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Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management

Leap into Leadership with

Engineering Executive

Welcome (Slide 1)

When Engineers Australia established CELM in 2002, it was in response to the complex and changing environment in which engineers work. It reflects the fact that, as many engineers progress in their careers, they increasingly move into leadership, management and business positions, in addition to their technical roles. In time, many engineers leave behind their technical focus and concentrate only on the leadership, management and business functions, frequently within an engineering context but sometimes their role may even be in another sector such as banking or retail. CELM was established to serve the interests of these engineers. But more than that, CELM was also established to serve the needs of engineers who are keen to move into these roles.

The launch of Engineering Executive last August marked a major milestone for one of the CELM Board’s most important initiatives. The Engineering Executive competency framework has been developed over the last 4 years to provide engineers and employers with a benchmark for measuring and testing skills in business, leadership and management.

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Stages of an Engineer’s Career

• Stage 1

– Graduate– 0 years

• Stage 2

– Chartered Practising Engineer– 5-15 years

• Stage 3

– Advanced/Mid-career– 15+ years

• Stage 4

– Senior Executive– 20+ years

Stages of an Engineer’s Career (Slide 2)

This competency standard is targeted at mid-career engineers and is not intended to cover advanced technical competencies, although there is certainly a place for such a competency set. Rather, it is purely focussed on leadership, management and business skills which may be displayed in an engineering context or in any other context. Indeed, although not part of our remit within Engineers Australia, this competency standard could be applied to a range of other professions in a range of contexts.

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The EngExec Competencies• Leadership

– Leadership

– Strategic Direction and Entrepreneurship

• Management– Planning

– Change and Improvement

– Customer Focus

– Processes, Products and Services

– People/Human Resources

• Business– Supplier Relationships

– Information

– Finance Accounting and Administration

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 3)The Standard divides the competencies into 10 Units which are loosely categorised as leadership, management or business. These 10 Units are supported by 50 Elements, with 195 Indicative Defining Activities. It is expected that candidates who meet this standard would be able todemonstrate achievement of a substantial depth and range of these competencies, but not necessarily a high level of competency across all 50 Elements.

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The EngExec Competencies10 Units

– 50 Elements• 195 Indicative Defining Activities

1. Leadership – 1.1 Exercise personal attributes of leadership

– 1.2 Exercise leadership in organisations

– 1.3 Appreciate stakeholders

– 1.4 Promote the Engineering profession• 1.4.1 Engineering profession promoted

• 1.4.2 Professional leadership demonstrated

• 1.4.3 Development of the profession advocated on behalf of Engineers Australia

– 1.5 Display creativity

– 1.6 Manage workplace change

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 4)

Shown here is the breakdown of the first of the 10 Units ‘Leadership’into its six Elements, with one of those Elements ‘1.4 Promote the Engineering Profession’ further broken down into its three Indicative Defining Activities.

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The EngExec Competencies

2. Strategic Direction and Entrepreneurship– 2.1 Provide strategic direction and display

entrepreneurship and display

– 2.2 Embrace new technology

– 2.3 Assess feasibility

– 2.4 Appreciate risk

– 2.5 Establish business financing

– 2.6 Recognise importance of personnel aspects

– 2.7 Establish business structures

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 5)

I will quickly go through 4 further slides showing breakdown by Elements of the remaining Competency Units.

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The EngExec Competencies3. Planning

– 3.1 Undertake business planning

– 3.2 Manage risk

– 3.3 Undertake market planning

– 3.4 Undertake operational planning

– 3.5 Undertake resource planning

4. Change and Improvement– 4.1 Review organisational performance and identify

improvement opportunities

– 4.2 Plan improvements

– 4.3 Implement improvements

– 4.4 Verify effectiveness of improvements

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 6)

You will notice as we go through that some of the competency units appear very similar.

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The EngExec Competencies

5. Customer Focus– 5.1 Research customers

– 5.2 Manage communication with customers

– 5.3 Assess customers

6. Processes, Products and Services– 6.1 Employ innovation

– 6.2 Manage improvement

– 6.3 Apply quality measures to service and products

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 7)

However, each is subtly different, and it is an understanding of those subtle differences that candidates should be able to demonstrate.

