Competency mapping is the process of identifying the specific skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviours required to operate effectively in a specific trade, profession, or job position. Competency maps are often referred to as competency profiles or skills profiles.
We develop competency maps according to the client’s needs. That means we can develop a completely customized competency map, or we can build upon an organization’s existing competency maps or occupational information. All of our competency maps are all-encompassing, including professional, personal, and technical competencies.
The Competency Group is flexible in our competency map development process. Our many years of competency experience — including an extensive history working with the Canadian pioneers of the DACUM process — have allowed us to develop the most efficient way to build competency maps with current job practitioners. Since then, our team has worked with subject matter experts from all industries and sectors to define the competencies of many occupations.
Although the system has been improved over the years, we still use the key principles that make it work:
- Unlike some systems that rely on complex research, DACUM‘s foundation is that expert practitioners are best equipped to identify the competencies required to perform the job well.
- The method is quick and efficient. A job can be analyzed in 1-2 days.
- The competency analysis is conducted by an experienced facilitator who obtains participants’ consensus on the competencies required for the job.
- The competency map focuses on the general areas of competence, which are major units of work that employees perform. Then it drills down to the skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviours required for each unit of work. This approach makes the competency map a very useful and practical tool for organizations.
- It avoids the pitfalls of complicated methods that result in generic competency statements compiled into cumbersome documents. They end up unused on a shelf because organizations can’t translate the vague theories into action. In contrast, a competency map uses key phrases that are logically and concisely presented in a visual chart.
The Competency Group Experience
The Competency Group has developed competency maps for many sectors and industries such as:
- Electricity
- Mining
- Finance
- Tourism
- Biotechnology
- Food Processing
- Wood Manufacturing
- Government
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Non-profit
The benefit of competency mapping is that it creates standards for employee training and development specifically tailored to your organizational needs.