Researching skills and competencies

Engagement specialists and advisors are key roles within the Environment Agency. Icarus worked with senior staff to develop a set of core engagement competencies across the business – including basic requirements for every staff member through to specialists. The research process included a number of strands: researching similar frameworks in other organisations, understanding the roles in more detail, focus groups with staff to understand both what they do and what they need to be able to do in engagement roles or tasks, examining relevant accreditation models. The resulting framework has been adopted by the Environment Agency and is being used to underpin new learning modules that are being developed, as well as in reviewing job descriptions.