Building Community Capacity - Competency Profile for Federal Public Service Evaluation Professionals
January 2002
Prepared by Research and Development Division Personnel Psychology Centre For The Centre of Excellence for Evaluation
Table of Contents
The Competency Profile for Federal Public Service Evaluation Professionals describes the competencies and associated behaviours linked with successful performance for junior, intermediate and senior evaluators. The Personnel Psychology Centre of the Public Service Commission developed the Competency Profile at the request of the Centre of Excellence for Evaluation, to assist with plans for recruitment, training and development for the Evaluation Community.
The Competency Profile can be a potential resource for evaluation managers and individual staff in their efforts to strengthen the capacity of the evaluation function, in areas such as recruitment, training and development and team building. In addition to the Profile itself, a context document is available to clarify the purpose and uses of the Profile.
Contact information
For information regarding the Centre of Excellence for Evaluation:
Ross Henwood |
For general information regarding assessment services:
Personnel Psychology Centre, |
Acknowledgments
This competency profile represents the efforts of a large number of evaluation professionals, senior managers in the evaluation community, members of the Centre of Excellence for the evaluation community (CEE) and of the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). The Centres of Excellence for Internal Audit and Evaluation share common goals with respect to building community capacity, thus where feasible, aspects of the competency profile development process were conducted simultaneously (e.g., the competency survey) to enhance efficiency. The success of this initiative would not have been possible were it not for the substantial contributions of hundreds of professionals across the evaluation community. In all, 355 professionals across the evaluation and audit communities took part in the survey, representing a response rate of 61%. Participants represented 59 different departments and agencies across the federal public service.
The following individuals participated in interviews at the outset of the competency development process, providing information concerning departmental objectives, priorities and challenges as well as the context and culture of evaluation work in the federal Public Service.
- Marion Clark,
A/Executive Director, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) - Roy Maddocks,
Director, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) - Myra Conway,
Director General, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) - Deborah McCorkell-Hoy,
Director, Justice (JUS) - Bram Deurloo,
Director General, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) - Lee McCormack,
Executive Director, Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) - Jonathan Fisher,
Director General, Transport Canada (TC) - Owen Taylor,
Director General, Industry Canada (IC) - Bob Lahey,
Senior Director, Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) - Caroline Weber,
A/Director General, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
Information obtained from the interviews, as well as information from other sources (e.g., departmental competency profiles) was used in the development of a preliminary version of a community-wide survey. The following individuals contributed their time to reviewing and commenting on the preliminary version of this survey.
- Martin Dompierre, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Christine LauRoman, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
- Behrooz Ghorbani, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)
- Brigitte Marois, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
- Benoît-Paul Hébert, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
- Paul Prieur, Natural Resources Canada (NRC)
- Alain Larivière, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
- Gail Young, Transport Canada (TC)
Information obtained from the survey, as well as information collected during previous stages of the development process, were used to construct a preliminary version of the Evaluation Profile. Evaluation professionals working at the junior, intermediate, and senior levels were asked to provide feedback on this provisional profile - collected in writing and in interactive discussion sessions. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following people to this feedback phase of the development process:
- Johanne Ascoli, Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)
- Ibolya Galambos, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
- Dennis Moore, National Defense (DND)
- Nicole Asselin, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
- Mel Glustien, National Defense (DND)
- Suzanne Roussel, Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency (ACOA)
- Salah Bendaoud, Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
- Marie-Thérèse Hokayem, Correctional Services (CSC)
- Marjolaine Schaan, Heritage Canada (PCH)
- André Bernier, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
- Robert Jones, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
- Eric Seraphim, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
- Lynn Bougard, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
- Gordon Lenjosek, Finance (FIN)
- Stéphane Sirard, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
