A competency framework is a comprehensive structure which describes different competencies with its specific set of behavioral indicators and measurement criteria.

Most of the organizations have their own distinct set of competency framework which is in alignment

Most of the organizations have their own distinct set of competency framework which is in alignment to their visions and mission and long and short term organizational goals.

There are certain clear benefits of the competency framework for the organizations:

1. A common understanding of critical success factors and desired behaviors within the organization
2. Integration of organizational process to competencies helps the interpretation of big picture concerns in day to day working [e.g. Situation of a new product launch and the competency Customer Focus valued by the organization]
3. Better management and effective decisions regarding cost intensive processes like selection, hiring and promotions
4. Assessment, feedback and communication regarding performance becomes standardized thus facilitating a common culture

Generally, competencies have behavioral indicators as their building blocks, related behaviors are grouped under a competency and similar theme of competencies are further grouped together to form clusters. Ideally, a cluster of 8-12 competencies are found to be sufficient but one can also come across frameworks containing more than 15 competencies.

Key points to consider while developing a competency framework:

• The description should be as specific as possible to remove any traces of ambiguity
• The language needs to be simple to make it comprehensible to the larger audience
• The structure has to be simple and logical
• The framework should be relevant for all the people using it and being affected by it
• The framework should take into account unexpected changes that might affect organizational transactions, which means that it should clearly outline the behaviors that describe the manner in which the job incumbents are to perform in immediate and mid-term future
• There should be no duplication or repetition of behaviors in the framework
• The behaviors should be distinct and describe just one aspect or one behavior, combination of two aspects may lead to a situation where an individual might be good at the first but poor at the second aspect

Thus a Skill is something learned in order to be able to carry out one or more job functions. Whereas, Competencies may incorporate a skill, they are MORE than just skills; Competencies include abilities and behaviours, as well as the knowledge that is fundamental to the use of a skill.

Therefore, Skills are specific learned activities like accounting, financial analysis and using a computer, while Competencies are skills + knowledge + behaviour like problem-solving, communication, or professionalism.

Example:

A person can become a good presenter (Skill) through practice, learning from others, and education. However, to be a strong communicator (Competency) one must rely on a combination of skills PLUS behaviour and knowledge.

A person can learn how to be a good presenter but only a strong communicator has advanced language skills, the knowledge of diverse cultures, and behaves patiently when communicating.

Let us look at an example of a competency framework for a CEO of an SBU:

Do you observe the rating scale in the above diagram? It transcends from a behavior displayed which is ineffective or needs development to a behavior which is highly effective. The above way of measuring competency is called Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale or BARS.

BARS is nothing but the description of the behaviors for ineffective and effective performance as shown above which when displayed by the participant or the person under observation in exercises like role plays, presentations or structured interview; is then anchored or placed at the appropriate point on the scale. The measures and descriptions of the scales are developed through a comprehensive process of job analysis using methods like critical incident technique, structured interviews etc. The scale usually ranges from 3-5 but in rare cases can go up-to 7 which becomes complex and difficult to use and therefore avoidable.

A competency framework might be developed from the scratch in a place where it does not exist or an existing framework can be expanded to make it more useful. Whatever might be the case but it would be useful to consider the following:

• Involvement of people in developing the framework, which creates a buy-in and an ownership
• Keeping people well informed about the developments while also explaining the objectives and reasons behind them
• Identifying and creating competencies which are relevant to the organization

With a robust competency framework and HR processes in alignment to the framework gives an organization a competitive edge in the dynamic labor market and facilitates the brand of the organization as an employer.

2017 Apprenticeship Perception Poll Results:

Earlier this year, Investors in People conducted research and produced a report aiming to outline the determinants of a good apprenticeship scheme. One strand of this research was to pinpoint perceptions held by young people and their parents toward apprenticeships. It intended to discern what motivated young people when considering their options for study post- 16 and indeed what parents believed were the most important factor that their children should consider when weighing up whether an apprenticeship was right for them.

Ahead of the annual Skills Show this weekend, Investors in People has put together an overview of the results of the Investors in People’s ‘2017 Apprenticeship Perception Poll’. The statistics that were gleaned from this survey revealed that misconception and outdated thinking around apprenticeships are holding the model back from making more of an impact on our education system and indeed our economy.

The Results

The headline finding was that 53% of young people have never considered applying for an apprenticeship. Given that students must now stay in education until the age of 18, it is concerning that more have not considered the career that could be offered by an apprenticeship as an alternative to university study.

