This study aimed to describe the technical competences and skills needed for federal criminalist forensic experts acting as managers in a unit of criminalist Forensic at Federal Police in Brazil, specifically in Technical and Scientific Sectors (Setecs) and the Scientific-Technical Units (Utecs), according to the theory of competences and abilities. Rereading these fundamentals, including social skills, strengthened the theoretical basis for analysis of the results of the empirical phase of this research. From a practical point of view this procedure can contribute to construct a policy for managing people, based on competency, aligned with strategic planning for the development of the organization, optimizing the assignment process to leadership positions, particularly in the area of Criminology, considering the specificities of this area of expertise. We used a questionnaire with 10 questions with professional activity and socio-demographic information, as well as an inventory in which respondents indicated the importance and the degree of mastery of a series of selected competences, derived through literature analysis. After proper approval, the questionnaire was sent to all 53 unit leaders for Federal Police Criminalist offices. The results indicate differences regarding the competencies between the heads of Utec, younger and with shorter experience and the heads of Setec, with longer experience both with forensics and in management. The results also allowed to highlight some technical skills and abilities as being most relevant and to be developed by and for experts, who are or aspire to play the role of managers in the unit of Forensics in the Federal Police. The results also allowed a better understanding of the relationship between competences and abilities, and in practice, helped to clarify the picture of progress and limitations in current management. We conclude therefore that the Federal Government promoted advances in the human resources policy of the Public Service, however, the implementation of a modern personnel management has not yet consolidated, the Federal Police Department. This is evidenced by the lack of skills essential for the managers to operate with excellence the function of managers of Units of Technical Expertise.
Competencies; Skills; Leadership positions; Forensics; Brazil Federal Police
