Guidance

GVS profession technical skills and behaviours (HTML version)

Updated 2 April 2020

This document outlines the government veterinary profession’s technical skills and behaviours.

Technical skills and behaviours are the skills, knowledge, behaviours and experience that are needed to do something successfully. For the government profession, they’re grouped into 2 areas:

• technical skills: developed from the previous Government Veterinary Service (GVS) Competence Framework 2014 – you can progress a technical skill at a particular grade, developing from a basic awareness (A) to working (W) to practitioner (P) and specialist (S) as appropriate
• behaviours: aligned to Civil Service Success Profiles

The combination is used to indicate the typical knowledge and experience needed for each of the GVS roles in the career pathways.

They’re for all government staff working in a government veterinary role, or any person who wants to find out more about what is required for different government veterinary roles.

It is important to link both the technical skills and behaviours to your development and use them to inform career and development discussions with your line manager. This will help you to agree which development areas to focus on.

When using this document, take note of the following:

• technical skills and behaviours profiles are for guidance only and should not be used as an exact measure for a particular role
• achieving the technical skills and behaviours profile for a job at a different grade level does not entitle someone to that grade but may enhance their chances when applying for that role
• you do not need to achieve all aspects of the technical skills and behaviours profile for a role before you can apply for it - we often learn best by stretching ourselves to take on new responsibilities

You should regularly review and update any changes to your departmental or agency Performance and Development record, particularly before any development discussion.

GVS technical skills

The technical skills were developed under the 2014 competency framework.

Skills level	Detailed description
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)	Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) registered, or eligible for registration. Professional experience and skills relevant to the job. Basic knowledge of the relevant regulatory framework. An appreciation of the contribution that state veterinary medicine makes to the economy and wider society. An appreciation of the importance of public health and animal welfare and associated ethical questions. Ability to understand and apply veterinary risk assessment Commitment to the application of principles of state veterinary medicine. Note: The Food Standards Scotland (FSS) also have an Higher Executive Officer (HEO) level role available to vets.
Grade 7 For example Veterinary Advisor (VA)	Robust knowledge of the national and international legal and regulatory framework, as relevant to the role. Sufficient professional knowledge and experience to allow independent leadership and impact in the role. A practical understanding of the range of issues associated with veterinary science information and knowledge development. Ability to provide high-quality professional and technical advice, in a format suitable for ministers and officials. Ability to resolve complex veterinary problems swiftly based on a full range of considerations, including veterinary risk, legislation and uncertainty.
Grade 6	In depth subject matter knowledge in more than one policy or operational or specialist area in the veterinary or animal health and welfare field. Demonstrable track record of leading policy development and implementation (including the navigation of political and legislative procedures) in the veterinary or animal health and welfare field A proven track record of operational (for example front line delivery) experience in the veterinary or animal health and welfare field.
Deputy Director Senior Civil Service (SCS) pay band 1	Professional recognition and influence amongst peers. Sound understanding of the framework of domestic and international veterinary legislation and standards. A demonstrable track record of leading and providing direction to others in the formulation and delivery of policy in the veterinary or animal health and welfare field. A proven track record of providing authoritative, high-quality professional, technical and operational advice, in a format suitable for ministers, officials and across government departments/agencies. Ability to manage relationships and work collaboratively with a diverse range of veterinary and non-veterinary stakeholders, as appropriate to the role.
Director SCS pay band 2 For example UK Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO)	A recognised expert in the field of veterinary medicine, with a practical and proven track record in development and delivery of Animal Health and Welfare (AH&W) and Veterinary Public Health (VPH) policy. Strong understanding of AH&W issues (including disease control and eradication) and an ability to place these issues in the context of government policy and the broader public health agenda. A demonstrable track record of leading, delivering results through others and in making a contribution to strategic decision-making, policy formulation and delivery in the AH&W field. Proven track record of formulating, leading and implementing strategies and programmes which cross service or professional boundaries through the delivery of major projects. Track record of senior management experience within a large and complex multi-disciplinary organisation. Gravitas, credibility and outstanding interpersonal skills to lead the veterinary profession, within government and internationally as a key representative and chief spokesperson for government. Strong analytical skills and a creative approach to problem-solving, often in the face of complex and sometimes conflicting specialist evidence, including complex epidemiology Ability to work in a high profile political and media environment, managing competing priorities, interests and dealing with tough decisions quickly.

Standard levels for technical skills

Detailed indicators for each skill level.