- Ann-Marie Cooper, National Resources Canada (NRCan)
- Dianne Lepa, Heritage Canada (PCH)
- Peggy Smyth, Canadian Heritage (PCH)
- Jack Cramer, National Resources Canada (NRCan)
- Donald MacDonald, Finance (FIN)
- Brenda St. Marseille, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
- Huguette Croteau, Health Canada (HC)
- Maurice Mandale, Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency (ACOA)
- Unnati Vasavada, Transport Canada (TC)
- Veronica Doyle, Justice (JUS)
- Kevin McKenzie, Health Canada (HC)
- Christopher Wilson, Public Service Commission (PSC)
- Lorraine Gabor, Heritage Canada PCH
- Paula McLenaghan, Justice (JUS)
- Valerie Young, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the direction, vision, and support of the members of the Joint Evaluation and Internal Audit Steering Committee:
- Mario Bot, Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
- Myra Conway, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
- Janet Harrison, Dev Loyola-Nazareth and Robin Strang, Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)
- Heather Hopwood, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Robert Lahey, Nancy McMahon and Yolande Andrews, Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)
Introduction
This document contains the competency profile developed for evaluation professionals across the federal Public Service. The Evaluation Profile describes generic characteristics deemed important for successful performance of evaluation work at the junior, intermediate and senior professional levels, up to but not including positions at the executive or equivalent levels. It was produced for the Evaluation Community to help departments rebuild their human resource capacity. The profile is not prescriptive in nature, rather departments may choose to use the entire profile, parts of the profile or to adapt the profile to meet specific departmental needs. How a department or group of departments sees fit to use the profile may also vary as a function of particular Human Resource Management (HRM) applications. Departments or groups of departments could use the profile as is for recruitment and subsequent training and development plans, while at the same time using elements of the profile in succession planning. However, in keeping with the objective of its development, the profile is not intended for use in performance assessment.
Key Elements of the Development Process
The Evaluation Profile was modeled on the fourteen competencies contained in the Profile of Public Service Leadership Competencies and provides an overview of the individual that extends beyond skills and abilities to include attitudes, values, styles and personality See footnote 1. The leadership competencies have been adapted to reflect the specific culture, values, needs, and future goals and challenges of the federal Public Service Evaluation Community.
Adaptation of the profile was conducted in collaboration with evaluation professionals and managers representing 59 federal departments and agencies, and with the support of the Centre of Excellence for Evaluation (TBS). Input from the community was gathered using multiple methods, including the review of proffered departmental documentation (e.g., departmental profiles), one-on-one interviews, a community-wide survey, joint working sessions, written feedback, and interactive group sessions. Those consulted shared with us their views on the community as a whole, the specific challenges faced by evaluation professionals, current and future community objectives, and the characteristics and behaviours deemed essential for successful performance as an evaluation professional.
Figure 1 lists the key goals of the development process including: the identification of characteristics related to successful performance; core competencies required across departments, rather than specific competencies required in some departments but not others; and characteristics linked to achieving organizational (e.g., implementation of the Evaluation Policy) and government-wide (e.g., representativeness) initiatives.
FIGURE 1.
FIVE KEY DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
Competencies must:
- be related to the successful performance of evaluation work,
- be core (i.e., required across departments),
- be inclusive (i.e., represent the domain of effective job-related behaviours),
- not constitute work-irrelevant barrier(s), and
- be linked to current and future organizational objectives
Overview of the Evaluation Profile
FIGURE 2.
INTELLECTUAL
- Cognitive Capacity
- Creativity
FUTURE BUILDING
- Visioning
MANAGEMENT
- Action Management
- Organizational Awareness
- Teamwork
- Partnering
RELATIONSHIP
- Interpersonal Relations
- Communication
PERSONAL
- Stamina and Stress Resistance
- Ethics and Values
- Personality
- Behavioural Flexibility
- Self-confidence
The 14 evaluation competencies are organized into the five clusters illustrated in Figure 2: (1) Intellectual Competencies, (2) Future Building Competencies, (3) Management Competencies, (4) Relationship Competencies, and (5) Personal Competencies. For each competency within a cluster, there is a generic description of the competency as well as a set of three to five behavioural indicators tailored specifically to each of the three evaluation levels (i.e., junior, intermediate, and senior). The definition reflects the general meaning of a competency for evaluation professionals, while the behavioural indicators are examples of how a particular competency may manifest itself in concrete behavioural terms.
