Skills for Success - Competency Framework

Competency Framework ‘optional extras’ — success is to continuously demonstrate all the

competencies, in all aspects of our work.
The People Strategy sets out the conditions for individuals to thrive Four Stages of Development
and be successful within Scottish Government. Skills for Success
(SfS) is the competency framework that underpins career planning Having an active commitment to your own development sits at the
and skills development. It supports the People Strategy commitment heart of the People Strategy. Use SfS to take stock of your core and
to have “the right people in the right places, with the right skills at the professional skills and identify strengths and gaps.
right time” by underpinning our recruitment and performance
management systems. It sets out what is fundamental to success in To help you assess your level of competency, you and your line
the Scottish Government from Band A to the Senior Civil Service. manager should reflect on your overall expertise in each of the
competencies using the Four Stages of Development table. This
The competency framework identifies a set of core skills that will help you take stock of your skill level and to develop a learning
everyone should have and be able to demonstrate what ever job journey that builds year on year.
they do. As well as the core skills Professional Competency
Frameworks support the development of professional groups.  Aware of core skill, but needs some support
Developing
 New in post or limited opportunity to demonstrate
To help you and your line manager understand what is expected of  Capable practitioner, managing autonomously
you for each competency, a descriptor outlines what performance Competent
 Needs support to deal with non-standard situations
should look like at each grade. Your job description and objectives  Is an expert, copes with non standard issues
set out what needs to be done. The competencies set out how it Broadening  Experienced in all aspects of core skill
should be done.  Needs little or no guidance to deliver results
 Recognised as an innovator in core skill area
The People Strategy talks about “consistently good people Advanced
 Respected by peers, acts as a coach and mentor
management” and the Business Strategy highlights the continued
commitment to delivering outcomes for Scotland. To reflect this, the
competencies are divided into two key categories Management and The People Strategy sets out learning and development that can
Leadership and Delivering Outcomes. help to build your Skills for Success. At the core of these are ‘on
the job’ experiences such as work shadowing, team sessions,
Review and assess your level of competency against the four conferences, secondments and project working. Mentoring, action
descriptors in each competency. The descriptors are not exhaustive; learning sets and peer networks are highly effective in building skills
they are a guide. They are not a tick list, but neither are they and growing awareness. These should be at the heart of the


 Skills for Success - Competency Framework
development plan that you discuss with your line manager, drawing
on formal training opportunities where necessary.


 SKILLS FOR SUCCESS – Band A Core Skills
Managing and Leading Delivering Outcomes
Communications and
Self Awareness Team Work Customer Service Information Management
Engagement
Knows and understands Contributes views, ideas and
Responsible for personal Knows and understands the Uses a range of corporate
internal and external experience, identifying
behaviour and is contribution the team makes systems and is aware of
customers & how they fit into appropriate methods of
accountable for own actions, to the Directorate Plan and security and organisational
the SG and the wider public communication and target
health and wellbeing. Government Purpose. procedures.
sector. audience.

Aware of personal strengths, Identifies and sources

Can be relied on to deliver Accesses, manages, stores,
takes pride and Understands customer needs information to produce
agreed personal objectives retrieves information through
responsibility for and expectations and accurate numeric work and
and is aware of how their effective use of SG
performance at work and is responds in a helpful and concise, well structured
work connects with the work Management Information
responsive to constructive professional way. written work using SG
of others. Systems.
feedback. guidance.

Builds networks and

Adaptable, contributes to Builds positive working
maintains good working Shares and presents
and embraces new ways of relationships with customers Verbal communication is
relationships with colleagues, information of all kinds in an
doing things, seeking the and works to agreed time confident, contributing ideas
valuing their contribution and appropriate format,
support of others when scales and standards of in a clear and concise way.
open to different points of accurately and on time.
needed. quality.
view.

Contributes views, ideas and Inquisitive and actively

Identifies personal Takes responsibility to review
experience to improve the Contributes to the continuous listens, responding
development needs and and improve customer
team’s performance, offering improvement of Management appropriately using clarifying
actively manages own service, listening to and
and/or seeking practical help Information Systems. questions to test
development plan. acting on feedback.
when necessary. understanding.


 SKILLS FOR SUCCESS – Band B Core Skills
Managing and Leading Delivering Outcomes
Communications Improving Analysis and Use of Financial
Self Awareness People Management
and Engagement Performance Evidence Management
Use evidence to
Prioritises and agrees Engages and is Demonstrates ongoing
Responsible for personal assess, measure and Uses accurate and
objectives aligned with the credible with stake- use of relevant
behaviour and is evaluate projects and relevant financial data
Directorate Plans to holders and is performance
accountable for own policies, considering to create objectives
engage staff, manage connected to a range improvement tools and
actions, health and the impact on other and targets relevant to
workloads and build of internal and external techniques including
wellbeing. policies and budget responsibilities.
capacity to deliver. networks. skills development.
government outcomes.
Communicates clear &
Aware of personal Credible with staff,
creative ideas that Uses SG Programme Engages with analytical
strengths and takes pride creating conditions to Takes responsibility for
meet the needs of a and Project specialists at
and responsibility for build confident effective the monitoring and
range of audiences, Management Principles appropriate stages of
performance at work and teams that empower, controlling of
ensuring objectives & effectively and policy and programme
responsive to value, develop and expenditure.
outcomes are proportionately. development.
constructive feedback. motivate people.
achieved.
Raises performance using
Adapts quickly to fit Interrogate analytical Understand & apply the
Adaptable and embraces constructive challenge,
Produces concise, skills and resources to and management principles of Budgeting,
new ways of doing feedback and coaching
clear, well structured changing information to draw out Financial Management
things, contributing ideas skills, seeking support
written work using SG circumstances and key messages and & Resource Accounting
and energy to continuous and advice from HR
guidance. expectations. findings to support outlined in the Scottish
improvement. professionals when
decisions. Public Finance Manual.
needed.
Takes control of personal
Aware of impact on others Organises and collates Maintains regular
and professional Applies risk
and creates a positive Considers and robust information from contact with relevant
development, actively management principles
environment for communicates the a variety of sources in finance staff, and
managing own Personal to decision making and
innovation, is aware of impact of decisions on decision making, knows when to seek
Learning Plan as well as controls opportunities
diversity and equality and wider policies and sharing knowledge and advice from audit, risk,
supporting the and threats to
supports health and programmes. information across the procurement and
development of others achieving objectives.
wellbeing. wider system. finance professionals.
when needed.


