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Policy Skills Framework Map your policy skills profile
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 2
Contents Applying this tool ........................................................................................... 3
Policy skills assessment .................................................................................. 5
Policy skills insights and areas for development ........................................... 6
Detailed descriptors ....................................................................................... 7
Domain Knowledge ....................................................................................7Go vernment Systems and Processes ......................................................... 8Political Context and Priorities ................................................................... 9
Evidence, Insights and Evaluation ............................................................ 10
Analysis .................................................................................................... 11
Design for Implementation ...................................................................... 12
Advise and Influence ................................................................................ 13
Engagement and Collaboration ............................................................... 14
Strategic Thinking ..................................................................................... 15
Feedback and coaching ............................................................................ 16
Communication ........................................................................................ 17
Plan and Manage Work ............................................................................ 18
Improvement and Innovation .................................................................. 19
Agility ....................................................................................................... 20
Political Savvy ........................................................................................... 21
© Crown copyrightThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Crown and abide by the other licence terms.
Purpose of this document This tool has been designed to help policy practitioners assess their policy skills profile. It can be used in your current role or to support conversations with your manager (or others) about your development and training needs, and your policy career progression. It can also be used when applying for other policy roles.
Publication details The Policy Skills Framework was co-produced by policy leaders and launched by the Head of the Policy Profession and the Prime Minister in August 2016.
This document can be downloaded as an editable PDF from the DPMC website.
This version was released in June 2021 by the Policy Project.
The Policy Project c/o The Department of the Prime Minister and CabinetParliament BuildingsWellington 6160New Zealand
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dpmc.govt.nz/policyproject
To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Please note that no departmental or governmental emblem, logo or Coat of Arms may be used in any way which infringes any provision of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981. Attribution to the Crown should be in written form and not by reproduction of any such emblem, logo or Coat of Arms.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 3
Applying this tool The Policy Skills Framework describes the knowledge, applied skills, anbehaviour policy practitioners require to be able to produce quality advEach element of the Framework is described at three levels: developingpractising, expert/leading (which loosely equate to analyst, senior analand principal analyst). This tool assists you to assess yourself against thFramework.
Use the templates on pages 5 and 6 to assess your current skills and to think about how you want to progress as a policy professional. Answerithe following questions might be helpful:
• What sorts of policy roles do I want now and in the future?
• What does that tell me about the knowledge, applied skills, andbehaviours I require?
• Where do my current knowledge, applied skills, and behaviours li
• What’s the gap between where I am now and where I want to be one, three, five years?
• What are the best opportunities to extend my skills and experiencin my current role? Through on-the-job experiences (70%), througothers (networking, feedback, coaching and mentoring – usually20%), and through formal training (usually 10%).
• What experiences across the public service and outside of it, woulmake me a better policy advisor?
Note: The Public Service Commission’s Talent Management Toolkit has resources to help individuals and managers have effective development conversations. The Policy Project’s online Development Pathways Tool is specifically designed to help you identify how to extend your skills and experience in each element of the Policy Skills Framework.
d ice. , yst, e
ng
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in
es h
d The three levels of each element in the Policy Skills Framework
Developing Expert / leading Practising
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 4
Ctrl + click on boxes to view
the detailed descriptors
Ctrl + click on boxes to open website links
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 5
Policy skills assessment Name: Manager:
Role: Date:
Rate yourself as developing, practising, or expert/leading for each skill. Consider which skills are most important to your current role and future roles you aspire to. Use the detailed descriptors on the following pages as a guide.
Developing Practising Expert/leading Notes (e.g. areas I want to develop, training I might need)
Know
ledg
e Domain knowledge
Government Systems and Processes
Political Context and Priorities
Evidence, Insights and Evaluation
Analysis
Appl
ied
skill
s
Design for Implementation
Advise and Influence
Engagement and Collaboration
Strategic Thinking
Feedback and Coaching
Communications
Plan and Manage Work
our
Improvement and Innovation
Beha
vi
Agility
Political Savvy
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 6
Policy skills insights and areas for development Name: Manager:
Role: Date: Follow up date:
This document (when completed) describes the policy skills in the above role, agreed priorities for development, and how that development will be progressed.
Insights about skills profile Priorities for development Agreed next steps
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 7
Detailed descriptors
Domain Knowledge Specialist subject matter expertise
Developing ☐ Acquiring subject matter
knowledge relevant to the work ofthe agency and sector.
☐ Building technical know-how on thelegal, regulatory and service deliveryframeworks.
