Competency Assessment: How To Do It, and How To Get a Big Return On Investment Presented by Terry Ogle, January 2011

Introduction Will give some insights on what has worked very successfully in implementing competency and assessment solutions Let’s start with what “very successfully” means…

A Case Study In a plant operating environment with an aging workforce (need to hire replacement for retirees) over a four year period operating efficiency went from 62% to 82% During the same period training time to competence across all positions was reduced by 50% Huge gains in profitability, huge reductions in overhead. How was this done? The key is assessment of competence!

Competency Profiles The goal is workplace competency; a prerequisite to assessment is a structure of competency profiles A competency is a workplace behavior that by definition is observable If it’s observable it can be assessed Assessments are more objective if there is a formal statement of performance criteria, conditions of observation, etc. poll

Who Does the Assessment? Self-Assessment unreliable but engages workforce Instructor Assessment more reliable but conflict of interest issues Supervisor Assessment integrates competency management with day to day operations time issue Assessor trained third party role is Assessor plus For dialogue For feedback on learning needs General not specific +ve –ve halo Yes!

What Supports the Assessment? Behaviorally anchored assessment –Performance criteria –Performance criteria detail Evidence supporting assessor’s judgment Personal Electronic Portfolio to which referenced e-files are uploaded poll

Competence: Use Project management software PC: Create and define a project PC: Enter and edit information about project tasks and resources PC: Update information about project progress PC: Select and use appropriate tools and techniques to display and report on project status

PC: Enter and edit information about project tasks and resources PCD: 2.1 Identify types of tasks, milestones, deadlines and constraints PCD: 2.2 Enter and edit information about project tasks PCD: 2.3 Identify time and resources required for the project PCD: 2.4 Apply a task calendar for scheduling tasks PCD: 2.5 Enter and edit information about resources for use in the project PCD: 2.6 Mark any dependencies between tasks PCD: 2.7 Assign resources to tasks

Automation is Crucial Access to competency profiles, assessment records and evidence required for employee, supervisor, instructor and assessor Personal electronic portfolio with capability to reference evidence to required competency Automation should enable workplace assessment SkilSure software is designed for this role poll

Importance of Electronic Medium Changes the workplace assessment paradigm Traditionally the evidence that supported workplace assessment was on the job checklists, etc. There is still a place for “documentary” evidence… but Currently: non-documentary evidence is predominant Poll Some evidence stats from one of our servers across variety of employee types:

Why is 67% Non documentary? Assessors and employees like it it’s more authentic, easier to obtain, often has more “face validity” Employers like it because it’s easier to implement than documentary assessment and is not a bureaucratic nightmare Use of smart phones, tablets, laptops in workplace makes it easy to collect non documentary evidence Automation allows the direct uploading and referencing of evidence into a competency assurance application like SkilSure ®

Key Elements of Assessment That Will Give Good ROI Competency profiles: –Performance criteria –Performance criteria detail Workplace Assessment behaviourally anchored supported by evidence Automation E-portfolio to contain referenced evidence Defined assessment process with clear roles for actors New paradigm for evidence

Handheld Assessment Smart phones, tablets, laptops in workplace makes it easy to collect non documentary evidence poll

Why DO This Kind of Assessment? The focus is workplace performance, improving that improves all the key business metrics; productivity, profitability, etc. Outcomes of learning are now directly associated with workplace performance; not only are you evaluating the learners but also the workplace relevance of learning resources

Why Require Evidence? Makes assessment more objective, has high face validity for employees, unions and supervisors In an organizational environment where compliance is an issue it is an auditable record of the support for the assessment

How do I get started? Build competency profiles Design competency model Select automation tool Pilot Review data from pilot Modify Communicate Roll out poll

Thank you!

SkilSure Development Directions Presented by Terry Ogle, January 2011

Development Themes 1 stop shop for administration –Progress reporting –Quality assurance –Funding reporting

Development Themes Killer QCF –ULN record –Credit calculator

Development Themes QCF and apprenticeship Integration: –tracking, –assessing, –learning, –testing

Development Directions Changes in the workplace assessment paradigm Traditionally the evidence that supported workplace assessment was checklists, etc. Currently: non-documentary evidence is predominant Compression: –File compression technology –Guidance for users –Hardware upgrades Some evidence stats from one of our servers across variety of employee types:

Development Themes Mobile Assessment technology: Smart phones; Tablets, etc. –Software issues; displays, browsers, mapping, etc.

Thank you!