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A competency-based approach can underpin a holistic and
developmental approach to staff selection and professional development. All
stakeholders can benefit from this approach. Staff have their experience recognised
and are trained in accordance with their actual duties. People with a disability
benefit from having their needs placed at the forefront and by having carers
who have demonstrated that they know what they are doing. And organisations
benefit because better trained staff leads to better service delivery. Because
competency-based training is focused upon the actual tasks that take place
in the workplace, it can be adapted to the changing and challenging needs
of the sector.
All of the benefits identified below either directly or indirectly lead to financial gains or savings for organisations. This is either in terms of more productivity, increasing revenue, lowering costs or greater focus towards meeting organisational goals. The immediate benefits are competent staff having greater understanding of what they do, how it links to Competencies, easier self-identification of their professional development requirements and at all times a focus upon the needs of people with a disability.
By using a competency-based approach you can help ensure that all organisational professional development processes are geared towards meeting nationally recognised competencies. Hence you will be participating in an industry-wide process and undertaking a uniform approach. This can also make it easier to substantiate the meeting of Legislative requirements and funding body service standards and supports a risk management framework and quality assurance goals. There are long-term benefits in engaging in an objective nationally recognised measurement of skills, knowledge and attitudes rather than subjective self-assessment or internal measurement not linked to industry training packages.
A competency-based approach also helps you work to meet the initiatives and actions that derive form the Victorian State Disability Plan. These include the Learning and Development Strategy and Competency-Based Learning and Development (see Victorian State Disability Plan, Implementation Section, pp. 46 - 48)
Becoming familiar with a competency-based approach will also aid you with participation in and the usage of the soon to be available electronic workforce Competency database, the Online Training Assessment Package (On-TAP) for the disability sector. Users will be able to self-assess learning needs on-line. Data will be aggregated for future disability sector workforce planning.
Organisations can gain a greater return on investment as all professional development will be geared to organisational objectives and focused at improving performance. Greater connectedness can be achieved between learning and development and bottom-line improved performance and enhanced service provision. The investment in developing one's "human capital" will come home to roost in improved organisational performance.
Change the culture of how you view professional development, from something that is sourced externally and is an expensive undertaking to a range of flexible and low-cost or no-cost methods of learning. Many "on the job" methods of learning can be implemented. This will move away from the "ad-hoc" and "external" approach to professional development. Professional development becomes planned, strategic and integrated. This approach can also have long-term benefits from established partnerships with registered training organisations (RTOs). This can lead to long-term economies of scale and organisational workforce planning.
A competency-based approach can also help to ensure that there is enough flexibility to address varying service and program needs, and cover units of skill and knowledge required by all levels of staff in most industry roles. It makes it more likely that service standards will be adhered to and consistently met and maintained. People delivering the service will be performing at an acceptable standard every time.
A competency-based approach translates into a range of human resource management benefits for organisations. Staff are more likely to be attracted to the organisation, stay longer and perform better. The approach is highlighted by focused recruitment, greater acknowledgment of staff abilities, greater commitment to developing staff and the possibility of staff developing a career pathway in the human services. The benefits of developing your staff flow to benefit the people you service and also the organisation as a whole.
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Copyright 2003 Disability In-Service Training Support Service (DISTSS). The DISTSS website has been redesigned and maintained by: Linda Budd |
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