Practising
☐ Has solid subject matterknowledge of policy issues and thecurrent policy and regulatory settings.
☐ Is advancing practical understandingof the domain and sharing knowledgewith others.
Expert / Leading ☐ Is a subject leader for the agency
in the domain.
☐ Is recognised as a thought leader in afield of knowledge and builds agencycredibility by:□ contributing to the knowledge base□ sharing, synthesising and influencing
thinking□ forging links with the academic
community.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 8
Government Syste ms and Processes Cabinet and Parliamentary processes and other requirements relevant to policy making
Developing □ Learning the processes and
requirements related to: □ Cabinet (Cabinet Manual, Cabinet
paper development, officials’ rolesrelated to Cabinet committeemeetings)
□ Parliament (e.g. New Zealandlegislation, process of Bills throughall stages in the House, includingSelect Committee scrutiny)
□ central agency requirementsrelated to submissions of policyproposals (e.g. Impact AnalysisRequirements, Better BusinessCases).
Pract ising
☐ Understands and followsprocesses to ensure policy proposalsmeet the requirements of Cabinet andParliamentary processes (includingliaising with and instructions to theParliamentary Counsel Office relating tolegislative change).
☐ Can apply required frameworks andprocesses to policy proposals (e.g. ImpactAnalysis Requirements, Better BusinessCases).
Expert / Leading ☐ Understands and leads others
in the effective processes of policyproposals, including on large-scale,complex cross government programmesthrough:□ relevant budgetary cycle and
funding arrangements□ Cabinet committee processes□ legislative and Parliamentary
processes.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 9
Political Context and Priorities Understand government prioritie s and relevant political context
Developing ☐ Becoming aware of the
Government’s agenda and priorities,and where your agency’s work fits.
☐ Developing knowledge of the agency’spolitical context (stakeholders, thoughtleaders and commentators, and currentissues).
☐ Growing understanding of theimplications of the Treaty of Waitangifor policy-making in their work domain.
Pract ising
☐ Understands governmentpriorities, the current political contextfor and the historical context of theirpolicy area.
☐ Can clearly articulate how their workarea contributes to the agency’s policywork programme and governmentpriorities.
☐ Understands the obligations of theCrown under the Treaty of Waitangi intheir work domain.
Expert / Leading ☐ Is highly skilled at gaining clarity
from ministers and senior leaders ondesired outcome, scope and appetite forrisk related to new, curbed or redirectedspending – in order to shape new policydirections and programmes.
☐ Scans, anticipates and responds tochanges in government priorities andpressures throughout the Parliamentaryand election cycle, and to trends orsignificant shifts in context.
☐ Shares information and insights toensure colleagues are well-informedabout issues affecting the agency,government and wider policy eco-system.
☐ Thoroughly understands the obligationsof the Crown under the Treaty ofWaitangi and expectation of Māori intheir work domain.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 10
Evidence, Insights and Evaluation Gather and generate evidence to support analysis
Developing ☐ Becoming familiar with how to
use evidence throughout the policy cycle.
☐ Growing an understanding of thedifferent kinds of qualitative andquantitative evidence, evidence sourcesand evaluation types.
☐ Learning how to summarise andsynthesise evidence to draw conclusions(e.g. on key issues, their magnitude, rootcauses and possible solutions).
☐ Learning how to incorporate end-userperspectives accurately andempathetically into analysis.
Pract ising
☐ Can synthesise diverseinformation and evidence, distilwhat is important, and use it to tell acoherent story.
☐ Can competently assess the quality andlimitations of evidence, data andresearch. Understands empiricalmethodology, principles of data integrity,and the basics of statistical analysis.
☐ Understands methodologies for drawinginsights from the ‘citizen-as-customer’and the frontline, and how those insightscan inform policy.
☐ Can identify measurable and meaningfulindicators of effectiveness, plan (andpossibly execute) fit-for-purposeevaluations, and extract lessons learnt tohelp build an ongoing evidence base.
Expert / Leading ☐ Applies expert knowledge to
lead others in developing strongevidence-informed policy.
☐ Develops and guides others on the rightlines of inquiry.
☐ Draws on the right capabilities to minedata and use ‘big data’ for insights thatcan enable better decisions and createvalue.
☐ Can commission and/or executemonitoring and evaluations, and buildtheir findings into policy development,at early and subsequent stages in thepolicy cycle.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 11
Anal ysis Apply analytical frameworks and methods to make sense of evidence
Developing ☐ Learning about the range of
analytical frameworks that canbe used in policy analysis including:□ academic disciplines (e. g. various
schools of economics, politicalscience, sociology) and theframeworks they offer for makingsense of what is happening and why
□ sectoral and system frameworks(e.g. Treasury’s living standardsframework, natural resourcessector framework)
□ decision-making frameworks (e.g.cost benefit analysis, multi-criteriaanalysis, risk analysis, regulatoryimpact analysis, business cases,decision trees).
