case studies - a few examples of our work

in-company projects

1. A contracting company came under pressure to demonstrate that it had effective systems in place to manage the competence of its people. Audits by customers revealed non-conformances and it wasted resources re-stating competence arrangements every time it tendered for work.  We decided to go beyond competence and introduce an integrated competence management system, reflecting the corporate core values and adding value to the business.  A case study is available.  Contact us for a copy.

2. We also have another less detailed case study on developing a competence assurance system.

3. We provide consultancy services on most aspects of people management that relate to either adding value or minimising risk to the business.  Here is a case study on points-based job evaluation.

frameworks / evaluation

1. We were asked to benchmark competence systems in a regional cluster of 17 chemical, refining, and pharmaceutical plants, subject to the COMAH regulations.

2. We were commissioned to evaluate the effectiveness of changes that had been made to mandatory emergency training standards for the offshore industry.  View our findings on Basic Offshore Training.

3. A few years ago we worked with an industry steering group to develop a technician apprentice training programme within a common framework.  As one small part of that we wrote a FAQ on working offshore, which has become something of an industry standard, and crops up in all sorts of places.

HR tools and diagnostics

1. Over 50 operations managers, QHSE and HR/training professionals from high-risk sites have tested RoleTrak - a unique tool to help you map critical roles in your organisation and analyse the risk of competence failure, so that you can set priorities within a layered competence assessment strategy.

2. Performance measures must be firmly rooted in organisations’ own core objectives and stakeholder needs, not arbitrary models of excellence.  We produced a novel database to help managers and teams set and prioritise business objectives.  GoalFX provides a consistent structure for teams (or individuals) to clarify their core purpose and future vision, and set measurable goals that match organisational priorities.

research studies

1. We conducted a research study to explore the links between skills demand, skills development, business development and company performance and productivity.  See Business/Skills Balance.

2. We were commissioned by an enterprise agency to carry out a 'mapping exercise' into the way in which training policy was developed in an industry.  We produced a detailed report, but it was our overview 'map' that grabbed the attention of a wider audience and stimulated industry debate -  The Tangled Web.

The files marked with a yellow bullet are in PDF format.  If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed, you can download it free by clicking the logo on the left.