Skill level	Skills level descriptor	Detailed indicators
None	No knowledge and experience
Awareness (A)	Basic knowledge and limited or no experience	You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.
Working (W)	Working knowledge and practical experience	You’ve a good understanding of this skill. You’ve applied this independently in low complexity projects or under supervision in more complex projects.
Practitioner (P)	Detailed knowledge and significant experience	You’ve a deep understanding of this skill. You’ve applied this independently in medium or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this skill can adapt and tailor your approach to meet the requirements of the project.
Specialist (S)	Specialist knowledge and experience	You are considered a specialist within government and in the wider profession. You’ve applied this skill in multiple complex projects. You’ve been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.

GVS behaviours: general

A list of GVS profession behaviours. The definition comes from the Civil Service Success Profiles behaviours. The following section includes examples of behaviours by GVS / Civil Service grade.

Behaviour	Definition
Seeing the big picture	Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
Changing and improving	Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
Making effective decisions	Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
Leadership	Show pride and passion for public service. Create and engage others in delivering a shared vision. Value difference, diversity and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all.
Communicating and influencing	Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
Working together	Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
Developing self and others	Focus on continuous learning and development for self, others and the organisation as a whole.
Managing a quality service	Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
Delivering at pace	Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.

Behaviours by level

CS level 3: HEO (applied to FSS only) and SVI / SEO equivalent

Behaviour	Definition
Seeing the big picture	Understand strategic drivers for your work area. Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. Remain alert to emerging issues/trends which might impact your work. Seek out and share experiences to develop knowledge of the team’s business area. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the needs of stakeholders.
Changing and improving	Collaborate to identify improvements and simplify processes to use fewer resources. Use available technology to increase efficiency. Encourage ideas for change from a variety of sources. Explain reasons for/how to implement change, supporting colleagues with different needs. Encourage an environment where colleagues can challenge decisions safely. Take managed risks by considering the impact changes have on end users.
Making effective decisions	Understand own level of responsibility and empower others; invite challenge and appropriately involve others in decision making. Analyse relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions. Display confidence in making difficult decisions. Use consultation to consider potential impacts on end users. Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.
Leadership	Ensure colleagues and stakeholders understand objectives, activities and time-frames. Consider individual needs and views, championing inclusion and equality of opportunity. Consider the impact of activities on stakeholders and end users. Role-model commitment and role satisfaction; recognise and praise others achievements. Effectively manage conflict, misconduct and non-inclusive behaviour; raise with senior managers where appropriate.
Communicating and influencing	Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, showing enthusiasm towards work. Use appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Share information appropriately and check understanding. Encourage different communication methods, including digital, highlighting benefits such as cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has clear purpose and important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, considering individual needs and diversity of interests.
Working together	Encourage coherent working within team and across groups. Collaborate to share information, resources and support. Establish professional relationships with varied stakeholders. Invest time to develop common focus and team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another. Establish support for wellbeing within the team. Make it clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Actively seek input from people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Developing self and others	Identify capability gaps. Ensure development objectives are set and achieved to address gaps and enable delivery of current/future work. Coach, mentor and develop colleagues to support succession planning. Promote inclusiveness by respecting individual needs in the team and use these to develop others. Reflect on own work, continuously seek and act on feedback to improve own/team’s performance.
Managing a quality service	Develop and maintain systems/services to ensure delivery of professional excellence. Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales. Deliver quality outcomes that meet customer needs and give value for money. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently. Involve diverse colleagues, stakeholders and delivery partners in identifying improvements. Establish ways to find and respond to customer feedback.
Delivering at pace	Focus team efforts on top priorities. Promote a culture of following procedures to ensure timely results whilst enabling innovation. Ensure resources are available for colleagues to work effectively. Monitor your own/team work against milestones, considering individual needs when task-setting; reassess workloads/priorities against conflicting demands. Allow individuals space and authority to meet objectives; provide support whilst keeping overall responsibility.