☐ Can prepare draft analysis with guidance.
Prac tising
☐ Has deeper and broaderexperience in applying differentanalytical frameworks, and understandstheir underlying assumptions andlimitations and their appropriateness fordifferent types and complexities ofpolicy challenges.
☐ Can make sense of evidence and turn itinto insightful advice that tells acoherent story (e.g. about the problemor opportunity, its magnitude andcauses, who is affected and how, and aproposed pathway to achieve desiredoutcomes) – while being transparentabout how issues are framed (inherentbias) and gaps in evidence.
☐ Can guide less experienced staff toundertake specific analysis and identify,direct or commission specialists whereparticular expertise is required.
Expert / Leading ☐ Can thoughtfully apply new and
emerging methods of analysis andproblem solving (e.g. design thinking,behavioural analysis), articulate theiradvantages and disadvantages, and leadthe adaption or development ofcommon frameworks, principles,methodologies, tools and techniques.
☐ Coaches others in standard andemerging methods of analysis.
☐ Able to translate complex evidence intoinsightful analysis that supports adviceby continuously:□ testing underlying assumptions/bias□ asking questions that encourage
critical thinking□ testing feasibility of policy options
and likely benefits, costs and risksfor different groups andstakeholders.
☐ Employs deep critical thinking skills anduses breakthrough methods to findsolutions to challenging problems.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 12
Design for Impl ementation Design policy proposals to include workable delivery and implementation options
Developing ☐ Learning how to develop policy
options with implementation inmind by becoming familiar with:□ the range of policy instr uments
used to deliver policy intent (suchas incentives, subsidies, regulation,service delivery and behaviouralnudges)
□ the organisational expertise youneed to involve to make policy work(e.g. legal, finance, procurement,operations, service deliverypartners), and the importance ofinvolving them and service users in‘end-to-end’ and ‘outside in’processes.
Pract ising
☐ Can confidently include deliveryoptions in policy design, consistentlythinking ‘end to end’. This means beingable to:□ use implementation-focused
decision-making models (e.g.Impact Analysis Requirements,Better Business Cases)
□ assess the impact of factors likebenefits, costs, and risks, and theassumptions they are based on
□ include frontline staff in early andlater stages of policy design
□ engage with other experts toconvey or seek advice onimplementation requirements.
Expert / Leading ☐ Leads decisions on the choice of
policy instruments using rigorouscriteria and proven design frameworksso that options are feasible. This meansbeing able to:□ constructively challenge traditional
delivery mechanisms and activelyexamine alternative mechanisms(e.g. via new technologies, non-regulatory levers, new partnerships)
□ systematically identify and addressinternal and external issues,challenges and risks that couldaffect implementation
□ build relationships with potentialdelivery partners, inside andoutside government, to test optionviability, resolve problems andidentify efficiencies
□ develop robust delivery roadmapsthat are collaborative, assignaccountabilities and enableadjustment if circumstanceschange.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 13
Advise and Influence Deliver advice that is robust, free and frank, compelling
Developing ☐ Learning how to use a range of
techniques to inform ministersand other decision-makers.
☐ Learning about the constituti onalconventions of free and frank advice.
☐ Contributing to advice that is clear,accurate, well-reasoned, evidence-based, impartial, politically neutral andtargeted to the audience (the decision-maker).
Pract ising
☐ Provides free and frank adviceto decision-makers that:□ tells a compelling story□ has all the relevant information to
support the decision□ puts the decision in context□ shows what needs to be done to
make it happen (through clear,action-oriented and realisticrecommendations).
☐ Can champion decisions and work withothers to ensure they are implementedeffectively.
Expert / Leading ☐ Has credibility and a reputation
as a ‘trusted’ advisor. This meansthat they are able to:□ offer proactive free and frank
advice to decision-makers, evenwhen it has not been requested
□ frame advice in the context ofsector and collective priorities(beyond institutional boundaries)
□ anticipate and time provision ofadvice to have the greatestinfluence
□ influence others, shape policydebates, and build ‘coalitions of thewilling’ to ensure decisions areimplemented effectively.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 14
Engagement and Collaboration Engage stakeholders and the community, and build relationship capital to
understand diverse expectations, co-create solutions and support implementation
Developing ☐ Learning when, how and who
to engage with during the policydevelopment process.
