199-585-1-PB.pdf

Volume 1, Issue 7 (July, 2014) Online ISSN-2347-7571

16 Available online on www.saiompublications.com

Published by: Sai Om Publications

Sai Om Journal of Commerce & Management A Peer Reviewed International Journal

COMPETENCY MAPPING OF PROJECT AND DELIVERY MANAGEMENT

Dr. Ajay Kaushik Addl. Registrar, Dr. K. N. Modi University, India

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Competency Mapping is an important and an essential exercise for the sustenance and development of

the organization. Every firm should have well defined roles and list of competencies required to

perform each role effectively. Such list should be used for recruitment, placements and training needs

identification, performance management, and promotions. In performing or carrying out work, it is

essential that the required job skills sets first be articulated. This information not only helps to identify

individuals who have the matching skills for doing the work but also the skills that will enhance the

successful performance of the work. Yet often to perform well, it is not enough just to have these skills.

It is also critical to complement the skills with the necessary knowledge and attitudes.

The intent of this project report is to understand the concept of competency mapping and its impact on

HR practices, in particular and the organization as a whole in general.

Keywords: Competency Mapping; Skills; Knowledge; Job Element

INTRODUCTION

Definition of Competency

HAYES (1979)

Competencies are generic knowledge motive, trait, social role or a skill of a person linked to superior performance on the job.

Richard Boyatzis (1982)

A capacity that exists in a person that leads to behavior that meets the job demands within parameters of organizational environment, and that, in turn brings about desired results

Spencer & Spencer (1993) defines competency as,

An underlying characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or situation.

Underlying Characteristic: Means the competency is fairly deep & enduring part of a persons personality and can predict behavior in a wide variety of situations and job tasks.

Causally related means, A competency causes or predicts behavior & performance.

Criterion-referenced: Means that the competency actually predicts who does something well or

poorly, as measured on a specific criterion or standard. Examples of criteria are the rupee volume of

sales for salespeople or number of clients who stay dry for Alcohol-abuse Counselors.

Sai Om Journal of Commerce & Management

A Peer Reviewed International Journal

17 VOL. 1, ISSUE 7 (July 2014)

Online ISSN 2347-7571

OBJECTIVES

1. To design a Competency Map for few middle level roles.

2. To progress towards a Competency based performance appraisal

3. To support building an inventory of competencies for future planning.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Design a Competency Map for one Managerial Role for the Project & Delivery Management job

tracks support function

METHODOLOGY

As per project guidelines;

Identification of a minimum of 3 positions, classify the roles/Jobs.

Write the Job description for each identified role/positions.

For each role/positions., present the Job Element Analysis and write a complete job element analysis table, pinpoint the critical skills, knowledge and traits required.

For each role/positions., list the competencies as selected from the JEA table / quancom or company values.

BARS table for each competency analysed, for each of the roles.

Brief overview of findings

Clarity in terms of level of performance expected from the considered roles.

Supports employee learning and development by listing competencies that help focus deliberations on training performance, learning needs and career plans.

Importance

The reading and sample exercise on Competency Mapping helps the scholar to realize how a

competency based culture may benefit the organization;

Improves internal communication

More professionalism in the organization and better role to individual fitment.

More focused development of individuals by identifying and building their competencies.

Helps uplift competencies of critical groups of managers by providing them insights into their competencies and developmental opportunities.

Create a competency based culture in the organization.

Assessment gets extended to Individuals, Teams and Organization and leads to continuous development of the organization.

Focuses attention of people on Job-specific behaviours and competencies.

To make faster, more confident decisions about:

Bid pipeline management

Customer & product profitability

Market pricing

Other high-impact choices





Product forecasts

Response to competitors

What is Competency?

Thus, the above definitions shows, Competencies are a combination of Knowledge, skills and attitudes

required to do a job successfully.

Competencies refer to skills and knowledge that leads to superior performance.

Competencies provide a framework for distinguishing between poor performances to exceptional performance.

Competencies can apply at organizational, individual, team, occupational and functional levels.