A single behavioural indicator may take different forms as a function of level. For example, "valuing effective two-way communication" (an indicator of good communication skills) manifests itself differently in the work of junior evaluators than it does for intermediate and senior evaluators. Further, a behavioural indicator expressed at the junior level may also apply at subsequent levels of responsibility, even where not expressly stated. For example, "solicits and is responsive to input from others" is an important indicator of effective interpersonal relations at all levels. It is expressly stated at the junior professional level, but is also a requirement for effective interpersonal functioning at all subsequent levels of responsibility (i.e., for intermediate and senior level evaluators).
The needs of evaluators in both small and large departments were explicitly considered in the development of the narratives and behavioural indicators. Differences in the responsibilities of senior, and to a lesser extent intermediate, evaluators were particularly salient in the area of people management. The terminology used in the profile attempts to account for the differences in the scope, breadth and depth of responsibilities at these levels. Senior evaluators in some departments may be responsible for the management of internal project teams while the responsibilities of those in smaller departments may meet their objectives by leading intra-departmental project teams. The profile reflects this diversity of responsibility to the extent possible, but may require some adaptation in specific cases depending on the application.
Importance of Competencies by Level
FIGURE 3.
KEY COMPETENCIES ACROSS ALL LEVELS
- Cognitive Capacity
- Communication
ADDITIONAL COMPETENCIES DEEMED IMPORTANT ACROSS ALL LEVELS
- Organizational Awareness
- Interpersonal Relations
- Personality
- Action Management
- Teamwork
- Self-confidence
- Behavioural Flexibility
- Ethics & Values
COMPETENCIES DEEMED IMPORTANT AT THE SENIOR LEVEL
- Creativity
- Visioning
- Stamina & Stress Resistance
- Partnering
The information collected during the development of the Evaluation Profile permits us to comment to some extent on the relative importance of each competency across the three levels profiled. We recommend that this information be used as a guide, augmented by the consideration of specific position and departmental needs. For example, some departments may find that given current and future priorities, a competency that is deemed important at one point in time or for one specific position, is less important at another point in time or for another position.
The competencies fell into the three groupings illustrated in Figure 3. The first grouping is comprised of two competencies that were identified by participants at all three levels as essential to success on-the-job. The second grouping of competencies were deemed at least moderately important by participants at all three levels to success on-the-job. The third grouping of competencies emerged for senior level professionals primarily, with the competencies either linked to future organizational objectives (e.g., partnering) or deemed at least moderately related to success on-the job.
Human Resource Management Applications
FIGURE 4.
RECRUITMENT
The profile is valuable for use in recruitment initiatives, both centralized and de-centralized. A systematic community-wide application of the profile in recruitment can augment other initiatives by helping to ensure that newly recruited evaluators meet a set of common standards required by evaluators across the federal Public Service. When used in conjunction with pre-qualified pools this approach can help to meet broader community goals (e.g., mobility needs) as well as specific departmental needs.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
The profile may be used to help identify work-related competencies in need of development, either at the organizational or individual levels. When systematically applied across a wider federal Public Service community, this maximizes the use of resources in the development and delivery of training programs that target common areas in need of development (e.g., ethics and values in evaluation work, presentation & facilitation skills).
TEAM BUILDING
The profile and knowledge of individual strengths and developmental needs may be used by managers to help build strong teams with the necessary competencies required to meet project objectives, while at the same time balancing team strengths with an individual's need for development.
The Evaluation Profile is intended as a tool for use by departments and managers in helping to rebuild human resource capacity. The profile is generic in nature and as such departments may choose to use the complete profile, parts of the profile, or to tailor the profile as required for specific departmental needs. Its content should continue to evolve with the community and as such should be reviewed periodically to ensure ongoing significance to the community. As already noted, in keeping with the objective of its development, the profile is not to be used in performance assessment.
