Adoption and use of IT competence frameworks A qualitative ... Professionalism/IT framework... ·...

Adoption and use of IT competence frameworksA qualitative study at Dutch organizations

Pascal [email protected]

Research Group Process Innovation & Information SystemsHU University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, Netherlands

KenniscentrumEconomisch Sterke en Creatieve Stad

The Research Program

• Part 1: What is the expressive power of ICT competence frameworks?– Plessius, H. & Ravesteijn, P. (2016). Mapping the European

e-Competence Framework on the domain of Information Technology: a comparative study.

• Part 2: What are good practices and pitfalls in the use of ICT competence frameworks in organizations?– Finished april 2017

• Part 3: How can ICT competence frameworks be used to define learning outcomes?– Just started: due by August 2017


Research Approach

Qualitative studyLiterature study

Interviews

Expected outcomes

Qualitative analysis

Practices and

pitfalls

TRANSCRIPTS

QUESTIONS


Case studies

• Interview topics– Competencies and competence

frameworks– Implementation– Talent management– Perceptions (value)

• Data collection– Short reports– Transcripts of interviews

Organizations interviewed (13) were implementing competence frameworks or had recently done so

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

IT & Consultancy

Education

Government

Financial

Distribution over sector


Data analysis with Thematic Analysis

6 phases of conducting Thematic Analysis

1. Becoming familiar with the data.2. Generating initial codes.3. Searching for themes.4. Reviewing themes.5. Defining and naming themes.6. Reporting.

Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006).


Interview reports & interviewers’ own memos (word cloud in Dutch)


Identified categories/themes

Recruitment and selection: Due to the focus on the required competencies, recruiting new staff, both internally and externally, can be more effective and transparent, Also when outsourcing, the competencies may facilitate finding the most suitable service provider.

Personal development plans: By taking competencies and personal development plans as a starting point, better coordination can be achieved with education and training options. In this way, employees are more motivated to follow courses and the training budget is better utilized.

Performance management: because of better coordination between the (future) needs of the organization and the competencies available to employees, this enables employees to articulate a path (with their managers) for further development.

Communication: a competence framework is also a common language, a framework that enables dialogue on strategic and HR matters.

Framework selection: The process of selection of a IT competence framework

Organizational goals & culture: organizationalculture aspects andgoals that the organization has in the long term in terms of process/performance improvement.

Adoption & implementation: initial adoption and use of a competence framework and gathered experiences.


Schematic overview and most interesting findings

Organization Framework selection

e-CF adoption & implementation

selection

Communication

Performance management

Personal development

Recruitment

Motivation

Drivers

Process

Output

Advantages

Disadvantages

Partners

Anticipating on rapid changes in ICT

Pragmatic or opportunistic choice

Trust building and soft steeringgradual deployment

Pilot as baseline measurement

HR not leading but supporting role

Useful for new ITjob descriptions

Change createsfriction or resistance

Common language& creating dialogue

From reactive to(pro-)active attitude

Individual and person-oriented snapshot (“selfie”)

e-CF enhances attractiveness as employer


Organization Framework selection

e-CF adoption & implementation

selection

Communication

Performance management

Personal development

Recruitment

Motivation

Drivers

Process

Output

Advantages

Disadvantages

Partners

Big 5 for Soft Skills

Schematic overview and key suggestions

Knowledge matrix per technologyper role to stipulate roadmap for development when gapis identified by e-CF assessment

Extend implementation beyond IT dept.; align to business

Ambassadors needed for uptake within the organizationMake e-CF more accessible(less complexity)

Translation or link totraining and education offerings

More promotion andmarketing material e-CF

Translate insights competencies assessment & gaps into roadmap for career path and personal development

Assessment lacks personal development advice

Mainstreaming of uniform e-CF terminology: unknown to job seekers


Conclusions

• IT frameworks (e-CF) promising and having potential for mainstreaming (beyond traditional IT jobs)

• Need for incorporation or linkage to other skill sets (cf. soft, business, learning skills)

• From assessment to development professional lifecycle guidance

• Link to educational (courses) offerings


Pascal Ravesteijn [email protected]


Organization

• Anticipating on rapid changes in ICT• Adoption of innovation• Mergers; fast growth of organisation• Talent management• Focus on customers in SME segment

“The IT technology changes rapidly, robotics…such a speed of change. This environment requires us [ed. the organization] to undergo development”


Framework selection (1/2)

• Widely used standard• Managed & Up-to-date (maintained) standard• Partner selection before framework implementation (positive image

EXIN)• Localized (e.g. Dutch translation)• Assessment and personal development tool • Traditional assessments only cover soft skills• IT disciplines oriented framework• Pragmatic or opportunistic choice (via peers, word of mouth,

procurement requirement)• Previous preparing activities pave way (for e-CF)


