COMPETENCY MODELLING

AND ENHANCING THE

BACKGROUND
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the national agency mandated

to implement programs, projects, and services for alleviating poverty and empowering

disadvantaged Filipinos for an improved quality of life. In 2008, DSWD implemented

its flagship program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which provided

conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition

and education, particularly of children aged 0-14. DSWD needed a larger workforce

to implement the program but hiring contractual workers was slow, taking 2-4 months

to complete. It also encountered problems getting qualified applicants. These issues

became more pronounced when DSWD scaled up 4Ps’ target beneficiaries from 1

million in 2010 to 2.3 million in 2011. The need to reduce hiring processing time and

recruit qualified contractual workers to implement the program became more urgent. To

address this, DSWD, in partnership with PAHRODF, implemented Competency Modelling

and Enhancing the Recruitment System (CMERS). n

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INTERVENTION OVERVIEW
CMERS was meant to improve DSWD’s recruitment process by helping the organization

institutionalise a competency-based recruitment and selection process that reduces the

hiring processing time for 4Ps and other poverty-alleviation programs, and updates job

descriptions and standards. The intervention was also meant to develop competencies

of relevant DSWD staff in conducting targeted selection, developing appropriate guide

questions and assessing applications. The intervention included benchmarking missions

in at least five local private and public organisations with competency-based Human

Resources (HR) Management and Development systems – recruitment performance

management, training, succession planning, and HR Information System. Intervention

outputs – competency models and the recruitment, selection and placement process

– were piloted-tested in the application and targeted selection of 4Ps personnel for the

National Capital Region, Region III, IVA and IVB. n

COMMITTED RESULTS
TARGET COMPETENCIES ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
OUTCOME
DSWD employees are com- DSWD’s workforce delivering There is a faster and improved
petent in conducting job anal- social welfare development delivery of social welfare and
ysis, developing competency programs are better fit development (SWD) pro-
models for benchmark posi- vis-à-vis their actual job re- grams to Filipino individuals,
tions, and in writing job de- quirements. DSWD uses an families and communities.
scription, qualification stan- improved and standardised Local government units are
dards and terms of reference. competency-based recruit- replicating DSWD’s programs
They use competency models ment process in targeted to improve lives of Filipinos in
and profiles for targeted se- sites, which results to faster their locality.
lection and develop targeting processing and filling up of job
selection criteria, processes vacancies for core programs
and interview guides. Recruit- such as the Pantawid Pamily-
ment decisions are made ang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
using the results of targeted DSWD ensures “job fitness”
section interview. of its workforce through reg-
ular job analysis.

IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
DSWD developed and is now using a competency-based recruitment, selection and

placement system for hiring workers under memorandum of agreement (MOA) as well

as staff with plantilla positions for 4Ps in central and regional offices. The new system

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reduced turnaround time for hiring contractual workers consultants from 2-4 months to

1-2 weeks and for plantilla positions to six months across programs. A pilot run using the

new competency-based system was further conducted showing that the selection process

can even be cut down to one day. DSWD is also now selecting applicants based on

competencies, ensuring that they are the best fit for the position. This led to the decrease

in turnover rate of the current workforce. Intervention participants developed competency

models for 60 benchmark positions, as well as competency based job descriptions. DSWD

is rolling this out to more positions but is slowed by competing commitments of core team

members. n

ASSESSMENT
Relevance

The intervention was very relevant. The intervention came at a time when DSWD was

recruiting massively for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and it needed to speed

up recruitment and improve quality of recruits. DSWD was also keen to find out if the

compensation package it offered was attractive enough to recruit the right people. Top

management strongly supported intervention outputs particularly the competency models.

However, while DSWD recognised their need of the intervention, it was challenged by

competing commitments and priorities in the department.

Effectiveness

The intervention developed DSWD’s competency-based HR system, which improved its

recruitment system, reducing hiring time for 4Ps from 2-4 months to 1-2 weeks. It was pilot

tested to four regions. Participants learned and were able to develop competency models

for 60 benchmark positions for 4Ps. The intervention also developed a competency tool

that DSWD now uses to analyse tasks and duties of different positions. The intervention

gave DSWD a better appreciation of HR’s critical role and how HR can provide strategic

and not just admin support.

