The competence portfolio: Reflection for organisational renewal Samantha Slade Percolab.com October 17, 2007 ePortfolio 2007, Maastricht

Portfolios can help document and develop one’s competences and can be a valuable and empowering exercise for an individual. Photo, Kris Krüg, Flickr

The same is true for a team Foundphotoslj, flickr

and also for an organisation Photo, Jyri Engestrom, Flickr

The reflective exercise inherent in a portfolio process is useful for organisations to collectively take stock of how they developed over time and to strategically move forward. Photo: Melanie b, Flickr

Here is our experience of accompanying an artist-run print studio in Quebec through a competence portfolio process. Photo: http://samkerson.com

The process 1. Conduct a participatory audit of the organisations’ competences 2. Develop the organisational ePortfolio 3. Use the ePortfolio as a tool for organisational development Photo: Atelier Circulaire

1.1 Organisational Culture Visit the organisation Analyse core documents Work with a group of representatives to clarify questions: ex. What brought you to the organisation initially ? and Why are you still here ? Photo: http://samkerson.com

1. 2 Competence Framework A common vocabulary : competences, ty pical activities, indicators of performance etc. . Le Groupe Réseau Conseil pour le Conseil Québécois des Ressource Humaines en Culture, 2002, 51 pages.

1.3 Competence framework Appropriation activity ex. placing the competences in order of importance with which the organisation addresses it, both for its present functioning and its future ideal functioning

Production - 135 Support - 120 Administration- 70 Management - 65 Artistic orientation - 35 Distribution - 15 Production -165 Management - 95 Artistic orientation - 70 Administration - 60 Distribution - 55 Support - 30 Future Present

Production - 135

Support - 120

Administration- 70

Management - 65

Artistic orientation - 35

Distribution - 15

Production -165

Management - 95

Artistic orientation - 70

Administration - 60

Distribution - 55

Support - 30

1.3 Activities Inventory Document current and past activities of the organisation for each competence. Photo: http://www.colba.net/~atelcirc/

1.4 Evaluating competence Ex. Define and update the artistic orientation 1. Define, detail or confirm the orientation and the artistic vision and update it. 2. Define the production and distribution mandates in line with the organisation’s mandate. 3. Periodically evaluate the pertinence of the artistic orientation in accordance with the mission, clients, public, and community.

Ex. Define and update the artistic orientation

1. Define, detail or confirm the orientation and the artistic vision and update it.

2. Define the production and distribution mandates in line with the organisation’s mandate.

3. Periodically evaluate the pertinence of the artistic orientation in accordance with the mission, clients, public, and community.

2. ePortfolio

2. ePortfolio

ePortfolio as a tool for… Strategic decision making Competence-based analysis Avoiding blank slate phenomenon ex. Every project can start from a base Improving processes ex. For recurring events Documenting progress Long-term planning (goal making)

Strategic decision making

Competence-based analysis

Avoiding blank slate phenomenon

ex. Every project can start from a base

Improving processes

ex. For recurring events

Documenting progress

Long-term planning (goal making)

Reaction from committee member “ It’s a perspective on us that we would have been incapable of structuring without never ending dispersing of ourselves. We now have our portfolio, which has an immediate use and long-term use for administrators”.

Reaction from committee member “ Very impressive - the sum of information gathered and the elements that came out of the process - It is really quite a task that you have accomplished.”

Lessons Existence of a competence framework adapted to organisations Representative participants in process Commitment: bottom up and top down

Existence of a competence framework adapted to organisations

Representative participants in process

Commitment: bottom up and top down

“ The health of the learning ecology of the organization depends on effective nurturing of information flow. ” George Seiman

Thank you Percolab.com Samantha Slade [email_address]