Competencies are characteristics of a person such as knowledge, skills, attitudes, and motivations that are expressed through behavior and contribute to superior job performance. Core competencies are competencies that generally apply to most positions at each level in the agency. They lay the foundation for developing a highly qualified and effective workforce and are used to develop an agency wide training program, assist individual employees in career development, build programs for leadership development and succession planning, develop criteria for hiring, and manage performance. Core competencies were developed to support ODFW's Mission, Vision, and Principles and are incorporated in Vision 2006. Enhancing our skills in the core competencies will move us toward achieving our mission by improving our effectiveness and efficiency, developing and maintaining highly effective partnerships and customer relations, improving our relationship with the legislature, and ultimately enhancing our funding base.
Core competencies can benefit all employees in a number of ways.
They can help you have a clear understanding of the role and expectations of your job and how it supports the agency mission. They provide a tool for open communication with your supervisor that includes more effective feedback on your performance and guidance for skill development. They were developed to support the ODFW mission, vision, principles and strategic operational plan. Best practices of public and private sector organizations provided guidance for development. The draft competencies were thoroughly reviewed and edited by three groups of agency employees representing a cross-section of programs, functions, and levels.