Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK
A
Introduction
This document represents the latest efforts of the ENQA Staff Development Group,
as a follow-up to our initial report in April 2014 where we identified, at a high level,
the common core competencies of quality assurance and quality enhancement professionals
in ENQA member agencies.
For this latest work we examined in detail the competencies as a basis for developing a
framework that agencies could use in job design, recruitment and staff development activities.
We have identified competencies for both new entrants to our sector and for experienced
professionals, and a broad range of activities that agencies can use to develop their staff.
We hope that agencies will find it a useful tool that they can adapt for their own purposes and
for ENQA in scheduling future activities.
Douglas Blackstock
Chair, ENQA Staff Development Group
SYSTEMIC/TECHNICAL
Analytical/Problem solving
l Identifying issues and resolving them
l Investigating
l Collecting and analysing information from different sources to inform recommendations
l Probing and interpreting evidence
Project management
l Managing and coordinating work
l Project management
l Financial management
SOCIAL SKILLS
Communication/Teamwork
l Report writing
l Presentation skills
l Influencing and negotiation
l Team leadership and coaching
Autonomy and resilience
l Using judgement, discretion and initiative
l Professional values
l Integrity and resilience under pressure
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Detailed competencies synthesised from
frameworks of ENQA member agencies
KNOWLEDGE COMPETENCIES
HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR KNOWLEDGE
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
G
eneral knowledge of national pplication form, interview,
A D
esk-based research including
higher education system presentation relevant legislation and agency
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
O
perational understanding of documentation
Evidence of
universities and colleges, Work experience within the Peer coaching
and other higher education higher education sector Informal discussion
provider types
Shadowing review
U
nderstanding of higher coordinators
education in other countries
Shadowing team meetings
is beneficial
A
ttendance at relevant
A
wareness of the different
seminars, workshops, courses
stakeholders in the domestic
and forums
higher education sector
In-depth understanding of pplication form, interview,
A A
ttendance at international
the national higher education presentations, references seminars, conferences and
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
2
NATIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
U
nderstanding of the basic pplication form, interview,
A Desk-based research including
concept of the national system presentation relevant legislation and agency
for quality assurance and documentation
Evidence of
enhancement and of Peer coaching
Work experience within the
the internal quality practices
higher education sector Informal discussion
of institutions
W
ork experience in a similar Shadowing review
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
A
bility to act as ‘expert’ in one self-evaluation report, setting education sector, including
or more quality assurance up internal quality assurance liaison visits and field research
areas teams, development of C
ompletion of INQAAHE
procedures and development Quality Assurance Professional
of learning outcomes Development Programme
D
elivery of training for national (QAP)
and international reviewers Mentoring
and for audit secretaries/ Reading specialised publications
coordinators
D
evelopment of quality
assurance instruments
Quality of thematic analysis
Contribution to working
groups responsible for
the development and
improvement of quality
assurance
C
ontribution to national and
international quality assurance
discussion
3
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY ENHANCEMENT
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
Familiarity with the concept pplication form, interview,
A D
esk-based research - reading
of the European Higher presentation relevant documentation
Education Area Peer coaching
Evidence of
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
4
SYSTEMIC/TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
E
xperience in project Application form, interview, P
articipation in international
management, including the presentations, references projects
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
development of a project K
nowledge exchange visits
Evidence of
scope, time management, to other ENQA member
Ability to define the scope
budgetary responsibility, agencies to gather insight
of and launch a new
quality assurance, into areas of good practice for
accreditation/evaluation cycle
communications, risk implementation in the national
assessment, procurement A
bility to achieve time efficient
agency
and human resource realisation of project outcomes
F
ormal training
considerations A
bility to achieve cost efficient
(internal or external)
realisation of project outcomes
P
roduction or supervision of
production of high-quality
material for publication
A
bility to effectively engage
others in project work to
achieve results
5
IT AND DATA SKILLS
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
W
orking knowledge of pplication form, interview,
A Software training
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
A
bility to interpret a wide assurance
Evidence of
variety of data and make Quality of analytical reports Software training
recommendations Peer coaching
IT responsibility
U
nderstanding of statistical Information security and data
parameters protection training
C
omprehensive knowledge of
information security and data
protection regulations
Demonstration and
encouragement of good
practice in information
processing and storage
6
PROBLEM SOLVING/ANALYTICAL SKILLS AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING SKILLS
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
A
bility to grasp new concepts, pplication form, interview,
A Desk-based research
and comprehend approaches and presentations, written test Work shadowing
systems
Evidence of A
ttendance at relevant
A
bility to process and interpret Previous work experience workshops, conferences and
complex data and information training events
Psychology test at interview
from a wide variety of sources,
P
eer coaching by senior
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
A
bility to process and interpret scientific area into examples of good
data from a wide variety of sources, practice
D
evelopment of method
distilling essential information from
handbooks and evaluation Continuous professional
non-essential information
procedures development and education
A
bility to define and articulate
D
evelopment of reporting and
parameters and desired objectives,
summary reporting methods
encouraging others to adopt and
deliver on those objectives K
nowledge sharing based on
experiences at a national and
Ability to formulate results-
international level
focussed and relevant
recommendations and make
timely, accurate and well-informed
decisions based on analysis
A
bility to anticipate potential
challenges and opportunities
through detailed comprehension of
internal and external environment,
and both the national and
international contexts
A
bility to structure, organise
and communicate ideas and
information in a way that is
accessible, useful, and encourages
others to adopt them
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INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES
DIPLOMACY AND POLITICAL SENSITIVITY
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
A
bility to communicate tactfully, pplication form, interview,
