World Class Coalition supports Common Approach to Competency
1 November 2011
World Class Coalition statement of support for the launch of the common approach to professional standards of competency for local authority regulators.
Front line local authority regulators and their managers are strongly encouraged to undertake their professional development using a flagship product launched today by the World Class Coalition.
This new, common approach to regulatory competence is the result of an ongoing project to introduce common professional standards of competency across regulatory services provided by local authorities, coordinated by the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Trading Standards Institute. The World Class Coalition comprises 18 major professional and representative bodies, and works to simplify the complex regulatory system.
The overall approach has been designed to be sufficiently flexible to work with existing approaches to personal development. The development has benefited from the very close involvement of the professional bodies, national regulators and front line local regulators. It provides transparency and confidence to key players within the complex regulatory system:
a. for business, that regulators operate according to transparent standards of professional competence;
b. for local authorities confidence that their regulators use a robust framework to ensure they remain competent that is compatible with existing approaches and supported by the relevant professional bodies;
c. for individual officers, that there is a robust and effective system to identify and meet their personal development needs; and
d. for national regulators, confidence that there is an agreed standard for regulatory competence against which robust learning and development activity supports competent regulators delivering national requirements.
The common approach features a unique set of core regulatory skills agreed by national regulators, professional bodies and other organisations across the regulatory system, supported by specific technical knowledge sections covering particular regulatory functions. These knowledge sections currently include Animal Health and Welfare, Food (hygiene and standards), Weights and Measures, Housing, and Port Health in addition to Health and Safety, which the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities have used with great success for the last two years.
New knowledge sections are in development and will be rolled out in the Spring of 2012, including Fair Trading, Product Safety, the Licensing Act (2003), Pollution Prevention and Control and Agricultural Trading Standards.
The approach has two main stages:
1. Officers undertake a web-based RDNA self-assessment against a set of competency statements relevant to their particular role, which they then review with their manager to identify where their personal development needs lie.
2. Officers then make use of the Guidance for Regulators Information Point (GRIP) tool, which pulls together in one place learning resources from various sources including national regulators and professional bodies. This enables them to identify how their development needs can be addressed, often at low or no cost, providing a more cost-effective approach to continuous professional development. The methods identified for meeting the development needs can then be included within a personal development plan for the year ahead.
RDNA has been developed in response to demand from front line officers. It is designed to enable users to provide feedback and to shape its development. It also engages all of the key players in the system in creating a flexible, cost effective and collaborative approach to regulators' continuous professional development closely linked with the professional qualification frameworks which underpin ongoing competency development.
Graham Jukes, Chief Executive, CIEH
"The CIEH has worked with our partners within the world class coalition to achieve a real step change in achieving a common approach to competence, evaluation and assessment for regulators. The scheme has been developed and agreed by the professional bodies, major national and local players in the regulatory system and is a good example of how the World Class Coalition can make a real difference on regulatory delivery to business on the ground. It will be invaluable in supporting the professional qualification base of those working in the regulatory field, providing clarity on the competence standards required to be demonstrated which will benefit all regulators, their employing authorities and agencies, business and above all the consumers whom we serve."
Ron Gainsford, Chief Executive, Trading Standards Institute
"The common approach to competence for regulators provides a clear, shared view of core regulatory skills and the specific knowledge underpinning the specific roles of regulatory officers. It is unique as the only resource which sets out a widely agreed set of core regulatory competences as well as learning resources to support continuous professional development. The framework supports the Trading Standards professional qualifications that underpin competency and new regulatory functions will be included within the system from Spring 2012 including fair trading and product safety, demonstrating the widespread applicability of the tool to local authority regulatory services."
Kevin Myers, Deputy Chief Executive, HSE
"The Health and Safety Executive developed the RDNA approach to support the continuous professional development of its own regulators, and those in local authorities who regulate within health and safety. We are happy to see the extension of the approach across the regulatory system. Our experience shows that the RDNA approach provides more tailored and cost-effective learning and development for regulators, and an effective means to build and maintain relevant competence. This is of course good for them as individuals, good for the organisation, and most importantly good for the businesses they regulate and the people protected by it."
Tim Smith, Chief Executive, FSA
"The Food Standards Agency supports the launch of the common approach to competency framework including food sections being part of the initial launch. We hope the common approach will help local authorities and front line officers in delivery of their regulatory duties."
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