Preparing IAS Officer Trainees for the Role of District Magistrate: A Competency-Based Approach

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers occupy a strategic position in Indian public governance system. Government has generally laid a lot of emphasis on the training programmes for IAS officers to ensure that they are equipped with the right set of knowledge, skills and attitude to effectively perform in the varied assignments that they occupy. It is increasingly being recognized that more than knowledge, skill and attitude, proficiency in certain deep seated abilities result in superior and more effective performance of an individual in an organizational setting. These deep seated abilities are commonly termed as competencies. In this paper an exercise has been undertaken to identify the key competencies which are required for effectively performing the role of a District Magistrate (DM). The focus of the two years training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, (LBSNAA) is to equip the officers for the first decade of service during which they are also expected to serve as District Magistrates (DM). It is expected that clarity about the competencies required to become an effective DM will facilitate more efficient human resource management of the cadre of IAS officers including training, placement and performance management. This research paper based on extensive survey methodology is an attempt in that direction.