Profession secretary of state

Secretaries of state assist heads of government departments, such as ministers, and aid in the supervision of proceedings in the department. They assist in the direction of policies, operations, and department staff, and perform planning, resource allocation, and decision-making duties.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Social

Knowledge

• Audit techniques

  The techniques and methods that support a systematic and independent examination of data, policies, operations and performances using computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs) such as spreadsheets, databases, statistical analysis and business intelligence software.

• Legislation procedure

  The procedures involved in the making of laws and legislation, such as which organisations and individuals are involved, the process of how bills become laws, the proposal and reviewing process, and other steps in the legislation procedure.

• Budgetary principles

  Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.

Skills

• Perform political negotiation

  Perform debate and argumentative dialogue in a political context, using negotiation techniques specific to political contexts in order to obtain the desired goal, ensure compromise, and maintain cooperative relations.

• Advise on legislative acts

  Advise officials in a legislature on the propositioning of new bills and the consideration of items of legislation.

• Advise legislators

  Give advice on various government and legislative duties, such as policy creation and the inner workings of a governmental department, to government officials in legislative positions, such as members of parliament, government ministers, senators, and other legislators.

• Implement strategic management

  Implement a strategy for the development and transformation of the company. Strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major objectives and initiatives of a company by senior management on behalf of the owners, based on consideration of available resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organisation operates.

• Prepare legislation proposition

  Prepare the necessary documentation in order to propose a new item of legislation or a change to existing legislation, according to regulations.

• Analyse legislation

  Analyse the existing legislation from a national or local government in order to assess which improvements could be made and which items of legislation could be proposed.

• Present legislation proposition

  Present the proposition for new items of legislation or changes to existing legislation in a manner which clear, persuasive, and compliant with regulations.

• Liaise with local authorities

  Maintain the liaison and exchange of information with regional or local authorities.

• Conduct financial audits

  Evaluate and monitor the financial health, the operations and financial movements expressed in the financial statements of the company. Revise the financial records to ensure stewardship and governability.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB