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Description

Competency Frameworks: Designing, Writing and Sustaining the Tool

One day to build a competency framework that is genuinely used rather than filed away and forgotten

  • 1 day — 7 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Expert
  • Up to 6 participants

The framework was built with external support and nobody uses it. Competencies are worded so broadly that two levels of mastery cannot be told apart. Line managers do not recognise their own roles in it and carry on assessing people their own way.

This one-day programme is designed for practitioners who have already worked on jobs and competencies. It covers framework structure choices, the wording of competencies and their levels, the method for gathering input from job holders, and the uses that keep the tool alive. Participants draft competency sheets and test them against real work situations.

Learning objectives

  • Select a framework structure aligned with the intended uses
  • Word a competency in terms of observable activity
  • Grade levels of mastery in a genuinely discriminating way
  • Conduct an input-gathering exercise with job holders in the role concerned
  • Connect the framework to recruitment, learning and assessment practices
  • Organise the long-term updating of the framework

What makes this programme different

Competency sheets drafted during the session and then tested against real situations
Dedicated work on level grading, too often reduced to a few adjectives
Identification of the structural choices that make a framework unusable

Programme

1Framing the Framework

Uses, scope and structure

  • Clarifying the intended uses before any drafting begins
  • Choosing between a job-based, activity-based or cross-functional approach
  • Level of detail compatible with realistic updating
  • Alignment with grading structures and job descriptions

2Gathering Input and Drafting

Field input, wording and grading

  • Methods for gathering input from job holders in the role
  • Moving from activity description to competency
  • Rules for wording an observable competency
  • Building levels of mastery that are genuinely distinct

3Rolling Out and Sustaining

Uses, ownership and review

  • Applications in recruitment, assessment and learning
  • Ownership by line managers and supporting materials
  • Handling emerging and obsolete competencies
  • Organising the periodic review of the framework

Who is it for

HR development managers, competency project leads, internal consultants and learning and development managers.

Prerequisites

Prior involvement in work relating to job roles or competencies.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.