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ICF International helps organizations improve their effectiveness
by developing competency models that link workforce competencies
with the strategic long-term vision, mission, and goals
of the organization. We use these organization-specific
competency models to help organizations develop recruiting
strategies, design training programs, and implement interventions
to motivate the workforce.
A competency model outlines the specific skill, knowledge,
behaviors, and attitudes required to perform a particular
role within the organization. Competency models may be
job function specific or can cut across positions by
outlining shared skills, knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes
required by employees at all levels of the organization.
Using state-of the-art assessment tools and incorporating
best practices within the human capital profession, ICF International experts have developed competency models for
both public- and private-sector organizations.
Job Task Analysis, Gap Analysis, and Competency-Based
Learning Plans
The assessment phase is the building block of the competency
development process; it provides the foundation of all
subsequent development activities. In order to assess
competency needs, ICF International first gathers data to
identify job tasks and to determine the gaps between
current and desired competencies.
After thoroughly reviewing
existing job descriptions, ICF International experts seeks
out the top performers in the organization to serve as
participants in the job task analysis and needs assessment
process. Through workshops, surveys, and/or interviews,
these employees assist the project team in identifying
the key behaviors, skills, attributes, and characteristics
that make them excel at what they do. ICF International
also interviews managers and experts to learn
what new competencies might be needed based on organizational
initiatives.
Once qualitative and quantitative information has been
gathered, ICF International analyzes this information before
moving on to develop draft competencies. These draft
competencies are then validated by managers, experts
within the organization, and other stakeholders.
Once required competencies have been identified and
defined, ICF International goes on to help organizations assess competency
gaps. We develop gap analysis tools that allow employees
and managers to assess competency levels independently
as well as guidance on coming to agreement on competency
development needs.
Finally, ICF International works with organizations to
develop competency-based learning plans that allow employees
and their managers to identify appropriate mechanisms
for closing competency gaps—from classroom training
to job aids, conference attendance, and coaching. Selected
projects include:
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SELECTED
PROJECTS |
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Competency Development and Training for
the Leadership Development Program
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS)
ICF International developed a technical competency
model for SAMHSA public health analysts and
advisors, two mission-critical occupations
that account for more than 50 percent of
the agency's
workforce. As a part of this effort, ICF International facilitated focus groups to define
the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attributes
critical to high performance in these occupational
series. ICF International also specified proficiency
levels for each competency, delineating performance
indicators to distinguish between beginning,
intermediate, and advanced levels of expertise.
The final competency model will be integrated
into SAMHSA's HR processes as determined
by HHS. In addition, ICF International identified
critical management competencies to assist
SAMHSA with the creation and implementation
of a Leadership Development Program (LDP).
Through interviews and focus groups, ICF International identified core management competencies
and developed curriculum maps and learning
pathways to close competency gaps. ICF International
went on to design the structure and content
of the LDP, including course curriculum;
other learning interventions such as coaching,
mentoring, job aids, and management seminars;
a self-assessment instrument; approaches
for evaluating the effectiveness of the program;
and strategic
marketing and communications to generate awareness of the new program.
ICF International is currently assisting with
other SAMHSA human capital activities such
as performance
management, succession planning,
and recruiting.
Training Needs Assessment, Competency Modeling,
and Development of a Strategic Training Plan
Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals Transition (OMHAT), U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals
Transition (OMHAT) was established to transfer
the responsibility for the function of administrative
law judges hearing Medicare appeals from
the Commission of Social Security to the
Department of Health and Human Services.
ICF International recently assisted OMHAT with
the conduct of a training needs assessment
and the development of a comprehensive, cost-effective
training
plan for this newly formed office
within the Office of the Secretary, HHS.
Ultimately, the training plan provided a
framework for a program that provided newly
hired staff—ranging from administrative
law judges to lawyers, paralegals, hearing
clerks, and administrative staff—with
the requisite skills and knowledge to produce
quality decisions. Furthermore, the training
plan ensured that the newly formed office
functioned smoothly from the start and was
poised to meet unprecedented requirements,
including the processing of all Medicare
appeals within a 90-day timeframe. ICF International
identified required skills and knowledge
for the new positions using available job
task information and descriptions of similar
positions within the federal government.
ICF International developed an inventory of
skills and knowledge for each position, which
was then validated by OMHAT. ICF International
went on to identify an initial range of cost-effective
training and development tools that could
serve as effective preparation of new hires
in advance of the launch of the new office.
In addition, ICF International recommended training
and development interventions that OMHAT
can use for ongoing staff development.
