Proficiency is a recognisable level of skill and effectiveness. Proficiency is developed through a combination and integration of technical or professional skill, and judgement in decision-making, gained through a combination of job experience, related previous career experience, and training courses additional to the basic formal education required by the job.
One aspect of proficiency is technical, where an individual could occupy a position at the level of Expert Practitioner and the final authority within an organisation in some specialised field.
Proficiency can also be considered in management/supervisory terms in positions where an individual needs both technical proficiency in their vocation, trade or profession, and management proficiency to direct the application of organisation resources towards organisation objectives.
In the following descriptions:
· a professional position is one which requires a university degree,
· a vocational position is one which requires specialised training leading to a trade qualification, or undergraduate diploma or certificate.
a non-vocational position is a job which requires no formal accredited training, other than that which is provided at school, and relies on on-the-job and other learning experiences
Level
Description
1
BEGINNER, where duties and on-job experience provide training and development, eg Trainee positions.
Jobs suiting the majority of positions created for new entrants to the workforce will be scored at Level 1, independent of the formal education requirements of the job / work area. Few however would remain in a position at this level for more than twelve months.
Exceptions are the professions that require advanced degrees, such as medicine, or law. In these cases new fully qualified practitioners, following internship or articles, would be scored at Level 2.
Jobs scored at Level 1, in the main, therefore include incumbents not only beginning to learn about the specific job requirements, but also about the working world.
2
LESS DIFFICULT / BASIC In a vocation, trade or profession, performs less difficult tasks, or gains experience working with more experienced or senior practitioners. In non-vocational, non-supervisory jobs, works on tasks of standard difficulty for the role.
At Level 2, for specialised positions, incumbents are further developing practical knowledge and skills under guidance or supervision, ie full competency in the position is not yet required. Here we would include for example, graduate engineers with one year's experience.
The proficiency level required for straightforward, closely prescribed elementary clerical, sales, service or manual positions is Level 2.
3
STANDARD DIFFICULTY In vocational, trade, or professional jobs, and in non-vocational supervisory jobs, works independently on tasks of standard difficulty for the qualified person. For non-vocational, non-supervisory jobs, positions that require a successful / experienced practitioner, someone who is clearly proficient in a specialised area.
At Level 3, employees performing specialised tasks have sufficient practical knowledge to work independently on tasks and projects. Level 3 refers to tasks of standard difficulty for a vocation or trade, and includes fully competent intermediate and advanced clerical, sales, service and manual positions. Associate Professional and Professional positions requiring 3 to 5 years post qualification experience would also be recorded at this level.
4
EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONER. In vocational jobs, those that require an experienced qualified practitioner (minimum 5 years post-qualification experience), and in non-vocational jobs, those that require a highly experienced practitioner (minimum 8 years job-related experience).
Professional positions requiring 5 years post qualification experience would be assessed at this Experienced Practitioner level, although managerial or supervisory proficiency may not be involved. Positions for seasoned non-professionals who do not require supervisory experience would also be scored at this level, examples include senior sales representative and also Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of most, excepting the largest, organisations.
5
SENIOR Jobs at Level 5, Senior Practitioner, usually require managerial or supervisory proficiency as well as substantial technical proficiency. Level 5 technical proficiency usually requires at least 8 years post qualification experience.
Level 5 is the highest level that would be accorded to a vocational (non-professional) position that does not have managerial or supervisory responsibilities, examples include a highly skilled and experienced artisan and also Personal Assistant to a Chief Executive Officer of a major corporation.
6
ADVANCED This Level typically requires a combination of technical/professional skills and experience, and managerial responsibility for a group involving both technical and non-technical employees, who are working with some independence to deliver services or outcomes outside the immediate work unit.
The Advanced Practitioner, Level 6, would apply to most function department heads where the function is not complete, and to the Chief Executive of a very small business.
Level 6 also includes specialised professional positions where the technical knowledge is at such a level that the incumbent can be regarded as the final authority within the organisation in a particular field. This can include for example a portfolio manager in an investment fund, legal manager, specialised senior engineer, information services manager, senior medical officer, head of marketing research, and head of R&D.
EXPERT Most jobs at Level 7, Expert Practitioner, have general management responsibilities usually involving both revenue (or equivalent) and expense. General management is regarded as the co-ordination and deployment of significant organisational resources, and requiring a comprehensive understanding of the conflicting internal and external influences on the application of those resources. Jobs requiring management proficiency commensurate with the leadership of a fully developed, major organisation function, such as the head of finance, manufacturing, service delivery, or marketing, are at Level 7.
The Expert level also applies to Chief Executives of small organisations where functional areas are generally incomplete, or some do not exist, and where the Chief Executive is often directly involved in one or more of the organisation’s functions (typically marketing, production/service delivery, or finance), rather than in a purely co-ordinating role.
8
SENIOR EXPERT Assessment at Level 8 proficiency should be reserved for the Function heads of very large organisations and also for Chief Executives of organisations where the number of employees exceeds about 250 (up to about 1,000). When considering the Senior Expert level, one should also assess the position with respect to very senior management positions which require recognised superior expertise, in a broad range of organisations rather than just in the context of this organisation.
In a technical field Senior Expert would apply to highly specialised advisory and professional position, such as a principal foreign policy adviser, a Queen’s Counsel, or a principal surgeon.
9
AUTHORITY, Level 9, managerial proficiency should be reserved for Chief Executives of organisations where the number of employees exceeds about 1,000.
In a technical field, the Authority level would apply to an individual who is recognised internationally as an expert in their field.
10
LEADING AUTHORITY, in a management sense applies to Chief Executive positions of multi-national corporations, and in a technical sense to an internationally recognised world leader in an important field.