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The EngExec Competencies

7. People/Human Resources– 7.1 Manage self

– 7.2 Behave ethically

– 7.3 Recruit employees

– 7.4 Manage employees

– 7.5 Dismiss employees

– 7.6 Promote well being and morale

8. Supplier Relationships– 8.1 Develop supplier strategy

– 8.2 Select suppliers

– 8.3 Specify requirements

– 8.4 Undertake surveillance/monitoring

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 8)

Where candidates identify gaps in their competence, they may address the gaps by demonstrating that either it is not relevant or important to their particular circumstance, or that they have compensated for it in some other way.

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The EngExec Competencies9. Information

– 9.1 Identify and source information needs

– 9.2 Collect, analyse and report information

– 9.3 Use management information systems and document control systems

– 9.4 Prepare submissions

– 9.5 Manage intellectual property

– 9.6 Work with legal documents and systems

– 9.7 Use Standards

10. Finance, Accounting and Administration– 10.1 Handle financing

– 10.2 Manage accounts

– 10.3 Manage auditing

– 10.4 Exercise fraud control

– 10.5 Manage health and safety

The EngExec Competencies (Slide 9)

Of course it was the realisation that, without a process to assess eligible candidates against these competencies, and a form of recognition for those who are successful, this pristine Standard was of little value.

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Eligibility

• Members of Engineers Australia – Professional Engineers– Engineering Technologists– Engineering Associates

• CPEng is NOT a prerequisite• Demonstrated competence

– holding an MBA is not a substitute

• Expected time to acquire competencies– approximately 10 years from gaining

Member status

Eligibility (Slide 10)

Even the consideration of eligibility to undergo assessment against the Competency Standard was not as simple as first thought. Should such assessment and recognition be limited to tertiary qualified engineers? Must candidates be working in an engineering context to be eligible? To what degree should tertiary qualifications such as an MBA be deemed to contribute to skills?

After much deliberation, our conclusions on these matters reflect the fact that this recognition is intended to be widely utilised. Not only tertiary qualified engineers will be able to apply. Candidates can also be engineering technologists or engineering associates. However, they must have achieved Member status within Engineers Australia and indeed, must be current members. Stage 2 Chartered Status (CPEng) is not a prerequisite, although many candidates will have achieved or been eligible to achieve that status in the past. The competencies for CPEng are primarily technically based, albeit with elements of leadership, management and business embedded in them. Candidates do not even need to be working in an engineering context. Quite a few of our profession move successfully into other sectors where they can just as easily display these competencies. Formal management qualifications such as an MBA do not in themselves contribute towards this recognition. Rather, the knowledge gained in such study may assist a candidate to develop and demonstrate competency in the workplace. The level at which this Standard is pitched would be expected to take approximately 10 years after reaching Member status. Candidates would normally be in their mid-thirties at least, and working in middle-level management positions.

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Assessment

• Not to be awarded lightly– supported by a rigorous assessment process

• Assessment Process– Submission of a single Engineering Executive Practice

Report – Submission of a Self Assessment Checklist– Preliminary Assessment of Practice Report by Assessor– Review of Practice Report by Panel– Professional Interview by Expert Panellists and

Assessor– Consultation with Referees (if required)

Assessment (Slide 11)For this recognition to be credible, eligible candidates must undergo a rigorous assessment against the Competency Standard. They submit a practice report which is essentially a statement of claim against the competencies. It is a comprehensive document which requires the applicant to critically analyse the skills and competencies they have gained throughout their career. That analysis in itself is a challenging but often enlightening task for the applicant.

The practice report is submitted along with a CV and self-assessment checklist and is reviewed by a national assessor. If the applicant is assessed as having sufficiently demonstrated the competencies to proceed to the next stage, then the submission is circulated to at least two experts, one of whom should have experience in the same sector as the applicant. Those three individuals then form an interview panel, whose primary purpose is to give the applicant an opportunity to expand on the information provided in the practice report, allow the interview panel to clarify and confirm aspects of it, and explore any perceived competency gaps. Applicants have an opportunity to make a 15 minute uninterrupted presentation at the start of the interview. The interview is intended to be a positive experience for the applicant, but for many, it closely resembles and is as stressful as applying for a new job. Following the interview, consultation with referees may be undertaken by the panel if considered necessary. The applicant is advised of their success or otherwise as soon as possible after the interview.