CS level 4: VA / Grade 7 and 6 / equivalent

Behaviour	Definition
Seeing the big picture	Develop an understanding of economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments and adopt a government-wide perspective to ensure plans and activities in your area reflect wider strategic priorities. Communicate effectively with senior leaders to influence future strategies. Bring together views, perspectives and diverse needs of stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the issues surrounding policies and activities.
Changing and improving	Encourage, recognise and share innovation from colleagues and stakeholders and praise creativity. Create an environment where people feel safe to challenge; provide constructive challenge to senior management. Consider impacts on culture, structure, morale and on end users, including accessibility needs. Make changes that add value, articulating business benefits. Identify where activities falter and respond promptly. Identify the role of technology in service delivery/policy implementation.
Making effective decisions	Clarify your understanding and stakeholder needs/expectations beforehand and ensure decisions happen at the right level to avoid bureaucracy hindering delivery. Encourage innovative suggestions and challenge; analyse and interpret data from various sources to inform and support decisions. Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications. Present reasonable conclusions from a range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence. Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or they prove unpopular.
Leadership	Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experiences. Welcome and respond to views and challenge from others, despite any conflicting pressures. Stand by, promote or defend own and team’s actions and decisions where needed. Seek out shared interests beyond own area, understanding the extent of the impact actions have on the organisation. Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.
Communicating and influencing	Communicate in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way; make complex issues easy to understand and consider the impact of language used. Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required. Remain open-minded and impartial in discussion, respecting diverse interests and opinions. Introduce different methods for communication; embrace digital resources whilst getting value for money. Monitor and improve the effectiveness of own/team communications.
Working together	Build a network of colleagues/contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives. Challenge assumptions and be willing to compromise to further progress. Build strong interpersonal relationships, ensuring support for wellbeing; understand team needs to ensure individuals are supported and experience utilised. Create an inclusive environment where bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Be available, approachable and receptive to ideas
Developing self and others	Prioritise and role-model self-learning and development. Identify individual and team development needs to achieve objectives. Support colleagues to own their learning and development and ensure opportunities are available to all regardless of background and desire for promotion. Ensure individuals take advantage of available development, including workplace based learning. Encourage team discussions to learn from each other’s experiences and improve organisational plans and processes.
Managing a quality service	Develop an understanding of the complexity and diversity of customer requirements. Explore delivery methods for improving efficiency and cost effectiveness; consider new technologies, accessibility and costings. Make practical, manageable plans for service delivery, adhering to legal, regulatory and security requirements. Compare activities to industry best practice; proactively manage risks/identify solutions. Harness feedback from colleagues, stakeholders, delivery partners and customers.
Delivering at pace	Ensure everyone understands/owns their role and responsibilities; give honest and motivating messages about priorities, objectives and expectations. Set out clear processes/standards for managing performance. Comply with legal, regulatory and security requirements in service delivery. Ensure delivery of quality outcomes by providing the right resources, review and adjust performance expectations and reward success. Encourage/maintain performance level in challenging circumstances.

CS level 5: Deputy Director / equivalent

Behaviour	Definition
Seeing the big picture	Anticipate long-term impacts on the department of economic, political, environmental, social and technological developments, at national and international levels. Create joined up strategies that translate and support the government’s vision. Identify and shape your work area to fit within and support organisation priorities. Develop insight into customers, services, communities and markets affected and the wider public sector context. Ensure work is in the national interest whilst meeting end user needs.
Changing and improving	Challenge the status quo, suggest improvements, learn from experience. Encourage and recognise initiatives and ideas. Promote an environment where colleagues feel safe to challenge. Encourage measured risk taking and innovation to deliver better approaches and services. Implement changes that add value, transform flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service and express how/why they are necessary. Lead the transformation towards digital technologies, consider accessibility and the diversity of end users. Manage change effectively and respond promptly to critical events. Constructively challenge unhelpful changes.
Making effective decisions	Act decisively, making bold, unbiased decisions at strategic level. Make sense of political and national pressures and influences to develop strategies which meet organisational goals. Clearly communicate the purpose and reasons for recommendations and decisions. Consult to ensure decisions meet the diverse needs of end users. Accept and respond to challenge constructively. Recommend the best option articulating risks and impacts on economic, environmental, political and social factors.
Leadership	Remain visible and approachable to colleagues and stakeholders. Actively promote the organisations reputation with pride, internally and externally. Display passion and enthusiasm for the work, inspiring colleagues and stakeholders to engage with aims and long term vision. Embed a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity, where the diversity of individuals’ background/experiences are valued and respected. Work to influence strategy, direction and culture to increase effectiveness.
Communicating and influencing	Implement effective communication strategies that account for individual needs. Embed a culture of utilizing infrastructure to support varied communication methods and deliver value for money. Communicate in a straightforward, honest and truthful way, respect audience diversity when giving messages. Demonstrate conviction and clarity in the face of tough negotiations and challenges. Influence external partners, stakeholders and customers to secure mutually beneficial outcomes.
Working together	Create and promote a contact network across the organisation and externally. Embed an inclusive culture of positive/supportive teams who consider diverse needs. Ensure wellbeing support across the organisation with clear expectations that bullying, harassment, and discrimination are unacceptable. Encourage/establish mechanisms to share knowledge/resources across boundaries to support the business. Encourage engagement and feedback from delivery partners and stakeholders.
Developing self and others	Provide and evaluate a range of inclusive development experiences, talent and career management and role-model self-learning and development. Ensure colleagues take responsibility for their development, providing them opportunities to share knowledge/skills to build organisational effectiveness. Share own expertise through coaching and mentoring. Deliver strategies to grow sustainable capability across all groups, including those with high potential, and to tackle diversity imbalances.
Managing a quality service	Clarify and articulate customer and delivery partner requirements. Use customer insight to drive high quality and efficient service delivery. Work collaboratively with customers / delivery partners to manage, monitor and deliver agreed outcomes. Identify improvements and make changes to reach professional excellence. Break down complex aims into clear, practical, manageable plans. Identify resource requirements to support implementation and ensure risks are monitored / managed.
Delivering at pace	Translate strategic priorities into outcome-focused objectives for managers. Promote resilience and responsiveness. Deliver against objectives, ensuring others take responsibility for their area and embrace inclusivity, giving people space/authority to deliver objectives. Credit people for maintaining focus on priorities, while responding quickly to changing requirements. Act as a role model for delivery: efficient and focused, open to new ideas and honest about challenges. Clarify action required to achieve results and address unexpected developments. Ensure resources are available for role-fulfilment.

CS Level 6: Director / Director General

Behaviour	Definition
Seeing the big picture	Develop insight into the dynamics and issues surrounding the department and government. Understand political, economic, social, environmental and technological impact at national and international levels. Establish where the department sits and aligns across the Civil Service. Ensure teams understand their role in the wider business. Shape the department’s role and purpose in delivering priorities and create long-term strategies focused on adding value and making lasting change beyond the Civil Service. Engage with leaders across government to support strategic decision making.
Changing and improving	Constructively challenge bureaucratic decision making, resourcing structures and processes and strive to simplify approaches, creating an effective organisation using digital technologies. Champion and lead change, taking calculated risks. Create a culture of innovation, flexibility and responsiveness, enabling departments to respond swiftly to change. Establish an environment where colleagues feel safe to challenge. Consider the impact of change on organisational culture and wider government.
Making effective decisions	Develop departmental and functional strategies and priorities while considering political, national and international pressures. When making decisions, manage and mitigate evaluated risks and options, demonstrate transparency and create a culture where others feel able to challenge those decisions. Give unbiased evidence-led advice to ministers and other senior officials based on robust analysis. Be able to make unpopular decisions and defend them at the highest level. Ensure early, continued engagement with the right stakeholders when making recommendations and decisions. Emphasise the importance of considering end user needs.
Leadership	Develop and protect the reputation of the Civil Service, creating a sense of pride and passion for public service. Present a clear, focused strategy with direction for the future. Act in ways that are visible, inspirational and credible at the most senior levels across and outside of the Civil Service. Create an inclusive environment where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. Engage positively in debate and resolve ambiguities, gaining the best possible outcomes for the department.
Communicating and influencing	Communicate with honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity. Ensure there is infrastructure to support varied, cost-effective communication methods which keep up with digital advances. Develop a culture where individual needs and the impact of communication methods are considered. Communicate purpose and direction with respect, clarity and enthusiasm. Overcome objections to gain acceptance of department’s vision and purpose. Use influence positively across the Civil Service.
Working together	Promote an inclusive, collaborative working culture, encouraging openness, approachability and sensitivity, and valuing individual wellbeing. Confront issues and challenge assumptions at the highest level, in an assertive, constructive way. Create a culture where bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Build a diverse network of professional relationships across government and with Non-Executive Directors. Act for the good of the Civil Service, improving governance at board level.
Developing self and others	Build a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing, promote the development of all to their full potential and develop an organisational commitment to empower individuals to be responsible for their learning. Take a strategic perspective to identifying the capability needs of the organisation and develop strategies that address equality of opportunity and value diversity. Be an outstanding mentor and coach to other senior individuals. Seek out opportunities for reverse mentoring to increase your knowledge and insights of challenges faced by under-represented groups. Evaluate own effectiveness and plan ways to develop.
Managing a quality service	Work across government to ensure delivery of professional excellence and expertise, ensuring department has an in-depth, evolving understanding of customer requirements. Negotiate service levels and deliverables with delivery partners at strategic level. Promote delivering value for money, emphasising return on taxpayers money. Ensure all parts of the delivery chain understand required customer outcomes and are clear about the impacts of poor customer service and communication.
Delivering at pace	Set clear departmental direction, with focused priorities and project or programme outcomes; swiftly adjust priorities to changing situations. Define clear structures, systems and resources which promote efficient service delivery. Enable the organisation to focus on core priorities irrespective of external challenges. Encourage, support and coach to keep focus on delivery. Promote a performance culture, giving teams space and authority to deliver objectives and be accountable for the outcomes.