Framework selection (2/2)

Suggestions by respondents: • Soft skills (e.g. Big Five personality test) – not with e-CF• e-CF focuses solely on technical/hard skills, may need an extension

for soft (and business) skills.• Holistic – both soft and hard skills considered• Keep e-CF up-to-date by focusing on market development & IT trends

(cf. devops skills framework)


Adoption & implementation

• Motivation• Process of adoption• Output aspects• Partners involved, internal & external• Drivers• Advantages• Possible disadvantages


Adoption & implementation > Motivation

• Technological trends (e.g. cloud)• Flexibility of competence frameworks• Commercial (attracting customers; files on staff)• Outdated job descriptions/job matrix• Staff certification & talent management• Reorganization

“The developments toward cloud engineering. Yes, what is it really and what kind of people do we need? It's another way of working, multidisciplinary. Everybody does not do only ‘their piece', but ‘t’s actually about doing what has to be done at that moment. That kind of thing.”


Adoption & implementation > Process of adoption• Communication before, during and after deployment• Trust building and soft steering• Gradual deployment: e.g. first an IT department• Monitoring and evaluation of progress• Organic adoption• Often no prior business case• People are reluctant at the start; see benefits later• Pilot focus on staff development

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Trust building: “Also in agreement with a works council (“Ondernemingsraad” in Dutch) and management to make sure that everyone has the correct picture of: "Why do we do this?" And, no suspicious thinking like: "Nice to say this, but eventually it will be used against us.” So trust was a very important goal to achieve before you could start.”

Gradual deployment : “You can start [deployment] at the IT department first because they recognize e-CF”


Adoption & implementation > Output aspects

• Adaptation (partial or condensed) of e-CF to own organizational framework use• Pilot as baseline measurement (objectifying)• Pilot as learning trajectory• Pilot too early for conscious e-CF use• E-CF used for technical skills assessment

Suggestion by respondents:• Knowledge matrix per technology per role to stipulate roadmap for

development when gap is identified by e-CF assessment• Add domains or discipline specificity to e-CF framework

Baseline measurement: “So we actually do the baseline measurement now and do the next measurement in one year and only then we know,... we can only then evaluate.. . Okay, we have made investments and we identify progress on these areas we invested in , but we are not there yet.”

Knowledge matrix: “One of the things I'm working on is actually a knowledge matrix per technology, and even per role, where if Competence A1 level is inadequate, or from 1 to 2, from 1 to 3, it will state: “Alright, in what way you can develop it." We will first start with the lower levels that can be solved by more theory [ed. training], and perhaps in the future, at for higher levels we introduce practice cases so that they fill in training need”


Adoption & implementation > Partners involved, internal & external (1/2)

• Competences aligned with branch organization• Usage mainly by (IT) SMEs, though in infancy• Stimulating staff participation• Management participation; has to adapt too.• HR not leading but supporting role• Coaching/advice by EXIN• Implementation aligned with customers’ needs; mutual interest

for supplier & customer

HR not leading: “HR delegates these type of things to the business units and takes a coaching role.”


Adoption & implementation > Partners involved, internal & external (2/2)

Suggestion by respondents:• Extend implementation beyond IT dept.; align to business• Independent external party for implementation with experience with job

descriptions and competences frameworks• Market opportunity for parties offering holistic assessment - both soft

and hard skills• Promote e-CF via industry specific associations• Early adopters willing to participate in further development e-CF

Extend implementation: “If you only do it with an IT department, and you do not look at how the business connects to it, then you will not have that much benefit. ….because business and IT grow to each other. On the business side we have function profiles, which are not actually e-CF, but they actually contain some e-CF competencies”


Adoption & implementation > Identified Drivers (1/2)

• Higher education level of staff stimulates adoption• Adopting first a base (instead of complete) set of defined e-CF competences• Strong branch organization• IT proliferation in jobs traditionally not associated with IT• SME segment customers needing IT staff• e-CF as a guidance model not as a strict set of rules• E-CF is free • Experience with other generic (competence or skills) frameworks, facilitates

transition to IT-focused e-CF

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IT proliferation in other jobs : “I expect that more and more professions will get an IT component. Let me give an example: An acquaintance of mine is a heart surgeon. He has to go to The United States every time to follow IT courses. Otherwise he will not be able to control that surgery device. That’s the effect of robotization. ….This also happens with the average farmer. It’s in all professions. Also with financial institutions”


Adoption & implementation > Drivers (2/2)

Suggestion by respondents:• Ambassadors needed for uptake within the organization• Make e-CF more accessible (less complexity)• Educational marketing activities• Extend e-CF framework to soft skills• Have a coordinating body evaluate periodically the e-CF usage and

market needsMake e-CF more accessible: “When I'm working with e-CF in the field, that is with my colleagues, I notice it's actually a complicated framework in the sense of it's a fast world and that e-CF is not as easy to comprehend. What I notice in my job is to get across the threshold of adopting e-CF, we must have a low-threshold way of people getting used to it.”