A successful candidate in Melbourne wrote to his interview panel saying: “Thank you for your participation in the activity which I found refreshing, challenging and rewarding. The process of conducting a 'self assessment' I found refreshing as I had not done such a full assessment on myself for many years. The assessment really focused me on where I needed to improve and how I could demonstrate that I had the skills and competencies in those areas identified… The interview I found rewarding in that the questions posed really made me think... Overall I found the activity has helped me improve myself and made me a better leader and I thank you for your part.”

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Post-Nominal RecognitionEngExec

• Survey of candidate post-nominals undertaken by EA Director Marketing and Communication

• Six options considered• 9 members from National Industry Liaison Board and a

further 21 industry leaders formed the focus group that was surveyed

• Post-nominal to be adopted is:

Engineering Executive (EngExec)

Post-Nominal (Slide 12)

A form of post-nominal, recognisable for its engineering origins, is awarded after the rigorous and transparent assessment process. The specific form of the post-nominal, ‘Engineering Executive’ and shortened to ‘EngExec’, was decided after consultation with Engineers Australia’s National Industry Liaison Board and other industry leaders as well as with Divisional CELM Chapters. Our challenge now will be to build and maintain the value that is accorded that post-nominal.

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• CPD Obligations– 50 hours per year average– May be averaged over a 3 year period– Recorded in a professional diary with a professional development

plan

– On-line CPD recording in Members Zone

– Compliance will be an ‘honour system’ based on a signed undertaking with annual subscription renewal

– Random audit of CPD may be undertaken

• CPD to retain CPEng as well as EngExec– Must meet requirements of both CPD regimes

Continuing Professional Development (Slide 13)

It can be argued that leadership skills, once acquired, are moreenduring than technical skills and may not warrant the same degree of ongoing refreshment. However, the commercial and regulatory environment within which business operates can change frequently, so maintaining currency is an important consideration. This obligation is reflected in the policy for continuing professional development which must be undertaken after achieving Engineering Executive status. Fifty hours per year, averaged over three years, must be recorded in a professional diary and offered for audit if requested. Activities which contribute to the CPD obligation can include formal tertiary studies, attendance at short courses, workshops, seminars and conferences, or preparation and presentation of material at them, private study, mentoring and service to the engineering profession.

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Documentation Framework• Applicants Handbook

– Value Proposition

– Application Process

– Application Proforma

– EngExec Competency Standard

– Fee Structure

– Checklist for Applicants

– CPD Policy

• Guide for Engineers Australia Staff– Assessment Process

– Interview Assessment Worksheet

– Checklist for Assessors

– Appeals Process

– Certificates

• Guide for Assessment Panel Members – Interview Process

– Generic Questions

– Referee Checks

– Feedback Process

Documentation Framework (Slide 14)

The EngExec Process is supported by an Applicants Handbook which provides a detailed guide to eligible candidates and includes a copy of the EngExec Competency Standard embedded in the document. Guides have also been produced for Engineers Australia Staff to assist them administer the process and for Panel Members to provide guidance for the assessment process.

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Assessment Trial

• Phase 1 Canberra Division– completed April 2004– 4 candidates, 3 successful

• Phase 2 Other Divisions– completed June 2005– 18 candidates, 15 successful

• To prove the process• To transfer knowledge• To assess ongoing demand, costs and

resource requirements

Assessment Trial (Slide 15)

To validate the assessment process, an initial slate of four candidates were invited to apply for Engineering Executive status in Canberra. Payment of assessment fees were waived for these trial participants provided they agreed to become expert panellists themselves for a period of two to three years should they be successful. Three of them were.

