"Intelligence manifests itself as the possibility of varying one's behavior in a changing world." - Humberto Maturana
The Adapt Institute supports provides a variety of tools and materials to guide the integration of the Next Generation Core Competencies into higher-education programs and practice
Behavioral Anchor Rating Scales
The Behavioral Anchor Rating Scale (BARS) is fundamental to the Core Competencies Framework. BARS have been used by the Adapt Institute team to analyze leadership and management for over ten years. In BARS, a subject is evaluated through the use of expected and observable behaviors referred to as "behavioral anchors" associated with individual core competencies. During evaluation the subject's demonstration of each behavioral anchor is determined, substantiated with examples and assigned a numeric value (1-5 with a score of 5 indicating the exemplification of the behavior) totaled for each competency.
In the Next Generation Core Competencies, the evidence-based behavioral anchors and key actions establish a model for competency measures at multiple levels of both education and practice. Both the behavioral anchors and the key actions can be used toward observable performance measures or generate measurable learning objectives to underpin a higher education program or curriculum.
Curricula and Program Development
The Adapt Institute has been teaching emergency management and emergency services professionals around the world how to constructively understand and address themselves toward increased uncertainty. Over ten years ago, Adapt founding members Dr. Steven Jensen and Dr. Shirley Feldmann-Jensen began leading and developing the Master of Science in Emergency Services Administration (EMER) program at California State University, Long Beach. Joined by the remaining founding member Gregory Vigneaux in the fall of 2016, the program has continued to deliver a systems-based approach to the management of risk and the organizations charged with addressing them in alignment with the Next Generation Core Competencies. The Adapt Institute is in the process of making available a selection of the curricula used in the EMER program for integration into new or existing emergency management and emergency services graduate programs.
The Adapt Library
A number of different narratives are brought together within the Next Generation Core Competencies and the Adapt Institute's larger methodology including complex systems and systems thinking, organization and management theory, design, globalization, and governance. To support the implementation of the Next Generation Core Competencies and assist broadly with the continual improvement of practice, the Adapt Institute has created a library for sharing key resources.