How to use this resource
This toolkit has two main purposes. The first is to foster the development of open competency frameworks that can be shared across industry sectors and for different end users. From this perspective, the toolkit may be used in different ways by different people. Some examples include:
- Using the toolkit and its templates to develop new competency frameworks.
- Making revisions to existing competency frameworks, to look at ways to align language and structure.
- Informing the design of competency-based training and assessment in both educational settings and the world of work and learning.
- Supporting the development of new and alternative credentials and micro-learning opportunities that relate to competency frameworks.
The second purpose is to provide guidelines and good practices for people developing competency frameworks. There are sections of the toolkit dedicated to developing and writing competency descriptions as well as ways of grouping and clustering competencies to build frameworks.
We recommend that you begin with the Chapter on “Defining Competence.” This chapter outlines key terminology used in this toolkit and provides definitions for the terms “competent” and “competencies.” Even if you are experienced in developing competency frameworks, it’s important to grasp how these terms are being applied within the toolkit. Given the lack of agreed use of the terminology across sectors, it’s important to establish a shared understanding for the purpose of developing open competency frameworks. Once you are familiar with the terms, feel free to access the chapters as you need. If you are new to competency frameworks, it’s probably best to work through each chapter sequentially.
