Assessor competency specification | WorkSafe

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AssessorCompetencySpecification

SafePlus: Assessor Competency Specification

SafePlus checks how well a business performs against good practice health and safety requirements and provides advice and guidance on how to improve.

SafePlus is made up of 10 health and safety performance requirements that have been developed from internationally-accepted good practice and tested with industry in New Zealand.

This competency specification sets out the knowledge and skills needed for the Accredited Assessor to use the tool to review the health and safety performance of a business, develop recommendations and provide guidance on how to improve.

Overall Competency Specification

Ethical Practice

Knowledge

Experience

Team and Assessment Leadership

CommunicationRelationship Management

Business Acumen

Evaluative Assessment

Introduction

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All assessments involve a Accredited Assessor who has the following core expertise and experience.

As part of their initial planning for each assessment, Accredited Assessors will need to consider matters such as the nature, type, size, and complexity of the work environment in question and what may need to be covered in the assessment, such as the key health and safety risks being considered.

A key part of the Accredited Assessor’s role is to consider whether they have the necessary range of skills, experience and necessary capacity for each specific SafePlus Onsite Assessment and Advisory Service, or whether they need to involve one or more supporting assessors or other sector or specialist experts.

Most assessments should involve more than one Accredited Assessor to provide the quality assurance of a peer review and second set of eyes. It also provides additional resource to manage the sampling work necessary to form evidence based conclusions, and to complete the assessment in a reasonable timeframe. Finally, it provides additional capacity to provide a greater level of advice and guidance to workers onsite during an assessment of a business, or for assessments at larger businesses with multiple sites.

As a SafePlus Accredited Assessor, who can I bring onto my assessment team?On any given SafePlus assessment, the Accredited Assessor should consider whether it is appropriate to also involve:

– A supporting Accredited Assessor with health and safety expertise to provide additional capacity or expertise that the lead Accredited Assessor does not have.

– Technical or specialist subject matter expert who may or may not have a health and safety background, but who brings relevant subject matter expertise eg. high hazards, risk management, specialist skills engaging with particular cultural groups that may be required for a particular SafePlus assessment

– Both types of experts.

The nature of the proposed assessment, its scope, persons involved, and costs should be worked on with the client prior to engagement or as part of a scoping exercise of an assessment.

More guidance is provided in the Assessor Guide.

Accredited Assessor

Business Acumen Evaluative Assessment

Relationship Management Team & Assessment

Leadership Communications

Practice Body of Knowledge (H&S)

Ethical Practice

Assessor Competency

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The Accredited Assessor leads the assessment of the health and safety performance of a business against the performance requirements and the subsequent advice and guidance using SafePlus.

Role of the Accredited AssessorThe Accredited Assessor determines the need for sector technical expertise and chooses an appropriate and competent supporting Accredited Assessor and/or a technical subject matter expert. Accredited Assessors manage the relationship with the business and manage the assessment process, choose which risks to assess, the number of sites to assess and who will need to be interviewed.

An assessment involves

– Undertaking semi-structured interviews with a range of stakeholders throughout the business to assess performance against the performance requirements

– Observing work being undertaken

– Collecting, recording, triangulating, analysing and synthesising information

– Making judgements based on this information

– Preparing and maintaining field notes to support findings

– Communicating findings at exit meetings

– Preparing the assessment report which includes improvement recommendations

– Undertaking any follow-up action as required.

The specific competencies for assessors with examples of evidence are set out below.

Registration requirement for all Assessors Registration on the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) register is a mandatory requirement in order to get accredited as a SafePlus Accredited Assessor. To get on the HASANZ register, you must satisfy a number of entry requirements. One of these is the need to be an appropriately graded member of one of the HASANZ-affiliated professional bodies. Some of these professional bodies have different levels of membership and not all of these levels are sufficient to enable a professional to be registered on the HASANZ register. People interested in becoming a SafePlus Accredited Assessor need to check with their respective professional bodies (and HASANZ) as to whether their level of membership is sufficient to support registration on the HASANZ register.

HASANZ member associations each have their own requirements regarding their practitioners’ experience, continuing professional development, good character, ethics, and insurance cover. In many cases, evidence of these requirements being met will help to meet a number of the Accredited Assessor competency requirements. Being part of a professional association that is a member of HASANZ is seen as an important mechanism to help ensure the quality, professionalism and competence of those practitioners who operate as Accredited Assessors in the SafePlus Onsite Assessment and Advisory Service. More information about the HASANZ register is available at: http://www.hasanz.org.nz/page/hasanz-register/

Accredited Assessor Competency

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Core competencies for Accredited Assessors

BUSINESS ACUMEN

Criteria

– Understands businesses operations

– Understands organisational dynamics

– Understands business operating environments and applies professional judgement in the context of the environment being assessed

– Frames recommendations as business improvement opportunities taking into account organisational requirements for style of report

Assessment Evidence

– Review of CV and any management positions held and for management training

– Interview to assess understanding of business operations and processes and operating environments and contextual assessment

– Assess previous situations where contextual judgement has been applied

– Review of examples of previously completed report recommendations

EVALUATIVE ASSESSMENT

Criteria

– Can undertake semi structured exploratory interviews with a range of stakeholders across a range of businesses from simple to complex

– Ability to identify, research, collect, analyse, collate and interpret a range of information from interviews, observations and documentary evidence to reach performance judgements against requirements