Adoption & implementation > Advantages e-CF

• Useful for new IT job descriptions (e.g. cloud engineer)• Professionalization of the organisation• Facilitates identifying correct training• Appreciation of the job• Common language (see also Communication category)• Management overview of staff competencies• Applicable in resumes and curriculum vitae• Also identifiable when business case made

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Adoption & implementation > Possible disadvantages (suggestions for improvement) (1/2)• Change creates friction or resistance• Early adoption may hamper progress• Abstract• Difficulties when mapping jobs on ICT professional profiles (in practice still

more function based thinking than competencies focus)• e-CF doesn’t look at used technology or its advances/transitions – risk of

missing future trends (tech-agnostic as pro & con) (cf. cloud)• Lack of incorporation of soft skills• Keeping up-to-date: competencies technical skills change rapidly (?) (e.g.

devops, big data analyst or fintech specialist)

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Change creates friction: “Do you know what does play? Change also causes some resistance. I think that’s a very human response. There's a new system in place and then people need time to getting used to.”


Adoption & implementation > Possible disadvantages (suggestions for improvement) (2/2)

• Translation or link to training and education offerings• Creating reports is time consuming• Making existing (HR) information systems e-CF compliant is costly• No supporting tooling by e-CF• Threat & opportunity for traditional assessment providers

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Communication• Understandable language• Common language (not only among IT but also with other stakeholders,

customers etc.)• Baseline as common point of departure• Clarity & creating dialogue on development goals to achieve

Suggestions by respondents• More promotion and marketing material e-CF• Promotion via networks of IT professionals and organisations• Use of quick assessment tools like Likert scales

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Common language & creating dialogue: “R1: You must first have a version in which everyone agrees on as many lines as possible and then you can start fine-tuning it, but you have to start with something.R2: And maybe even disagree, because that means people are talking about it, people are using it, using bits of it”.


Performance management (1/2)

• Increasing self-reliance of staff• From reactive to (pro-)active attitude• Assessment of ICT competencies• Coupling team, talent to taking responsibilities <> measurability• Link between job role <> technical and soft skills• Providing control for management (predictability & capacity management)• Strategic dialogue (with –SME- customers using insourced IT staff)

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From reactive to (pro-)active: “At the core, they [ed. The employees] were reactive. They must now be active and they were always reactive and reactivity has always been easier, you know.... Now they have to expose themselves.”


Performance management (2/2)

Suggestions by respondents• Translate insights competencies assessment & gaps into roadmap for

career path and personal development• Dichotomy: e-CF focus on personal development rather than focus on what

are organizational needs• Distinction between professional, business competencies and soft skills

(e.g. behavioral aspects like learning agility)• Is e-CF fine-grained enough? Level of detail

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Translate insights…to development: “For example, technical skills just take responsibility for it, that's pretty easy; There you have to get your exams and then you are an oracle/advisor to others….If you look at [ed. developing] the soft skills, that's harder, that's just harder....”


Personal development• Individual and person-oriented snapshot (“selfie”), though still management approval

needed• Perceived as threat by some staff; assessment as penalty tool• Perception it is labor intensive• Benefits for educationSuggestions by respondents• Assessment lacks personal development advice• Potential of new learning technologies and pedagogics for personal development (cf.

blended learning, MOOCs), yet no clear mapping to education options after assessment.

• Inclusion of behavioral competencies, learning agility etc.• Self assessment whereas other tools have peer feedback

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Selfie: “We have had a kickoff meeting. There were all the profiles presented. We told the people [ed. staff] “Have a go, start with taking, we call it selfie. Pick up a profile, what you have now, or what you want to do in the future, and discuss this with your management consultants with your colleagues to understand pros and cons and how to achieve”


Recruitment

• e-CF enhances attractiveness as employer• Assessment of hired (cf. insourced) IT staff• Competencies assessment part of recruitment process

Suggestions by respondents• Mainstreaming of uniform e-CF terminology: unknown to job seekers• Broader usage (cf. job ads) increases recognizability • Multi-stakeholder involvement needed for promotion• Generic skills vs specialism specific skill descriptions

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Enhances attractiveness employer: “You can do these tasks at any other place. As an employer we have to make it great, provide future”

Adoption and use of IT competence frameworks A qualitative ... Professionalism/IT framework... ·...

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