How to use competency job profiles

Plan for staff development, learning and training

It is easy to self-assess how capable you are in your job when your job is broken up into Units of Competency. Instead of thinking about the whole job you can think about each part of it separately.

Each Unit of Competency describes a particular group of tasks and responsibilities. All the Units of Competency in your position description put together make up your job. By rating your own level of competency in each specific Unit of Competency you will have a clear idea of how well you are delivering service to your clients. You may find you are very confident in some areas but not in others. Then you can organise learning opportunities for those areas in which you want support and development in.

FIELD Resources

The FIELD website has the following Learning and Development resources on its website.

  • Learning and Development Resources for a range of resources including information about Adult Learning Principles, Evaluation and Monitoring of Training and a great Glossary of Terms.
  • Training Packages for more detailed information about the Community Services Training Package (CSTP) and the Business (Frontline) Training Package.
  • Find out about New Apprenticeships including who is eligible for subsidies when they participate in nationally recognised training.

On Line Training Assessment Package (OnTAP)

The Department of Human Services has developed a system for you to record your level of competency. It is an interactive web based spreadsheet that stores and retrieves information. You can use it to record your ratings of your own level of competency for each Unit of Competency. It is called OnTAP and is available to employees of all registered organisations. Ask your supervisor if your organisation has registered to use OnTAP.

OnTAP uses the FIELD Competency Job Profiles, complete with all the relevant Units of Competency and the Elements (tasks and responsibilities) of each Unit of Competency. Individual employees can use OnTAP to self-assess your level of competency in each of the Units of Competency that make up your job.

The data collected by OnTAP is only available to the person who put the data in. It is your own private record. However, you are encouraged to discuss your strengths and weakness with your supervisor. Your supervisor is usually in a position to organise assistance for you in areas that you identify as needing improvement.

If your organisation does not wish to access OnTAP, or if your Competency Job Profiles do not match the FIELD Competency Job Profiles, you can use the FIELD Training and Learning Planning System.

FIELD Training and Learning Planning System

Individual staff

Staff can assess their own competencies by using the Competency Job Profile Assessment template.

Actions
  • Apply the template to your Competency Job Profile.
  • Identify those areas you don’t fully understand or need assistance in, and those areas that you would like to extend your current ‘know how’ in.
  • Identify those areas in which you believe you could offer mentoring or training to other members of your organisation.
  • Identify how you can learn what you need. For information about the following types of learning and training opportunities click on the FIELD Agency Training Plan Resource Kit – Glossary of Terms. The following are learning and training methods:
    • Action learning
    • Shadowing
    • Mentoring
    • Coaching
    • Higher Duties
    • Workplace exchange
    • Self-paced learning
    • Classroom learning
  • Find out about New Apprenticeships; you may be eligible for assistance.
  • Discuss your options with the relevant person in your organisation.

Supervisors

The Competency Job Profiles use common Units of Competency that are organised into levels of competency starting with the most basic skills and progressing up. This enables Supervisors to group staff according to their learning and training needs and their ability to assist and guide others. Competency Job Profiles give supervisors the ability to group the learning and training needs. This will help you prioritise your training calendar and to identify a suitable method of delivering the learning and training opportunities. This includes finding a Registered Training Organisation who can deliver accredited training in specific Units of Competency.

Supervisors should be alert to possibilities for staff to work towards nationally accredited qualifications such as Certificate III in Disability Work and Certificate IV in Disability Work.

Step 1
Assess and Plan.

Review the information contained in the Agency Training Plan Resource Kit.

Actions:
  • Organise for each staff member to self-assess his or her competency in each of the Units of Competency that are included in their Competency Job Profile.
  • Discuss the assessment with your staff member. Set aside time and a private space to allow for a free flowing discussion with your staff member.
  • Apply the information for each staff member to a Training Plan Template.
    • Identify which Competencies are critical to successful service provision for your organisation.
    • Note when several staff members identify a learning need in the same area.
    • Prioritise the staff learning needs.
    • Decide on the most effective method of providing learning and training opportunities. These range from accredited classroom sessions to mentoring on the job.

Step 2
Organise learning and training opportunities.

Review the Learning and Development resources.

Actions:

Training Opportunities

  • Visit the FIELD Training Calendar and search for a course.
  • Use your networks with other Community Services Organisations to find out if any other agencies are planning training in the same areas that you have identified.
  • Contact your nearest DHS services and Registered Training Organisations and review their Training Calendars for opportunities.
  • Organise a time with the training provider when your staff can attend.
  • Check whether your organisation will be giving paid time release to your staff to undertake this training. It is normal practice for organisations to give paid time release to staff when the organisation requires that staff member to undertake training. Remember the costs of backfilling positions when you calculate the total cost to the organisation.
  • Create a Training Calendar for your organisation. This is a timetable of dates for training opportunities for your staff.
  • Make this Training Calendar available to all your staff in all areas of your organisation. Pin it up on Notice Boards and put it in your newsletters.

Learning Opportunities

  • Review your organisation’s ability to resource this learning need by checking if other staff have rated themselves as able to provide support.
  • Review the different methods of providing learning opportunities for staff. Visit the FIELD Agency Training Plan Resource Kit – Glossary of Terms
  • Match staff development needs with your organisations ability to provide support.
  • Follow up.

Discuss the assessment with your staff member

Further Information

How to use competency job profiles


 

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