COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY PRACTICE

Competence is the ability to perform the tasks and roles expected of a professional public policy advocate, whether newly qualified or experienced, to the standards expected by employers and the general public . Statements of competence are typically developed through a comprehensive practice analysis .

Competency is a specific behaviour whereby a professional applies knowledge, skills, and/or professional values in a work environment; the behaviour can be defined, demonstrated, observed, and assessed.

Rational for a practice analysis

The primary purpose of a practice analysis is to ensure the validity of a programme of professional studies and the associated credentialing programme. A practice analysis provides a credentialing programme with information needed to validate the link between the responsibilities required of professionals and the competencies evaluated by examinations, education and practical experience requirements. The examinations associated with a credentialing programme must be practice oriented and based on specifications that are developed from a practice analysis .

Practice analysis is the systematic process that embraces the collection, compilation, verification, and application of all pertinent information about the nature of practice in a profession. It has the added value of providing baseline information for the development of curriculum to prepare candidates for the credentialing examination, as well as indicating the need for maintaining the currency of practitioners.

A competence-based practice analysis emphasizes the outcomes of the work of public policy advocates and what they actually do in the conduct of their profession, more than the inputs such as knowledge and skills acquired through formal education. The focus is on behaviour that can be readily defined, observed, and assessed. Higher-level cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are reflected in the descriptions (i.e. competency statements) of what public policy advocates actually do in their work; for example, they may “make informed judgments,” “formulate recommendations,” or “implement strategic action plans.”

The range of work public policy advocates  undertake today is very wide and is expanding. Yet candidates at the threshold of entry to the profession should not reasonably be expected to possess all the competence of expert, highly experienced professional public policy advocates . Priorities must therefore be set on assessing candidates against a standard of competence that is essential to protect the public interest and enabling them to respond to the needs of the client or employing organization. Competence is not static. Professionals must update themselves throughout their careers, increasing their proficiency within an area of competence through experience, specialization, and continuing education.

AALEP's Focus

1. Prioritizing the core competencies that form the foundation of pre-professional curriculum;
2. Specifying required performance levels for competencies;
3. Designing learning objectives and outcomes;
4. Integrating competencies related to ethics and trust across the programme;
5. Systematic linking of validated knowledge and competencies to curriculum, examinations, and practical experience requirements;
6. Investigating the optimum locus of competencies and knowledge in pre- and post-professional education, examinations, and practical experience;
7. Using “examination blueprints” that are fully competence-based; and
8. Developing “profiles of practice” for public policy advocacy positions with an indication of  the relative of sets of technical and non-technical competencies required for such positions.

Using practice analysis to identify and validate competencies underlying the professional practice of public policy advocacy is a paramount importance.  It should also be of value to university and college business schools in their delivery of essential education to candidates for entry into the profession.

Competency in the field of public policy advocacy

The Professional Public Policy Advocate

• Applies professional ethical standards (e.g. understands and follows word and spirit of Code of Ethical principles and Rules of Conduct, maintains confidentiality, maintains independence where required, identifies and avoids conflicts of interest);
• Exercises consistently high level of professional judgment;
• Ensures confidentiality with respect to organization or client information and data;
• Protects the public interest (e.g. is proactive in maintaining and raising the visibility of the ethical nature of the profession and professional standards);
• Acts within the scope of professional competence;
• Formulates, analyses and undertake activities in accordance with professional standards and policies;
• Anticipates and meets the needs and expectations of internal and external clients (e.g. develop a sound understanding of a client’s organization in order to identify its needs; determine what information is needed);
• Applies client focus, recognizing and observing the need for independence and objectivity (e.g. puts the client’s and organization’s interests to the fore and establishes and maintains strong rapport, but ensures that independence in fact and in appearance is maintained to the degree demanded by the need to remain objective);
• Represents clients’ interests when changes are proposed to standards and regulations;
• Aggregates information from a variety of sources to obtain the ‘big picture’ (e.g. obtains multiple opinions when evaluating issues and reconcile these various opinions);
• Uses a systematic approach to problem solving from identifying the issue to developing and reporting recommendations;
• Defines and formulates issues with a clear purpose, frame of reference and scope;
• Collects, selects, verifies and evaluates information relevant to the defined issue;
• Analyzes data for patterns, relationships and trends;
• Ensure the reliability of information provided;
• Maintains and enhances the reputation of the profession;
• Applies professional scepticism;
• Knows when and how to refer to other professionals and experts;
• Engages in continuing professional developments as a lifelong process;
• Plans and exercises due diligence;
• Ensures that information is communicated to the appropriate people on a timely basis;
• Maintains positive, productive relationships with decision-makers, policymakers, clients, stakeholders, colleagues, supervisors, and staff;
• Expresses and exchange information in a clear and concise manner (e.g. explains technical information in plain language);
• Demonstrate professional courtesy;
• Evaluates own professionalism;
• Acquires, maintains knowledge and skills in the public policy advocacy and non public policy advocacy field;
• Prepare a wide variety of reports for specific purposes using clear, communicative and professional language;
• Listen, encourages feedback, and follow up to ensure that communications are clearly understood.

Code of Conduct of Public Policy Advocates

1. Conduct their business to the highest professional and ethical standards, and in accordance with all relevant law and regulation with respect to public policy advocacy;
2. Act with honesty, integrity and good faith and avoid conduct or practices likely to bring discredit upon themselves, government representatives, their employers or clients;
3. Apply their skills and knowledge to diligently advance and advocate their clients' interests, without compromising any other obligation under this Code;
4. Not make misleading, exaggerated or extravagant claims about the nature or extent of their ability to achieve outcomes;
5. Use reasonable endeavours to satisfy themselves of the truth and accuracy of all statements and information provided by and to clients, and to the public, government and agencies;
6. Not knowingly disseminate false or misleading information, and take care to avoid doing so inadvertently;
7. Advise clients where their objectives may be illegal or unethical, and refuse to act for a client in pursuit of any such objectyive;
8. Not engage in conduct that is corrupt, dishonest or illegal, or causes or threatens any detriment;
9. Identify themselves, their employer (where relevant) and their client when making contact with a government representative;
10. Disclose to clients any actual or potential conflict of interest;
11. Keep confidential all information provided to them during the course of their work and not disclose or use that information without the express approval of the legal owner of that information, or where required by law, or where necessary to prevent a substantial damage to the public interest;
12. Where relevant, take reasonable steps to inform themeselves, their clients and employers of any social, environmental and economic consequences which may arise from their actions;
13. Promote the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of race, creed, gender, age, location, social status, disability or any other form of unlawful discrimination;
14. Keep separate from their public policy advocacy activities any personall activity or involvement on behalf of a political party.