What are the Competencies?
The Public Service Pathways program has been built on a set of competencies that function as a baseline for developing a public service mindset across the different pathways. They are meant to help you reflect on your own values, formulate an understanding of your context and societal systems, and develop your own skills and approach to public service and community engagement.
Civic Identity
Civic identity is the way we understand ourselves as members of society. This begins with a strong understanding of the many facets of our identity (e.g. cultural, ethnic, racial, political, and religious etc.) and our sense of responsibility towards others.
Civic Commitment
Civic commitment is the ongoing development and reflection of our purpose and responsibility for making our communities better places. It requires us to develop empathy, humility, and appreciation for different perspectives as we make connections between our experiences in communities and classrooms.
Community Context
Every place and community is a unique landscape of contexts and people. Different communities have been home to various movements and changemakers; local, national, and global histories; communities of individuals defined by shared identity, and differing visions of community well-being. Successful community engagement requires acknowledging these systemic forces, understanding places, knowing histories, and respecting community leaders and knowledge-holders.
Civic Communication
Civic communication allows us to establish relationships, build trust, and further civic action. Generous listening, clearly expressing our ideas, and meaningfully incorporating other perspectives requires practice.
Ethical Action
Ethical action is the integration of rigor and empathy to respond to ethical dilemmas. It requires us to identify and understand our own beliefs and values, be guided by empathy to think about how different perspectives might be applied, and develop a response to the dilemma.
Collaboration
Collaboration occurs when we work with others toward a shared goal taking time to build authentic relationships, sharing responsibility, seeking diverse viewpoints, reflecting on our own interactions, and leveraging each team member’s unique talents and insights.