A Peer coaching
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
A
bility to communicate tactfully, Application form, interview, Formal training
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
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COMMUNICATION (ORAL AND WRITTEN)
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
Ability to listen actively pplication form, interview,
A Work shadowing
A
bility to articulate ideas and presentations, written test, Supervised practice
concepts clearly, concisely and language test, references
Peer coaching
factually, both orally and in writing Evidence of Desk-based research -
U nderstanding of the need to Previous work experience reading reports created by
share relevant information, and the Ability to communicate other colleagues
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
constraints within which information with different audiences for Presentation skills training
can or cannot be shared different purposes
Working in a multilingual
Ability to feed back constructively Ability to comprehend and to team environment
to others, and openness to receive communicate information
constructive feedback Language instruction
Ability to develop in-role, and
Ability to adapt to different to assume more responsibility
audiences, ensuring that messages
Quality of written reports
are clearly articulated in plain,
intelligible language
Ability to construct clear reports
A
very good practitioner level
knowledge of a second language,
and/or professional practitioner
level knowledge of English
A
bility to listen actively and to Application form, interview, Presentation skills training
distil and communicate key issues presentations, references, A
ssignment of complex
from lengthy conversations/ feedback from colleagues and quality assurance tasks
presentations stakeholders, group discussion
Assuming Chairmanship
A
bility to comprehend and Evidence of responsibilities for working
persuasively articulate complex Previous work experience groups
ideas and concepts clearly,
A
bility to communicate W
orking in a multilingual
concisely and factually, both orally
with different audiences for team environment
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
and in writing
different purposes Language instruction
U nderstanding of the need to
Ability to comprehend and to
share relevant information, and the
communicate information
constraints within which information
can or cannot be shared Willingness to commit to
continuing personal and
Ability to feed back constructively
professional development
to others in a way that is
developmental, and openness to Quality of written reports and
receive constructive feedback and meeting minutes
act upon it
A
bility to communicate to different
audiences, ensuring that messages
are clearly articulated in plain,
intelligible language
E
xperience of communicating
complex or sensitive information in
an appropriate manner
A
very good practitioner level
knowledge of a second language,
and/or professional practitioner
level knowledge of English
9
PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
W
illingness to take responsibility I nterview, presentations, Peer coaching
for own professionalism, including references T
raining on agency values
seeking information before taking and principles
Evidence of
action
Attitude and behaviour Review/audit shadowing
Ability to communicate respectfully and/or participation as an
A
wareness of own role in relation audit secretary
to the internal and external
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
environment
Considerate in the use of resources
S
ervice-focussed, and able to
empathise with stakeholder needs
and expectations
C
ommitment to providing the best
possible service through flexibility
and compliance with procedure
A
dherence to the agency’s values
and principles
A
ppreciation of importance
of demonstrating commonly-
accepted professional conduct,
values and principles at all times
W
illingness to take responsibility Application form, interview, Peer coaching
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
for own actions, and for those of presentations, references Training on agency values
direct reports and principles
Evidence of
Ability to communicate respectfully Employer references Review/audit shadowing
and model agency values and and/or participation as an
Attitude and behaviour
principles audit secretary
Design of ‘fit for purpose’
Service-focussed, and able Attendance at national and
procedures
to the need for flexibility to international workshops
meet stakeholder needs and Design of processes and
expectations instruments which meet
stakeholder need
Comprehension of procedural
and resource requirements and Representation of the agency
awareness of need to balance at national and international
compliance with flexibility level
10
TEAMWORK AND FLEXIBILITY
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
Commitment to working I nterview, presentations, Shadowing of coordinators
collaboratively for the benefit of references, written test P
articipation in project
the organisation team work
Evidence of
Solutions-focus Previous work experience
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
W
illingness to take responsibility A
bility to develop in-role,
for own actions and activities and to assume more
A
bility to organise resources to responsibility
accomplish tasks with maximum Informal feedback gathering
efficiency from colleagues and external
A
bility to integrate into and stakeholders
contribute effectively to teams that
work together to perform tasks
A
bility to use appropriate
teamworking methods to steer
other team members towards
set goals
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PERSONAL RESILIENCE (STRESS AND PRESSURE RESISTANCE)
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
A
bility to manage emotions and I nterview, presentations, written S
pecific training on stress in
demonstrate integrity under test, psychometric test the workplace
pressure Constructive feedback
Evidence of
A
bility to adopt a considerate in progress meetings with
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
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AUTONOMY AND PROACTIVITY
Competency level Demonstrated by/ Development activities
assessed through
A
bility to identify patterns and I nterview, presentations, Work practice
trends from diverse sources and references
perspectives
ENTRY LEVEL STAFF
Evidence of
Ability to formulate Previous work experience
recommendations for, or where
E
vidence of ability to develop
appropriate to develop, creative
in-role, and to assume more
and innovative programmes,
responsibility
projects and activities
Informal feedback gathering
A
bility to resolve work problems
from colleagues and external
independently although more
stakeholders
senior staff will usually be available
to provide help and support should
it be required
A
bility to identify patterns and Application form, interview, Work practice
trends from diverse sources and references, feedback from
EXPERIENCED/SENIOR STAFF
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ENQA Competencies Route Map
Job
Assessment
Job description,
person
specification Competencies
Person Induction programme
Assessment and mentoring:
Application, HE sector understanding,
interview, agency structure,
selection, govenance, policies,
testing processes, systems
Job
Assessment and values
Job and
Person
Person
Assessment
Assessment
Probation
Personal
(trial period)
development
plan
Competencies
Development
Group and individual
development activities:
Knowledge competencies
(business of agency),
Technical competencies
(training programme
and externally sourced),
Behavioural competencies
(training programme
and mentoring)
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