For candidates about to embark on the process to achieve a Certificate of Competence – whether it’s a Grade Assessment (GA) or and Individual Competence Assessment (ICA) – we can’t stress enough the importance of being prepared.
GA and ICA programmes do require commitment from both Candidates and those assessing or witnessing their activities, and appropriate planning and preparation will help support all involved in the process.
Once committed to undertaking a competence programme with MTCS, Candidates should login to their MTCS Online account and access the relevant Grade documentation. The actual competencies can be downloaded as early as possible, and Candidates should:
- Familiarise themselves with all the documentation provided on MTCS Online.
- In particular, familiarise themselves with the competencies of that particular Grade.
- Candidates should take time to review and reflect on their own previous experiences.
- They should consider their previous/recent activities and gather any documentation or other evidence they might already hold – this could support their assessment and include, for example, appraisal documentation from recent projects.
- Past experience is a great asset to bring to the table for an assessment planning meeting.
We’ve heard examples of individuals (Candidates) wishing to be assessed for a particular competence; they meet with their supervisor or assessor at the start of their trip on board a vessel or platform and say they wish to be assessed.
This would be fine, however, the Candidates in question had not looked at or familiarised themselves with any of the assessment documentation.
This situation really doesn’t help anyone as the assessor hasn’t had any pre-trip notification about this or had chance to look at any documentation (competencies) but, more importantly, the bottom line is that the Candidate simply hasn’t prepared in advance.
A better approach for all concerned.
Achieving a Certificate of Competence is part of an individual’s continued professional development and something the Candidate needs to take ownership of. The onus is on the Candidate to have prepared in advance by reviewing and properly understanding the assessment documentation.
Communication with their assessor(s) is also crucial, starting with putting in a request to be assessed in advance of any work trip.
Candidates can also prepare beforehand by asking themselves:
- Personal skills – what can I do, or what do I think I can do?
- What experiences do I already possess?
- Have I familiarised myself with the competences and performance criteria?
- Have I read the guidance information on assessment planning?
- More importantly, do I understand all the information?*
- What could the assessment process look like on this trip?
- How might I arrange meetings or opportunities for observations that are going to be convenient for my assessor?
* If you do not understand any of the documentation, or have a question about the assessment process, please contact the MTCS Customer Support Team ahead of your trip.
Also consider what supporting evidence you, the Candidate, already possess from previous projects/trips, and even from previous employment with a different organisation.
These can be written reports, photographs, videos or even voice memos, all of which can be held within your private files on MTCS Online and included as part of the assessment process and/or planning discussions.
This means that you can go into that initial planning meeting and be able to:
- Clearly articulate the Grade or competencies that you wish to be assessed for.
- Demonstrate what activities you have already been able to undertake.
- Show that you yourself have adequately prepared for the assessment.
The responsibility for this sits with the Candidate – after all, it is your assessment and therefore the onus is on you to be prepared.
By doing so, you can support those assessing you. Whether it’s a line manager, supervisor or dedicated assessor, they are busy people with their own day-to-day activities to undertake so make sure you are prepared.
Remember also that the demands of the project will dictate what can or cannot be assessed.