Once the job requirements have been clarified, then competency interviewing helps interviewers look for evidence of those requirements in each candidate. For people already in

jobs, competencies provide a way to help identify opportunities for growth within their jobs.

Competencies are not fixed they can usually be developed with effort and support. Employees and their managers together can identify which competencies would be most

helpful to work on to improve the employees effectiveness

Competencies are not a tool to be used for evaluating people for layoffs.

Criterion reference as mention in Spencer & Spencers definition is very critical to the concept of competence.

A characteristic is not a competency unless it predicts something meaningful in the real world.

As the famous psychologist William James said, the first rule for a scientist should be that-

A difference that makes no difference is no difference. Similarly, a characteristic or credential that makes no difference in performance is not a competency and should not be used to evaluate people.

The criteria most frequently used in competency studies are:

Superior Performance: Statistically defined as one standard deviation above average performance, it

is roughly the level achieved by the top 1 person out of 10 in a given working situation.

Effective Performance: This usually means minimally acceptable level of work, the lower cut-off point below which an employee would not be considered competent to do the job.

Types of competencies

Core Competencies:

1. Internal capability that is critical to the success of the business.

2. Core competencies define what an organization values most in its people.

3. e.g., an organization might want its people to possess Teamwork, flexibility and communication skills.

4. Organizational competencies that all individuals are expected to possess.

5. Core competencies are not seen as being fixed, they must change in response to changes in the companys environment.

6. They are flexible & evolve over time, as a business adapts to ne circumstances & opportunities, so its core competencies will have to adapt & change.





Professional / Functional Competencies:

1. These competencies are grouped for each job within the organization. e.g., Competencies for H.R. Manager or Competencies for an Operations Manager.

2. The goal is to optimize performance by having the technical skills to perform a job.

Threshold Competencies:

The characteristics required by a job holder to perform a job effectively are called threshold

competencies. It represents the essential characteristics, that everyone in a job needs to be at least

minimally effective

e.g., ability to read, but that does not distinguish between a superior performer & an average

performer. E.g., Threshold competency for a sales person is knowledge of the product or ability to fill

invoices.

Behavioural Competencies:

Refer to competencies required in terms of behaviour for a particular role.

e.g., Building & Maintaining relationships is an important behavioural competency for an IT Manager

as the job requires developing constructive, cooperative working relationships with people at all levels.

Differentiating Competencies:

These competencies distinguish a superior performer from an average performer.

E.g., Achievement orientation expressed in a persons setting goals higher than those required by the organization, is a competency that differentiates a superior sales performer from the other average

sales persons in the organization.

Uses of Competency Mapping

Using competency mapping allows companies to raise the bar of performance expectations

Teams and individuals align their behaviours with key organizational strategy

Each employee understands how to achieve stated expectations





Competency based recruitment

Competency based recruitment processes reduce the chances of a costly hiring mistake

Increase the likelihood of identifying and selecting the right person for the right job

Competency based Training

Opportunity to identify/ develop specific training programmers

Focused Training enabling improvement in specific technical and managerial competencies

Better ROI on training

Competency based Performance Appraisal

Establishment of clear high performance standards

Collection and proper analysis of factual data against the set standards.

Conduct of objective feedback meetings

Direction with regard to specific areas of improvement

Competency based Pay

Provide an incentive for employees to grow and enhance their capabilities

Competency based Career Planning & Development

Enhances the understanding of development and the individual gets the necessary tools to take responsibility for their own development

Give the managers a tool to empower them to develop people.

Competency based succession planning

Helps assess employees readiness or potential to take on new challenges

Determining the persons job fit can be based on matching the competency profile of an individual to the set of competencies required for excellence within a certain position.

Individuals would also know the competencies required for a particular position and therefore would have an opportunity to decide if they have the potential to pursue that position.

Measurement of competencies

Competencies can be measured using a Behavioural-Anchored Rating Scales (BARS).

In this system, all competencies are defined from levels in a competency framework.

