CEN WORKSHOP CWA 15893-2 November 2008 AGREEMENT ICS 35.240.99 English version European e-competence Framework - Part 2: User Guidelines - Version 1.0 This CEN Workshop Agreement has been drafted and approved by a Workshop of representatives of interested parties, the constitution of which is indicated in the foreword of this Workshop Agreement. The formal process followed by the Workshop in the development of this Workshop Agreement has been endorsed by the National Members of CEN but neither the National Members of CEN nor the CEN Management Centre can be held accountable for the technical content of this CEN Workshop Agreement or possible conflicts with standards or legislation. This CEN Workshop Agreement can in no way be held as being an official standard developed by CEN and its Members. This CEN Workshop Agreement is publicly available as a reference document from the CEN Members National Standard Bodies. CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36 B-1050 Brussels 2008 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No.:CWA 15893-2:2008 D/E/F
Table of contents Foreword... 3 1. 2. 3. 4. Executive overview... 5 1.1. Short presentation and background of the framework... 5 1.2. European e-competence Framework focus and purposes... 5 1.3. Main principles of the European e-competence Framework... 6 1.4. The user guidelines on hand: purposes and target groups... 7 Some Definitions... 9 2.1. The e- from a European perspective... 9 2.2. Competence, knowledge, skill, attitude... 9 2.3. The basic concept of e-competence proficiency levels... 11 2.4. Embedding skills, knowledge and attitudes into the competence descriptions... 11 The European e-competence Framework look and basic principles... 13 3.1. Framework purposes... 13 3.2. The competence focus of the framework... 14 3.3. A framework structured from 4 dimensions... 14 3.4. 32 ICT (e-) related competences in 5 e-competence areas... 15 3.5. The 5 e-competence levels e-1 to e-5 and their relationship to EQF levels 3 to 8... 15 3.6. Role of dimension 4 (knowledge and skills) and connection to the e-skills qualification side... 16 Framework use by ICT sector players as a shared European reference: How to adapt it to specific needs... 18 4.1. Plan, develop and manage competences in a broader environment: companies and public sector, in particular ICT HR and competence managers... 18 4.1.1. Framework benefits for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)... 19 4.2. A European dimension of competence description... 19 4.2.1. 4.2.2. Added value to existing frameworks examples... 21 A European inspiration for forthcoming national/ local ICT frameworks... 26 4.3. Input for qualifications and training courses conception, description and promotion... 27 4.4. Developing own ICT career: ICT practitioners... 28 4.5. Adopting the framework to work and staff planning: How to build job profiles... 28 4.6. Use of the framework for recruiting processes... 29 4.7. Guidance and orientation to choose learning paths and training offer... 29 4.8. Anticipate, evaluate and plan ICT skills and competence needs in a long-term perspective: policy makers, industry sector associations and market surveyors... 30 5. 6. Acknowledgements... 31 Annex... 32 2
Foreword This CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) addresses the European e-competence Framework, developed by the CEN/ISSS Workshop on ICT Skills. Following preparation of the work during 2006, the content of the CWA was developed during 2007 and 2008 by six CEN nominated experts, which were supported by the European e-competence Framework expert workgroup participants, coming from Airbus, Bayer Business Services, Bitkom, Breyer Publico, Cap Gemini, CIGREF, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Telekom, e-skills UK, EMSI Grenoble, EXIN International, Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, IG Metall, Institut PI, Michelin, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Syntec Informatique, UK Cabinet Office. Suggestions and comments from the CEN ICT Skills workshop plenary members and further interested stakeholders across Europe were used during the 2-years-work to inform and optimise the ongoing development of the framework. The final draft CWA was made available early July 2008 for a 60 days public comment period which period ended on 7 September 2008. The final draft CWA, revised in view of the comments received, was then sent to the 17 registered Workshop participants (paying members only) on 22 September 2008 inviting them to express their position by 2 October 2008. No expressions of disagreement were received. Expressions of support by experts from the following organizations were received: AICA, Association Pasc@line, CEPIS, CIGREF, DEKRA, ECDL Foundation, EXIN, HBO-I, IG Metall/ KIBNET, IWA IT, KWB ev, UNI Europa and Uni Karlsruhe/ AIFB The final text of this CWA was submitted to CEN for publication on 2008-10-20 The CWA is published in two parts: e-competence Framework Part 1: the Framework e-competence Framework Part 2: User Guidelines This Part 2 addresses the user guidelines for the application of the European e-competence Framework. These guidelines are provided to support understanding, adoption and use of the European e-competence Framework (e-cf). 3
The guide will help: To explain the overall context, background and aims of the European e-competence Framework. To explain the main principles and methodological choices underpinning the European e- Competence Framework. To enable ICT stakeholders ICT user and supply companies, the public sector, ICT managers and practitioners, HR developers, ICT job seekers, educational institutions and social partners across Europe, to adopt, apply and use the framework in their environment. This CEN Workshop Agreement is publicly available as a reference document from the National Members of CEN : AENOR, AFNOR, ASRO, BDS, BSI, CSNI, CYS, DIN, DS, ELOT, EVS, IBN, IPQ, IST, LVS, LST, MSA, MSZT, NEN, NSAI, ON, PKN, SEE, SIS, SIST, SFS, SN, SNV, SUTN and UNI. Comments or suggestions from the users of the CEN Workshop Agreement are welcome and should be addressed to the CEN Management Centre. 4
1. Executive overview 1.1. Short presentation and background of the framework The European e-competence Framework (e-cf) is a reference framework of ICT competences that can be used and understood by ICT user and supply companies, ICT practitioners, managers and HR departments, the public sector, educational and social partners across Europe. The framework has been developed by a large number of European ICT and HR experts in the context of the CEN / ISSS Workshop on ICT Skills. The workshop provides a discussion and working platform for both national and international representatives from the ICT industry, public and private vocational training organisations, social partners and other institutions. It aims to create long-term human resources (HR) and competence development strategies for the European Information and Communication Technology (ICT) community. In 2005 the ICT Skills workshop members concluded that national ICT framework stakeholders, as well as European ICT industry representatives - both HR and ICT managers - should develop a European e-competence Reference Framework. Early 2006, ICT framework stakeholders, representatives from several European larger companies and an applied research foundation met for a kick-off in order to put the workshop recommendations into practice. During an intensive follow-up, they projected a programme for the work towards a European e-competence Framework under the umbrella of the CEN/ISSS workshop on ICT Skills. In order to achieve a European agreement and beneficial results at an international and national level, the Europe-wide further involvement of ICT sector players and stakeholders from business, politics and education has been crucial for the framework development philosophy and strategy. Whilst at the political level it was important to get the larger multistakeholder public of the European ICT sector on board, at the expert working level focus had been placed upon HR and IT management know-how from the European ICT industry. The European e-competence Framework presented in this CWA is the outcome of two-years e-skills multistakeholder, ICT and human resources experts work from multiple organisation levels. 1.2. European e-competence Framework focus and purposes The European e-competence Framework (e-cf) is a reference framework of ICT competences that can be used and understood by ICT user and supply companies, the public sector, educational and social partners across Europe. The framework provides an international tool for: 5