Government planning inspector to secretary of state
A government planning inspector already meets 32% of what the secretary of state role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
63.9/ 100
1 How much of what a secretary of state is expected to do is already part of a government planning inspector’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the secretary of state role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A secretary of state role treats 4 of its required skills as things a government planning inspector already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise legislators
- audit techniques
- budgetary principles
- public administration
What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A secretary of state role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a government planning inspector background worth leading with.
- already held advise legislators communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held public administration social sciences, journalism and information
- already held audit techniques business, administration and law
- already held project management principles business, administration and law
- already held manage government policy implementation management skills
- already held budgetary principles business, administration and law
All 10 carried skills, including the 4 the secretary of state role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 19 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn present legislation proposition required
- still to learn advise on legislative acts required
- still to learn implement strategic management required
- still to learn liaise with local authorities required
- still to learn perform political negotiation required
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held represent the organisation optional
- optional, not held write meeting reports optional
- still to learn analyse legislation required
- still to learn conduct financial audits required
- still to learn legislation procedure required
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
- still to learn prepare legislation proposition required
- optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- still to learn good governance required
- optional, not held government representation optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a secretary of state role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 good governance study this
- 02 prepare legislation proposition practise this
- 03 present legislation proposition practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 10 skills that carry over
- already held advise legislators skill
- already held audit techniques knowledge
- already held budgetary principles knowledge
- already held public administration knowledge
- already held apply conflict management skill
- already held government policy implementation knowledge
- already held manage government policy implementation skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held present reports skill
- already held project management principles knowledge
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
- optional, not held represent the organisation optional
- optional, not held write meeting reports optional
22 held skills the secretary of state role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on conflict management skill
- not needed by the target role advise on government policy compliance skill
- not needed by the target role agricultural sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse goal progress skill
- not needed by the target role communications sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct workplace audits skill
- not needed by the target role energy sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure information transparency skill
- not needed by the target role ensure law application skill
- not needed by the target role follow up complaint reports skill
- not needed by the target role identify policy breach skill
- not needed by the target role inspect government policy compliance skill
- not needed by the target role keep task records skill
- not needed by the target role mining sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor policy proposals skill
- not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role show impartiality skill
- not needed by the target role tourism sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role trade sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role transportation sector policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
- not needed by the target role write inspection reports skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn good governance required
- still to learn legislation procedure required
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
Other moves recorded from government planning inspector
Common questions about this move
Can a government planning inspector become a secretary of state?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A government planning inspector already covers 32% of what a secretary of state is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 4 of which the secretary of state role treats as required.
What skills does a government planning inspector need to become a secretary of state?
10 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is good governance.
How hard is the move from government planning inspector to secretary of state?
Its learning distance is 63.9 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.