Sufficient I-professionals with up-to-date knowledge and skills are essential. All central government civil servants should develop the digital knowledge and skills necessary to perform their roles effectively.
Demand and supply
Digital technological advancements significantly impact society and government, necessitating increased I-knowledge and I-skills among civil servants.
In short, the demand for current I-knowledge and I-skills and expertise is growing faster than the supply.
Demand
Demand is rising for three reasons:
- More policies with IT implications.
- Increasing requirements for I-services.
- Higher expectations from citizens and businesses.
Supply
The available I-knowledge and expertise is under pressure due to four factors:
- Ageing workforce.
- Scarcity in certain areas of expertise.
- Insufficient focus on continuous development in the I-field.
- Lack of I-knowledge and awareness among other central government professionals.
Long-Term Orientation
Managers often opt for short-term solutions instead of investing in the current knowledge and skills of their staff. Hiring external personnel rather than investing in developing their own team members or favouring senior hires over promoting juniors and mid-level staff. Breaking this short-term focus requires a sense of urgency and more direction from senior management.
I focus areas
The selection of solutions is influenced by the scale and maturity level of government bodies in terms of I-skills.
I focus area 1: Prerequisites: insight and monitoring
More targeted and successful interventions through better insight by monitoring.
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- Implementing the Information Provision Quality Framework (in Dutch, Kwaliteitsraamwerk Informatievoorziening or KWIV) across all central government organisations.
- Monitoring and sharing knowledge on the recruitment, progression and exit of I-personnel and external hires.
- Guidelines for multi-year I-personnel planning.
I focus area 2: Advancing knowledge
Continuously invest in the expertise of I-professionals to keep them up-to-date through:
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- An extensive range of I learning activities on an accessible digital platform.
- Offering learning trajectories for I-professionals.
- Collaborating with higher education.
- Exploring possibilities for a Continuous Education System.
I focus area 3: Recruitment and retention
Consistently focus on attracting new I-staff and retaining them.
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- Labour market communication.
- Engaging starters with the organisation.
- Providing alternatives to external hires; government-wide pools, collaboration with higher education.
I focus area 4: Mobility for knowledge retention and sharing
Knowledge development and sharing by temporarily changing workplaces, thereby offering growth opportunities.
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- Encouraging mobility among I-professionals.
- Developing career paths.
I focus area 5: Knowledge Development for Non-I-Staff
Civil servants, with or without an I-background, learn to understand each other better. Encourage our colleagues to enhance their digitalisation knowledge, learning together and from each other.
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- Identifying the required I-knowledge, skills, and/or competencies; this includes the basic skills, skills per job category, and domain-specific skills.
- Tailored offerings per job category.
- A broader offering from RADIO; such as more e-learning modules and customised training for teams.
