What competencies should be prioritized in the training of social welfare officers at grade 8 and below? -Utilizing the Borich Needs Assessment and the Locus for Focus Model-

This study was conducted to identify the priority competencies that should be addressed in the training of local government social welfare officers at grade 8 and below. To achieve the research objective, the importance and implementation of specific competencies were surveyed among 149 social welfare officers at grade 9 and 8. The analysis was performed using Borich’s Needs Assessment and The Locus for Focus Model. The highest priority competencies identified as necessary for training were ‘communication,’ ‘conflict management/negotiation,’ ‘safety, crisis, and human rights violation prevention and response,’ and ‘case management.’ The next priority competencies included ‘problem-solving,’ ‘self-management,’ ‘understanding the characteristics of welfare recipients in different areas,’ ‘understanding the welfare delivery system/field,’ ‘counseling,’ and ‘community organization/networking’. Based on the study results, recommendations were made for tasks necessary for implementing competency-based training for social welfare officers.