Day 33 – Q. 3 In what ways does aptitude impact the performance and potential for growth and development of Civil Service professionals? Discuss.

In what ways does aptitude impact the performance and potential for growth and development of Civil Service professionals? Discuss.

सिविल सेवा पेशेवरों की वृद्धि और विकास के लिए योग्यता प्रदर्शन और क्षमता को किस तरह से प्रभावित करती है? चर्चा करें।

Approach –

In this question candidates first need to explain what aptitude is and how it impacts performance and potential for growth and development of civil service professionals .

Introduction-

Aptitude is a natural ability or innate potential to learn or acquire a skill. It is a natural tendency for successful learning of some specific set of skills,which can be further enhanced with adequate knowledge and training.

Body-

Aptitude is a natural talent or inborn ability that makes it easier for us to learn or do certain things/tasks

What are Aptitude for a Civil Servant?

• With the advent of the new public administration and increasing diversity in the administrative field, an administrator needs to adorn both physical and mental aptitude.
• He/She should have both General Mental Ability (basic thinking capacity and learning ability to perform any intellectual task) as well as the desired value system of public administration to perform his duty, not only efficiently, but also effectively. Roughly the kinds of aptitude desired in a civil servant include:
• Good communication/interpersonal skills
• Leadership, management and organizational skills
• Critical thinking and listening ability
• Skill to effectively manage and raise resources
• Ability to establish collaborative networks and successful teamwork
• High level of professionalism
• Ability to think on their feet and develop innovative solutions
• Skill of persuasion and ability to negotiate with difficult people

Importance of Aptitude for potential growth in  Civil Services –

• The civil services form the permanent structure and backbone of the administration. A qualitative, professional, skilled and committed workforce is, hence, imperative to maintain the high standards of public administration.
• In Indian public administration, the civil servants are entrusted with a diverse set of responsibilities such as from simple administrative and clerical tasks to complex decision making, policy implementation and serving as a link between government and citizens.
• Hence, it is vital for civil servants to possess diverse skills such as grasping capabilities, good analytical skills, and the ability to establish collaborative networks and successful teamwork.
• In public administration, leaders face different kinds of problems and challenges every day such as high unemployment, insufficient government spending, fast changing socio-economic scenarios, etc.
• Laws and administrative rules cannot explain everything, and leaders cannot always mimic previous successes because the elements affecting each challenge change day to day. In such cases a civil servant needs an abundance of impromptu decision-making skills and critical thinking ability to exercise discretion with conviction.
• The emerging concept of e-governance and motto of ‘Less Government More Governance’, demand transformational changes in the machinery of government as well as in the work style and orientation of government officials.
• With the role and functions of administrators having become swiftly changing and increasingly challenging, civil servants must be equipped with the necessary skills and capabilities to meet these new challenges.
• They must have the aptitude to master new technologies and new styles of functioning. They should serve as the ‘Agents of Change’ to catalyze reform initiatives.
• In a diverse country like India, the civil servants often face complex and often contrasting socioeconomic objectives and challenges often creating a deep sense of moral/ethical dilemma in them about their own duties and functions. This demands an inherent aptitude to prevail over contradictions, solve dilemmas and keep up the spirit to perform in spite of adverse circumstances.
• Under the framework of ‘inclusive governance’ administrators need to build teams across diverse stakeholders.
• For example, to create a favorable business climate in a city, an economic development director needs to bring together local business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce and also environmental advocates.
• This demands a civil servant to possess an ability to receive and act upon feedback as well as effective interpersonal skills to bridge the gaps and encourage collaboration for a common objective.
• Aptitude also looks at the future potential in coordination with present pattern of aptitude and potentialities.
• Aptitude for civil servants not only based on just knowledge and skills but also it based on values and ethics. They require a Holistic Competence, should be seen in integrated manner.
• A certain aptitude for public service is inherent in the decision to join the civil services.
• To become sport person, one requires psycho motor coordination.
• Defence services or police services requires mental as well as physical aptitude.

Conclusion –

A person having a better aptitude it means he/she has the innate potential to do something. A civil servant requires such aptitude to do something to the society in his public service and ability to adopt new skills as per changing times. Having potential is pre condition to achieve anything.