Those organizations that have the vision and are competitive, today are leading the market in their respective industries. The core of this is that the vast majority of these companies have not only changed by investing in infrastructure, but have also understood that Human Capital - regardless of the company's management approach or strategy - is the organization's most important resource, given that its success and failure depend on it - and its competencies.
In this way it is clear what happens in companies and organizations that adapt to the environment, and from that point a fundamental premise is born. What happens in public institutions? Knowing that the human resource is the main partner of the organization and that success or failure depends on it - and its competences - what and how do I achieve such desired success, being a public service institution? Francis Fukuyama says "A deep and efficient state is key to the country's competitiveness." In this context, we will analyze how the Concepción Health Service Department collects elements of the Competency Management approach.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.
We will define "Competencies" as a set of observable behaviors that are coincidentally related to a good or excellent performance in a specific job and in a specific organization.
A person is competent when he acts knowing the context and the actors involved, he chooses and mobilizes personal resources such as his knowledge, his culture, his qualities, know-how and emotions; and that it can also mobilize resources from others or external to it such as specialized networks, data banks, social networks, etc.
Competencies are not a topic that is only recently being discussed. David McClelland, one of the forerunners of the subject of competencies and professor at Harvard, began with the study of "Human Motivation" and led to Competencies through a behavioral approach (to be mentioned later), in the 1950s. Many other authors, such as Parsons (1949), Atkinson (1958), McClelland himself (1960 and 1973) address the subject of "Competencies" for work in Psychology; but it was not until 1981 when Richard Boyatis deeply analyzed the Competencies to measure the performance of managers through a Critical Incident Analysis.
It should be noted that many countries that had problems relating the educational system to the productive one had the need to promote the study and training of skills, according to Leonard Mertens of the ILO (1996). In Chile, the study of competencies begins at the beginning of the 80s, and after a long diagnosis on June 25, 2008, the Chilean National System of Certification of Labor Competencies (Law 20,267) was created, which perfects the Training Statute and Employment (Law 19,518), today Chile Qualifies and Sence respectively.
For the Health Service, and as Dr. Pedro Henríquez, director (s) of the DAS San Pedro de la Paz, commented to me, it is extremely difficult for the Service as a System in general to implement a Development of people by Competences; even though, the year 2006 was established to implement it, just like other government departments. I asked him, and why are the bases to make a change in the system and thus improve service delivery? The answer was, that there is no will for management to do so. In the same sense, there are two variables that prevent it.
- The lack of knowledge about Management of those who are as Directors. This is because in the Health area, those who occupy managerial positions are the best Health specialists, but not necessarily in administration. An example of this is the Concepción Health Service. Its Director is Dr. Jorge Madariaga B., who is evaluated as one of the best Coloproctologists in the country, but who mentioned in his first speech as director that he did not fully know the system, especially the primary care services. high turnover rate of director positions, and a lack of political will to continue a strategic plan and advance better service.
| Competency Management in the Human Resources Process | ||||
| Define Competencies | Analysis and Description of Charges | Selection of People | Training and Development of People | Performance evaluation |
| There are many authors who talk about Competencies, and define some for each organization. Creation of a Dictionary by Competencies according to the organization. | It serves as a guide to know the who, how, where, when, who does a certain task.
Job Profiles are created. |
It is the third important step. Here, a competency interview is conducted to find out if the candidate does indeed have the competencies required for the position. | Also called People Application, since the competencies are monitored according to the strategic planning. | It serves as feedback on how tasks are being done.
Here we suggest 360º or 180º evaluation. |
This synthesis shows the Human Resources process. However, for this study we will see Analysis and Description of Positions and part of People Selection.
METHODOLOGY
In this study we will carry out a deductive methodology. There are three types of approaches to competencies:
- Functionalist Approach, which conceives competition focused on the ability to perform functions and tasks, rather than on personal attributes. Behavioral Approach, which focuses on personal attributes Holistic Approach, which includes both.
In turn, Spencer & Spencer (1993) introduce the Iceberg Model, which divides the approaches. For this, the visible part is assigned to the functional and the non-visible to the behavioral.
Given the characteristics of the study, the information obtained, already defined and explained in the theoretical framework; the observed culture of the Health Service, summoning the phrases of the Director (S) of the DAS SP; and the conditions for measuring and evaluating competencies, under the background and information gathered; We will use the Functionalist approach, and the visible part of the Spencer & Spencer Model.
Leonard Mertens (1997) classifies the functional approach in Generic, Specific and Basic Competences.
