Development Centers

Development Center
A center set up by the organization to

assess, provide feedback, and assist formulating developmental plans on competencies required to perform higher level jobs.

Development Center is Diagnostic Intervention

It is Diagnostic

Center and not a center that develops competencies It provides insights into developmental gaps and needs It assesses competencies in relation to future likely jobs or jobs that have not been preformed so far

DC
It might include competencies required to

perform current jobs also (though not focussed on the current jobs) It stops with developmental plans

Development Centers: Limitations

As the name suggests it should also

provide opportunities for the candidate to develop However it is believed that competencies need to be developed constantly and on the job through individual initiative and learning and organizational support

DC: Assumptions
Identification of Development gaps or

competency gaps and acceptance of the competency gaps is the first critical step in development Competence gaps need to be identified in relation to a given set of jobs or a family of jobs or a level of jobs Competence gaps can be ideally identified when the person is put on the job

Why Development Centers

However organizations can't take the risk of

identifying competence gaps by putting people on the job and letting them perform if they have other ways of assessing and developing competencies

How do DCs work?

Competence gaps are identified through

simulated settings Competence gaps can be identified by multiple methods Competence gaps need to be identified by multiple observers or assessors

Development Centers : Starting Points

Job profiling Competence profiling Development of assessment tools Administration of tools

Assessment of competencies through

observation and performance on the tools Multiple assessors Multiple methods

Assessment Tools
In-baskets Interpersonal skill testing exercises

through role plays Leaderless Group discussions Behavior Event Interviews Psychometric Tests Presentations Simulation exercises

Some guidelines
Assessors should be trained in observation

skills and assessment techniques Assessors should be from at least two levels above the level of the assessee Assessors should not be the reporting or reviewing officers or one time seniors of the candidate ( ensure that previous biases are not carried into assessment)

DCs: Some Guidelines

Same assessor should not assess the same

candidate in all the tests or different assessors should assess the candidate in different tests Feedback should be provided to the assess at the end Assessee should be helped to prepare development plans on the bias of the development gaps identified

DCs
Feedback is critical Organizational support will be useful but

the candidate should be the final judge and take responsibility for his development

DCs in NTPC
Job profiling has been done for EDs and GMs

in 1997-98 Competencies have been idetified and a role directory prepared An attempt has been made to use the competence lists for assessment by multiple raters Organization was not yet ready to fully implement the Assessment Center system

DCs in NTPC
It was decided to take a development

approach The levels where most people need to be prepared for next higher levels is taken. To begin with Executives who have completed three years in E 5 level is chosen for participating in DC

DCs in NTPC
Competencies have been mapped for

Senior Managers using interviews in two plants They have been pre-tested on a group of Senior managers and Deputy General Mangers in two development centers

DCs in NTPC
Tests have been developed to assess Groups of DGMs & AGMs have been trained

as Assessors by M/S TV RAO LEARNING SYSTEMS. Assessors training organised on Regional basis and pilot DCs organised. Each RHQ assigned responsibility to conduct DCs.

Strategy of Introducing the DCs

Start with Managers to Senior Managers Extend to other levels after experiencing

success Make it compulsory for all those eligible for promotion to E 6 level Use it only as a development tool

Strategies used in NTPC

Provide development opportunities It should get reflected in their job

behaviour review the experience Use the data for promotions if the experience is successful

Thank you