Facilities Management

The Facility Technologist: A Call For Change

Today's Facility Manager | The Facility Technologist: A Call For Change

by
By Tom Condon, RPA, FMA
Published in the March 2009 issue of Today's Facility Manager
Posted using ShareThis

Competency Manager

What is competency?

It is generally accepted that competence comprises three mutually dependent elements: knowledge, skill and attitude.  All three elements must be present and evident before an individual can be described as being "competent" in a particular activity. 

How is competency achieved?

Competency is achieved by building up knowledge and applying this knowledge in the workplace, ie by gaining experience.  This is not necessarily the optimum path to gaining competence, as it tends to be reactive and its speed and direction tends to be dictated by current business drivers.

Alternatively competence can be achieved by undertaking competency-based training – this focuses on the transfer of knowledge and creating an environment for applying this in the workplace or simulated workplace.

In both cases, evidence of competence can lead to the award of a qualification at a level appropriate to the level of competence.

How can competency be measured?

The Facilities Management (FM) profession and the Education system have each produced a series of competency and performance areas that define the profession and it is against these that individuals can measure their level of competence.  This method of measurement is of equal relevance to existing FM practitioners and potential entrants to the industry.

In recognition of the importance of competency in the development of the profession, fmedge has designed an innovative new tool for the benefit of FM practitioners and employers - Competency Manager^©.

The competency areas listed in Competency Manager^© result from mapping the core competencies defined by the primary FM professional bodies and the requirements of relevant Nationally Recognised Training.  This ensures that the full scope of Facilities Management activity is covered.

How does it work?

For individual candidates, Competency Manager^© provides a framework for profiling current competencies against a series of 150 competency areas.

Candidates complete a matrix by indicating their levels of skill and knowledge against each competence, based on a clear definition of each level.  These responses provide a clear picture of current strengths and identify areas requiring further development.  On submission, fmedge analyses the responses, issues a report detailing how current competence satisfies objectives in terms of professional development and attainment of a formal qualification and maps the optimum route to achieving these.

The output from this process can be used for a variety of purposes:

• Defining alternative routes to attaining a qualification
• Focusing on strengths for recruitment purpose
• Career planning

For employers of FM practitioners, Competency Manager^© provides a framework for specifying job profiles based on a series of fourteen competency areas.  Once established these can be used for assessing practitioners, a task made very simple if they have already completed Competency Manager^©.

The output from this process can be used for a variety of purposes:

·                 Strategic planning

·                 Assisting with annual appraisals

·                 Performance management

·                 Recruitment

Who benefits?

This low cost, easy to use tool is proving to be of significant interest and benefit to individuals and organisations employing FM practitioners.

Interested?

Please contact fmedge to purchase this innovative new tool or for further information:

Contact iHub Education Pte Ltd- www.ihub.edu.sg