Needs Assessment and Competency-Based Learning
Plan
Office of Research Community, U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
In the late
1990s, a Training Organization Assessment Study (TOAP) was conducted that
served as the foundation for training
and development initiatives within the
IRS Research community. However, IRS Research
sought to validate the TOAP data and recommendations
to assess how changes in the organization
had affected current and future training
needs. Ultimately, the Research community
wanted to ensure that the skill base of
Research employees was aligned with current
and future job requirements. ICF International
assisted IRS Research in this process by
first analyzing and evaluating the TOAP methodology,
findings, recommendations, and implementation
progress. ICF International then used the TOAP
meta-evaluation to build a needs assessment
plan that addressed the current and future
challenges facing the IRS Research community.
The centerpiece of ICF International's supplemental
needs assessment was an all-employee survey
that identified the competency-based learning
needs of IRS Research professionals by
position and business unit. Survey participants
rated each competency associated with their
position in terms of the importance of the
competency to their work and the urgency
of the need for training in that competency.
The Competency-Based Learning Plans (CBLP)
ultimately developed for this project provided
a link between the needs assessment findings
and employee development activities. The
CBLPs included implementation guides, gap
analysis tools, and employee toolkits.
Development of a Competency Model for CDRH
Core Business, Science, and Functional Competencies
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Staff College, U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA)
ICF International is currently working with
the Center for Devices and Radiological Health
(CDRH) of the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to develop a Competency Model that
outlines core business, science, and technical/functional
competencies. The model will be used to support
the design, development, and implementation
of professional development events for the
CDRH workforce. ICF International conducted
workshops with several groups of top-performing
employees and distributed a limited survey
to others to develop a first draft competency
model, as well as a competency dictionary
with behaviorally based competency definitions.
This first draft model was then validated
through a survey to CDRH managers. From there,
the model was directly linked to CDRH Staff
College professional development activities.
Competencies were linked to behavioral anchors,
with those example behaviors then linked
to learning opportunities, or "learning
pathways." ICF International also developed
a gap analysis tool designed to coordinate
employee self-analysis of competency achievement
with manager assessment of employee competency gaps to develop an employee
competency-based learning plan. In addition to developing the Competency Model
itself, ICF International also developed a communication plan to introduce the
Competency Model and recommended learning pathways to employees.
IT Competency Development and Skill Gap
Analysis
H&R Block
H&R Block Enterprise Technology contracted
with ICF International to group jobs into job
families, develop a list of competencies
for each job, and update job descriptions.
To develop the job family groupings, a group
of H&R Block managers sorted the job
titles into draft job families. These families
were confirmed using interviews of incumbents
from each job, and these interviews were
also used to update job descriptions. ICF International developed a matrix of jobs by
information technology (IT) competencies
and performed a skill gap analysis to identify
strengths and development needs for job families
and for the organization. This analysis was
performed using supervisor and self-ratings
of skills in the competencies identified
during the job analysis. The client will
use the results to develop training in areas
of greatest need. They also will use the
updated job descriptions for selection and
promotion of associates.
Statewide IT Workforce Evaluation
Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)
For Virginia's Center for
Innovative Technology (CIT), ICF International conducted
a strategically oriented job analysis and
workforce staffing assessment of the State's
IT jobs. The project's
primary goal was to identify the human
performance requirements of Virginia's IT
jobs both now and in the future, while the
secondary goal was to determine Virginia's
current and future IT workforce staffing
needs. Current shortages in Virginia's IT
workforce, as well as a lack of information
regarding the human performance requirements
(e.g., skills, knowledge, ability, training,
and certification) of IT occupations gave
rise to this project. ICF International developed
a methodology for collecting data needed
to inform both the IT workforce staffing
estimates and the analysis of knowledge,
ability, and training requirements for
Virginia's IT jobs. This methodology included
both the management of regional, subject
matter expert (SME) workshops and a Web-based
survey. The SME workshops involved meetings
with chief information officers (CIO) from
selected companies employing IT workers within
each region. The data collected from these
meetings was used to inform the development
of the electronic, Web-based survey. Line
managers and CIOs from more than 2,000 IT
companies throughout Virginia completed the
Web-based survey.
Skills Gap Analysis
Office of Weapons and Space (OWS), U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)
ICF International conducted a job task analysis and a training gap analysis study
for the Office of Weapons and Space (OWS) within
the National Security Agency (NSA). ICF International began by defining the job categories that
comprised the OWS workforce and listing
the tasks and associated knowledge, skills, and
tools needed to perform the work at basic,
intermediate, and advanced levels. ICF International then administered a job analysis survey to
identify current levels of performance
across the different job elements. A course mapping
exercise to identify where job elements
were being trained was conducted concurrently
with the completion of the job analysis
survey. This data were then used to identify where
gaps between critical job elements and
available courses existed, as well as to identify any
existing performance conditions or other
factors that may impact future training.
The results were presented to representatives
within the Associate Directorate of Education
and Training as well as the Office of
Weapons and Space. This study was part of
a larger effort to allow OWS to map out the
career progression of different types of
signals analysts, describing their recommended
timeline for training and advancement throughout their
careers. This effort, in turn, would
be put to use in addressing succession planning
and retention issues. |
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