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Standards

If you want help defining what you need to learn, or would like some proven measures against which to compare yourself, you will need to find some standards. If your employer does not have their own standards or frameworks for you to use, you will need to seek them elsewhere.

Some possible sources of standards are:

  • External Standards - those produced by institutions, such as the Management Charter Initiative. These are usually free and are often cross-referenced to other standards, allowing you to take elements from more than one, to build a profile representative of your individual job.
  • Academic - NVQ/SVQs and curriculum information for other formal qualifications can give an idea of expected levels of knowledge and ability.
  • Industry Standards - many larger employers have their own standards and frameworks for specific jobs or functions. In addition, employers’ federations and Sector Skills Councils will have produced standards, or be able to provide information on where these can be obtained.
  • Peer Review - comparison between yourself and others in your company, or in similar roles within other companies, can be a useful indicator of your expertise level. Networking through institutions is a good way to meet people in similar jobs to yourself who may be interested in a mutual exercise.
  • Job Specifications - these are always a good starting-point to establish performance level, not just for your own job, but for superior levels - and will prove particularly useful if you are working towards achieving a promotion or job move.
  • Promotion Boards - valuable feedback on your level of performance can be gained through interview by promotion boards, and you ought to receive specific advice and guidance on any additional development that you need to achieve the desired level.

NVQ/SVQ frameworks

If you wish to use Competences, but don’t have a framework provided by your employer, you may find inspiration from published NVQ frameworks. These are available from organisations such as SEMTA, and you should find that, even if they don’t perfectly fit your role, you will be able to adapt them and make additions to suit your job. Discussion with your manager or mentor will be a great help in doing this.

You may find it useful to consult the following engineering and management standards when attempting to identify Competences for development: