How to develop a competency framework

Author: Noelle Murphy

Summary

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• Identify the areas of the organisation and the roles that the competency framework will cover.
• Be clear on the areas of people management in relation to which competencies will be used, such as recruitment and selection and performance management.
• Decide whether to use an off-the-shelf set of competencies or to develop competencies in-house, based on the job roles and functions within the organisation.
• Gain buy-in from those who will be involved in developing or rolling out competencies.
• Be clear with employees about why competencies are being introduced and how they will be used.
• Follow good practice in project management when developing the framework, from planning to evaluation.
• Use more than one job analysis tool to ensure breadth and depth of information gathered on job functions.
• Create the framework by grouping the identified relevant behaviours into groups and sub-groups of competencies.
• Regularly review the process to ensure that it is on track and deal with any issues that arise on an ongoing basis.