15
th
International Congress on Archives
Hoy
www.wien2004.ica.org
1
Professional development and competency standards: unravelling the contradictions and
maximising opportunities
Marian Hoy, National Archives of Australia
Introduction
This paper explores and unravels the complex and sometimes contradictory relationships between
current concepts of learning, professional development and competency standards.
It is essential that archivists and records managers understand the theory that underpins their
professional practice. Competency-based training alone will not provide this understanding. It
is static training, tied to the practices of today, providing little if anything in the way of
insights or tools to meet future challenges. Professional education should be based on sound
pedagogical principles that encourage students to analyse and synthesise information and
stimulate critical thinking.
If we accept this statement as applicable to professional development, as a form of archival education,
then we need to question how performance-based competency standards could make any contribution
to professional development. The central argument of this paper is that there is a very precarious
relationship between the objectives of performance-based competency standards and those of
professional development. Professional development is about challenging theory and practice, not just
reinforcing current practice, one of the key tenets of the implementation of competency standards.
Reasons for the apparent contradictions lie in language and paradigms, which once unravelled, can
present a more coherent picture of the relationship between competency standards and professional
development.
Part I of this paper explains the core concepts of professional development and competency standards,
then tries to clarify the reasons for this precarious relationship and explore implications for the archives
and records profession. Part II presents options for the design and evaluation of professional
development, applying current learning approaches, to ensure it is holistic, relevant and adaptive. It
presents a framework of learning to help archival institutions match outcomes of professional
development with different learning strategies. Part II also presents an option for mapping
organisational goals and functions to external standards to ensure the content of professional
development programs reflects theory and practice, and helps the profession see the broader context of
its work.
Part I: Understanding the concepts and setting the context
Definitions and core concepts
Given the potential for varying interpretations, it is important to clearly define the key concepts to be
addressed in this paper:
·
Archival institutions
·
Learning
·
Professional development
·
Competencies and capabilities
Archival institutions
This term is intended to be as broad as possible so includes;
·
archival institutions;
·
professional associations;
·
educational institutions that provide education or work in partnership with an archival
institution; and
·
organisations or persons that employ archivists or records managers.
1
K Anderson, `Access and partnerships: issues in professional education', Proceedings of the Archives and
Records Education Stakeholders (ARES) Forum, Melbourne, Australia, 1213 June 2003, ARES Website:
http://www.archivists.org.au/events/ARES2003/K%20Anderson%20Access_and_partnerships.pdf
(accessed 15
May 2004), p. 10.
