Digital competence development of state civil servants in the Russian Federation

Abstract

In the international field of public services, the competence approach is used as a basis for developing productivity, innovation and responsibility among employees. In Russia, the competence approach is central to legislative and regulatory documents but has not yet become a working tool. Russia’s transition to the digital economy in accordance with the Federal Program necessitates the transformation of professional qualities and qualification requirements for positions of the state civil service. The development of a single information space of the State Civil Service and the widespread introduction of e-government technologies impose increased requirements on public servants’ competencies in the field of information and communication technologies. However, studies have shown that until now, Russian civil servants consider as a primary priority only those competencies that focus on results, discipline, time and stress management skills, and to a lesser degree adaptability, willingness to change, creativity, initiative, and adopting new ideas and innovations. Management by competences requires an individual approach, taking into account the characteristics of each employee, as well as the development and implementation of competence models, in which all aspects of work in the digital world should be reflected. The aim of the study is to develop guidelines for improving official regulations of state civil servants in terms of qualification requirements for competencies in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT). The use of comparative analysis methods in the study of the content of official regulations of state civil service in various subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as an expert survey on the content and current level of development of ICT competencies of civil servants allowed the authors to identify “basic,” “advanced” and “special” components in the structure of competencies. We also propose methodological recommendations for the transformation of ICT competences into digital components that provide an expanded set of knowledge and skills required for the digitalization of the civil service. These changes will allow the HR services of public authorities of the Russian Federation to provide a unified approach to the formation of requirements for the maturity level of digital competencies of applicants seeking positions in the state civil service. It also will help to implement a targeted approach in the formation of programs for the development of personnel potential, taking into account the requirements of digital literacy.The article is based on the results of studies carried out using budget funds and the 2018 Financial University State Mission “Improvement of information support for personnel management system based on the competence approach and individual career tracking of civil servants”, state registration number AAA-A18-118052490063-1