☐ Is sensitive to other frames o f reference,and learns how to gain diverse insightsabout problems and potential solutions.
☐ Builds collaborative relationships withcounterparts within and across agenciesto facilitate working together.
Pract ising
☐ Builds and uses collaborativenetworks. Engages with opennessand respect for diversity of views, andstrives to build consensus.
☐ Can design communication andengagement processes to support jointobjectives.
☐ Understands and uses citizen-centricapproaches to identify and developcollectively agreed solutions.
Expert / Leading ☐ Builds and draws on relationship
capital.
☐ Determines what needs to be managedacross agencies or the system and canskilfully design the process.
☐ Encourages and enables a customer-centric ethos – reflecting the diverseneeds and views of current and futureNew Zealanders.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 15
Strategic T hinking Incorporate longer-term thinking and broad system perspectives to shape policy trajectories
Developing ☐ Developing an ability to think
conceptually and imaginatively byparticipating in activities related tosetting vision, strategic direction, and achieving outcomes.
☐ Becoming familiar with the main driversof change impacting on the areas inwhich the agency operates.
☐ Becoming familiar with patterns, links,and synergies between policy issues,portfolios, agencies and sectors.
☐ Developing an ability to think aheadabout next steps. Considers how currentaction contributes to longer-term policyintent.
Pract ising
☐ Contributes to activities relatedto setting vision, strategic direction,and achieving longer-term outcomes.
☐ Understands the broad political,economic and strategic context and theassumptions embedded in them.Identifies links between and acrosspolicy issues, organisations and systems.
☐ Understands current trends, changedrivers, emerging states, criticaluncertainties and strategic issuesrelated to their work and canincorporate that future focus into policydesign.
☐ Can incorporate thinking about a rangeof future states into policy design.
Expert / Leading ☐ Leads activities related to setting
vision, strategic direction and achievinglonger-term outcomes. Can translatestrategic intent into medium-term plansand activities.
☐ Articulates the broad strategic context,its drivers and its dominantassumptions, and identifies where andhow to intervene to maintain strategicdirection.
☐ Has broad expertise in strategicforesight, including scanning andexploring future states, and cancommunicate the implications of thisforesight for existing policy directionand investment in policy capability.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 16
Feedback an d coaching Give and receive constructive challenge and feedback to develop the capability of individuals and teams
Developing ☐ Actively seeks and learns from
constructive feedback.
☐ Is learning how to work with their ownand others’ weaknesses, str engths,preferences and personalities.
Pract ising
☐ Invites and offers regularconstructive feedback to colleagues.
☐ Shares knowledge and expertise, andreviews the work of others. Thinks ofthe work as ‘team products’ and isactive in supporting quality control.
☐ Accepts responsibility, is self-reflectiveand can appreciate and work withothers.
Expert / Leading ☐ Models for others effective ways
of giving and receiving constructivefeedback and challenge. Can facilitatecourageous and difficult conversationson quality and performance.
☐ Provides ‘on-the-job’ training of teammembers through supervision,guidance, coaching and mentoring.
☐ Cultivates a positive team culture ofcelebrating achievements and learningfrom mistakes.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 17
Commun ication Deliver clear and compelling messages fit for purpose and audience
Developing ☐ Writes clear, concise, error-free
work.
☐ Learning how to produce a range ofwritten outputs (e.g. aides memoire,briefing notes, A3s, Cabinet papers,presentations, speech notes ).
☐ Is articulate and confident whencontributing to discussions.
Practising
☐ Writes high-quality advice in a polished, plain English style thatis easy to read and has a clear purpose.
☐ Confidently presents information in themost accessible form, and consistentwith the preferences of the audience.
☐ Can represent their agency’s interests athigh levels, within boundaries and aclear agenda.
Expert / Leading ☐ Produces eloquent written
communication that persuadesand inspires.
☐ Mentors and develops thecommunication skills of others.
☐ Reduces confusion in commissioning.
☐ Presents information in a variety ofsettings and in a way that captures andinspires audiences.
☐ Is persuasive and compelling in bothinternal and external interactions.
☐ Can reliably represent the interests oftheir agency, even in uncertain territory.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 18
Plan and Ma nage Work Ensure advice is delivered using the right mix of resource s and ‘right touch’ project management methodology
Developing ☐ Developing an ability to manage
their own workload (e.g. by clarifyingpriorities, speaking up when at capacityor under-utilised and making thoughtfultrade-offs between timeliness andquality).
