21 Putting it all together

Ok, so now that you have all of your competencies defined, how do you turn all of that into a completed framework? In order to make a framework usable it needs to contain all of the information necessary for the end users, and be presented in away that it is understood by them as well.

Introductory material

Most frameworks, particularly if there will be a print (or digital downloadable) version available will  have some introductory material. Web-based frameworks will generally have a landing page or pages with the same information.

This should include:

• Purpose of the framework, such as intended audience and how it is intended to be used
• User guide – i.e. how to read and/or interpret the information
• Visual representation of the framework structure and/or individual competencies and/or competency groupings
• Background information, such as why and how the framework was developed and who contributed to the development and validation.

Body

This is the main content of the framework.

This should include:

• Competencies, organized into categories and other groupings as appropriate
• Additional content, such as role and task descriptions linked to specific competencies or groupings, assessment criteria and rubrics, and additional information that support both the purpose and use of the competencies.

Depending on the complexity of the framework, you may decide to aggregate some common information from competency groupings, such as supporting knowledge and skills that apply to multiple competencies, or context in how a group of competencies is utilized. The goal is clarity and presenting the framework is a way that the end user can access and understand the information easily and for their intended purpose.

Appendices

Appendices are a good way to store aggregated information that applies to the framework as a whole.

This might include:

• Glossary of all of the key terms and/or acronyms used in the framework
• Links and references to additional resources