A Competency Model for the Training and Development Administrators of Local Government Organizations of East Azerbaijan Province

Purpose: Appropriate criteria for the selection and hiring of training and development administrators for local government organizations provide the basis for the implementation of quality training of their employees. Therefore, identifying the competencies needed for these administrators and designing a relevant competency model seems to be increasingly necessary. Methodology: In terms of research methodology, it was applied and regarding data collection method, it was a qualitative-quantitative study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data in the qualitative section. Using open coding method, all relevant key phrases were extracted and converted into a questionnaire. In the quantitative part, descriptive-survey method was applied. The questionnaires were administered to a statistical sample of 203 human resources staff of local government agencies, who were selected by stratified random sampling method using Morgan table. Findings: The resulting competencies for administrators were classified into three main components: technical-specialized competencies including skills in assessing training and development effectiveness, skills in planning training and development courses, skills in implementing training and development programs; general competencies including personality-ethical traits; and finally, managerial competencies including communication skills, foresight, accountability, analytical thinking, flexibility, creative thinking, goal orientation, strategic thinking and team building. Originality: The present study tries to partly fill the gap in theoretical foundations of this field by presenting a competency model for training and development administrators. By presenting a model for the competencies of these administrators, the findings of this study have introduced a new field of knowledge in the related literature.