Welcome to the Competency-Based Management (CBM) Suite

This site is your doorway to the competency tools to support the department's Competency-Based Management.

What is Competency-Based Management?

Competency-Based Management (CBM) is an approach that links human resources activities such as resourcing, learning and development, performance management and human resource planning to a competency profile for a job.

By using a common language, by reflecting the values and mission of the organization and by establishing clear expectations of performance, CBM integrates human resources management activities into the business strategies of the department.

How does CBM help Managers and Employees?

For managers, CBM provides a consistent framework and language to identify employees’ learning and development needs as well as performance expectations. In addition, by linking HR activities to competencies, processes such as resourcing and learning will be better aligned resulting in increased efficiencies, a streamlining of HR activities and the maximization of service to clients.

For employees, CBM highlights those competencies needed to perform their current jobs as well as the competencies needed to perform jobs they may wish to compete for in the future.

National Competency Dictionary

The competency Dictionary provides a comprehensive description of the competencies necessary to deliver quality service to clients, both internally and externally, across the wide range of programs and services provided by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

The dictionary is a key element of HRSDC's Competency-Based Management framework. It is intended to serve as a commonly understood set of "Building Block" competencies that can be used for the development of competency profiles across the department.

• access the new interactive version of the Dictionary (2020 - 2021)
• access the previous version of the Competency Dictionary - version 9.0 (2018)

The dictionary incorporates HRSDC's Core Competencies (DOCX, 29 KB) (competencies that apply to every employee), and provides a definition and accompanying behavioral descriptors for each competency listed.

Certain competencies listed in this dictionary have been identified as "Group Competencies" (competencies associated with the 5 job families within which all HRSDC jobs fall). A list of the job families (DOCX, 43 KB) and the Group Competencies associated with each is found in the dictionary.

Any of the Group Competencies listed in the dictionary can also serve as Job specific (DOCX, 109 KB) or "Task-Related" competencies, as needed. Other competencies included in the dictionary, primarily, knowledge competencies, are Task-Related because they only apply to specific jobs or roles across the various departmental program areas and reflect specific job or business functions.

This dictionary also gives you a list of all the competencies listed in alphabetical order (DOCX, 75 KB).

HRSDC fully supports the management of diversity in the work place as well as current Employment Equity legislation. In support of these initiatives, this dictionary has been reviewed and edited to ensure its sensitivity to Employment Equity concerns. However, it is the responsibility of users of this dictionary to apply the competencies for HR processes, such as resourcing, in such a way as to respect Employment Equity legislation, guidelines and processes.

The manner in which these competencies are intended to be assessed should be reviewed by HR advisors to ensure that appropriate accommodations are made, as necessary, for designated group members, i.e. exploring acceptable alternatives for people who have mobility, speech or vision disabilities.

A universal 5 point rating scale (DOCX, 29 KB), to describe levels of proficiency on a competency, has also been developed. This scale will be used for various HR processes and will help provide a complete picture of the competencies and competency levels required for jobs in HRSDC.