In general, most regulatory agencies include the following information on job descriptions:
- key responsibilities and duties;
- experience required;
- qualifications/evaluation criteria;
- special skills (if needed); and
- how to apply (application instructions and procedures).
Some countries establish specific professional qualifications and background for members of the collegiate body (commissioners/board members) who are chosen on the basis of their knowledge and expertise in the communications field. They can come from both the public and private sectors and have different professional backgrounds (e.g., lawyers, economists, engineers, academics, and government officials). In some countries, however, the professional background of the chairperson of the commission/board and some members is specified. In India, for instance, members of the TRAI can be drawn from a variety of fields, but the Chairperson must be, or should have been, a Supreme Court Judge or a Chief Justice of a High Court.1 In the Philippines, the National Communications Commission (NTC) consists of the Commissioner and two Deputy Commissioners, preferably one being a lawyer and the other an economist.2 In the United States, it is not only the professional background of the candidates that is taken into consideration when considering the composition of the commission, but also their political affiliation. Of the five FCC commissioners, no more than three can be of the same political party at any given time.3
Certain regulatory agencies, like the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) in Jordan, have minimum requirements for professional applicants, regardless of the position for which they are applying. These qualifications include a degree from an accredited university, fluency in both English and Arabic (spoken and written), and knowledge of MS Office applications. They also must be Jordanian citizens.4 OSIPTEL in Peru also includes minimum requirements for professional applicants, among them: university degree (in specific field depending on the job position), experience, and an intermediate knowledge of English.5 Similarly, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) in Hong Kong includes entry requirements for professional candidates, such as: a Hong Kong university degree (or equivalent), fluency in English and Chinese (spoken and written), and knowledge of MS Office.6
Countries such as Canada, Dominican Republic, Nigeria, Panama and South Africa require that commission/board members be citizens of the country.7 In Panama and Peru, commission/board members must have at least ten years of experience in the telecommunications industry and a university degree (master’s degree equivalent) in order to be considered for nomination.8
For those regulatory agencies that provide job descriptions, the amount of information requested and/or provided can vary from the most general to the most specific. For instance, below is a sample of a job description published by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) in Ireland (Box 6-1):
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Box 6-1: ComReg Sample Job Description
Manager, Consumer Care
Date Posted:
As Manager of the Consumer Care Team, committed to delivering excellent service to consumers of telecommunications and postal services in Ireland, you will have the following key responsibilities:
- Effective day-to-day management of the Consumer Care Team
- Communication and liaison on consumer care issues, within ComReg and with external stakeholders
- Driving consumer awareness and information initiatives
You will be an individual of considerable caliber, with a track record of achievement in operational delivery and team management.
Possessing a third-level qualification, you will have the skills and capability to inspire, motivate and mentor team members to achieve their objectives.
You must be capable of working on your own initiative; have strong analytical and decision making skills; excellent communication and influencing skills and people management experience.
Experience in the area of customer service and/or telecommunications will be advantageous.
Reporting to the Information Services Manager, the successful candidate will be offered highly competitive performance-related remuneration and benefits, including bonus, together with continuous training and development. |
Source: ComReg (Ireland) – http://www.comreg.ie/recruitment
In comparison, a job description published by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) in Singapore provides more detailed information with regards to the duties and requirements of the position (Box 6-2):
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Box 6-2: IDA Sample Job Description
Consultant/Senior Consultant (IT Planning)
Closing Date for Application:
Responsibilities
- Formulate proposals and flesh out related systems, processes and policies for IT planning projects such as Portfolio Management and Enterprise Architecture.
- Project manage IT planning consultancy projects to ensure the quality of project deliverables, timeliness of delivery and within budget.
- Apply project outputs to put into operation MOE's IT budget and expenditure, investment decisions, resource management etc. E.g. Scoring Model, Systems Continuity Review, Audit Framework.
- Develop and review MOE IT policies.
- Provide IT audit planning, facilitation and advisory services to ITB and users.
- Project manage IT audits to ensure quality and timely delivery within budget. Manage auditors, users, ITB officers.
- Assist in special reviews and investigations, where necessary. Systems continuity reviews, cost allocation and special investigations are examples of such work.
- Supervise at least 2 staff members in the delivery of ITPP services
Requirements
- Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, Computer, Electronics Engineering or IT or equivalent. Masters in Business Admin or knowledge of business management will be an advantage.
- 6 - 10 years of relevant IT experience, inclusive of at least 2 years’ experience in managing an IT project team. Experience in IT planning and/or audit functions will be an advantage.
- Good project management, written and communications skills.
- Able to conceptualize high level IT planning / governance concepts.
- Knowledge or experience in IT planning and corporate governance, and basic knowledge in IT audit practices are needed.
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Source: IDA (Singapore) – Carriers @ IDA - http://www.ida.gov.sg/idaweb/aboutida/index.jsp
Certain regulatory agencies, such as OFTA in Hong Kong and the FCC in the United States, are even more explicit in the information they include in their job descriptions. OFTA, for example, indicates the term of the appointment (length of contract), newspapers in which the advertisement has appeared, and the policy for applicants with disabilities, among others.