– Investigates situations to identify root causes

– Able to weigh evidence to make assessment decisions and recommendations

– Understands the need to triangulate evidence before reaching conclusions

– Accurately records information from interviews and observations

– Works to achieve consensus on assessment findings with assessment team

– Takes into account business context when applying judgement

– Applies conceptual frameworks to develop evidence based solutions and recommendations

– Evaluates own practice through reflection and discussion with peers

Assessment Evidence

– Scenario based interview and/or observation to explore ability to undertake semi-structured interviews, identify types of evidence, root cause analysis and triangulation of evidence to support conclusions

– Interview to understand consensus building skills

– Review copies of assessment notes

– Discuss contextualisation and application of professional judgement across a range of settings

– Review previous reports and discuss construction of recommendations

– Discuss examples where courage of conviction has been required in previous work

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KNOWLEDGE

Criteria

– Understands and can apply OSH Body of Knowledge and conceptual frameworks during assessments

– Has a working knowledge of HSWA 2015 and recognised models and tools (Standards, ACOPs, accident causation models, organisational culture models, complex systems models, risk assessment frameworks)

– Undertakes continual professional development to stay current and to upskill

– Graded professional membership (NZISM, IOSH, NZSC, SIA) or Level 6 or higher NZQA approved qualification recognized by New Zealand Health and Safety Professional Bodies

Assessment Evidence

– Evidence of upskilling in HSWA 2015 requirements

– Current Professional membership and evidence of ongoing CPD

– Examples of application of breadth and depth of knowledge in previous work including the application of recognised models and tools

EXPERIENCE

Criteria

– A minimum of five years’ experience as a practicing health and safety practitioner in one or more of the following sectors – heavy industry, construction, logistics, manufacturing, forestry, or major hazard facilities

– Practical experience in developing, implementing or managing OSH systems

– At least two years experience in undertaking assessments and/or OHS performance evaluations

Assessment Evidence

– Evidence of experience

– Interview to confirm previous roles and involvement in OSH system development and to identify management level involvement

– Evidence of assessment/evaluation experience including WSMP, AS/NZS 4801, BS 18000, due diligence assessments and/or OHS consultancy

COMMUNICATION

Criteria

– Possesses skills to effectively engage with and elicit and exchange information from a wide range of stakeholders in a wide range of settings

– Adapts communication style to meet needs of audience

– Can use a range of interview techniques to elicit information from stakeholders

– Well-developed facilitation skills

– Ability to provide effective feedback

– Active listening skills

– Ability to write concise, evidence based reports that meet the needs of the audience

Assessment Evidence

– Evidence of training and experience in applying interview techniques including using a range of appropriate questioning techniques

– Evidence of completing facilitation training and practical experience of facilitation of assessments or evaluations

– Scenario based interview to test listening, feedback skills, and communication adaption to suit audiences

– Test application of de-escalation and conflict resolution skills

– Assessment of written material provided (including example reports completed) to demonstrate accuracy, literacy, numeracy and readability

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RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Criteria

– Identifies key stakeholders with whom relationships must be established

– Establishes rapport and trust with workers, contractors and management

– Able to de-escalate and manage conflict with clients and team members effectively

– Builds effective relationships with clients and team members based on mutual respect

– Has developed a relationship with professional associations and peers and seeks input into problem solving and to develop recommendations when required

Assessment Evidence

– Interview to test rapport building

– Evidence of training and experience with de-escalation techniques

– Referee interviews to test relationship building with stakeholders

TEAM AND ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP

Criteria

– Ability to identify team make-up required for individual clients

– Matches team members with appropriate business stakeholders and coordinates assessment

– Directs assessment activity of team members, manages issues and disputes effectively

– Makes effective assessment plans including managing sampling frame, site selection and risk selection

– Builds consensus amongst team members and agrees key findings and recommendations

Assessment Evidence

– Scenario based assessment re make up of team

– Exploration of previous team leadership, dispute management and consensus building from referees

– Review assessment plans previously completed or created at interview

ETHICAL PRACTICE

Criteria

– Understands and meets ethical practice requirements of professional registration body

– Maintains professional body registration

– Maintains confidentiality of client information Is open minded and unbiased

– Prevents conflict of interest from occurring and declares any potential conflict of interest to clients

– Operates within sphere of professional knowledge and researches or calls on additional technical expertise as required

Assessment Evidence

– Interview to discuss professional code of conduct requirements and examples where these have been tested

– Test understanding of conflict of interest provisions and need for declarations from team members

– Scenario assessment to test boundaries of sphere of knowledge

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Disclaimer

WorkSafe New Zealand, Accident Compensation Corporation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (“the agencies”) have made every effort to ensure the information contained in this publication is reliable, but makes no guarantee of its completeness. The agencies may change the contents of this document at any time without notice. Refer to website for latest version.

This document is a guideline only. It should not be used as a substitute for legislation or legal advice. The agencies are not responsible for the results of any action taken on the basis of information in this document, or for any errors or omissions.

Title: SafePlus Assessor Competency Specification

ISBN: 978-1-98-852714-7 (online)

Published: April 2018 Version 1.1

PO Box 165, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

www.safeplus.nz

© WorkSafe New Zealand, 2017

You are free to copy, communicate and adapt this work to use for other purposes.

[email protected] safeplus.nz

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Assessor competency specification | WorkSafe