This presentation provides an overview of some of the initial drivers to move the Canadian Armed Forces towards a competency based approach to enhance professional development.

1. CMP/CPM
Enhancing Professional
Development through a
Competency-Based Approach
LCdr Randy Purse
LCdr Remi Tremblay

2. CMP/CPM
Outline
• Key Definitions/Concepts
• Overivew of Leadership Development Framework
(LDF)
• Professional Development (PD) and the
competency-based approach
• Challenges with integrating competency-based
approach into PD
• Opportunities for expanding learning in support of
PD

3. CMP/CPM
Definition - Competency
“The set of knowledge, skills, abilities or other
characteristics which may vary among
individuals that contributes to effective
performance”
CFITES Manual of IT&E Vol 1(1) - Glossary

4. CMP/CPM
Professional Development –
DAOD 5031-8
• PD consists of Training, Education, Self-Development
and Experience;
• “…the CF is committed to providing its members with PD
throughout their military careers, promoting a continuous
learning environment”;
• “…to ensure that CF members are capable of critical
thinking, managing change, effective leadership,
followership and resource management, across the full
spectrum of military service.”
• “…shared responsibility between commanders and
individual CF members…”

5. CMP/CPM
Leadership Development Framework
Source: Walker, R.W., The Professional Development Framework: Generating
Effectiveness in Canadian Forces Leaders, CFLI Technical Report 2006-1

6. CMP/CPM
Current PD Structure
Basic/DP1
DP2
DP2
DP2
DP3
DP4
DP5
Task-based Job-based Training,
Collective Training and Experience
Professional
Military Education
Time
Rank

7. CMP/CPM
Competencies and PD
Challenges:
• Translation into specifications
• Expanding requirement for T&E
• Accounting for experience
• Linking various requirements
• Revising Prior Learning Assessment and
Recognition
• Revising instructional strategies
• Supporting workplace and informal learning
environments
• Providing broader range of self-development
opportunities

8. CMP/CPM
Leadership Development Framework
(Meta-Competencies)
Professional/Military/Institutional Specialist/Occupational
Expertise
Cognitive capacities
Professional Ideology
Change capacities
Social capacities
PD & the Competency-Based
Approach
General/Environmental
Specifications
(by DP level)
Job-Based Specifications
(by Occuaption/
Job and Rank)
Specific Mission
Operational
Reqts

9. CMP/CPM
Professional Development
Continuum
Formal T&E
Informal/Non-formal
Learning
PD = Training, Education, Self-Development
and experience.

10. CMP/CPM
Support of PD
Self-Development:
• Learning plans
• Provide evaluation/feedback
• Encourage self-assessment
• More opportunity/less direction
Experience:
• Meaningful succession planning
• Mentoring/coaching
• 360 degree evaluation/feedback
• Support informal learning
Training and Education:
• Instructional Strategies
• Authentic contexts aligned with work
• Realistic engagement & feedback

11. CMP/CPM
Advantages for Competency-based
Approach to PD
Organization
• Increased capability and
improved validity for
PLAR
• Retention
• Improved interagency
transfer of T&E
(Comprehensive
Approach)
• Greater potential for self-
development
• Organizational
improvement
Individual
• Enhanced learner
centricity
• Improved accreditation
• Greater PLAR
opportunities
• Improved clarity on
expectations
• Individual improvement

12. CMP/CPM
Conclusion
• The LDF paved the way for introduction of
competency based approach across Pers Mgt
• Manageable Challenges
• It’s changing the way we view PD:
• Driven by the diverse set of requirements
(General, Env, Job, Mission)
• Potential for a true PD continuum
• Improved individual and organizational
performance

13. 13
Open Discussion / Questions