 SKILLS FOR SUCCESS – Band C Core Skills
Managing and Leading Delivering Outcomes
Communications Improving Analysis and Use of
People Management Leading Others Financial Management
and Engagement Performance Evidence
Prioritises and agrees
Contributes to and Develops policy options Interprets and uses
objectives aligned with the Uses relevant tools,
Communicates a develops clear, and decisions using a accurate financial data to
Directorate Plans to techniques and skills
clear vision which creative and detailed range of evidence and inform decision-making,
engage staff. Responsive development to
supports actions and policy communication research, to ensure that investment appraisals and
to change, managing facilitate continuous
engages others. strategies to achieve polices are aligned to risk management
workloads and building improvement.
SG outcomes. outcomes. implications.
capacity to deliver.
Uses relevant evidence, Delivers objectives within
Credible with staff, Takes responsibility Manages internal and Understands SG
recognising validity and budget, applying
creating conditions to to deliver consistent external relationships, Programme and
limitations, in evaluations procurement policies &
build confident and services, managing creating positive Project management
& assessment of risks procedures and knows
effective teams that risk and resources to networks and Principles and uses
against desired outcomes, when to seek advice from
empower, value, develop support continuous maintaining trust and PPM effectively and
engaging analytical audit, risk, procurement
and motivate people. improvement. credibility. proportionately
specialists appropriately. and finance specialists.
Raises performance Knows when to engage Set targets to improve the
issues using constructive Promotes with Communications Adapts quickly to fit value achieved from
Captures and securely
challenge, feedback and collaborative working specialists and skills and resources resources, utilising
organises knowledge &
coaching skills, seeking and is able to considers the impact to changing financial data in business
information for wider use
support and advice from respond creatively to on other policies and circumstances and cases for change and
across the organisation.
HR professionals when tough challenges. programmes across expectations. monitors outcomes using
needed. SG & wider system. performance measures.
Self aware, recognises Actively manages Maintains and
Understands the wider
impact on others and authorising Communicates promotes risk Shares knowledge and
public expenditure and
creates a positive environment, making complex information management information across the
financial decision making
environment which connections across clearly, presenting processes to improve wider system, to obtain
environment as outlined in
supports diversity and boundaries to build strategic ideas in a strategic planning best value from it across
the policies of the Scottish
equality and promotes strong networks and clear and positive way. and resource the wider public service.
Public Finance Manual.
health and wellbeing. partnerships. allocation.


 SKILLS FOR SUCCESS – SCS Core Skills
Managing and Leading Delivering Outcomes
People Strategic Communications Improving Analysis and Financial
Leading Change
Management Thinking and Engagement Performance Use of Evidence Management
Shapes the Provides a frame-
Communicates a Understands, Understands, Identifies evidence Plans and monitors
Directorate Plan to work to embed
clear vision which influences and influences and and analysis targets. Identifies &
engage and align continuous
supports action translates strategy translates the wider requirements for implements ways to
staff, manage improvement,
and engages into outcome communications short and long term improve resource &
workloads & ensure including skills
others. focused solutions. agenda. decision making. assets efficiency.
capacity to deliver. development.
Uses Portfolio, Interprets a wide
Credible with staff, Sets a standard by
Reframes issues & Develops clear and Programme & range of financial
creating conditions to taking Works with a wide
problems to create creative Project Management information & options
build confident and responsibility for range of analytical
opportunities for communications effectively and to underpin sound
effective teams that delivery. Managing experts to achieve
creative thinking to objectives and proportionately, decisions, sharing
empower, value, risk and resources outcomes and
deliver new ways of measurement including rigorous implications for public
recognise, inspire to drive continuous goals.
working. criteria. evaluation of expenditure with the
and motivate people. improvement.
effectiveness. wider system.
Uses customer Uses a variety of
Raises performance Accountable for Links evidence with
Leads a way insight to deliver Uses skills and tools and techniques
using constructive developing and specific outputs
through complex policy, identifying resources effectively and knows when to
challenge, feedback delivering strategic and outcomes to
issues and appropriate to meet changing seek advice from
and coaching skills, Directorate Plans challenge norms,
conflicting communication circumstances and audit, risk,
using advice from HR that continuously and identify new
perspectives. channels to target expectations. procurement and
when needed. raise expectations. ways of working.
audience needs. finance specialists.
A resilient and self Leads & manages Assures the highest
Works Works with Ensures knowledge
aware role model. the authorising Oversees risks to standards of value for
collaboratively in specialists to devise and processes are
Recognises impact environment, strategic objectives, money, internal
the wider system to communications captured and
on others, creating making influencing others to controls and public
improve outcomes strategies and shared across the
an environment connections across enhance outcomes sector governance as
and deliver high shares experience wider system
which supports boundaries to build and aid continuous outlined in the
quality public across the wider through wide range
diversity & equality, strong networks improvement. Scottish Public
services. system. of networks.
health & wellbeing. and partnerships. Finance Manual.


