What are Competencies
A competency refers to:
…a knowledge, skill, or attitude that enables one to effectively perform the activities of a given occupation or function to the standards expected in employment (Richey, Fields and Foxon, 2001, p. 8).”
A collection of competencies is a competency model. These models are typically prepared for both particular job categories (such as instructional designer and instructor) and entire fields of work (such as the field of training and development).
The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Improvement (IBSTPI) develops competency models for individual job roles in training and performance improvement, including instructional designers, instructors, evaluators, and online learners.
The difference between Standards and Competencies
The IBSTPI® Standards consist of three components: domains, competencies, and performance statements.
Domains are a cluster of related competencies (e.g., professional foundations, analysis, and planning, etc.).
Competencies are statements that provide a general description of a complex effort (e.g., conduct a needs assessment, describe target population, select, and use analysis techniques, etc.).
Performance statements provide a fuller description of how each competency is demonstrated (e.g., describe capabilities of emerging technologies, assess the benefits and limitations of existing emerging technologies, etc.).
The Instructional Design competency model provides an additional classification for three levels of performance based on expertise:
Essential – Considered essential for novice instructional designers.
Advanced – Expected of experienced instructional designers, in addition to the essential competencies and performance statements.
Managerial – Expected instructional designers functioning as managers, in addition to the essential and advanced competencies and performance statements.
See the example below.
How You Use Competencies
Individuals use competencies to:
- Self-assess personal progress
- Plan personal career growth
- Communicate capabilities
Organizations use competencies for:
- Capability planning
- Talent strategy formulation
- Vendor/provider selection
- Learning & Development
- Performance management
- Licensure & certification
Education & training providers use competencies for:
- Curriculum development
- Definition of outcomes and objectives
- Selection and development of training materials
- Assessment of student learning
- Recognition of prior learning
- Program and course evaluation
- Quality assurance and accreditation
How We Develop Competencies
There are three major phases used in IBSTPI’s current competency definition and updating processes, each of which is fundamentally an empirical procedure. The phases are:
- Identification of Foundational Research;
- Competency Drafting; and
- Competency Validation and Rewriting.
A research team surveys the literature for foundational research and creates a draft competency model. This model is circulated globally for feedback. That feedback is consolidated and the competencies are refined accordingly.
How Organizations Benefit
Organizations benefit from the use of competencies as those developed by IBSTPI, because it provides them with a system and model that has been tested and researched to accomplish various HR-related tasks, such as:
- Capability planning
- Talent strategy formulation
- Vendor/provider selection
- Learning & Development
- Performance management
- Licensure & certification
Organizations that serve as educational and training providers will benefit from such competencies because these will provide the input to:
- Curriculum development
- Definition of outcomes and objectives
- Selection and development of training materials
- Assessment of student learning
- Recognition of prior learning
- Program and course evaluation
- Quality assurance and accreditation
