Competence involves much more than technical training; it includes a person's attitude and behaviour, as well as their experience and knowledge, and it's hugely important to all engineering organisations and those involved in engineering projects. Employing the right people, safety considerations, winning tenders, having effective succession plans, and identifying training needs and promotion opportunities are all drivers for having a strong competence scheme in place.

This guide provides a framework for a Competence Management System (CMS) that's simple and has a focus on practicable implementation. The guidance is aimed at all enterprises involving activities associated with engineering disciplines such as design, installation, operation, maintenance, manufacture, inspection, testing and training. The framework has been designed to allow adaptation to meet the specific requirements of individual organisations or projects.