☐ Learning about scope, scope management and accepting commissions.
☐ Learning how to break down their workinto logical steps, tasks and estimatedtime to complete them.
☐ Becoming reliable and consistent in theiroutput.
Pract ising
☐ Understands the commissioningprocess, and is active in establishing themandate and define d deliverables fortheir own work.
☐ Manages risks, issues, conflicts,timelines, resourcing and deliverablesand knows when to escalate for clarity.Reports on progress as required.
☐ Can lead simple to moderate complexitypolicy projects.
☐ Identifies when commissioned work isproject-sized and would benefit from fit-for-purpose project managementdisciplines.
☐ Understands a variety of projectplanning and management techniquesand is able to apply these.
Expert / Leading ☐ Can translate strategies, priorities
and issues into policy projects with clearintent and direction of travel, scope, andlevel of resources.
☐ Takes a leadership role in the policy orprogramme team (including cross-agency), ensuring the right skills andexperience are available when required.
☐ Can establish and manage clear andmeaningful governance and decision-making arrangements (managinginformation flows effectively), reconcilingthem with line managementaccountabilities.
☐ Can apply ‘right touch’ projectmanagement principles to ensure desiredoutcomes are delivered on time and tothe right level of quality, by:□ adapting the principles agilely in
response to uncertainty and change□ using stakeholder management plans
and risk registers appropriately□ working with stakeholders and
functional groups and across relatedwork to ensure plans are realistic,workable and joined up.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 19
Improvement a nd Innovation Seek ways to ‘do things better’ and ‘do better things’
Developing ☐ Driven to enhance their own
professional development.
☐ Views mistakes as an opportunity forlearning and improvement.
☐ Broadminded, inquisitive, and harnessesnew and innovative ways of working andthinking.
Pract ising
☐ Pursues a diverse range ofexperiences to build their knowledge,skills, and competencies.
☐ Participates in robust discussions on thequality of policy processes, insights, andlessons learned.
☐ Challenges themselves to look beyondtheir immediate areas of expertise forinsights on best practice.
☐ Has the knowledge and experience toshift from a ‘great idea’ to a workablesolution.
Expert / Leading ☐ Seeks opportunities to add value.
Uses evaluation and lessons learnedto improve future performance andprovide fresh perspectives.
☐ Can lead the ‘idea-to-innovation’process. Promotes a culture of beingreceptive to diverse thinking, insightsand new information.
☐ Fosters experimentation and positiverisk-taking. Guides others in deployinginnovation and continuousimprovement methodologies.
☐ Creates learning opportunities for otherstaff.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 20
Agil ity Responsive to change, and resilient to uncertainty and setbacks
Developing ☐ Quick to grasp and use new
concepts and information.
☐ Adapts to altered instructions andpriorities.
☐ Recovers quickly from setbacks.
☐ Comfortable with ambiguity and change.
Pract ising
☐ Understands the policy processis iterative, and adjusts thinking andapproach as required.
☐ Can challenge earlier assumptions orconclusions in light of new information.
☐ Makes sensible trade-offs between time,risk, quality and completeness.
☐ Is resilient in the face of change and canswitch focus to new priorities.
Expert / Leading ☐ Is a proven and respected
consultant and supports others in theface of complex and challenging change.
☐ Is ‘strategically opportunistic’ – can seizeopportunities, integrate new content,collaborate and draw connections thatwill support policy objectives.
☐ Is able to manage and prioritiseconflicting demands – leads the way inadjusting priorities, redeployingresources and recovering from setbacks.
Policy Skills Framework – Map your policy skills profile 21
Political Savvy Navigate issues, relationships and situations with sensitivity to the political context
Developing ☐ Watches and learns from others
considered adept at working withministers and other internal and externalstakeholders.
Pract ising
☐ Builds the trust of ministers andother decision-makers by beingresponsive and aware of politicalpriorities.
☐ Understands the various roles played inthe policy process and how decisionsare made.
☐ Becoming adept at interpreting andnavigating sensitive situations,relationships and competing interests,including between different policyportfolios.
☐ Able to influence and build alignmentbetween issues and people.
Expert / Leading ☐ Sustains trust-based relationship
with ministers, other decision-makersand key stakeholders. Can haverespectful and sometimes‘uncomfortable’ conversations withoutdamaging those relationships.
☐ Highly adept at building alignment andalliances between competing interestsand agendas.
☐ Helps shape the authorisingenvironment by being able to influencethe thinking and behaviour of others.
☐ Anticipates and times advice for when itcan have the most influence and impact.
