9 Grouping and clustering competencies
The grouping and clustering of competencies can take a variety of forms, and often this is done according to an occupation or a job role. That is not to say that there is only one way to cluster groups of competencies, and creating structures that allow for competencies to be applied across different industries, occupations, and roles is important when designing a common competency framework. Competencies and groups of competencies can also be used for the purposes of designing training and credentialing, which may or may not align directly with the needs of a specific workplace, occupation, or sector.
Some different approaches that are commonly used include:
- Competencies grouped by theme. This might include categorizing competencies into main competency areas, such as Interpersonal Skills, Workplace Safety, Computer Skills, Project Management, etc.
- Competencies grouped by workplace and/or job role. Often this will include common cross-functional competencies (ones that all people within an organization need) and technical or functional competencies that apply to specific work activities and job roles.
- Competencies grouped by occupation. This is common when frameworks have been developed for the purposes of certification or licensing. This may also include sub-groupings by theme or job role in occupations where there is a lot of specialization.
- Competencies grouped by industry or sector. This approach is similar to the way competencies are grouped for a workplace or for job roles, but on a much larger scale. These frameworks often have common shared groupings of competencies that apply across occupations but also specific groupings of competencies that apply to an occupation or occupations within a sector.
There is no universal approach to grouping competencies, and most large frameworks will have competencies categorized in multiple ways. For example, a framework for an occupation may also break down the competencies used in that occupation according to themes or groupings of related competencies. Large competency frameworks often rely on the use of metadata such as keywords and tags to cross-reference information, but also rely on technology such as a web-based interface connected to a database or library of competencies. What becomes increasingly important, especially the larger a framework, is that the information can be tracked and managed effectively, and that individual competencies are viewed as building blocks for larger structures.
To understand how competencies act as a building blocks, think of the difference between a jigsaw puzzle and a Lego® set. Both are comprised of pieces that are designed to fit together to form a larger whole, but a jigsaw puzzle only has one possible combination. A Lego® set, even if purchased to assemble a specific project, has pieces that can be disassembled and rearranged in an infinite number of ways to form new structures.
Here is an example of related compe