Each definition typically expresses the behaviour expected of the associates if he were to be rated at that level.

The content of the BAR-scale is developed from a job analysis and is based on responses to critical job incidents or situations.

The scale used is usually a 3-Point, 4-Point or 5-Point scale but could also be narrative if appropriate.

Experiment on developing a competency mapping prototype comprises of the following;

Using already identified job description and studying them.

Accordingly identify competencies for above mentioned roles.





Meeting various managers & function heads to gather further inputs on the role of a HR Manager, Solutions Delivery Manager & Solution Architect within XYZ Technologies.

Described each competency in detail and stating the definitions of a competency as per pre-existing Competency Dictionaries available online Hay McBer, British Council Competency and UNIDO Dictionaries.

For the sample role in different job tracks I have indicated levels of specific effective & operative behaviours for each competency of the managerial band I have considered for the

CPCD project report. The levels range from 1 Lowest to 4 Highest.

Competency Mapping

Project & Delivery Management / Solution Delivery Manager

Discuss the functional & behavioural competencies for a role within the Project & Delivery

Management Track

Job Description

This position is a part of the Professional Services Organization group.

Solution Delivery Manager tracks, monitors and manages Solution Development and Implementation cycle.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Oversees the technical staff, manages their objectives and responsible for the performance of the team.

2. Independently handles project proposal, estimation, planning and execution.

3. Provide status reports, issue escalations, risk mitigation. Manages Project Schedule, Issues, Risks, Tracks the Effort / Cost / Schedule.

4. Establishes and maintains relationships with customers, quality control, and product development and solution development & implementation teams.

5. Establishes priorities, works independently, and proceeds with objectives without supervision.

6. Researches, reports and corrects any quality assurance issues.

7. Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures.

8. Supports new proposal efforts in scoping, estimation, project planning and SOW creation.

9. Has people responsibilities performance appraisals, productivity improvement, punctuality and discipline, talent retention, career planning & development

10. High customer interaction on day to day basis. Meet the customer and get the initial requirements. Manages the entire middle level customer base. Need to keep good relationship

with this base to bring in more business, Single point contact for the client for the entire

project.

11. Project Accounting Tracks/reports team hours and expenses, manages project budget, ensures timely & accurate invoicing, and monitors receivables for project. Analyses project

profitability, revenue, margins, bill rates and utilization.

12. Responsible for meeting SLAs and achieving customer satisfaction goals.

13. Performs other related duties as required.





Job Elements Identification Solution Delivery Manager

Serial No. Job Element Activities

1. Project

Planning

Estimate the Scope of the Project

Establish Estimates of Work Product and Task Attributes

Define Project Lifecycle Phases

Estimate Effort and Cost

Establish the Budget and Schedule

Identify Project Risks

Plan Data Management

Plan the Project's Resources

Plan Needed Knowledge and Skills

Plan Stakeholder Involvement

Establish the Project Plan

Review Plans that Affect the Project

Reconcile Work and Resource Levels

Obtain Plan Commitment

2 Project

Monitoring

Monitor Project Planning Parameters

Monitor Commitments

Monitor Project Risks

Monitor Data Management

Monitor Stakeholder Involvement

Conduct Progress Reviews

Conduct Milestone Reviews

3 Project Control

Analyze Issues

Take Corrective Action

Manage Corrective Actions

Job Element Analysis Solutions Delivery Manager

Serial

No.

Job Element Knowledge

& Skills

Threshold

Competency

Differentiating Competency

1 Project

Planning

K Development of

simple project plans

including work break-

down structure.

Can oversee and manage

Large, highly complex, diverse

or strategic projects that impact

the organization as a whole.

S Customer Service

Orientation discovers and meets

underlying needs.

Analytical Skills anticipating and planning for obstacles or

seeing the implications or

consequences of situations.

K Knowledge of Gantt

charts

Identifying project slacks and

critical parts in a Gantt chart.

S Contacts many

different sources

Getting commitments to project

plan from various stakeholders.