Figure 4 lists and briefly describes a variety of potential Human Resources Management applications (HRM). Underlying each application listed is the need to assess an individual or organization on targeted competencies. See footnote 2 Depending on the application, the rigor of the assessment process may vary. For example, for entry-level recruitment assessment must be sufficiently rigorous so as to ensure that the selection process is fair and meritorious. When applied in a training and development setting or for the purposes of team-building, assessment may be somewhat less comprehensive and can include assessment techniques such as 360o assessment, personal reflection and self-assessment, etc.
The impact of competency profiles in general can be maximized by systematically integrating competencies across multiple HRM areas. For example, use of the profile for selection of evaluators, training and development, and performance management provides continuity in building capacity to meet organizational objectives in core areas linked to success on-the-job.
The Competency Profile
Intellectual Compentencies
Cognitive Capacity
Evaluation professionals plan, design and implement sound evaluation methodologies to assess and inform organizational programs, polices, and initiatives. They quickly comprehend the objectives of new programs, policies, and initiatives to which they are exposed and the context in which they operate. They are adept at systematically collecting and assimilating substantial quantities and types of information. Evaluation professionals use their strong cognitive skills in critically evaluating and interpreting research findings and in identifying gaps in, and limitations of, the evidence. They formulate plausible hypotheses, consider alternatives, and draw appropriate conclusions from research findings.
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Creativity
Evaluation professionals work in applied settings that at times present unique challenges to the sound implementation of investigative methodologies. They view programs and policies from diverse perspectives and when necessary propose innovative ways of assessing outcomes. Evaluation professionals explore and develop new ways of helping to enhance program and policy effectiveness and meeting client needs, despite working under tight deadlines or shortages in resources. They remain current in their areas of expertise and seek out novel opportunities for learning and professional development.
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Future Building Competencies
Visioning
Evaluation professionals understand the vision of their organization and the broader evaluation community, using them to orient and guide their own work. They are committed role models in communicating the need for continuous efforts aimed at improving program and policy effectiveness. They effectively engage and help clients, managers, and stakeholders design, evaluate and align programs and policies with organizational and government-wide priorities. They align their work with organizational priorities and are guided by the vision, creating opportunities to further integrate results-based management into their organizational culture.
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Management Compentencies
Action Management
Evaluation professionals provide timely findings to management and stakeholders for use in planning and management decision-making. They work efficiently in both independent and group settings, often juggling multiple tasks or projects simultaneously. They manage their own time and individual work activities, securing all the resources at their disposal to accomplish multiple objectives in an effective, efficient manner. They set challenging goals and track the progress of their undertakings to ensure that they have the necessary resources to achieve desired results in a timely manner. When their responsibilities include managing teams, they delegate appropriately, guiding and mentoring less experienced colleagues.
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Organizational Awareness
Evaluation professionals have a solid understanding of their organization and the role played by evaluation. They understand the challenges faced by managers in designing and monitoring the outcomes of programs, policies and initiatives and know who the key players are for any given project. They comprehend the complexities of internal and external organizational relationships, procedures, and relationships with key stakeholders. Evaluation professionals actively keep abreast of new organizational developments and upcoming initiatives related to evaluation work.
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Teamwork
Evaluation professionals are team oriented, working alongside clients, managers and stakeholders in facilitating increased effectiveness. They contribute fully to team and client initiatives. They develop and maintain respectful, collaborative, and positive relations with team members, clients and managers. Evaluation professionals seek input, share their own expertise, and consult openly, capitalizing on the diversity of experience, knowledge, expertise and backgrounds of others. They are at ease collaborating with individuals holding different professional viewpoints and work towards achieving consensus when differences arise.
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Partnering
Evaluation professionals work within a complex environment which may include partnerships with other federal departments and agencies, levels of government, and non-governmental organizations. In this context, evaluators build and maintain formal and informal networks outside their own organizations to better achieve organizational objectives. They work collaboratively with partners to reconcile objectives and to achieve win-win solutions for the good of the Canadian public. They are adept at sharing resources and responsibilities, reducing inefficiency, and redundancies.