Within these classifications there are many competencies. Therefore, it is useful to ask how many competencies exist? Many authors –according to their approach- have carried out works presenting some lists of competences. Martha Alles, a prominent consultant, points out that any company that implements a Competency Management scheme can do so on the basis of a competency dictionary to shorten implementation deadlines and efforts. The Dictionary of Competencies is intended to make a comparative analysis between competencies and behavioral indicators by position. It should be noted that the Dictionaries of Competition are contingency, that is, that it will only be understood in each organizational context, which means that a dictionary does not necessarily serve all organizations.
FIELD RESEARCH.
Given a certain collection of background information, an attempt will be made to explain the changes that should be made in the Health Service for a substantial improvement in what they do.
An important part of this is modifying the Job Descriptions that you currently have, to a Job Profile using a Competency Dictionary. As can be seen in Annex 1, the powers for the performance of the position are generalized. For this, it is advisable to specify to what degree or level (optimal or minimum) said competence will be dealt with, and it is defined through the dictionary by a panel of experts.
| Job description | Cargo Profiles |
| Competencies for the Performance of the Position | Competency Dictionary:
Pressure tolerance |
|
Definition: Ability to continue acting effectively even in situations of time pressure, opposition and diversity. It is the ability to respond and work with high performance in highly demanding situations. |
| Levels:
A. Achieve the intended objectives in situations of time pressure, opposition and diversity. Its performance is high in highly demanding situations. You can easily prioritize demands in high pressure contexts. B. Achieve objectives even when pressed for time and their performance is usually good in demanding situations. C. Their performance is diminished in situations of time pressure, opposition and diversity. Its performance is lower in highly demanding situations. It is difficult for him to prioritize demands in these situations. |
When standardizing the positions, the vacancies will have new demands, so the number of applicants would be filtered. In this way, a more specific Recruitment and Selection process would be carried out depending on the Job Profile.
Now, an important aspect is that a Selection of People by Competencies is effectively carried out in a reliable way for the enrichment of the organization, and not Selection by political recommendation or influences, so that it is as transparent and objective as possible.
Traditional Human Resources application model
This is the traditional Human Resources application model. A relevant aspect of this is that the blue arrow indicates the input current, which is the entry of people into this system.
Competency Model Human Resource Management
A fundamental assumption of this study is that since the Human Resources area is a system, it has an input and output current, even though it is a cyclical process. What we propose is to start from when an individual enters the organization (Selection of people by competence), and those who have a longer time within the organization undergo a "Training by Competencies", which would already be part of another and more extensive study. In this way, as the input current is changed, the cyclical process would be changed.
As mentioned above, an advantage of implementing the Competency Management system is that it focuses on the person for their performance, achievement and results. In order for this system to be 100% effective, everything must be measured from a prism, that is, that an Admission by Competencies, Application by competencies, Maintenance by Competencies, Control and Evaluation by Competencies is carried out. As a large part of the selection, it is aimed at discovering the professional achievements and performance of the person through the identification and search for concrete and specific behaviors, if one does not change to a management model by competences in general, anyway you would have positive results,given that those who join the organization would be better filtered and the clarity of what is required for the position would be clear.
For the model to be changed, it needs certain requirements, pressures, aspirations, among others. But since the Public Health System does not have quality standards such as ISO standards, or some type of Quality, Service or Excellence Certification, there is no pressure to change the old model for the one mentioned in this study.
RESULTS
It is necessary to focus the attention on people who are really competent and deliver a good quality of service. For this, it becomes key to start with the creation of the Job Profiles and a Dictionary of Competences, and thus “Hire the best”.
For the results and monitoring of competences, control and evaluation are an important part of the model. The current evaluation system is:
- Compliance with Health Goals, which consists of covering diseases over a percentage of the territorial population of each Care Center, and monthly OIRS Care Registry, existing in each Care Center.
The fulfillment of sanitary goals will serve to Evaluate and Control the Specific Competences, since it has a direct relationship with the profession and its technical aspects. The OIRS statistics will serve as an indicator of Generic and Specific Competences. Both types of control do not need to be modified to adapt it to Competency Management.
In summary, it is expected that, by implementing a Selection by Competencies system, creating Job Profiles, and that an Expert Panel adapt the competencies to the organization, the most suitable candidates for the vacancy will remain. In this case, the aim is to improve the service in the health area not only through hard skills, but also soft skills. In this way, the claim rates that border on 0.32% (see Annex 2) are expected to decrease, given that the model indicates an improvement in productivity because human capital is clear about what competencies and tasks, and in what level should be done
Richard Beckard mentions in one of his books that for effective change, it must occur in upper management. In our case, for the study to be effective, there must be a real change, so that Competency Management is transversal. But the problem goes much further, because for there to be a change, there must be the 4 fundamental prerequisites, of which there is not one of the most important: "the pressure to make a change."