Breaking these findings down further, it appears that 52% of parents see apprenticeships as a route solely for those wanting a career in the trades when in fact apprenticeships are offered across more than 170 industries and 1500 job roles. This means that, despite these positive figures on the diversification of the apprenticeship model, the evolution is not being effectively communicated. Moreover, 28% of young people still report that apprenticeships aren’t offered in the industry they wish to work in which evidences that although great strides have been made, there is still some way to go to making apprenticeships standard practice across all sectors.

Moving Forward

Most disconcertingly, the survey revealed that 42% of young people are not confident in their ability to choose an employer who offers great quality apprenticeships. This contextualises that for those 47% of young people who do consider the apprenticeship route, it’s possible that nearly half of them don’t feel confident about their place in the process they’re about to embark on. It should be the duty of government to give schools the correct information to share with students and thus support them fully should they decide to look for an apprenticeship. Having as much information and support as possible is the most fundamental way to give young people the confidence they need to thrive on an apprenticeship scheme.

Of these findings, Investors in People CEO Paul Devoy said “There is much work to be done in communicating the benefits that following an apprenticeship scheme can produce. This is both the responsibility of government and individual employers working hard in their local areas to promote the opportunities that are available not just for school leavers, but also those looking to re-skill. The findings of IIP’s poll emphasise that perceptions must change if apprenticeships can truly be the missing link in solving Britain’s productivity puzzle.”

ENABLERS – WHAT AN ORGANISATION DOES AND HOW IT DOES IT? 

There are five Enablers, pictured on the left-hand side of the Model.  These are the things an organisation needs to do to develop and implement its strategy.

LEADERSHIP

Excellent organisations have leaders who shape the future and make it happen, acting as role models for its values and ethics and inspiring trust at all times.  They are flexible, enabling the organisation to anticipate and reach in a timely manner to ensure the on-going success of the organisation.

STRATEGY

Excellent organisations implement their Mission and Vision by developing a stakeholder focused strategy.  Policies, plans, objectives and processes are developed and deployed to deliver the strategy.

PEOPLE

Excellent organisations value their people and create a culture that allows the mutually beneficial achievement of organisational and personal goals.  They develop the capabilities of their people and promote fairness and equality.  They care for, communicate, reward and recognise, in a way that motivates people, builds commitment and enables them to use their skills and knowledge for the benefit of the organisation.

PARTNERSHIPS & RESOURCES

Excellent organisations plan and manage external partnerships, suppliers and internal resources in order to support their strategy, policies and the effective operation of processes.  They ensure that they effectively manage their environmental and societal impact.

PROCESSES, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Excellent organisations design, manage and improve processes, products and services to generate increasing value for customers and other stakeholders.

RESULTS – WHAT AN ORGANISATION ACHIEVES?

There are four Results areas, shown on the right-hand side of the Model.  These are the results an organisation achieves, in line with their strategic goals.  In all four results areas, we find those excellent organisations:

• Develop a set of key performance indicators and related outcomes to determine the successful deployment of their strategy, based on the needs and expectations of the relevant stakeholder groups
• Set clear targets for key results, based on the needs and expectations of their business stakeholders, in line with their chosen strategy
• Segment results to understand the performance of specific areas of the organisation and the experience, needs and expectations of their stakeholders
• Demonstrate positive or sustained good business results over at least 3 years
• Clearly understand the underlying reasons and drivers of observed trends and the impact these results will have on other performance indicators and related outcomes
• Have confidence in their future performance and results based on their understanding of the cause and effect relationships established
• Understand how their key results compare to similar organisations and use this data, where relevant, for target setting

CUSTOMER RESULTS

Excellent organisations achieve and sustain outstanding results that meet or exceed the need and expectations of their customers.

PEOPLE RESULTS

Excellent organisations achieve and sustain outstanding results that meet or exceed the need and expectations of their people.

SOCIETY RESULTS

Excellent organisations achieve and sustain outstanding results that meet or exceed the need and expectations of relevant stakeholders within society.

BUSINESS RESULTS

Excellent organisations achieve and sustain outstanding results that meet or exceed the need and expectations of their business stakeholders.

2017 may be well underway, but we wanted to take the time to reflect on the past and look ahead to predict the way in which our business continuity profession will continue to mature over the coming year and beyond. In many ways, this ‘top five’ list is aspirational – that being my hopes for our profession as we solve some entrenched challenges and work to add more value to the organizations we serve.

1. ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’

It was Leonardo di Vinci who delivered this impressive quote.

We’ve seen a tremendous amount of energy around the idea that our approach as business continuity professionals needs to resonate better in our organizations, doing so in a manner that is easier to digest. In other words, pulling back on jargon, stale methodology, and unnecessary complexity. The goal should be to use approaches that are easier to connect to and participate in (from the perspective of the audience that we’re working to protect).

