The document outlines core competencies for officers in the Medical Development Division of the Malaysian Ministry of Health. It defines core competencies as a consensus set of essential skills and knowledge. It lists six domains of competencies and divides officers into three tiers based on their role and qualifications. The objectives are to ensure officers acquire critical management skills and prepare for future roles. Acquiring competencies is intended to improve performance, not burden officers, and will evolve over time.

1. CORE COMPETENCIES:
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
Hirman Ismail MD (UKM) MOH (Nottingham)
Doctorate candidate, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine,
UKM Medical Centre
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

2. Content
• Definition
• Objectives
• Domains
• Tiers
• List of core competencies
• Summary
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

3. Definition
• Core Competencies for officers in the Medical Development Division are a
consensus set of skills and knowledge for every medical practitioner
working in the Division
• General - apply to all officers in the Division
• Specific - apply to officers working under the respective Sections and Units
in the Division. Every Section and Unit shall develop specific core
competencies list in accordance with individual function and core business.
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

4. Objectives
• To ensure all officers acquire a basic exposure on the most critical and
important components in the management of secondary & tertiary services
• This will also assist to prepare them to become better healthcare
managers or policy makers in the future
• For officers who are interested to pursue postgraduates studies including
in public health practice - a useful guide to empower themselves especially
in terms of knowledge and experience and making them better prepared
candidates
• It is also hope that this will also be an impetus for us to better integrate
with each other within the Division
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

5. “The requirement of acquiring core
competencies shall not be taken as a
burden but rather a positive move for
individuals to improve themselves”
Dato’ Dr Azman Abu Bakar
Director of Medical Development Division

6. Domains in core competencies
1 - Health policy
development and
implementation
2 - Organisation and
performance
management
3 - Financial
management in
medical services
4 - Medical profession
and human resource
development
5 - Health technology
assessment
6 - Leadership and
management
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

7. Tiers
UD 44/48 officersTier 3
• These are usually the junior managers who day-to-day task is mainly to assist in policy/ programme
implementation.
UD 52 officers or UD 48 with PG qualificationTier 2
• These are usually the middle managers who are involved in developing, planning and monitoring of
policy/ programme
UD 54 officers or UD 52 with PG qualification or Public Health SpecialistTier 1
• These are usually the senior managements who are responsible of leading or managing major
programme / projects or who are given the responsibility to head a Unit.These officers are mainly
involved in making policy decisions and strategic implementation
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

8. List of core competencies
Cross sectional
Cross division
Macro perspective
Micro perspective
Specific skills
Essential knowledge & skills

9. Acquiring core competencies
• There are many ways or tools to assist individual officer achieving or
acquiring core competencies for each level of tier.
• This include formal training (e.g. CME, courses, conferences, workshop),
informal training sessions (e.g. discussion with subject matter experts,
short attachment), on the job exposure and others.
• There is no specific way to determine the most appropriate tools for each
core competency but in general as the officers progress to higher tiers, on
the job or practical exposure is more important than just acquiring
theoretical understanding or knowledge.
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

10. Summary
• A positive change to improve
organisational behaviour
• A blessing, not a burden
• This is just a start, the initiative
will evolve and improve over time
26 core
competencies
6 domains
3 tiers
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

11. “Great things are not done by
impulse, but by a series of small
things brought together”
VincentVan Gogh

12. References
The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice 2014, Core Competencies for Public Health
Professionals, The Public Health Foundation. Available from:
http://www.phf.org/resourcestools/pages/core_public_health_competencies.aspx [12 June 2017]
Public Health Agency of Canada 2008, Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada, the Government of Canada.
Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/php-psp/ccph-cesp/pdfs/cc-manual-eng090407.pdf [12 June 2017]
The UK’s Faculty of Public Health n.d, Learning Outcome Framework. Available at:
http://www.fph.org.uk/learning_outcomes_framework [12 June 2017]
Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com | www.about.me/hirmanismail

13. THANKYOU
Dr Hirman Ismail | drhirman@outlook.com |Twitter @DrHirman | www.about.me/hirmanismail