COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING: A BRIEF FOR THE TRAINERS

Text of a lecture by Dan Kann, Future Options Consulting Ltd, Kampala Uganda to group of trainers
(Copyright: This brief should not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the author. For
enquiries, please contact; knandanan@futureoptionsug.com)

What is competency based training? Let us look at it using an example.

Indian Army has a school called HAWS. High Altitude Warfare School. What does it do? Train
soldiers to fight in high altitude terrain full of rocky mountains and glaciers. At altitudes of 9000
feet and above.
At 9000 feet oxygen is less than 70% of what you get at the sea level. So before conquering the
rocks and glaciers, one has to be able to breathe first. So soldiers are put on an acclimatisation
training. They spend a few days at different altitudes such that they are able to survive in an
environment of low-level oxygen.
There are three ‘must have’ capabilities of a mountain warrior.
One: physical fitness,
Two: mental strength to conquer the rocks and the glaciers, and
Three, combat ability. Remember, a warrior’s job is to fight the enemy. He (or she) is
useful only if he (she) has the ability to fight the enemy, (even before or after
conquering the rocks and glaciers!)
Most of the soldiers who successfully go through the training are not born in the mountains.
Then how do they get these capabilities??
That technique is called the Competency Based Training.
A competency is defined as the unique combination knowledge, skills and abilities required for
performing a job successfully. In simple words, a competency is a job success factor. Whether the
job of a clerk in the village office, manager at a bank or a mountain warrior. So, when you train,
you need to first identify the competencies required for the job and focus the training on
building those competencies.
Competencies for each job is usually stated in the job description. Detailed competencies
required for a job can be identified through a competency profiling exercise as well.
Competency profiling not only identifies the different competencies essential for performing a
job successfully but also determines the required proficiency level. For example, let us say that
communication is a competency required for the positions of Record Keeper and Public
Relations Officer. Obviously, the Public Relations Officer needs a higher level of proficiency in
communication. On a scale of 5, we can say a Record Keeper needs a proficiency level of 2,
while the Public Relations Officer needs a proficiency level of 4.
This leads us to the concept of Competency Gap.
Competency Gap = Required level – the Current level.

1
The TNAs (or the Training Needs Assessments) is the most common method used for
determining the competency gap. The results of the performance appraisal and supervisor
feedback can also help identify some of the competency gaps.
When an organization approaches you (as a trainer) for conducting a training, it is one the
aspects you may want to find out about: Has the competency gap been identified? Chances are,
it has not been.
So, a practical way is to carry out a rapid TNA by interviewing some of the proposed participants
of the training, their supervisors and the HR Manager. It makes sense to talk to some of the
customers before a customer service training or review the customer complaints register.
Mystery shopping is another example of a useful TNA activity, in case of a sales or customer
service training.
After you identify the competency gap, the focus should be on how to build that particular
competency to the desired level. It is always good to try to build the proficiency one level to the
next. In other words, if the proficiency level required is 4 but the training group is at level 2, the
training should be planned to build the proficiency to level 3 first, rather than attempting to go
to level 4 directly.
Always remember, competencies are required to ‘perform’ a job. So it is not the knowledge that
matters, it is the ability to ‘perform’ that matters. What does it tell us? The training should provide
the capability to do. Mere knowledge is grossly inadequate.
Therefore, the training methodology should be focused on ‘doing’, rather than knowing.
Remember the Chinese proverb, "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand."
Therefore, experiential training or activity based training is the best approach for delivering
competency-based training.
Similarly, practice helps build competencies. So, try and provide as many opportunities as
possible to the trainees to practice, within the limited time that is available. Therefore, at the
training design stage, you should focus on the key issues and allocate time to practice, rather than
trying to cover too many areas too thinly in a training session.
Using the competency-based training approach also ensures that the client gets value for money.
The key purpose of any training is to achieve positive changes in the behaviour of the trainees in
the work setting. So, the effectiveness of any training is measured by the changes observed in
the way the trainees perform in the real work environment. As the competency-based training is
about improving performance by doing, the trainees will definitely be in a better position to
perform in the actual work environment. This ensures value for money to the client.

04 Feb 201, Kampala