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Relationship Competencies
Interpersonal Relations
Evaluation professionals interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds, occupational groups, specialty areas, and programs. They understand the unique contributions offered by others and the importance of developing and maintaining positive working relationships. They approach each interpersonal situation with sensitivity and diplomacy, possessing a genuine respect and concern for others and their situations. Evaluation professionals are skilled at recognizing and defusing potential conflict, using open and honest interactions. They use their facilitative skills in guiding clients, managers, and organizations, working collaboratively and openly.
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Communication
An essential part of an evaluation professional's role is communication. Evaluation professionals are dedicated to communicating clearly, transparently, and concisely, translating technical information into comprehensible forms that suit the needs of the audience. They communicate unpopular findings with tact, diplomacy and transparency, and use sound judgement when communicating sensitive material. They possess the communication skills required to identify and transmit the level of information required to permit timely, accurate decision-making. Evaluation professionals are active listeners and persistently seek a comprehensive understanding of the issue under discussion.
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Personal Competencies
Stamina and Stress Resistance
Evaluation professionals may from time to time find themselves faced with work that has a high potential for stress. In such circumstances, evaluators have the ability to manage stress, remain energized and maintain a positive outlook. They regard difficult situations as challenging, remaining committed to professional principles, organizational objectives and priorities. Evaluation professionals are realistic about their own limits, using and expanding support mechanism as needed. They are proactive in maintaining an appropriate work/life balance and in taking steps to ensure that their energy reserves remain high over the long term.
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Ethics and Values
Evaluation professionals hold themselves to high ethical and professional standards. They are objective, fair, and balanced when evaluating programs, policies and initiatives and strive to ensure that the information they gather is factual and complete. They thoroughly evaluate the potential for conflict of interest, and continually monitor the objectivity of the evaluation process. They consistently meet their commitments and obligations, and maintain an appropriate professional distance and credibility even in difficult, high pressure situations. Evaluation professionals treat others fairly, contributing to a climate of trust, acceptance and respect for others' principles, values and beliefs.
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Personality
Evaluation professionals are energized by challenging goals and enthusiastically accept responsibility for their work activities. They pursue a high standard of excellence in their work and persevere when faced with setbacks or obstacles. They embrace diversity and capitalize on the value of individual differences in meeting project objectives.
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Behavioural Flexibility
Evaluation professionals adjust their behaviour to the demands of a changing work environment in order to remain productive. They adapt to the characteristics of particular situations and function effectively within a broad range of situations, people and groups. They look for and acquire new and more effective behaviours, discarding others when no longer effective. Their flexibility enables them to remain focussed and productive during periods of transition and uncertainty. Evaluation professionals are receptive to new ideas and alternative approaches, and are open to switching focus to meet new challenges.
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Self-confidence
Evaluation professionals are independent and self-reliant. They are confident in their own skills and abilities, but are comfortable seeking the assistance of others when necessary. They convey a realistic confidence in their own abilities, appropriately gauging the likely success of their own actions. Evaluation professionals are able to stand their ground when facing criticism or opposition. They are adept at evaluating and learning from their successes and failures. They are able to interact confidently and with credibility when dealing with a wide range of people, including colleagues, clients, management, and key stakeholders.
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Contact Information
For information regarding the Centre of Excellence for Evaluation,
Nancy McMahon, |
For general information regarding assessment services:
Personnel Psychology Centre, |
Endnotes
- Return to footnote reference 1 Profile of Public Service Leadership Competencies (1998).
- Return to footnote reference 2 Consult the following sources for more information on assessment: (1) The Wholistic Competency Profile: A model (Part 3); and (2) the Personnel Psychology Centre's Assessing Competencies Series available at Personnel Psychology Centre Site: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ppc/assessment_cp1_e.htm
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