I have been working my way through the stages that Bowland Solutions' recommend our clients go through when setting up a 360 degree appraisal.  Here are my notes on creating a competency framework.  They apply to both 360 and standard performance appraisal.

There is some great material around on how to write competency frameworks, so please accept this bullet point list as the summary it is intended to be.  It will have been sourced from other parties over time and supplemented with our own experience : CIPD is the best place to start.  Writing a framework is a skilled, time-consuming job.  So, here goes :

• Start with your values and stated strategy - look to existing materials and language
• Get directors, or senior management to express their desired behaviours
• Seek to identify best practice in each area
• Involve managers and staff, outside of HR, in design and implementation
• Keep it simple : use straight-forward language
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Train people in how to use, understand, and assess against the competencies

Of course, at the end of this process you only have a framework.  We believe the process of generating the framework is of great value, but the proof is in the eating.  How it is used in performance appraisal, 360, training, recruitment, etc, wil determine how others value the framework.

Brendan