"Intelligence manifests itself as the possibility of varying one's behavior in a changing world." - Humberto Maturana
The Next Generation Core Competencies provide an evidence-based, actionable, and evaluable framework for aligning practice in emergency management and the emergency services with an increasingly complex world.
What are the Next Generation Core Competencies?
The Next Generation Core Competencies framework is an evidence-based, comprehensive approach to aligning education and practice in emergency management and the emergency services with increasing complexity and uncertainty.
Developed with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the core competencies articulate the knowledge, capabilities, behaviors, and skills, required by the emergency management workforce of 2020 and beyond.
Clearly, the challenges of 2020 and beyond are likely to be different from those we confront today. As the world steadily becomes more interconnected and interdependent, the dynamics of risk continue to transform and new approaches are necessary. In response to present and expected challenges, the Next Generation Competencies provide an evaluable pathway towards a system orchestration, management, and design approach to addressing hazards and risk.
Oriented toward future needs, the competencies have been built on the current emergency management competencies, a review of related competencies and global risk trends, a multi-phase Delphi study, and wider emergency management community listening sessions.
How can the Next Generation Core Competencies be used?
Core competencies can be used in a variety of ways. Most commonly, core competencies are used to develop student learning outcomes for training and education programs; core competencies can also provide transparency for workplace performance and a basis for the development of policies, procedures, and strategies.
How is the Next Generation Core Competencies structured?
The framework is comprised of 13 core competencies organized into three interrelated competency categories: Competencies that Build Relationships, Competencies that Build the Practitioner, and Competencies that Build the Individual.
Within the categories, each of the core competencies articulates elements of the knowledge, capabilities, behaviors, and skills, required by the emergency management workforce of 2020 and beyond
The competency is made actionable and observable by behavioral anchors. Each anchor expresses an overarching behavior that builds toward the competency.
The behavioral anchors are expanded upon and made specific to three unique levels of practice by key actions. At each level of practice, the key actions communicate behaviors that build towards the behavioral anchor as a critical component of each competency.
For use in educational programs, following each behavioral anchor, there are a number of learning objectives specific to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education.
How does the Next Generation Core Competencies inform practice?
The Next Generation Core Competencies framework is designed to enhance the effectiveness of practice in emergency management. To accomplish this, the framework approaches practice directly and through education:
Education
Integration of the Next Generation Core Competencies into graduate program structure and curricula
Student courses and coursework structured by the Next Generation Core Competencies
Graduates enter/continue in workforce aligned with the Next Generation Core Competencies
Practice
Evaluation of organization, department, team, or individual with Next Generation Core Competencies Behavioral Anchor Rating Scale system
Assessments point toward possible areas of improvement within the Next Generation Core Competencies
Action
Taken
Development of improvement plan and continual assessment with Next Generation Core Competencies resources
Through the creation of a measurable framework concerned with education and professional practice, the Adapt Institute is uniquely positioned to support the ongoing development of higher education programs that produce graduates capable of creating public value.
Where have the Next Generation Core Competencies been used?
Arkansas Tech University’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security graduate program changed their entire curriculum and student learning objectives to align with the Next Generation Core Competencies draft. The data from this curriculum change can continue to inform the accuracy of the Next Generation Core Competencies. As a final example, a path was outlined for the Caribbean nations establishment of their emergency management core competencies, building on this model.
How were the Next Generation Core Competencies developed?
The Next Generation Core Competencies project was a multi-phase study conducted by a FEMA-sponsored focus group. Oriented toward future needs, the competencies have been built on the current emergency management competencies, a review of related competencies and global risk trends, a multi-phase Delphi study, and wider emergency management community listening sessions.