Day1 sp4 icgfm201405-gordon_ferrier_en

1. Public Financial
Management
Competencies:
Lessons from the
Field
Gordon Ferrier,
Assistant Director (International)
Chartered Institute of Public Finance
and Accountancy

2. Introduction and background

3. What is Competency?
“a cluster of related knowledge, skills
and attitudes that affects a major part
of one’s job (a role or responsibility),
that correlates with performance on
the job, that can be measured against
well-accepted standards, and that can
be improved via training and
development”
Referenced in Parry, S.R. The Quest for Competencies, Training,
July 1996 pp 48-56
…and
behaviours

4. Uses and Benefits of Competency Frameworks
Performance appraisal. Base appraisal on objective criteria.

5. Uses and Benefits of Competency Frameworks
Development: Specify needs in competency terms, not inputs.

6. Uses and Benefits of Competency Frameworks
Job design: Create rewarding and satisfying jobs.

7. Uses and Benefits of Competency Frameworks
Training: more systematic, linked to performance, target use of budgets

8. Components of Competency
Knowledge: factual information accepted to be
true.
Skills: the learned ability to carry out predefined
processes.
Attitudes: a relatively enduring disposition to
view people, places, things or events in a
particular way.
Behaviour: a specific action taken to achieve a
(usually) predetermined outcome.

9. A Competency Statement

10. The Competency Model
Current and future requirements
Six Frameworks: One Common (all PFM staff)
and Five Functional
Key (critical) competencies only: no attempt to
be comprehensive
Four Common competencies
Five – Eight competencies according to Function

11. Validating the Model
FaceValidity
• “Makes sense”
ConstructValidity
• Distinguishes levels of performance
ContentValidity
• Coverage of the domain

12. ContentValidity
Learning and Growing
Legislation
Standards
Strategy &
Planning
Assurance
Scrutiny
Operations
Monitoring &
Internal Control

13. Integrating with Existing Frameworks
All civil servants
PFM staff
Senior civil servants

14. Competency and Performance
Research evidence

15. Competency and Performance

16. Issues: 1
Defining PFM
Capturing representative views
Balancing country needs with expert opinion
Handling volume
Anticipating future needs

17. Issues: 2
Integrating with other frameworks and
initiatives
Clearly differentiating between knowledge, skills
attitudes and behaviours
Statements: Progressive or Cumulative?
Supply side capacity
Efficiency of current spending
GOP
• $228
• 3.2
UK
• $178
• 2.5
Canada
• $72
• 1

18. Progressive or Cumulative?

19. A1 A2 A3
S1 S2
K1 K2 K3
B1 B2 B3

20. A1 A2 A3
S1 S2
K1 K2 K3
B1 B2 B3 B4
S3
K4

21. A1 A2 A3
S1 S2
K1 K2 K3
B1 B2 B3 B4
S3
K4

22. Progressive or Cumulative?
Conclusion:The Competency Frameworks are not
cumulative or progressive by design…
…although some statements may be cumulative or
progressive in their effect.

23. Implementing the Model
Key Conditions

25. Lessons Learned
Design only a starting point
Constant need for education
Few right or wrong answers
Context is critical
Key stakeholders must be committed
Long term commitment important
There comes a time to let go!

26. Public Financial
Management
Competencies:
Lessons from the
Field
Gordon Ferrier,
Assistant Director (International)
Chartered Institute of Public Finance
and Accountancy end