Research Center Administrative Sciences

In an organization, knowledge takes on different forms. In its " solid " form, as a kind of resource for later action, knowledge is held in bodies and artefacts (documents, tools/technologies, premises), while in its " fluid " form it is expressed in the most diverse practices of the organization. This first area of tension is crossed by a second, which lies between the logic of exclusion (knowledge only circulates between certain members of the organization) and the logic of dissemination (knowledge unfolds its effect through collective dissemination and socialization). At the same time, not all knowledge is desirable, as it may stabilize undesirable or outdated practices and forms of interaction. Changes in the material technological "infrastructure" of an organization cause shifts and uncertainties in both areas of tension. 

Modern societies are characterized by increasing diversity and a plurality of social and political viewpoints and concerns. Analytically, this diversity can be broken down along the axes of ethnicity (migration, minorities, linguistic diversity, etc.), gender and social class. However, growing social diversity is also accompanied by exclusion and segregation processes, which manifest themselves in social and spatial terms and can find their political expression in isolationist efforts and radicalization tendencies. The increasing differentiation of society therefore harbors both great social potential and new challenges.

In our increasingly complex society and with growing demands on the scope and quality of government services, as well as the enormous impact of demographic developments in administration (e.g. around 48% of employees will retire by 2028), the need for administrative staff with new - and clearly defined - competencies is growing. "Competency" is understood as a bundle of skills, knowledge, behavioral patterns and abilities, as well as individual experiences and attitudes. New practices can only emerge through the introduction and active use of new competencies or through the reflective adaptation of older competencies that can also be used in new contexts.

The orientation of training and further education as well as personnel policy in public administration towards meaningful and carefully selected competencies has multi-layered effects. This brings with it a focus on performance and purpose orientation, increases transparency in the recruitment of personnel and individual career planning, has a positive effect on the potential for knowledge management, learning organizations and evidence-based decision-making, and also counteracts the party-political appropriation of administration. The prerequisite for this is that the public administration knows which competencies and knowledge are needed now and in the future. Requirement or competence profiles then form the basis for strategically oriented personnel development.