Paul Erricker, The Project Academy

Competence

An Industry Perspective

Paul Erricker – The Project Academy Limited

What we will cover

What are competences?

What is industry doing to: Define competence requirements?

Assess competence?

Use competences to support career paths?

The graduate skills perspective

Which competences are in demand?

Excellence with Industry case study

What are “competences”?

Or is that “competencies"?

Definition

Components

How are Competencies Used?

Benefits

Training & development – to fill the gaps Resourcing – selection for different roles Career paths – clarify the stepping stones Succession Planning – identify talent and nurture it Plus many more

Defining Competence

Industry Perspective

Define

What skills do you need in your PM

community?

Assess

What skills do you have in your PM

community?

Deliver Application of

learning on live projects to ensure

performance improvement

Develop

Targeting the best skills development to achieve project

success

Good practice – industry model

Competence Indicators

© APM 2011

Example behavioural framework

Customer Focus

Responds professionally and creatively to satisfy the needs of customers to the mutual benefit of both businesses. Strives to exceed their expectations and promote our business as a deliverer of the best customer service within the industry.

A B C D E F G H

Aware / Learning Able / Applying Knowledge Proficient / Skilled / Guiding Strategic / Expert / Role

Model

Takes personal responsibility for ensuring that every customer gets what they need and has a professional, courteous and effective experience of the business

Builds and maintains strong relationships with customers – anticipates their needs and strives to ensure the customer receives high quality service at all times.

Creates a climate of partnership with customers in which they and their staff receive the highest quality of service, and the business is seen to add tangible, long-term value to the customer’s business

Creates a business culture in which outstanding service to customers is recognised and valued throughout the company. Demonstrates a profound understanding and interest in the success of customer businesses

Takes an active interest in discovering and understanding the customer’s business requirements, and how to assist in successful delivery

Courteous, polite and respectful, open and honest in dealings with customers

Takes personal ownership for sorting out customer problems and delivering high standards of service

Responds effectively and professionally to customer issues and takes appropriate action

Passes on information and feedback from customers to the appropriate departments or team members quickly and clearly

Seeks to understand the customer’s needs and requirements against the broader business background – asking relevant questions, listening to feedback and suggesting appropriate actions

Creates trust and confidence in their dealings with customers and is recognised as a credible representative of the business

Builds strong rapport with customer staff to get the job done more effectively and deliver against customer performance measures

Helps team colleagues to assess and improve their own levels of customer service

Demonstrates pride in the quality of our product and our service delivery

Listens to customer requirements carefully - offers ideas and suggestions that support the customer’s broader business requirements

challenges their thinking appropriately, and helps them to see the value of a continuing business partnership

Adapts their style and approach to respond to a diverse population of customer needs and preferences

Develops client relationships that enable difficult issues to be openly aired and resolved

Goes the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction is met in full – and exceeded

Develops strong networks with customer’s staff

Creates relationships of mutual trust and collaboration with customers to develop improved services and build sustainable long-term partnership

Develops a relationship–driven culture that ensures customer focus is a genuine belief across the business

Demonstrates an understanding of the customer’s internal culture and politics – including their practical impact on their business strategy and potential impact for our business

Builds close relationships with key influencers across the customer’s business and at the highest levels - seeks to understand the complex range of factors affecting their business decisions and aspirations, and finds mutually beneficial strategies

Provides customers with innovative solutions which address current and future needs for both parties

Pro-active in seeking and securing customer input into the development of our joint businesses

Example Framework – Change Control

Role Profiling

Assessing competence


To expand the competency and Rate yourself, simply click the Competency name on the left

You can then rate your level of knowledge and experience at the

detail level if you prefer, the software will then calculate

your overall rating.

Portfolio of Evidence

Panel Reviews

1-2-1 Skills Reviews

Personalised summary report Personalised skills “Gap Graph”

Clarity of career vision

Development needs and

actions

Personal strengths

Validation of self-scores

Skills comparison versus role

profile

Above role profile

At role profile

Below role profile

Consolidated Analysis

Getting the development focus right

Assessment analysis identifying development requires more focus on practical application, opposed to knowledge

Radar chart of knowledge assessment against role profile

Radar chart of experience assessment against role profile

Which competences are in demand?

Balance of Competences

Technical Behavioural

What about domain competence?

Generic Competences

Sector Specific Competences

How much domain expertise?

Different sector environment

Same capability to deliver ???

RPP - What the profession asked for

Supporting career paths


Novice Proficient Expert

Increasing Leadership Competence

Manage Self

Manage Others

Manage Managers

Functional Manager

Business Manager

Group Manager

Enterprise Manager

Career Transition

Technical Specialist

Career

Project Management

Career

Programme Management

Career

Portfolio Management

Career

Business Management

Career

Career Transitions

Novice Proficient Expert

Increasing Leadership Competence

Manage Self

Manage Others

Manage Managers

Functional Manager

Business Manager

Group Manager

Enterprise Manager

Career Transition

Technical Specialist

Career

Project Management

Career

Programme Management

Career

Portfolio Management

Career

Business Management

Career

Career Transitions

2

2

3

1 1 5

5 4

4 6

6

6 6

Matching competence to the role

RPP IPMA B

Practitioner Qualification

IPMA C

APMP IPMA D

Prog & Port Mgt

IPMA A

~ 5000

~ 7500

Possible spread of skill

levels project organisations

need

Introductory Certificate -

IPMA

Levels

Proportions of PPM

qualifications actually taken

~ 250

~ 150

0

How will we meet this

challenge?

Excellence With Industry

Case Study

Who was involved?

Excellence With Industry - Overview

Excellence With Industry Programme

Masters Degree Year 1




Graduate Career

EWI Career Transition Period

Normal Career Transition Period

Hit the ground running

Add value

sooner

Faster career

progression

Breakdown of programme

2 x Industry Modules

Level 3 Dissertation in industry

Level 4 Dissertation in industry

Assessments – joint between University and Industry

Graduate Career

Masters Year 3 Masters Year 3 Summer

break Summer

break Degree

2 x Industry Modules

EWI

EWI (assessment)

Interviews with

Industry

Formal Offers

Career

Performance Measurement

Some key results

Excellence With Industry Programme: • Ran for 4 successful years • Kick-started the career of over 40 talent young people • Demonstrated how industry and academia can collaborate • Over-subscribed each year • Gained a national award

• All students passed their Masters Degrees with minimum 2:1 • All were offered graduate careers • Students were deemed AT LEAST 6 months ahead of “standard graduates” • Strong evidence of faster career progression and increased responsibility • Graduate retention has been far higher than normal

Why? Because they possess the right competences needed by industry

Thank you

And, over to you!