Which competencies are needed to remain professionally competent and capable of acting? This is one of the central questions of the present and recently published meta-study by Fraunhofer FOKUS. In particular, the study examined which competencies are named in secondary sources in the context of digital transformation. The aim of the study is to record and analyze the current state of discussion in the literature and relevant actors in this field. This will provide a basis for further investigation of the changing occupational demands and competence requirements in the specific domains to be examined.

Juliane Schmeling, a researcher in the Digital Public Services business unit of Fraunhofer FOKUS and one of the authors of the study, emphasizes: “Competencies in the digitized work environment are not necessarily digital, purely IT-related competencies and should therefore not be regarded as a separate bundle of competencies. Our study shows that personal and not directly IT-related competencies, in particular, are gaining in importance with digitalization. Not that these haven't been significant up to now, but they must not be neglected in the context of digitalization. In the course of digital transformation, self-organization skills, problem-solving skills, social skills, orientation skills, and management techniques must be given a great deal of consideration alongside strongly IT-related skills.”

The results of the analysis and all sources can be viewed in the online dashboard provided in German at https://qualifica-digitalis.fokus.fraunhofer.de/ and searched using various filter options. The queries are displayed on the dashboard with graphical visualizations.

The Qualifica Digitalis project is a research, development and implementation project of the IT Planning Council and deals with the qualification of employees that is required in the course of the digital transformation of the public sector. The digitalization of public administration, both internally and externally, brings with it changes within the structures, processes, and services of public administration. These changes must be accompanied by education, training, and further education, but also by appropriate framework conditions for self-organized learning and further training of employees.

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is in charge of the project. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, as well as the federal (city-) states of Berlin, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, selected municipalities, the trade union ver.di and the German Federation of Civil Servants combined with other actors from science and education, are involved in the content of the project. The project was initiated by the IT Planning Council.