Sustainability

Intervention outcomes are sustainable. After the intervention, one of the participants even

developed a position classification system to analyse whether duties and responsibilities

of positions are commensurate to their salary grade level. To further ensure sustainability,

however, DSWD may want to institute a mechanism where participants may receive

continues coaching to validate their outputs until they can fully perform their tasks on

their own. n

159
“It’s an innovation. It
was the first time that
the department ven- FACTS AND FIGURES
tured into competen-
cy-based recruitment INVESTMENT

aud246,888
and we knew from the
start that it will cause
positive change. With
competency-based
recruitment, we are NUMBER OF CORE PARTICIPANTS

21
doing quality as-
sessment. Since it is
targeted, it is easier to
assess if the applicant
has experiences for Duration December 2011 - August 2012
the competencies re-
quired of the position; Produced Output • Labor Market Study for NCR, Davao and
it is easier to choose Cebu
who fits the bill,” • Competency Models – 60 benchmark posi-
tions
Administrative • Competency Based Job Descriptions
Officer 2
Norabel Lahib • Competency Dictionary
• Competency Based Human Resource
Framework
• Recruitment, Selection and Placement
Manual
• End-user’s Training Manual
• End User’s Handbook (User’s Guide)
• Recruitment, Selection and Placement
Plan for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
• Change Management Plan

160
EMERGING LESSONS
AND GOOD PRACTICES
1 Executive sponsorship is critical to project success.

2 Making intervention participants go through the rigor of a full methodology (step-

by-step approach) on competency modelling, instead of a short-cut approach, is

key to building their skills.

3 It is important that end users of competency-based systems understand the

language of competencies to fully appreciate and use the system.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1 DSWD should include more senior profilers who have experience in CMERS and

have systems perspective. They should also be familiar with different positions of

the organisation.

2 With the changes that will follow adopting a competency-based system, DSWD

should ensure that stakeholders have shared understanding of the system, as well

as the standard approach for using it.

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 SHORT
FEATURE

Improving Social
Services through
Competency-based
Recruitment
“A society where the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged are empowered
for an improved quality of life.”
This is the vision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the Philippines by 2030. In order

to achieve this, DSWD has been implementing poverty-alleviation programs such as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program (4Ps), Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and

Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS). Accordingly, the delivery of these services relies heavily on

human resource.

FROM JOB MISMATCH TO JOB FIT

In the past years, however, one of the challenges of the department’s Human Resource and Development Bureau

(HRDB) was the high turnover rate of employees, which usually leads to delays in providing services to poor households.

“Let’s say a social worker resigns from work – it is not easy to find a replacement. It may take months. So there will

be a gap in delivering service because the position tasked to run the program is vacant,” said Cristi Cruz, OIC division

chief of the HR Planning and Performance Management Division.

Cristi explained that the high turnover rate is usually a result of job mismatch: “One of the reasons employees resign

from their job is they are not fit for the position.”

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In 2011, DSWD, in partnership with PAHRODF, implemented “Competency Modelling

and Enhancing of the Recruitment System”, an intervention that aimed to create better

fit between position holders vis-à-vis actual job requirements, speed up processing and

filling up of job vacancies, and improve and standardise competency based-recruitment

processes in the department.

Competency-based recruitment is a big shift from the department’s previous recruitment

process. In the past, HRDB just administers an exam and selects applicants for

endorsement based on exam scores. Interviews were not a priority and are arranged

only when the hiring agency requests for one.

With competency-based recruitment, HRDB can now make recruitment decisions

using competency-based job descriptions and targeted selection interview results. The

intervention trained them to conduct functional and job analysis; develop competency

models for benchmark positions; write job descriptions; use competency models and

profiles as basis for targeted selection; and develop targeting selection criteria, processes

and interview guides.

AN INNOVATION

Because of the intervention, DSWD’s HR team discovered the benefits of conducting in-

depth assessment of recruits through competency-based processes. “It’s an innovation.

It was the first time that the department ventured into competency-based recruitment

and we knew from the start that it will cause positive change. With competency-based

recruitment, we are doing quality assessment. Since it is targeted, it is easier to assess if

the applicant has experiences for the competencies required of the position; it is easier

to choose who fits the bill,” said Norabel Lahib, administrative officer 2.

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The knowledge and skills that the HR team gained were immediately applied on 4Ps,

DSWD’s banner program, as the intervention came on the heels of its expansion – from

1 million target beneficiaries in 2010 to 2.3 million for 2011. The urgent need for massive

human resource for 4Ps was supported through rapid hiring using competency-based

job descriptions.

Cherry Yatco, chief admin officer for recruitment is pleased with the gains of the

intervention: “When we started using competency-based recruitment we got people

who are really fit for the positions and would most likely stay longer. Now you can see the

effect because, so far, our competency-based recruits are still here. It’s a great feeling

when you see your recruits staying and even going up the ladder...”

With competency-based recruitment in place, DSWD is better equipped to expand and

take on more programs to ensure that all its target sectors are assisted.n

164