explore Best Practices, encourage knowledge and experience sharing, long term capacity building like training, planning & research


(5) Be Seen as a Role Model--- Be identified as a thought leader in your respective professional or technical field, Encourage others to acquire knowledge, suggest strategies to develop Department’s/ Civil Services’ overall knowledge base, Create Environment for acquisition of knowledge by self and others

The Civil Servant should keep up to date with relevant Knowledge and Technology, share latest developments with others and advocate application of latest acquired knowledge


Innovative Thinking:(1) Be Open to New Ideas & Change---Identify

opportunities for improving current areas of work, explore possibilities of change in current area, improvise if issue is of urgent importance

(2) Suggest Innovative ways of Solving Issues & Improve Current ways of working---Learn from experience & observations and improve efficiency in work area, Conduct Reviews to find ways of improving, consider New Ideas on merits without any bias


(3) Proactively seek opportunities to Initiate New Ideas or Change– Use Technology to develop work practices, Engage with Stake holders for Suggestions, Identify Bottlenecks/Early Warning Signs & initiate Preventive Action, Encourage others to accept challenge, Challenge the Status Quo for unconventional Solutions

(4) Encourages Innovation---Encourage Ideas, improvements and measured Risk taking to improve services, Transform responsiveness and Quality of Service, Create Comprehensive Plans and Control Mechanisms to respond to Critical Events and Manage Change


(5) Create a Culture of Innovative Thinking and Ability to Handle Change---Welcome Game changing Ideas, Critically Challenge Decision Making & Allocation of Resources, Tolerate Genuine Mistakes and measured Risk Taking to achieve Transformation, Rethinks Systems to achieve desired outcomes, Create a Culture of Innovation by encouraging others, mobilizing the Department to respond swiftly to changing priorities, think out of box solutions


Problem Solving:(1) Break Down Problems—Break down complex

problems to smaller issues for clarity, Collect & Analyze all relevant information from all possible sources, identify link between information & given situation

(2) Identify Basic Relationships—Identify Cause and Effect Relationships, Develop Action Plan based on Causal Relationships, weigh pros and cons of different options


(3) Identifies Multiple Relationships—Diagnoze Multiple Cause & Effect Relationships, Identify all possible causes of an event, Develop Potential Solutions identifying the Risks involved

(4) Develop Solutions to Complex Problems—See the holistic picture , identify interdependence between components of a problem, Develop solutions to address the Complexities, Generate different Options to address the Problem, Create Long Lasting Solutions for medium and long term effect. Organize Information Systematically and Set Priorities


Developing Others:(1) Expresses Positive Expectations of Others—

Makes Positive Comments about other’s capabilities, Belief in Other’s Performance Improvements

(2) Provides Guidance & Detailed Instructions---Explains to team members how to do the task & demonstrates, provides practical support, Be positive about other’s capabilities


(3) Ensure Learning & Development & Provide Specific Feedback---Provide timely, constructive and specific Feedback on key strengths of others and areas of improvements, Develop Career Plans for others, Understand needs/difficulties of others & promote inclusiveness, Build their capacity by sending them to training and by giving stretched projects


(4) Empowers for Long Term Development—Delegate Responsibility & Decision making for growth of others, allow others to learn from mistakes in non-critical settings, Provide Mentoring Support and Direction for team members’ learning needs, create environment for inclusive development for all staff

(5) Develop Future Leaders---Proactively manage Talent Pipeline for operational excellence, support continuous learning and improvement, develop teams with awareness of inclusiveness, equality and diversity, build capacity development strategies to support career development for all Employees


Self Awareness & Self Control:(1) Be Aware of Self and Restrain Emotional Impulses

—Be aware of own feelings, strengths and weaknesses and their impact on actions and performance, resist temptation to act impulsively, remain calm in stressful situations and listen to others

(2) Respond Calmly---Be aware of impact of your emotions on others, know his emotional hot buttons and avoid flare ups, respond calmly in difficult situations, have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses


(3) Manage Stress Effectively---Understand your response thoroughly, use stress management techniques, respond constructively and professionally to extreme challenges and provocations and professional disappointments, provide effective leadership in stressful situations

(4) Managing Self and Others Under High Stress and Adversity---Calm others by listening attentively , lighten serious situation by humor or citing anecdotes, coach/mentor others to manage stress, accept negative feedback in a mature manner


(5) Nurture a Culture of Rationality & Calm Behavior--- Maintain Focus and Stamina for Self and Others in prolonged stressful situations, Dissolve stressors by better planning analyzing past instances, create a culture of calm behavior in a large group or organization, Improvise and Innovate to get over stressful situations

Maintain Professional & Emotional Response when provoked. Have Resilience & Stamina


Communication Skills:(1) Listen Attentively and Present Information

Clearly--- Present facts clearly and unambiguously orally and in writing, Listen to others patiently without unnecessary interruption , keep Superiors and relevant stake holders informed , Ask questions to get basic understanding of all issues, check own understanding of others’ communication


(2) Foster Two Way Communication---Convey information clearly and confidently indicating how it will benefit Society, Elicit Feedback, ask leading and open ended questions for deeper analysis, understand complex non verbal clues for better communication, keep communication channel open, communicate negative information with sensitivity and tact, support messages with relevant data for better impact and understanding, avoid jargons to convey complex ideas in a simple, coherent and accurate manner


(3) Adapt Communication to Others---Adapt Communication style to suit the situation, Take other’s perspectives into account, time the communication appropriately to suit overall context and Public Opinion, Anticipate response to communication and adapt communication accordingly, Understand Non verbal Clues

(4) Communicate Complex Messages Clearly & Credibly---follow up response in agreed time, acknowledge lack of information, communicate complex issues clearly to varied audiences, share the ideas with opinion makers before voicing it, use varied communication methodologies to promote dialogue and shared understanding through examples, myths best practices

(5) Communicate Strategically—Use different forum, media vehicles and tailors messages accordingly to achieve optimum results

Understand the Unspoken feelings of others


Team Working:(1) Cooperate with Others---Comply with Team

Decisions, Do your share of work, give support to Co-workers, share relevant information with them, provide ideas, inputs and suggestions, deal honestly and fairly with others

(2) Appreciate Positive Attitudes and Express Positive Expectations of Teams--- Acknowledge Others’ work, speak positively about them, share experiences and knowledge, assume responsibility for own work and coordinating efforts


(3) Solicit Inputs---Solicit Ideas and opinions to formulate specific decisions/plans, show willingness to learn from others including subordinates/peers, value others’ expertise, incorporate others’ suggestions in planning and decision making

(4) Encourage Others---Publicly and formally credit others who have performed well, Encourage and empower others to make them feel strong and important, build relationships with team members and with other inter/intra department work units, encourage others to share experiences, knowledge and best practices


(5) Work to Build Team Commitment---Promote Good Working Relationship with others, rising above bias, Collaborate with other Departments to work towards a larger goal, capitalize on opportunities and efficiently utilize the diverse talents of the team members, work towards building positive team involvement and address disruptive behavior such as threats, insults, stereotyping or exaggerations


THE END

Date post:	10-Apr-2017
Category:	Government & Nonprofit
Upload:	dr-satyanarayana-dashias-retd
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Good governance & competency dictionary for civil services

Government & Nonprofit