Competency Model

Vision

The Competency Model is a module of iHRIS Manage that enables employers to assess employee's competencies in various skills. A competency is a skill performed to a specific standard under specific conditions. The competency model is the set of competencies that together define successful performance in that work environment. An employee's performance in various competencies can be assessed via observation, and employees can update skills through in-service training. (Typically, competencies are not assessed at the time of hiring.) The Competency Model will enable the employer to ensure that the person holding a particular job is qualified to do that job, but not overqualified and not doing work that someone else could be doing more effectively. The Competency Model should be simple, useful and reflect real-world models, and should not be overwhelming for an HR department in a Ministry of Health or similar organization to manage.

Structure

Competency models are typically composed of three levels:

• A broad category of basic skills
• Several more targeted subcategories
• Specific skills

For example:

Broad category: Reproductive health Subcategory: Family planning Skill: Oral contraceptives

For each skill, the following questions would be asked of the employee:

1. Has the employee been assessed competent by an observer? [yes/no]
2. Is the employee trained in the skill? [yes/no]

Notes

• Comptencies should be standardized, uniformed and validated.
• Certification is equivalent to being assessed competent by an observer. An employee may produce a certificate to prove certification.
• African countries typically use Yes/No to assess competency rather than a scale.
• Once an employee is assessed as competent, typically that person is considered competent until assessed incompetent. However, there may be periodic reassessments, particularly following an intervention, such as a training.

High-level Goals

• Create and update the organization's competency model.
• Assess competencies of an employee and trigger periodic reassessments if needed.
• Search for employees that hold specific competencies or determine where employees may be deficient in needed competencies, requiring a training intervention.
• Generate a competency inventory for the organization.

Specific Use Cases

Use cases are being written and evaluated. They will be posted after that process is complete.

1. Create a competency model. -- The Training Manager updates a list of competency categories or competencies.
2. Assess an employee's competencies. -- The Training Manager adds to or updates the list of competencies obtained by an employee.
3. Search for employee qualifications. -- The Training Manager or Executive Manager searches for employees with specific competencies.
4. Create an organizational competency inventory. -- The Training Manager or Executive Manager generates an inventory of competencies held by employees of the organization.

Also, the Create a Job use case has been modified to link required competencies to specific jobs.

Other Suggested Reports

• Who is incompetent?
• Has a competency been assessed? When was it last assessed?

Affected Systems

• Pilot is for Tanzania implementation of iRHIS Manage.
• Implement in IntraHealth iHRIS Manage by June 30, 2008
• Planned for inclusion in version 3.1 core release/upgrade of iHRIS Manage.

Sources

• Bangladesh NSDP HRIS includes a comprehensive competency model to assess competencies in training that has been field-tested.
• CBT is JHPIEGO's competency model.
• IntraHealth technical staff expertise.