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© Plan
COMPETENCIESTransferring
competencies to the field
level
Bell’Aube Houinato
Geneva, February 2007
© Plan
Key Message
Transfer of competencies is never a one way street.
Every interaction between two individuals or organisations
creates transfer of knowledge and contributes to growth and
development.
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Key Message
Transfer of competencies at any level in an organisation is challenging.
There is no one way of achieving it and measuring results. And ensuring same levels of comprehension and use amongst employees and management is difficult.
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Key Message
By sharing Plan Togo’s experience in transferring competencies to the field level I will argue that
“Learners” should be at the centre of any process of transfer of competencies
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Today’s Discussion
Mindsets in Competency Frameworks
Approaches to “transfer” and related issues
Indicators: Who says if we have learned?
Summary & Next steps
Reflection in group
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Competencies are general descriptions of the behaviour or actions needed to successfully perform within a particular work context.
Competencies: What are we talking about?
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Our operational vision together with our values and principles contribute to determining the specific skills, knowledge and behaviours that are necessary to implement the programs
Mindsets in Competency Frameworks
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The gap between our values and principles and those of the people to whom we want to transfer competencies generates several other gaps:
Purpose, Objectives, methods, utilization
Mindsets in Competency Frameworks
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Targets for Competency Transfer
Capacity building of
adults supporters
Building capacity of children and youth
Creation of conducive
environment
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Mindsets in Competency Frameworks
Cartesian methods and dominant use of logical frameworks and thinking styles refrain us from due investment of indigenous knowledge in transfer of competencies which inhibit the cultural sensitivity of our competency frameworks
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Mindsets in Competency Frameworks
Plan•Reads and writes
•Effective communicator
•Ability to work with children
•Be accepted by the community
•Communities•Knows the village
•Knows the children
•Knows the work of Plan
•Respects the elderly
Views on Volunteers’ Competencies
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Approaches to transfer of Competencies and related issues
One should not impose transfer of competencies:The most effective capacity development initiatives are the ones that are initiated by the people themselves or self imposed. Ex: Community to community learning, Self enrolment of staff on a course, children plays, etc.
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Approaches to transfer of Competencies and related issues
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Self Imposed Org. Self Imposed Org. ImposedImposed
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Indicators: Who says we have learned?
•The girls’ club of Aleheride school, Central Region in Togo, uses the following indicator to monitor abortion among students:
•“Number of girls who start to spit then are absent from school for a few days and then come back and do not spit anymore”
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Challenges
•Traditions and socio cultural environment limit staff understanding and ability to adopt/promote certain behaviours such as valuing children or even community members’ contributions to development activities;
•Socio-political environment may not be conducive to the promotion of certain competencies: Rights or Advocacy related;
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Challenges
•Organisational culture and heritage;
•Staff views, perceptions and expectations may inhibit organisational creativity in training and development solutions;
•Unavailability at local country or even regional level of technical expertise or resources required for program implementation
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Challenges
•Weak capacity of implementing partners (NGOs/CBOs) both in program concept, management and accountability;
•Absence of a comprehensive model for competence management
•Lack of initiative, hierarchical thinking contributing to a “high power distance”;
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Lessons Learned
•As they are related to the organisation’s work, competencies are useful as a “common ground” to determine success factors beyond individuals’ qualifications.
•Competencies framework is still new and complex to many and therefore, care has to be taken in ensuring that it is adapted to your specific needs, derives from your program set up and is understood by both employees and employers and the implementation go at an adequate pace.
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Lessons Learned
•Approach Transfer of competencies in a holistic way: Not to one category of staff without considering the implications on others, not at one level without considering the implications at other levels not in one sector without considering the implications on others
•Transfer of competencies is not a one time activity but rather a continuous effort as our organisations operate in a rapidly changing environment with an increasing impact of technology. Competencies required at certain level are subject to evolution.
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Lessons Learned
•It is indispensable to create awareness among staff and to follow a participatory process in determining required competencies. This enables staff to responsibly manage their personal development and career in a way that is congruent with organisation’s approach;
•Our approaches should be geared towards creating an enabling environment where staff and partner organisations learn and acquire the relevant competencies to deliver what is expected from them.
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Summary & Next steps
Our approaches of transferring competencies is comparable to the work of a medical doctor in a remote African village
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Summary & Next steps
But, side effects of the cure should not be worse than the disease!
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Group Discussion
In three groups of five participants each do the following:
1. Give your group a name;
2. Identify a reporter, a time keeper and a facilitator;
3. Based on your experiences, identify three (03) key enablers (Group1), Challenges (group2) and most effective strategies (group3) for transfer of competencies;
4. Prepare a 5 minutes presentation.
20 minutes discussion
