TYPES OF COMPETENCIES

TYPES OF COMPETENCIES

The three types of competencies are behavioural competencies, technical competen-
cies and NVQs and SNVQs.

Behavioural competencies

Behavioural competencies define behavioural expectations, ie the type of behaviour
required to deliver results under such headings as teamworking, communication,
leadership and decision-making. They are sometimes known as ‘soft skills’.
Behavioural competencies are usually set out in a competency framework.
The behavioural competency approach was first advocated by McClelland (1973).
He recommended the use of criterion-referenced assessment. Criterion referencing or
validation is the process of analysing the key aspects of behaviour that differentiate
between effective and less effective performance.
But the leading figure in defining and popularizing the concept of competency in
the USA and elsewhere was Boyatzis (1982). He conducted research that established
that there was no single factor but a range of factors that differentiated successful
from less successful performance. These factors included personal qualities, motives,
experience and behavioural characteristics. Boyatzis defined competency as:
‘capacity that exists in a person that leads to behaviour that meets the job demands
within the parameters of the organizational environment and that, in turn, brings
about desired results’.
The ‘clusters’ of competencies he identified were goal and action management,
directing subordinates, human resource management and leadership. He made a
distinction between threshold competencies, which are the basic competencies
required to do a job, and performance competences, which differentiate between high
and low performance

Technical competencies
Technical competencies define what people have to know and be able to do (knowl-
edge and skills) to carry out their roles effectively. They are related to either generic
roles (groups of similar jobs), or individual roles (as ‘role-specific competencies’).
The term ‘technical competency’ has been adopted fairly recently to avoid the
confusion that existed between the terms ‘competency’ and ‘competence’. Com-
petency, as mentioned above, is about behaviours, while competence as defined by
Woodruffe (1990) is: ‘A work-related concept which refers to areas of work at which
the person is competent. Competent people at work are those who meet their perfor-
mance expectations.’ Competences are sometimes known as ‘hard skills’. The terms
technical competencies and competences are closely related although the latter has a
particular and more limited meaning when applied to NVQs/SNVQs, as discussed
below

NVQ/SNVQ competences
The concept of competence was conceived in the UK as a fundamental part of the
process of developing standards for NVQs/SNVQs. These specify minimum stan-
dards for the achievement of set tasks and activities expressed in ways that can be
observed and assessed with a view to certification. An element of competence in
NVQ language is a description of something that people in given work areas should
be able to do. They are assessed on being competent or not yet competent. No attempt
is made to assess the degree of competence.

Thurley, K (1979) Supervision: A reappraisal, Heinemann, London