The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Royal Institute of Management (RIM) in collaboration with the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) will be deploying a skill based modular courses with blended learning replacing the year-long post graduate studies, which is being implemented in 2023, in time for the new batch of selected graduates for civil service.
The Foundational In-service Training (FIT) programs were created by the RIM and RCSC in collaboration with the Civil Service Reform agenda. The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA), Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management (PGDFM), previous FIT offered to technical graduates, and Competency-Based Frameworks (CBF) for various occupational groups served as the foundation for the development of the FIT Phase I and II programs.
FIT will be a skill based modular course that will be deployed for RCSC selected graduates including the technical graduates. FIT is divided into two tiers; the first tier is FIT Phase I for all graduates selected by the RCSC and the second tier is FIT++ or FIT Phase II for administrative services and financial services for the respective graduates.
The guiding concepts serving as the basis for the design of the new FIT programs are change from academic knowledge to workplace competencies; learning to pursue lifelong learning with a growth mindset, curiosity, and self-reflection as the driving forces for progressive improvement; techniques for integrating in-class and on-the-job learning to maximize time use; to ensure commitment to learning, assessments must be a crucial component of learning and development; development of specific and targeted skills needed for the job families; and getting ready for a career in the government.
FIT will be offered in three phases, the first phase will be the pre-session, online learning which is a prerequisite for all graduates. The online learning will happen through a model made specifically for FIT. The graduates will be oriented before the learning takes place.
The first and second phases of the FIT will both involve experiential learning. Experts in respective fields will create and deliver it, and it will include a combination of presentations, discussions, hands-on activities, and review and feedback mechanisms. The majority of the program will be delivered in a hybrid manner. The participants will be introduced to online courses in order to support lifelong learning and take into account the demands of 21st Century education. Pre-onsite learning, onsite learning, and post-onsite learning are the three phases of the FIT program.
The last phase will be post on site, in which a project will be done related to their work places.
The second tier is the FIT++ or FIT Phase II for administrative services and financial services in which respective administrative graduates and financial graduates will be trained. The FIT Phase II will also happen in 3 phases of online learning, on site learning and post on site in which a project related to their work place will be carried out.
The process of developing FIT required reviewing the competency-based framework for the various frameworks and selecting generic competencies, which were then mapped out to pick common competencies required. The existing courses of RIM, Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management (PGDFM) were also reviewed and mapped out. The competencies were analyzed thematically which then developed FIT.
“Because the shift is from qualifications to competencies, we reviewed all the competency-based framework of various occupation groups given by the RCSC. We looked at the generic competencies required particularly relating to management and leadership. We zoomed into what is really necessary for the civil servants, to begin their career,” shared Namgay who is the Head of Department of Department of Management Development, and works closely with the project.
Technical graduates will have to only attend FIT whereas administrative graduates and financial graduates will progress to their respective FIT Phase II courses.
An orientation program will be organized on 3 January 2023 for all the graduates on the program expectations, learning modes, assessment requirements, Learning Management System (Moodle for online learning), etc.
The modules for FIT Phase I (which will be attended by all the 2022 graduates selected for Professional and Management Category- PMC) in civil servants will cover the cross-cutting and generic competencies required at P5 level.
The modules for FIT Phase II will focus on the common competencies for a job family, such as Administration Service, Finance Service and ICT Services. The modules will address generic but yet specific competencies required for the job family. For example, the FIT Phase II – Administration Services will focus on the common competencies for Planning Officers, Research Officers, Human Resources Officer, Gewog Administrative Officers, Program Officers etc., at P5 level.
The FIT will serve in place of the PGDPA and PGDFM courses that will be done away from 2023. A total of 259 BCSE selected graduates (including the participants for FIT Phase II) will attend the FIT Phase I. The graduates selected for the job families listed below will progress to FIT Phase II, whereas the others will join their place of posting.
As for the numbers that will be undergoing the FIT Phase 11, there are 40 participants for Administration Services, 22 for Finance Services and 22 for ICT Services.
