Foreword
After more than 10 years of no calls for management positions, Regione Toscana has embarked on an ambitious recruitment project to ensure generational change and meet growing organizational challenges.
In collaboration with PRAXI, an innovative course was developed based on the Assessment Center methodology to assess managerial and behavioral competencies in the manner provided by theArticle 3 of Decree Law No. 80/2021 . This approach made it possible to :
- Ensure formal rigor and transparency in the selection process.
- Integrate the assessment of technical and specialized skills with a focus on the managerial and behavioral skills needed to fully perform the required role.
The ultimate goal was to select management figures who can fully respond to the operational and strategic needs of the Entity, through both external and internal candidates, to foster their professional growth.
The competitive procedures have enabled Regione Toscana to:
- Enter the management figures needed to fill the top roles.
- Have rankings valid for the next two years that can be used for additional organizational needs.
Project
The intervention included the design and management of Assessment Center processes for competitions for management profiles in the following areas: administrative legal, economic-financial, legal-legislative, technical-professional and rural/agricultural.
For each competition, PRAXI developed and delivered several tests designed to assess and measure the soft skills deemed essential by the Tuscany Region for each management role, chosen from a set that included:
- Promoting Change;
- Responsible Decision;
- Process Management;
- Result Orientation;
- Management of Internal/External Relations;
- Group Guide;
- Development of Collaborators;
- Systemic Thinking;
- Problem Solving;
- Organizational Awareness;
- Negotiation.
Formation of Commissions
In agreement with the Tuscany Region Management, prior to the start of the competition procedures, it was deemed essential to hold a training/information meeting intended for all members of each Commission, with the aim of standardizing knowledge on the selection and evaluation process, which is innovative for PA and based on the Assessment Center methodology.
These sessions were delivered by PRAXI Senior Consultants with specific Assessor experience as expert members of the Commissions.
Tools Used
In addition to the traditional stages of evaluating qualifications, selection tests on technical/regulatory topics, and oral interviews, for each of the competition procedures the process included:
- Written aptitude test: use of multiple-choice situational questions;
- Practical aptitude test: written simulation of a concrete case using the In Basket tool;
- oral test: group dynamics based on Leaderless Group Discussion (LGD) methodology;
- Structured behavioral interview: delivered as part of the final interview through the Situational Interview technique.
As per best practices and SNA (National School of Public Administration) guidelines implemented by Decree Law No. 80/2021, PRAXI and the Tuscany Region constructed a specific “evidence x competency matrix,” ensuring that each behavioral competency was assessed through at least two tests and that all objective competencies were effectively measured.
PRAXI consultants, as experienced members of the Commissions, managed the delivery of the assessment tests ensuring proper and professional assessment of behavioral competencies.
Results
The approach taken made it possible to integrate behavioral competence assessment with traditional criteria, in full compliance with the provisions of Decree Law No. 80/2021.
The design of a methodologically rigorous process and a set of purpose-built tools made it possible to investigate acted versus expected behaviors using objective and reliable criteria for assessing attitudinal skills.
At the end of the competition procedures, the Selection Boards drew up rankings that the Tuscany Region used to meet its organizational needs. This demonstrated how, when measured with solid, reliable and fair instruments, behavioral competencies can become decisive factors in the final evaluation.
The key elements for the success of the project were:
- In-depth knowledge of the public administration context to align the process with organizational and regulatory specificities.
- Proven experience in using Assessment Center methodology, adapted to the public context through targeted scenarios and terminologies, to assess candidates’ “substantive problem solving” beyond mere knowledge of regulatory procedures.
- Objective assessment of managerial skills, thanks to tools such as the “evidence x skills matrix” and a “skills dictionary” accompanied by concrete, observable and measurable behavioral indicators.
- Targeted training of members of competition committees to ensure proper application of the adopted tools and competency models.
- Active and constructive collaboration between PRAXI, the Commissions and the Tuscany Region, characterized by mutual listening and continuous exchange of ideas, with the shared goal of selecting high-quality applications.
Future
Thanks to PRAXI’s contribution, Tuscany Region has introduced for the first time modes of assessing soft skills in the recruitment process of senior figures. The results achieved lay the groundwork for replicating the implementation of such modalities in future skilled recruitment processes.
Integrating from the selection process the assessment of attitudinal/transversal competencies, i.e., organizational behaviors actually acted upon, is the “cement” needed to consolidate the “building blocks” of technical competencies. This combination lays the foundation for effective and enduring managerial management, going beyond a merely theoretical approach and enhancing the practical skills of each Public Administration manager.
The shift from a system focused solely on technical knowledge to one that integrates behavioral skills assessment is essential to enable the public administration to select figures with the management and organizational skills needed to take on responsible roles.