2 Project

Monitoring

K Identifying project

risks

Analysing risks and providing

mitigation plans.

S Anticipating obstacles Breaks problem apart

systematically and makes logical

conclusions.

K Generating project

metrics

Analysing project metrics

S Questions obvious Challenges assumptions





mistakes and asks for

clarification of

unclear issues.

and their underlying logic

3 Project

Control

K Rework project

schedule

Rework project schedule so as to

avoid project slippages.

S Produces a workable

solution that meets

the immediate

demands of the

situation

Produces a range of workable

strategies aimed at solving

numerous, possibly related

issues; considers the practical

concerns regarding the

implementation of a range of

possible solutions.

K Prepare impact

analysis

Identification of root cause

through impact analysis

S Recognizes that the

solution to one issue

may have an impact

later on in a process.

Uses systems thinking to

investigate the complex

relationships between

seemingly unrelated

issues; Steps away from

solving the immediate

problem to place it into a

wider context; Considers

the whole system, not just

one issue or a localized

cluster of issues.

Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale Solution Delivery Manager Functional & Behavioural Competencies

1. Conceptual Thinking

2. Planning Delivery

3. Customer Service Orientation

4. Holding People Accountable

5. Impact & Influence

6. Delegation

Conceptual Thinking

The ability to identify patterns or connections between situations that are not obviously related, and to

identify key or underlying issues in complex situations. It includes using creative, conceptual or

inductive reasoning.

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Uses Basic Rules & Sees

Patterns

Applies Complex

Concepts

Clarifies Complex

Situations or Data

Creates New Concepts

Uses simple rules,

common sense, and past

experiences to identify

problems. Recognizes

when a current situation

is exactly the same as a

past situation.

Uses knowledge of

theory or of

different past trends

or situations to look

at current

situations.

Makes complex

ideas or situations

clear, simple,

and/or

understandable.

Creates new concepts

that are not obvious to

others and not learned

from previous education

or experience to explain

situations or resolve

problems.





When looking at

information, sees

patterns, trends, or

missing pieces.

Applies and

modifies complex

learned concepts or

methods

appropriately; e.g.,

statistical process

control, TQM

demographic

analysis,

managerial styles,

organizational

climate etc. This is

evidence of more

sophisticated

pattern recognition.

Assembles ideas,

issues, and

observations into a

clear and useful

explanation.

Restates existing

observations or

knowledge in a

simpler manner.

Putting together

information from

different areas.

Planning Delivery

Defines tasks, milestones, establishes clear priorities and schedules activities to achieve objectives,

while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives. Constantly monitors performance

against objectives.


Employee

Can do the job

Employee

Plays by the

rules

Employee

Adapts Own

Approach

Employee

Adapts well to

Organizational Strategy

Identifies

information required

for the project and

streamlines

appropriate

resources for

allocation utilization

Most of the time

meets deadlines.

Makes realistic

estimates of the

effort, resources &

time to complete

Activities.

Defines tasks, milestones,

establishes clear priorities

and schedules activities to

achieve objectives, while

ensuring the optimal use of

resources to meet those

objectives.

Uses new planning

tools and techniques

accurately

Plan & prioritize

the work as per

the deadline &

requirement.

Works efficiently &

effectively.

Constantly monitors

Performance against

objectives.

Effectively uses

the resources &

keep members

informed about

the schedules

Keeps everyone

focused on

completing tasks by

the due date.

Expert in time management

& finishes work ahead of

schedule & spares time &

resources for other activities.

Sets challenging, tangible

goals, allows freedom but

ensures accountability.

Customer Service Orientation

Customer Service Orientation is the willingness and ability to give priority to customers, delivering

high quality services which meet their needs.






Employee

Delivers a service

Employee

Adds Value

Employee

Addresses Underlying

Needs

Employee

Serves Long-Term

Interests

Keeps customers

up to date and

informed. Interacts

well with all

customers.

Thinks about the

customer when

undertaking day-

to-day work.

Takes time to question

and understand the real,

underlying needs of

customers, beyond those

initially expressed.

