Digital Government Competency Framework
The Digital Government Competency Framework project, which commenced in April 2021 and is currently ongoing, has already achieved a significant outcome by successfully completing assessments for 350 government officials. This accomplishment marks a substantial milestone in the project's journey toward creating a more competent and digitally capable government workforce.
The rationale behind launching this project lies in the intricate and diverse nature of the government workforce. Government employees possess varying levels of competencies, making it challenging to systematically enhance their capabilities in a short timeframe. Furthermore, the absence of a unified approach to capacity building across government organizations has exacerbated this issue. To address these challenges, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of the government (ICTA) has conceived the Digital Government Competency Framework. This framework aims to delineate the requisite skills for different employment levels and bridge competency gaps by utilizing a Need Assessment Toolkit.
The project's core objective is to establish a comprehensive competency framework that simplifies the process of capacitating government officials at all levels. This framework encompasses a wide spectrum of skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for active participation in digital transformation efforts, ultimately leading to improved citizen services.
The project's scope includes several key components:
1. Formulating the Digital Government Competency Framework: This involves the development of the framework's structure and content, serving as the foundation for competency enhancement.
2. Development of Competency Assessment: Creating a robust competency assessment process to evaluate the skills and capabilities of government officials.
3. Development of Competency Assessment Tools: Designing specialized tools and methodologies to conduct competency assessments effectively.
4. Conducting assessments for 50 Critical Infrastructure Information Organizations: These assessments are crucial for safeguarding the security and efficiency of vital government functions.
5. Conducting competency assessments for employees in 500 organizations: Expanding the reach of competency assessments to a wide range of government bodies.
The project's significant outcome, the completion of assessments for 350 officials, underscores its progress and impact on improving the government's capacity to navigate the digital era effectively.
In the pursuit of this ambitious project, various stakeholders and partners have been actively involved, showcasing a collaborative approach to competency development within the government sector. These stakeholders encompass government organizations, industry consultants, and experts from academia and government. Chief Digital Information Officers (CDIOs) play a pivotal role in guiding and implementing the competency framework, emphasizing the crucial role of leadership commitment to this transformative initiative.