ESDC Competency Dictionary – Success profiles

This Dictionary is best used in conjunction with Success Profiles developed for jobs and job families at ESDC. Success Profiles are meant to give prospective employees (like students) and employees looking for a career change a global portrait of what a job entails and what it takes to perform it successfully.

Profiles can be adapted: managers may add, remove or adjust key work activities, skills and personal attributes for recruitment, staffing, performance or talent management purposes based on the particularities of the work performed in their unit. Individuals are not necessarily expected to possess all the skills, abilities and personal attributes listed in a Success Profile. In some instances, these are spread throughout a team. For example, some employees may be creative and others not. It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that the skills, abilities and personal attributes required to achieve organizational objectives are present within the team.

Sample Success Profile

  • Policy Analyst

    Policy researchers and analysts conduct research, monitor data, analyze information and prepare reports and plans to resolve economic and business problems and develop models to analyze, explain and forecast economic behaviour and patterns. They advise on matters such as finance, fiscal and monetary policy, international trade, agricultural and natural resource commodities and labour and industrial markets. Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers conduct research, develop policy and implement or administer programs in areas such as consumer affairs, employment, home economics, immigration, law enforcement, corrections, human rights, housing, labour, family services, foreign aid and international development.

    Examples of Job Titles

    • Analyst
    • Program Design Specialist
    • Business Intelligence Consultant
    • Evaluation Officer
    • Policy Analyst
    • Researcher/Analyst

    Key Work Activities

    • Compile and interpret statistics on social or economic issues
    • Develop questionnaires, co-ordinate and conduct surveys
    • Develop social programs and/or social legislation based on demographic, social and economic analysis
    • Identify and assess economic, demographic and social developments
    • Plan, organize and administer international development policies and programs
    • Advise government agencies on policies to increase economic activities
    • Analyze factors which determine economic growth, employment wages, unemployment, and labour force participation
    • Conduct research on market conditions and develop models
    • Develop business strategies
    • Devise methods to collect data and analyze data

    Core Competencies

    Recommended Proficiency Level

    Core Competencies
    Core CompetenciesBeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
    Demonstrating Integrity and Respect Acquired Acquired Mastered
    Showing Initiative and Being Action Oriented Developing Developing Acquired
    Thinking Things Through Developing Acquired Acquired
    Working Effectively with Others Acquired Acquired Acquired

    Skills

    Recommended Proficiency Level

    Skills
    SkillsBeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
    Analytical Thinking Developing Developing Developing
    Cognitive Flexibility Developing Developing Developing
    Communication Acquired Acquired Acquired
    Conflict Management Developing Developing Developing
    Data Literacy Acquired Acquired Acquired
    Facilitation Developing Developing Developing
    Intercultural Competence Acquired Acquired Acquired
    Negotiation Developing Developing Developing
    Problem Solving Acquired Acquired Acquired
    Storytelling Developing Developing Developing

    Abilities

    • Agility
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • General Learning Ability
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Numerical Ability
    • Pattern Identification Flexibility
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Verbal Ability
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression

    Personal Attributes

    • Adaptability
    • Creativity
    • Dependability
    • Empathy
    • Integrity
    • Judgement
    • Tolerance of Ambiguity
    • Trust in Others

    Employment Requirements

    • A bachelor's degree is usually required
    • A master's degree in a related field may be required

    Workplaces/Employers

    • Primarily at national headquarters, with fewer positions in the regions
    • All branches