Always works closely

with customers,

developing an

independent view of

their needs and acting in

their long-term interest.

Acts promptly to

ensure customer

problems are

resolved.

Questions "how

is this adding

value for the

customer?"

Focuses resource

without bias on priority

areas and/or key

customer groups.

Moves customer thinking

forward, helping them

understand issues beyond

their day-to-day work.

Makes him- or

herself available to

the customer.

Makes decisions

with the customer

in mind.

Does not make

assumptions about

customer needs, but

asks lots of questions to

clarify them

Requests feedback from

customers to ensure

satisfaction, and shares

the results.

Understands that

each customer is

different.

Takes pride in

delivering a high

quality product or

service.

Delivers what is

expected, not what

they think the

customer wants or

needs.

Investigates

service delivery

and provides

solutions to

problems.

Holding People Accountable

Holding People Accountable involves the ability to be totally clear with others about what has to be

achieved, to what standard, by when, within what budget, and then make clear their accountability for

delivery.


Employee

Provides

Direction

Employee

Demands High

Standards

Employee Holds

People Accountable

for Performance

Employee

Addresses Longer

Term Issues

Gives clear

instructions and

lets people know

what is expected

of them.

Demands high

performance or

results from others

by setting example.

Holds people

accountable for their

actions and

performance.

Addresses longer term

performance

problems, removing

poor performers from

positions when

necessary.

Accepts

accountability for

own actions and

performance Sets

limits for others behavior.

Monitors

performance against

clear standards or

deadlines, providing

appropriate feedback

when required.

Challenges individuals

openly and

constructively about

performance problems,

adapting a firm but fair

stance.

Clearly states

consequences, e.g. if you dont achieve this goal, this is what will

happen

Does not bully or

harass and does

Helps individuals to

start again when

Allows others to take

credit when deserved.

Provides guidance and

support as well as





not tolerate

inappropriate

behavior in others.

setbacks occur. challenge and

constructive criticism.

Impact and Influence

Implies an intention to persuade, convince, influence, or impress others, in order to get them to go

along with or to support the speakers agenda. It is based on the desire to have a specific impact or effect on others where the person has his or her own agenda, a specific type of impression to make, or

a course of action that he or she wants the others to adopt.


Employee

States Intention,

takes no specific

action

Employee

Takes an action to

persuade

Employee Calculates

the Impact of Ones Actions or Words

Employee

Uses

Indirect Influence

Intends to have a

specific effect or

impact; expresses concern with

reputation, status,

appearance, etc., but

does not take any

specific action

Uses direct persuasion

in a discussion or

presentation (e.g.,

appeals to reason,

data, others self-interest; uses concrete examples, visual aids,

demonstrations, etc.).

Anticipates the effect of

an action or other detail

on peoples image of the speaker. OR takes a

well-thought-out

dramatic or unusual

action in order to have

a specific impact.

Uses experts or other

third parties to

influence.

Makes no apparent

attempt to adjust the

persuasion attempt to

the interest and level

of the audience

Takes one or more

steps to persuade

without trying to adapt

specifically to level or

interest of an

audience.

Adapts a presentation

or discussion to appeal

to the interest and level

of others. Anticipates

and prepares for

others reactions.

Builds a behind the scenes support for ideas, gives or

withholds information

to have specific

effects, uses

group process kills to lead or direct a

group.

Delegation

Utilizes direct reports effectively by allocating decision-making and other responsibilities to the

appropriate person to others to maximize the organization and individuals effectiveness.


Gives clear

commands

Monitors assigned

work

Encourages self-

regulating work style

Addresses long-term

work related anxieties

Gives clear

instructions

& lets people know

what is expected of

them.

Assigned

accountabilities are

indicative of clear

end results, not

simply tasks to

complete.

Encourages others to

set own deadlines

within time constraints

of assignment and

holds them accountable

for meeting the

deadline.

Asks employee for

his/her plan to address

issue to be delegated,

allowing person to

create and "own" the

solution.

