Systems Engineering Competency Assessment Guide

INCOSE SE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK DEFINITION

COMPETENCY OVERVIEW

The terms “competency” and “competencies” focus on the personal attributes or inputs of an individual. They can be defined as the technical attributes and behaviors that individuals must have, or must acquire, to perform effectively at work.

“Competence” and “competences” are broader concepts that encompass demonstrable performance outputs as well as behavior inputs and may relate to a system or set of minimum standards required for effective performance at work (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) 2021b).

Competency is “a measure of an individual's ability in terms of their knowledge, skills, and behavior to perform a given role (p. xvi).” (Holt and Perry 2011).

Competency is distinct from competence, defined by Merriam‐Webster as the ability to do something well (Merriam‐Webster 2018). Competence, then, reflects the total characteristics of the individual, while “competency” reflects a single area; the sum of an individual's competencies makes up their competence (Holt and Perry 2011).

Although these terms are now regularly used interchangeably, in this document, the term “competency” is used to define the need (“requirement”) and “competence” is used to characterize the “outcome” (“validation”).

A “Competency Framework” is a structure that sets out and defines each individual competency required by individuals working in an organization or part of an organization (Chartered Institute of Personnel ...