Consultancy case studies

Developing a competency focused knowledge team

Working with a new team created following an organisational merger, TFPL undertook an intensive project to:

• review and define the roles that existed within the knowledge management team at the client
• define the competencies required for each role
• benchmark the salaries for comparable roles and skills levels in the marketplace
• provide insight into areas where the team may wish to develop its capability

The project consisted of the following stages:

• Preparation - including preparatory meetings with both knowledge management and HR representatives from the client.
• Workshops - several two-hour workshops were held with participants grouped with 'contemporaries' where possible. The goals of these workshops were: to collect as much information as possible from the participants about how they defined the primary purpose and objectives of their role and the skills they needed to perform this role effectively. This information was then used by TFPL to create a first iteration of a role description.
• One-to-one meetings - each knowledge management team member then participated in a one-to-one discussion in which the role description was further refined, and roles were reviewed in more detail.
• Role descriptions development – finalised role descriptions were drafted and each role was linked to the required competencies
• Salary benchmarking – the roles were benchmarked by TFPL against pertinent market data using similar role types in the market place and considering market conditions. The process produced the expected salary level for such roles, and also the costs of recruiting equivalent staff from the open market. This data was further refined after the role descriptions had been grouped
• Competency dictionary – competency definitions to support development were refined and edited following input from participants.

Deliverables

• competency based and outcome focused role descriptions for all team members, including recommended new job titles.
• salary benchmarking data outlining value and replacement values for all roles
• identification of competency gaps within the team with recommendations for future training and development programmes

In addition, the project process built trust across the newly formed team and gave all participants the opportunity to contribute their ideas and concerns to its development.

contact: consultancy@tfpl.com

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