Fulfilling our responsibility towards the people at GIZ

Developing skills

The aim of HR development at GIZ is to foster the skills of all members of the workforce, develop these competencies and enhance the employability of our staff. The training courses offered by GIZ are reviewed and, if necessary, adapted annually in a company-wide process. All the courses are listed in the catalogue produced by GIZ’s own Academy for International Cooperation. In addition, staff can also request to take part in training offered by external providers.

The Digital Literacy Action Plan (2019–2022) aims to enhance the digital skills of the company’s staff. With the digital transformation in full swing, self-directed learning on the job is becoming increasingly important; the Academy for International Cooperation has incorporated support for self-directed learning processes into its vision. GIZ therefore continued to expand the digital learning opportunities it offers in 2021. In addition, GIZ’s first company-wide Digital Literacy Festival was held for staff in 2021, focusing on the topics of networking and the transfer of digital skills.

The staff assessment and development talks are the foundation for company-based training. All staff are entitled to receive feedback from their managers once a year on their performance and skills. During this session, managers not only provide this feedback but also look ahead to future tasks and developments and, depending on the country-specific rules, agree on goals with their staff. The extent to which these goals are reached forms part of the assessment of each staff member’s overall performance. A performance assessment is also made as the basis for performance-related remuneration.

In the staff assessment and development talk between the employee and their manager, specific measures to maintain and promote the staff member’s employability are also discussed and agreed on. In particular, this can include HR development measures to acquire necessary skills for current and future tasks and measures aimed at maintaining performance. These could be agreements on dealing with learning areas, on promoting potential, on assuming new or modified tasks or on training or other development measures. Corporate health management measures and opportunities to enhance digital literacy are also available.

Staff are entitled to study periods of between five and 25 days (depending on their position) per year to acquire and hone their digital skills. A self-assessment tool provides recommendations on areas to focus on and study time. If a staff member already has considerable expertise, they have the option of working in a network as a digital pioneer to support their colleagues.

To adopt an even more strategic approach to staff development and the planning of future assignments for individual staff members, GIZ established the Focus Project on Tailored Expertise as part of its Corporate Strategy 2020–2022. Flexible, forward-looking HR management ensures that the appropriate expertise is available for key positions. Skill profiles have been developed for selected positions and are now being set out in detail as part of efforts to refine guidance systems for HR development.