"Capacity building is NOT about a training workshop. Building real capacity can be achieved when a combination of methods is used including supporting the practitioner within the organisation. This community based research project focussed on listening and learning from community practitioners, on what they are already doing well and their capacity needs."

Competence Standards

The competence standards were established and revised with the community based development practitioner in mind. Below is an excerpt from a report on the practitioner consultation process.

The pilot interviews were preceded by a period of desktop research and tools design. The draft competence standards selected for the pilots were compared with the most appropriate capacity building intervention implemented by the partner. Practitioners were selected as representatives that epitomise this competence in their organisations. Each had undergone the capacity building training offered by the partner organisation.
The pilot process was conducted by Mariette Williams, the Development Practice and Management Project Coordinator, and a staff member of the partner organisation well versed in their capacity building programme. The logistical arrangements were shared between the partner organisation and the SI. During the interviews the relevant staff member could focus on the application of knowledge received from the partner, while Mariette could focus on how practitioners were reflecting on the content and spirit of the competence standard.

The Level 2 and 4 learner

The 23 competence standards were developed by the collective efforts of the partner organisations based on the information collected from the community based practitioners interviewed and consulted during the process. It emerged during this process that community based practitioners and community based organisations function at different points on a continuum.

The Learner at Level 2

Some organisations are just emerging and seeking formal structure in some or all parts of the organisation. This organisation would need practitioners to perform basic tasks in managing their organisation and this level of competence for practitioners was pitched at NQF level 2.


The learner at level 2 is someone who...
  • is working in a small CBO or project of a larger CSO;
  • who has responsibility for contributing to the planning and implementation of a project with a limited focus or within a local community;
  • is responsible for own activities and contribute to the team
  • has access to some kind of support from the CBO Manager, supervisor and team.

The Learner at Level 4

Some organisations already have formal structures and demand competence at a higher level. NQF level 4 competence was designed to meet the needs of the development practitioner operating within this environment.

The learner at level 4 is someone who...

  • Is either a leader of a small community based CSO, or the leader of a department or project within a large NGO (or someone who aspires to be this person).
  • Carries responsibility for a range of leadership and management functions within their organisation/department.
  • Needs to be able to interact with the community in which they work in a really developmental way, informed by the values and ethos of participatory developmental practice.
  • Needs to be able to exercise initiative, solve problems etc on the scale of the organisation.

The competence standards at NQF level 2 and 4 seeks to offer relevant standards for those organisations and development practitioners throughout this continuum. The competence standards were written by development practitioners with a remarkable amount of collective experience. Below, we try to illustrate the critical analytical thinking that created the competence standards. All these standards are now subject to greater scrutiny by a very wide community of development practitioners and all comments are appreciated.

Analysing the Competence Standard

In writing and critically analysing a competence standard, focused attention is needed on the following questions:

  • Does the standard describe the competence clearly and unambiguously?
  • Are the Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria constituent parts of the competence and listed clearly and unambiguously?
  • Is the Specific Outcome an essential component of this competency? It needs to describe the minimum set of outcomes
  • Is the Assessment Criteria listing proof that is assessable?
  • Is the principle 'less is more' being applied? Are these necessarily ‘essential competence’ for the qualification / specific outcomes / assessment criteria


More detailed information on the Competence Standards is available to registered users. To view this information, login with your e-mail address and password in the login area. To register, contact development practice (hyperlinked to the email address)

 

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The Sustainability Institute