Current Public Administration Magazine (March - 2014) - "Reports"

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National Training Policy 2012

Background

The National Training Policy was issued in April 1996 through a set of Operational Guidelines for the development of the human resources of the Government. This followed the process of liberalization of the economy through de‐licensing and deregulation begun in 1991 and the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution, which took effect in 1993 thereby creating the third tier of Government at the Panchayat and Municipal levels.

These, along with other changes since then, such as rapid economic growth, devolution of funds, functions and functionaries to the Panchayats and Municipalities, enhanced transparency through the right to information, globalization, climate change and extremism have created a complex and challenging environment in which the civil service has to function at a time when there are increasing expectations of its performance and ability to respond more efficiently and effectively to the needs of the citizens.

Over this period, the Human Resource Management function has also undergone a significant change. Organisations are attaching tremendous importance to the management and development of their people. There is increasing recognition that the individual in an organisation is a key resource and should not be simply looked upon as a cost.

Government systems of personnel administration continue to focus largely on the rules and procedures governing the recruitment, retention and career development of the civil service. Systematic training of civil servants has continued to be mainly for the higher civil services with a large number of Group B and C employees receiving sporadic training, if any at all. With the creation of the third tier of Government, the training of functionaries in the Panchayat and Municipal bodies has become a critical concern.

For transforming the civil service, it is imperative to move to a strategic human resource management system, which would look at the individual as a vital resource to be valued, motivated, developed and enabled to achieve the Ministry/Department/Organisation’s mission and objectives. Within this transformational process, it is essential to match individuals’ competencies with the jobs they have to do and bridge competency gaps for current and future roles through training.

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2. Competency Framework

Competencies encompass knowledge, skills and behaviour, which are required in an individual for effectively performing the functions of a post. Competencies may be broadly divided into those that are core skills which civil servants would need to possess with different levels of proficiency for different functions or levels. Some of these competencies pertain to leadership, financial management, people management, information technology, project management and communication. The other set of competencies relate to the professional or specialized skills, which are relevant for specialized functions such as building roads, irrigation projects, taking flood control measures, civil aviation, medical care, etc.

A fundamental principle of the competency framework is that each job should be performed by a person who has the required competencies for that job.

Training has usually been based on the duties that are to be performed in a particular post. There has been no comprehensive review or classification of all posts in accordance with functions that are to be performed and the competencies required thereto. Thus, the issue of whether an individual has the necessary competencies to be able to perform the functions of a post has not been addressed. For moving to a competency‐based approach, it would be necessary to classify the distinct types of posts and to indicate the competencies required for performing work in such posts. Once the competencies are laid down, an individual’s development can be more objectively linked to the competencies needed for the current or future jobs. Career progression and placement need to be based on matching the individual’s competencies to those required for a post. The training plan of each Ministry/Department/Organisation needs to address the gap between the existing and the required competencies and provide opportunities to the employees to develop their competencies.

3. Training Objectives

The objective of training will be to develop a professional, impartial and efficient civil service that is responsive to the needs of the citizens. In doing so, care will be taken to emphasize the development of proper ethics, commitment to work and empathy for the vulnerable sections such as differently abled, senior citizens, SCs, STs etc.. The competency framework will be used to ensure that civil servants have the requisite knowledge, skills and attitude to effectively perform the functions they are entrusted with. The success of training will lie in actual improvement in the performance of civil servants.

4. Training Target

All civil servants will be provided with training to equip them with the competencies for their current or future jobs. Such training will be imparted:

(a) At the time of their entry into service, and
(b) At appropriate intervals in the course of their careers.

Such training will be made available for all civil servants from the lowest level functionaries to the highest levels.

The opportunities for training will not be restricted only at mandated points in a career but will be available to meet needs as they arise through a mix of conventional courses, distance and e‐learning.

Priority will be given to the training of front‐line staff, including training on soft skills, so as to improve customer orientation as well as quality of service delivery to the citizens.

5. Role of Ministries/Departments

Each Ministry/Department shall adopt a Systematic Approach to Training and shall:

i. Appoint a Training Manager who will be the Nodal Person for implementation of the training
ii. function in that Ministry /Department;
iii. Create a Training Cell with HR and Capacity Building Professionals to assist the Training Manager;
iv. Classify all posts with a clear job description and competencies required;
v. Develop Cadre Training Plans (CTPs), based on the competencies required and training needs, for
vi. ensuring that all cadres under the Ministry/Department or its attached/sub‐ordinate offices have a
vii. clearly articulated scheme for the development of their competencies while also indicating the programmes that are mandatory;
viii. Link the training and development of competencies of individuals to their career progression and
ix. ensure this by suitably amending service rules/issuing administrative instructions;
x. Ensure that any non‐training interventions that need to accompany training interventions are also taken up suitably;
xi. Make the immediate supervisor responsible and accountable for the training of the staff working under him;
xii. Incorporate an appropriate provision in any new scheme to ensure that suitable training is imparted for its proper implementation and sustainability;
xiii. Where feasible, use the services of the Training Institutions in developing the cadre training plans, outsourcing training, and/or providing advisory or consultancy services to the Ministry;
xiv. Prepare an annual training plan for all the cadres under its control;
xv. Implement the Annual Training Plan (ATP), by using the institutions under it or outside, so that the limitations on internal training capacity do not constrain the implementation of the training plan;
xvi. Allocate appropriate funds to enable the training to be carried out by institutions under its control or outside;
xvii. Incorporate a separate section in the Ministry’s annual report on training and capacity building activities undertaken during the year;
xviii. Provide induction training to new entrants and prepare and upload the induction material on the website of the Ministry/Department for easy accessibility;
xix. Organize ‘On the Job’ and ‘In‐house’ training as may be required.