In today's world, requirements for competence are voiced more and more frequently. Let's first understand what it is, where it came from, the main problems, and I will share some thoughts on how this issue can be approached.
Very often, when asked about competence, people cheerfully reply that it is the possession of certificates and credentials. However, can the notorious certificates really serve as proof of competence…
It is no secret that the value of a certificate can often be questioned:
? The credential was simply bought
? The training was nominal (the lecturer prefers long-winded discussions, lets students go several hours early, and openly says that those who need it will read something somewhere themselves)
? The training was merely introductory, without practical exercises
I am sure we have all had the experience of receiving such certificates.
Competence is the knowledge and behavior that lead a person to success; it is the ability to perform work in accordance with standards (including changing ones), repeatedly and consistently, across the entire spectrum of one's activities (tasks).
Here we are talking not only about competence but also about leadership. Companies are made by people; people are one of the primary capitals, on par with financial capital. To what extent is an organization's leader interested in converting financial capital (investment) into human capital (growth in competencies) to reflect back on financial capital (added value)? This will ultimately be the measure of a company's success in the market as a whole.
When determining competence for each position, the following should be taken into account:
? education, training, qualifications, and experience required to perform duties, and the retraining necessary to maintain the level of competence;
? the work environment;
? preventive and control measures identified as a result of the risk assessment process(es);
? requirements applicable to the management system (including HSE);
? legal and other requirements;
? HSE policy;
? potential consequences of compliance and non-compliance;
? the degree of worker participation in the HSE management system based on their knowledge and skills;
? functions and responsibilities associated with these positions;
? personal capabilities, including experience, language proficiency, literacy, and cultural differences;
? appropriate maintenance of competence dictated by changes in context or work.
All this is possible through a systemic transformation of knowledge and the level of HSE culture.
? Process owner. The competence process, whether professional or HSE-related, must have a leader — someone from the company's senior management. This ensures sufficient attention to the process from rank-and-file employees.
? A strategy is developed — how the process will be implemented and proceed, and what the main milestones are.
? Critical types of work and corresponding positions are identified.
? Profiles are developed for specific positions — requirements for employees.
? Assessment tools are determined for the profiles.
? Either at this stage or during the strategy stage, assessors are identified — those who will conduct the competence assessment based on the developed profiles. These can be both internal employees and invited consultants.
? If internal employees are used, it is necessary to consider how to train them in the process.
? Development of report forms and key performance indicators (KPIs).
? Familiarize company employees (all of them) with the adopted process.
? Determine the tools and frequency of quality control
? And do not forget about feedback on the process from employees.
We have discussed employee competence; the HSE employee competence scheme follows the same pattern. However, their profiles should differ significantly from those of regular employees. The competence of HSE department employees is a topic for a separate article, given the dissonance caused by the requirements of a rapidly changing world and the people entering the HSE field.
The main difficulty in the above scheme is not developing the system for the organization, but implementing it. From experience, I can say that implementation often encounters resistance from the employees you least expect it from. And here, everything is heavily tied to management leadership, because posting photos on social media and in corporate magazines with smiling faces is not yet leadership.
Leadership lies precisely in how much and how you support the implementation of such complex processes in your company as competence assessment. This requires employee time, management time, and management's insight to see the positive sides of such a complex and not always straightforward process.
Not always straightforward, precisely because I have seen how the competence process (both professional and HSE) can be used as a tool for manipulation and pressure on employees.
Returning to the competence implementation process, in my practice, it can take from a year to a year and a half.