Some ‘simplicity’ opportunities include:

• Business impact analysis processes that get to realistic business continuity requirements without endless analysis;
• Actionable, ‘skinny’ plans that describe how to recover and clarify how to operate differently until a return to normal; and
• Training and awareness activities that focus on how to respond to a disruption rather than how to participate in business continuity methodology.

We are going to become much more aware of how our organizations use our tools, processes, and outcomes, and we will become more open-minded and look for ways to make working with us easier and more effective.

2. Meaningful coordination across disciplines

Organizational resilience. Enterprise risk management. Governance, risk, and compliance. These umbrella efforts all involve a broad range of disciplines to enable the organization to manage risk and achieve its objectives. Involving ourselves in these efforts necessitates the needs to coordinate, share information, and prioritize where to spend limited resources.

But, what does this coordination look like – and with whom? Some of the most innovative companies are exploring this question and achieving success, which often involves a shared understanding of:

• The most important products and services (today and into the future)
• Organizational strategy and priorities (again, today and into the future)
• Risk appetite (tolerance)
• The organizational structure and resources necessary to deliver products and services
• The best way to engage senior leadership in prioritizing and decision-making

Putting aside the topic of where business continuity does or should report to, different disciplines that can and should work together to solve organizational risk issues include physical security, information security, product/marketing, credit risk, legal/regulatory compliance, public relations/communications, information technology, operational risk, and business continuity.

As business continuity professionals do we need information and engagement such as this? Absolutely! Would it be beneficial to work with others to develop such an understanding and an engagement model, sharing resources and knowledge? No doubt!

We see less of a focus on the disciplines that contribute to managing risk, and more of a focus on the realization of efficient, prioritized outcomes.

3. A focus on outcomes rather than methodology

The business impact analysis, risk assessment, plans, and exercises are all a means to an end. The actual end that we need to be laser-focused on achieving is helping our organizations become more resilient and prepared for a disruption.

“What would we do if…?”

“How would we do X if we lost Y?”

“Is it possible to meet Customer Z’s expectations when…?”

Having answers to these common questions that worry our senior leadership teams is the key to adding value. Whether a for-profit private sector company or a governmental entity, your organization provides something of value to a customer or citizen.

Protect the processes and resources that deliver value and do so in the most efficient manner possible.

We can predict that a growing percentage of business continuity professionals will learn to focus more on outcomes than methodology and terminology.

4. Flexibly – include rather than exclude

“That’s not what business continuity is, so no, we don’t do that.” We think we’re all guilty at times of saying something like this. Perhaps we should approach all requests for help with an open mind and determine how we can contribute to a solution. Even if the organization’s issue isn’t traditional business continuity – or maybe it’s not even close – why not reflect on what we can contribute? Is it a detailed understanding of the processes, activities, and resources and can our value be volunteering that information as part of a team to solve the issue?

We don’t see the need for business continuity profession going away, but we do believe we will see more flexible, nimble professionals that will be less focused on drawing boundaries around their responsibilities and more focused on solving organizational barriers to achieving objectives. This solution will take place by working with other disciplines to share knowledge and manage risk appropriately.

5. Affecting culture (versus focusing on plan documentation)

Building on number 3 above, here’s another quote that really tells a lot about an organization’s business continuity maturity:

“Before we make this decision and go down this path, have we thought about the business continuity implications of this approach? Are we more or less at risk if we do this?”

Imagine an organization that no longer focuses on bolting on business continuity solutions to high-risk strategy but instead proactively takes into account disruption-related risk when making choices. That’s a mature organization and one that we predict will become more and more common in the years ahead.

– Cheif Business Continuity Consultant | Bay Global

Bay Global – Business Development wing specialize in providing strategic advice and operational support for developing your business. This includes:

• Strategy Formation
• Development plan
• Infrastructure Management
• Team Management
• Lead Generation
• Customer Relations
• Branding
• Advertisement
• Internet Marketing & SEO
• Social Media marketing
• Public Relations

Our approach focus on:

1. Working with the business owners or senior management team to understand the needs of the business.
2. Execution plan as per the strategy and development plan, including infrastructure development.
3. Testing and brainstorming to provide option to achieve the targeted audience.
4. Go public with Print Media, Website, SEO & Social Media campaigns.
5. Providing a ‘holistic’ approach to the company’s marketing and business development programmes.
6. Translating the strategy into marketing and lead generation.
7. Providing practical hands-on support to implement your marketing activities.
8. Product knowledge training and marketing skill development for the internal and outsourced BD Staff.
9. Delivering a healthy ‘Sales Pipeline’ with quality leads to drive revenue generation.
10. Last, but not the least – Retention Practice Implementation.