Definitions of Witnesses and Assessors

Progressing towards a certificate of competence requires individuals to demonstrate their ability to perform tasks safely, efficiently, and within acceptable time scales.

In addition to this they must be able to demonstrate that they have knowledge and understanding of concepts that relate to the tasks they are performing.

In summary, competence can be defined as having a combination of the following:

• Knowledge
• Skills
• Experience

It follows therefore that some form of ‘measure’, of the above, must take place to determine if the individual satisfies the criteria within each competence, and are therefore deemed ‘competent’; or ‘not yet competent’.

In practice individuals are assessed on their ability, and knowledge of subject matter, by a person who is deemed competent in the activity on which they are being assessed. This for example may be a Supervisor or Team Leader who will have significant experience in the various activities that are being assessed

The practice of assessing is an important part of a competence program, and it is highly beneficial to have members of the team who are trained and qualified as Skills Assessors.  Qualifications in skills assessment are available in many industry sectors as part of apprenticeships and other vocational programs within national curriculums.

The role of the Skills Assessor is therefore important and integral to the successful operation of any competence program.

Organisations embarking on a competence program are strongly advised to ensure they have an appropriate number of trained and qualified Skills Assessors in their workforce

Realistically this is not always the case, particularly in industries that rely on a transient workforce that operate on a global basis in remote locations. The offshore energy industry is a prime example!

Whilst having a competent workforce is mandatory in such a high-risk industry the reality is that having trained and qualified Skills Assessors, at every worksite (ship, wind farm or oil rig) is highly unlikely.

For this reason, individuals who are working towards a Certificate of Competence, in their role may not have access to a trained and qualified Skills Assessor.

It is for this reason that we must recognise the importance of members of the team who, although not formally trained as Assessors; are occupationally competent, experienced, and deemed a ‘technical authority’ in the activities which are taking place at the worksite.

These people can play a vital role in the Competence Management program in that they can ‘witness’ individuals carrying out various tasks on a daily basis. In the capacity of witness, they can confirm whether or not the task was completed satisfactorily.

Such people may work as Supervisors, Team Leaders, Engineers however may not have had any formal Assessor training or hold a qualification in the process of Assessment.

So what is the difference between an Assessor and a Witness? And why do we need Assessors if we have Witnesses?

In order to answer this, we firstly need to look more closely at both roles.

An Assessor is someone who is occupationally competent in the activity they will assess. They are also involved in the continuous professional development of personnel and have undergone formal training in the following:

• Planning Assessment
• Collecting and Judging Evidence of Performance (Skills)
• Collecting and Judging Evidence of Knowledge and Understanding
• Making decisions (Competent /Not Yet Competent)
• Providing Feedback on Performance

They will have also attained a formal qualification in assessment awarded by an approved and accredited assessment centre

They will also have undergone training in the skills that are required to make a good assessor. For example, observation, communication and the process by which people learn

Importantly the Assessor will also be familiar with the quality processes that relate to assessing individuals.  This includes verification, standardisation, and the role of awarding bodies.

The most important attribute a witness must have is that they are competent and have significant experience in the activities they are to witness.

They must be able to confirm that a task, carried out by an individual, has been completed:

• Safely and efficiently
• In accordance with company procedures
• Where applicable, in accordance with equipment manufacturers’ procedures
• In a timely manner

The witness may also be required to confirm the number of operational hours that have been completed by an individual.

The witness is expected to sign and date various documentation that an individual may have within their competence portfolio.

MTCS recognise the importance of both Skills Assessors and Witnesses in the assessment of competence.

For this reason we encourage any individuals to contact MTCS directly if they have any questions regarding the role of the Assessor or Witness.

The MTCS Assessor Skills online training course is designed to provide experienced and competent offshore personnel with the skills required to assess competence in the work place and become a qualified skills assessor.