CONCLUSIONS
It can be concluded that the Concepción Health Service, and in general, the entire health area in Chile, in order to improve its procedures, must define and quantify the necessary competencies, such as successful companies and organizations with high performance standards. A first step, as based on this monograph, would be to redefine the Job Profiles based on what an Expert Panel finds vital to the job performance. Then, create a Dictionary of Competences, and if it is possible that the entire Health Service Network nationwide manages the same profiles for the same position. Obviously, even if Competency Management is fully implemented, there would be no efficiency in the Service, because the entire state system should be changed, reducing the bureaucracy and focusing on meeting the objectives.
FINAL COMMENTS
Just as International trade has become a State Policy, a Management by Competences must be transversal, transcending Governments, senior managers, and officials. This leads to standardizing competencies in certain positions from a management level to an operator but of all services and public departments. Large companies that have switched to a Competency Management approach have motivated employees; and that makes them feel happier. In this way, employers or managers will provide their workers with a concept of well-being and a better quality of life. All this added up, biologically translates into more years of life, good health; and for people this is priceless.
Although it is true, the Competency Management approach is not new in Chile, there is still no consensus on the results from an economic point of view for companies, but a psychological vision of satisfaction is. For any study of competences, information is needed, and a fundamental aspect is to know the culture of the organization, since it is not possible to implement the same Action-Result model on Competency Management for all organizations.
For State Services in general, a Competency Management must be "programmed", since a "profound change" needs to be made. Just as the educational system needs quality certifications on teaching, the network and telecommunications system needs quality certifications on coverage, the Public Works system needs quality certifications on infrastructure; the health system is the only one that has not been oriented towards service delivery under a quality certification. It is not only necessary that there is a “pressure to make a change”, but also, and more importantly, that “there is a will for change”, “that it be viable”, and that “it can be understood by all”.
APPENDIX 1
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPT. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
INCOME AND SELECTION SECTION
SELECTION OF BACKGROUND
| SOCIAL ASSISTANT | |||||
| POSITION DESCRIPTION | |||||
| Job title | |||||
| SOCIAL ASSISTANT | |||||
| Establishment | N ° Charges | ||||
| SHORT STAY HOSPITALIZATION UNIT FOR ADOLESCENT ADOLESCENTS OF LAW IN A PRIVATE CENTER FOR COLONEL FREEDOM | 01 | ||||
| Plant | Legal quality | Hours | |||
| Professional | Honorary Contract | 44 Hrs.- | |||
| Experience Requirements: | |||||
| · Experience in teamwork.-
· Experience in social and family assessment and diagnosis, psychoeducation, emotional support, training in social skills and coordination with courts. · Experience in working with adolescents in social vulnerability.- |
|||||
| General requirements: | |||||
| ¨ Physical and Psychic Health compatible with the position, according to the provisions of Art. 11 and 12 Law 18.834.- | |||||
| Specific requirements | |||||
| Vocational training | ¨ Professional title Social Worker.- | ||||
| Work experience | ¨ Minimum two years of work experience practicing the profession in the health sector.- | ||||
| Training and Improvement | ¨ Desirable training in adolescence, infringement of the law and drugs.- | ||||
| Competencies for the performance of the position | |||||
| ¨ Responsibility.-
¨ Social Skill.- proactivity.- ¨ Flexibility.- ¨ Pressure tolerance.- |
|||||
| II.- PROCESS OF APPLICATION AND RECEPTION OF BACKGROUND | |||||
| publication date | Closing Date Reception of Background | ||||
| 03.10.2011 | 11.10.2011 | ||||
| Reception Place Background | Schedule | ||||
| Concepción Health Service, Tucapel Nº 279, Concepción, Dept. Personnel Management.- | Monday to Thursday from 08:30 a.m. at 16:00 Hrs.
Friday from 08:30 to 15:00 hrs.- |
||||
| Documentation to present: | |||||
ANNEX 2. OIRS Statistics 2010
OIRS Project Statistics 2010
Defining Competencies from a more useful point of view for Human Resources Management, Human Resources Management Techniques Pereda-Berrocal 2001 Madrid.
Alles, Martha. Strategic Directorate of Human Resources-Management by Competencies 2006. Pages 88-94.
Vargas, Fernando. 40 questions about job competency.
Mertens, L. Key competences and typologies.
Download the original file