Accepts

accountability

for own actions &

performance.

Individualizes

delegation to meet

the needs and

abilities of the

individual.

Manages risks by

making contingency

plans with employee.

Provides the necessary

guidance and resources

when assigning work.

Sets limit for others Demands high Clearly communicates Allows others to





Behavior performance or

results from others by

setting example.

expectations or

boundaries.

take credit

when deserved.

SUMMARY

The intent of my project report is to touch the concept of competency mapping and its impact on HR

practices and the organization as a whole. I have consequently understood that Competency Mapping

can be used for great benefit in exploring where knowledge resides and how it is shared within an

organization.

If chosen for implementation competency model can serve as an integrative frame-work for the

organizations entire HR system. It can help align the HR system vertically with the organizations strategic objectives, or horizontally with other HR functions, to ensure harmony and consistency

across the many facets of HR activities that impact human performance.

In todays management world and especially in the Corporate realm, the term competency mapping has gained tremendous importance and popularity and rightly so. Organizations are contending globally and they wanted to create a competitive edge over the other. Companies are investing

tremendous amount of time and money to have competent employees or develop ordinary employees

to extra-ordinary employees by developing distinguishable competencies. Service Delivery Managers

and HR professional have realized the importance of competency mapping and they believe that, the

future belongs to competent people and competency based organizations.

CONCLUSION

Competency Mapping is an important and an essential exercise for the sustenance and development of

the organization. Every firm should have well defined roles and list of competencies required to

perform each role effectively. Such list should be used for recruitment, placements and training needs

identification, performance management, and promotions. In performing or carrying out work, it is

essential that the required job skills sets first be articulated. This information not only helps to identify

individuals who have the matching skills for doing the work but also the skills that will enhance the

successful performance of the work. Yet often to perform well, it is not enough just to have these

skills. It is also critical to complement the skills with the necessary knowledge and attitudes.

In todays management world and especially in the Corporate realm, the term competency mapping has gained tremendous importance and popularity and rightly so. Organizations are contending globally and they wanted to create a competitive edge over the other. Companies are investing

tremendous amount of time and money to have competent employees or develop ordinary employees

to extra-ordinary employees by developing distinguishable competencies. Service Delivery Managers

and HR professional have realized the importance of competency mapping and they believe that, the

future belongs to competent people and competency based organizations.

REFERENCES

1. P D Pant and Anirban Dutta, the Management Group, Behavioural Competencies an Important HR Tool Page 3

2. Behavioural Competencies British Columbia, www.env.gov.bc.ca/home/behavioural _competencies... page 11

3. Generic and Behavioural Competency Dictionary The British Council. www.mcinnescooper.com/wp-content/uploads/docs...

4. E book - Competence at Work by Spencer and Spencer.. CiteHR

5. www.citehr.com/203836-e-book-competence-work-spencer-spencer.html The McClelland / Mc Ber Competency Models

6. www.eyeonsociety.co.uk/resources/CILSChap15.pdf





7. Atkinson, J. W. (Ed.). Motives in Fantasy, Action and Society. New York: Van Nostrand.

8. Hay/McBer. (1996). Scaled Competency Dictionary. Boston: Hay/McBer.

9. McClelland, D.C., & Litwin, G. (1967). A Brief Scoring Manual for Achievement Motivation. Boston, MA: McBer & Co.

10. Murray, H. A. (1938). Explorations in Personality. New York: Oxford University Press.

11. Spencer, L. M., & Spencer, S. M. (1993). Competence at Work. New York: Wiley.

12. . Hay/ McBer. Competency Management in Organizations - SlideShare

13. www.slideshare.net/hrtalksblog/competency-management-in...

14. NHRDNs Webinar 10th Sept09 NHRDN s Sept 09 Competency Management in Organizations Presented by: P.

15. BUILDING COMPETENCY MODELS coohobbies.com/building-competency-models BUILDING COMPETENCY MODELS March 2nd, 2013

16. CMMI Version 1.3From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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