The training introduced for the first time will be an annual programme

Yangchen C Rinzin

The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) will introduce foundational in-service training (FIT) for technical graduates selected through the Bhutan Civil Service Examination (BCSE) this year.

A total of 191 technical graduates will attend the month-long training, which will begin from January 3 next year.

RCSC’s senior human resource officer, Dorji Choidup, said FIT would be conducted at Royal Institute of Management (RIM) and it is expected to equip technical graduates to carry out their responsibilities professionally and effectively.

He said that unlike BCSE general graduates, who attend a minimum of one-year training at RIM, technical graduates consisting of MBBS, various engineering courses, and forestry never got the opportunity.

“In the past, these graduates are directly placed in different organisation in various dzongkhags based on their rankings and they often faced challenges while carrying out their responsibilities,” Dorji Choidup said.

He explained that FIT was introduced this year after RCSC realised technical graduates need to learn skills, attributes, values and other competencies needed to deliver their services effectively and on a timely basis.

“Without any training on those skills and values, technical graduates had to learn it on their own, which was not effective and resulted in low work productivity,” the senior human resource officer said. “For instance, a fresh medical graduate who is directly placed in a dzongkhag not only have to take up his technical job as a medical officer, but has to also manage budget, human resource service, procurement, and other related functions.”

Dorji Choidup said the sole purpose of introducing FIT was to enable the new entrants into civil service with basic organizational and operational competencies.

Organisational competencies are referred to as the competencies of the employee such as behavioural attributes, skills, values and attitudes required for successful performance of the organisation like financial and budget preparation, procurement management and design thinking.

While operational competencies are referred to as skills required by the technical graduates to perform the job successfully like communication skills, decision-making, conflict management, and MaX system.

The training, which will be an annual programme, will also cover both managerial and behavioural competencies where hands-on training would be provided on government systems like government performance management system, BCSR 2018, mindfulness practice, leadership feedback system, and budget preparation.

Dorji Choidup said managerial competencies are referred to as competencies such as skills, knowledge, motives, values and attitudes required to carry out a job. “It will include communication skills, problem-solving, customer service and teamwork. Behavioural competency is defined as behavioural attributes and traits of an employee to make them be able to achieve an organisation’s target.”

The programme is also expected to enhance coordination and collaboration amongst sectors and instil a spirit of public service including public administration system, HR management and development practice, e-governance, and Driglam Namzha.

Dorji Choidup said highly qualified, learned and experienced professors and lecturers of RIM and senior (working and retired) bureaucrats from relevant agencies would provide the training.