The FCC indicates that it is an equal opportunity employer, whether a security clearance is required or not, whether relocation expenses will be covered or not, the policy for applicants with disabilities and preference in hiring veterans, and information that should be included in the curriculum vitae. In addition, FCC applicants must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine their suitability to work for a government agency and to authorize a background investigation.9
Job descriptions for regulatory agencies can readily be found on most regulatory authority websites. However, many regulators do not provide specific job descriptions on their websites. Instead, they provide a description of the different departments/divisions of the regulatory authority and encourage those interested to submit their curriculum vitae for consideration.
The means used to hire employees in the regulatory industry vary from regulatory authority to regulatory authority. For instance, in Nigeria and South Africa, telecommunications regulator employees are considered public/civil servants and as such are entitled to the same salary levels, pension and benefits as other public/civil servants.10 In Canada, employees of the CRTC are appointed in accordance with the country’s Public Service Employment Act.11
In Latvia, Peru, Philippines, and Poland, regulators support the professional advancement of their employees by encouraging their participation in specialized training courses, seminars, and workshops.12 For example, in an effort to prepare its employees for the country’s ascension into the EU, the URTiP in Poland organized capacity building courses in foreign languages, as well as courses focused on issues related to Europe’s integration.13 In Latvia, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) supports efforts by its employees to further university studies at Latvian universities and sponsors employees interested in pursuing foreign language studies and in-service capacity building in regulatory institutions abroad.14
In Botswana, in addition to supporting employees’ interests in obtaining specialized training and pursuing university degrees, the BTA has established the Botswana Telecommunications Authority Staff Pension Fund and assists employees in obtaining personal, car, and home loans. The BTA has also established a performance management system with the objective of rewarding performance and encouraging productivity among its employees. This system also helps the regulator determine the training needs of its staff.15
In Senegal, employees of the Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications (ART) have access to a pension fund and are offered diverse bonuses and loans, as well as medical coverage and grants for mobile phone service and home remodeling. A capacity building plan has been developed to strengthen employee skills in various areas (i.e.g., management and technical) and training is carried out in Senegal and abroad. In 2004, the ART focused its capacity-building efforts on effective regulation to ensure that all staff involved had the same level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. In 2005, the agency focused its efforts on providing top management personnel with training, based on each individual’s needs, most of which was carried out abroad. Similar to the BTA in Botswana, the ART has established a performance management system that evaluates each employee’s annual performance based on their accomplishments and those areas where improvement is needed. Employees are awarded a year-end bonus (a maximum of 1.5 times their net salary) based on the results of this evaluation.16
Although various ways exist to engage employees and thus improve a regulator’s efficiency and effectiveness, establishing a performance management system - such as that in place in Botswana and Senegal - can ensure consistency in achieving a regulator’s objectives and goals.
Regulators must keep in mind that staff turnover is a business risk requiring management.17 A high turnover rate can be harmful as it can lead to lack of continuity and diminishes the ability to achieve the regulator’s goals and objectives. Therefore, regulators need to establish the measures necessary to create a working environment that will keep staff members motivated and enhance their desire to stay with the regulator. However, a low or non-existent turnover rate is not advisable either, as new employees can often bring new skills and insights with them, so measures should be balanced to also attract new employees to the regulator.
Regulators also should continually re-examine their organizational and administrative structures in order to be prepared for changes that may occur within it, as well as in the sector it regulates. Establishing a solid and well-prepared staff can be instrumental in helping a regulator manage internal and external changes in a successful manner.18 A regulator and its staff should aim to have the skills necessary to keep abreast of the needs and changes of the country’s telecommunications market sector and thus be able to respond to these changes in an independent and transparent manner.
ENDNOTES
1 TRAI Act, 2000.
2 National Telecommunications Commission of the Philippines, NTC Practices and Procedures Manual, 1 May 1992, available at http://www.ntc.gov.ph/manual/manual_toc_and_preface.pdf.
3 Federal Communications Commission, About the FCC: A Consumer Guide to Our Organization, Functions and Procedures, available at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-247863A1.pdf.
4 TRC (Jordan) http://www.trc.gov.jo.
5 OSIPTEL (Peru) http://www.osiptel.gob.pe.
6 OFTA (Hong Kong) http://www.ofta.gov.hk.
7 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act; Dominican Republic Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, No. 153-98 Capitulo XII, Titulo II; Nigerian Communications Act, 2003; Ley 26 creating the Panamanian Ente Regulador de los Servicios Publicos, 1996; and South Africa Telecommunications Act, 2000.
8 See Ley 26 creating the Panamanean Ente Regulador de los Servicios Publicos, 1996. See also Reglamento General del Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL), 2001.
9See OFTA (Hong Kong) http://www.ofta.gov.hk and FCC (United States) http://www.fcc.gov/jobs.
10 Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 and South Africa Telecommunications Act, 2000.
11 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, 2002.
12 Latvian Public Utilities Commission Annual Report (2004), OSIPTEL Annual Report (2003), Philippines National Telecommunications Commission Practices & Procedures Manual (1992), and Poland’s Annual Report of the President of the Office of Telecommunications and Post Regulation (2003).
13 Poland’s Annual Report of the President of the Office of Telecommunications and Post Regulation (2003).
14 Latvian Public Utilities Commission Annual Report (2004).
15 BTA Annual Report 2003-2004.
16 Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications (ART) du Sénégal.
17 Control Staff Turnover, available at http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074410820.
18 The Change Management Toolbook: Introduction, available at http://www.change-management-toolbook.com/ (click on "Listen to an Audio Guide of the website") and Change Management 101: A Primer, available at http://home.att.net/~nickols/change.htm.