Chapter 5 - 3
material to increase productivity, improve management and leadership skills, and support
organizational development initiatives.
In their online literature, Mind Tools offers a useful
description of what a competency framework is, and how it might be implemented:
7.1.
“A competency framework defines the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed for people
within an organization. Each individual role will have its own set of competencies needed to
perform the job effectively. To develop this framework, you need to have an in-depth
understanding of the roles within your business. To do this, you can take a few different
approaches:
7.1.1.
Use a pre-set list of common, standard competencies, and then customize it to the
specific needs of your organization.
7.1.2.
Use outside consultants to develop the framework for you.
7.1.3.
Create a general organizational framework, and use it as the basis for other
frameworks as needed.
7.2.
Developing a competency framework can take considerable effort. To make sure the
framework is actually used as needed, it's important to make it relevant to the people
who'll be using it – and so they can take ownership of it.
7.3.
The following three principles are critical when designing a competency framework:
7.3.1.
Involve the people doing the work – These frameworks should not be developed solely
by HR people, who don't always know what each job actually involves. Nor should they
be left to managers, who don't always understand exactly what each member of their
staff does every day. To understand a role fully, you have to go to the source – the
person doing the job – as well as getting a variety of other inputs into what makes
someone successful in that job.
7.3.2.
Communicate – People tend to get nervous about performance issues. Let them know
why you're developing the framework, how it will be created, and how you'll use it.
The more you communicate in advance, the easier your implementation will be.
7.3.3.
Use relevant competencies – Ensure that the competencies you include apply to all
roles covered by the framework. If you include irrelevant competencies, people will
probably have a hard time relating to the framework in general. For example, if you
created a framework to cover the whole organization, then financial management
would not be included unless every worker had to demonstrate that skill. However, a
framework covering management roles would almost certainly involve the financial
management competency.”
Chapter 5 - 4
HOW?
8.
Many organisations manage their HR using off-the-shelf or bespoke databases or simple
spreadsheets.
Spreadsheet Model
9.
At its most basic level, a spreadsheet that depicts the competences required and held by the
organisation’s staff may suffice, so long as the information displayed is backed up with evidence
for the various competences, as in this fictitious example:
Human Resources Management Databases - The Bofors Test Centre Experience
10.
Using HSQ’s Key Roles as a framework, and the process outlined in the
Step-by-Step Guide to the
Implementation of Occupational Standards
, we created comprehensive role profile maps for an
Assembly/disassembly Foreman and a Test Leader.
11.
An important lesson that was learned very early in the role profiling exercise was that although a
manager may have responsibility for a particular process, he or she does not necessarily need to
have level 4 or higher competence in every element of the work; it is quite acceptable in the
right context for a manager to have level 2 or 3 knowledge and practice of the matter in order to
make informed decisions on problems and solutions presented by more expert workers.
Chapter 5 - 5
12.
Within the company’s competence management system, they had previously defined a set of
generic levels, accepting that particular areas of work might have specific descriptions of the
level of competence to guide management and staff. The generic competence levels are:
12.1.
Level 1. Basic Skills
Basic knowledge required to have a good knowledge in the field. In some theoretical
subjects, the levels are comparable secondary qualifications. When Level 1 is a requirement
of the position, this means that the subject itself is peripheral to the work practice (can be
self-supported).
12.2.
Level 2. Proficiency
Knowledge makes a mastery of the terms in a professional manner. Can directly perform
satisfactory work in knowledge. (Can self-solve arising problems). In some theoretical
subjects, the level is comparable to advanced courses at university. For practical knowledge
level means that the individual has at least two years of experience in the field.
12.3.
Level 3. Expert knowledge
Very deep and detailed knowledge of the field. (Can educate others). Can create
instructions in the field. In some theoretical subjects, the level is comparable to a university
degree or equivalent. For practical knowledge level means more years of experience in the
field.
13.
To help to gauge the levels of competence in terms of using the Standards, we compared the
system’s levels of competence against the EQF descriptors and the company decided that the
closest alignment was:
Competence Management System Level
EQF Level
0 (some competences incomplete)
Not applicable
1 (skilled, work with support/supervision)
2 (operator)
2 (experienced, can supervise)
3 (supervisor)
3 (very skilled and experienced, can educate)
4 (manager)
14.
Now that we had a framework, the next stage was to map the Standards in the Role Profiles that
had been developed, which also gave us the chance to question the alignment we had agreed.
There were a couple of instances where the alignment was not clear at first but looking closely
at the elements of the Standard and considering the company’s requirement in detail, the
alignment rang true in all cases.
15.
In the extract from the BTC working spreadsheet shown here you can see not only the alignment
of Competera level to EQF level, but also examples of where the Assembly/Disassembly
foreman’s assessed Competera level exceeds the company’s requirement. This is not seen as
‘over-training’ but as an advantage for the company.
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