Identifying, Recruiting and Developing the Right Competencies or How to Prepare Public Sectors to Cope with Change

Target group
The seminar is intended for a European and international audience of public officials, unit heads and training experts working in the field of HRM, organisational development, public sector reform and staff training, as well as other interested persons who deal with HRM and reform in the public service.

Description
In the context of tighter budgets, skill shortages, longer working lives and life long learning, the building of robust competencies becomes crucial in order for public sector organisations to maintain future performance, motivation and employability of staff. In comparison to the private sector, which was already using competency management in the 1980s, most European public sectors only recently started to manage their competencies in order to facilitate performance and strategic management and/or a more professional career management. So far, there is still a lack of overall evaluation of the effectiveness of competency-based approaches as well as of a catalogue of good practices.
Current experiences illustrate that there is a substantial gap between the concept and theory of competency management on the one hand and its implementation on the other hand such as is shown by the trend of developing a ‘tick box’ mentality in practice in the system instead of a trend to promote more flexible and performing organisations with more skilled staff. Tricky questions in this context are: How to build and manage robust competencies and how to ensure organisational fit? How to objectively use competencies to measure performance? How to improve and develop competencies at individual level? And finally: What behaviours, skills and capabilities are needed for our public sectors of tomorrow?
The participants will be provided with the required theoretical fundaments as well as practical advice. At the end of the seminar, participants will leave with a better understanding of crucial elements for the successful implementation of competency-based management (CBM).

Learning Methodology
A mixture of presentations, short interventions, workshops and case studies.

Objectives
The objectives of the seminar are:
• to improve knowledge on how to use competency management in order to promote performance and strategic management;
• to present and assess effective ways of managing competencies at organisational and individual level;
• to raise awareness of how competency management can become a ‘lively’ HR tool and part of the organisational culture;
• to learn by exchange of experiences from other countries.

Programme
The programme will commence on Thursday at 09.00 and will finish on Friday at 16.15.

Seminar Venue
The seminar will take place at the premises of the European Institute of Public Administration, O.L. Vrouweplein 22, NL-6211 HE Maastricht, tel.: +31 43 32 96 222, fax: +31 43 32 96 296.

Working language
The course will be conducted in English.

Fee
The participation fee is € 850 and includes documentation, 2 lunches, 1 dinner and refreshments. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration. EIPA offers its members a reduction of 10% of the registration fee. For details, please click here.

Hotel reservations
The European Institute of Public Administration will be pleased to make hotel reservations for you at a hotel in Maastricht. We have made a block booking at Townhouse Hotel Maastricht**** (www.townhousehotels.nl), at the rate of ± € 85,99 p.p.p.n. (incl. breakfast and tourist tax). Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please indicate the dates of arrival and departure on the registration form. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel on checking out. Please note that if you register after the closing date, hotel reservations cannot be guaranteed.

Meals
Meals will be served at the Institute’s restaurant and dinner in the evening will be at a restaurant in town. Should you require a special menu (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic), please inform the Programme Organiser so that this can be arranged.

Registration
Kindly complete the online registration form before 1 June 2012.
Your name and address will be part of EIPA's database for our mailing purpose only. If you do not want to be included in our mailing database, please tick the box on the registration form.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation. Please indicate the method of payment on the registration form. For cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins, we will have to charge an administration fee of € 150 unless a replacement participant is found.

Cancellation policy
EIPA reserves the right to cancel the seminar up to 2 weeks before the starting date. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, hotel, etc.). For EIPA's cancellation policy, please visit our website.