Over the next 14 months, further trials were conducted in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, incorporating structured knowledge transfer. A further 18 assessments were conducted, 15 of which were successful. In so doing, the Engineering Executive assessment process was improved and refined and a small core of knowledgeable panellists was built around Australia.

Since then, a further 10 candidates have successfully completed their EngExecassessment.

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Outstanding Actions

• Building capability across all Divisions to run the process

• Implementing a moderation process to achieve consistency across Divisions

• Developing an abridged process for candidates who clearly exceed requirements

• Developing an appropriate approach to Stage 4 (Senior Executive)

• Integrating EngExec leadership, business and management focus into PDPs

• Reviewing the EngExec competencies and process after 12 months in full operation

Outstanding Actions (Slide 16)

And of course, as with any major initiative such as this, there continue to be a number of outstanding actions which require attention. As well as continuing to assist Divisions around Australia with capability building and knowledge transfer, we must also look further downstream and determine how we will maintain the same level in assessments across Australia. We need to implement a moderation process. Again, we will fall back on the tried and proven approach used in CPEng and exercise moderation through regular consultation between the assessors. Moderation can also be supported by expert panellists participating on an occasional basis in interviews in another Division, perhaps through telephone hook-up. Other issues on the agenda are:

•An abridged process for candidates who clearly exceed requirements, and we are currently trialling this process.

•An appropriate approach to Stage 4 recognition. Remembering that Stage 4 is deemed to be at senior executive roles, this status is more appropriately a recognition of exceptional achievement rather than a competency based assessment.

•Integration of EngExec leadership, business and management focus into Professional Development Programs with our industry partners. Initial indications are that many companies are interested in developing these skills in their staff and may be interested in expanding their technical Professional Development Programs to include leadership, management and business aspects.

•And finally, a review of the whole framework 12 months after formal launch to identify opportunities for further improvement.

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The Value Proposition

EngExec - Why bother?

The Value Proposition (Slide 17)

But when it all comes down to it, why would anyone bother? Why have we developed the whole program and why would anyone go to the trouble of putting themselves through the stress of the assessment process?

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EngExec - Why bother?

The Value Proposition

• Recognises natural progression towards leadership and management roles mid-career

• Complements recognition of technical competencies

• Rigorous assessment process based on demonstrated performance in the competencies

• Our aspiration is for the EngExec status to be:– Of value to Employers - confidence in skills

– Of value to Members - a competitive edge

– Of value to Young Engineers - defining the target

The Value Proposition (Slide 18)

Ultimately, what we are aiming to do is assist members of the engineering profession and, in particular, members of Engineers Australia, to enhance their leadership, management and business skills. But we can only provide value to individual engineers if the EngExec status is highly regarded by employers. So at the same time, we aim to serve the needs of business and industry, by providing a framework for growth and development of their employees. This program is one that will assist employers to focus on the skills they wish to develop in their staff. This program can also assist them to define the skills they wish to recruit. Employers can be assured that, if they engage an EngExec, they can have full confidence that that person has been rigorously assessed against a comprehensive standard and been found competent.

Finally, a very significant but unexpected outcome has been the intense interest that this initiative has attracted from young engineers. It was believed that this initiative would primarily benefit mid-career engineers, those who were at the threshold of demanding leadership and management roles. But as happens so frequently, the young engineers were ahead of us. They recognised very quickly that the competency standard provided a template for their own development. They use it to identify the skills and experiential learning they wish to acquire to progress in their careers and grow into leadership roles. They see it as a target, a focus for their ambitions.

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Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management

Questions?

Leap into Leadership with EngExec

Conclusion (Slide 19)

So how will we recognise success? We will have achieved success when young engineers can more clearly map out their career path in terms of the skills and competencies they wish to acquire to progress into the leadership roles to which they aspire. We will have achieved success when engineers with the EngExec post-nominal find they have a competitive edge when seeking new positions. We will haveachieved success when business and industry leaders begin listing EngExec on their selection criteria and actively seeking out engineers with this recognition. We will have achieved success when more and more engineers are appointed as senior managers, CEOs and Directors of small and large companies and when engineers filling the most prominent leadership roles are regarded as the norm.

(Duration Approx 20 min)