Important changes to hse competence assurance requirements

In its HSE management system, PDO makes a commitment to assure the competence of employees holding positions, which can significantly impact on HSE performance.
PDO is adopting important changes to how it carries out that assurance, in particular how

• It identifies those positions.
  
• It determines what competences are required for those positions.
• It assesses whether holders of those positions have the competences needed.
• It manages any competence gaps identified.

The changes are based on those introduced recently by the Shell Group, but tailored to the PDO operating environment.

The changes are summarized below and are described in more detail in a slide pack, which can be accessed by clicking here.

The changed PDO requirements are documented in a new HSE Procedure (PR-1980)

The changes will become effective from 31st August 2013.

What is new ?

The changes affect :

• The definition of HSE competences.
  
• The definition of Leadership Positions and HSE Critical Positions needing assurance.
• The HSE competence requirements for those positions.

These changes do not impact on the Technical/Operational competence requirements for positions, which are specified in SAPpHiRe by the PDO Functional Disciplines.

All holders of Leadership Positions and HSE Critical Positions responsible for Planning/Supervisory HSE Critical Activities will require, as now, to have their Technical/Operational competences assured as well as their HSE competences.

Changes to the hse competences

The 12 HSE competences, based on the HSE MS, will no longer be used. They are being replaced by a new set of 3 competences:

• Provide Leadership in HSE (HSE Lead).
• Prepare Effective Management of HSSE (HSE Prepare).
• Apply Effective Management of HSSE (HSE Apply).

The 3 new competences represent a rationalization and consolidation of the previous 12 competence elements (see chart below), with particular emphasis on the awareness, knowledge and skills required by line managers. Nothing new has been added.

The new competences and competence assurance requirements are detailed in a new HSE Procedure (HSE Procedure PR-1980)

Any assessments already completed in SAPpHiRe, using the old 12 HSE competences, will not be lost or have to be redone. They will be automatically ‘converted’ to the new 3 competences in SAPpHiRe and a copy of the old assessment will be retained in SAPpHiRe.

The diagram below indicates the basis for the conversion from the old 12 elements to the new. The conversion is not a direct one, but involves allocating a weighting to each of the old 12 elements.

Changes to the definition of leadership and hse critical positions

Previously, all positions of JG1+ required HSE competence assurance. Now only Leadership Team Positions with a significant influence on HSE management will be included. In PDO, this will be Executive Directors. The various types of Leadership Positions.

Previously all positions, where action or inaction by the holder could lead indirectly to a significant HSE incident were considered as ‘Level 2 HSE Critical Positions’ and required HSE competence assurance.

The name ‘Level 2 HSE Critical Positions’ will no longer be used and is replaced by the term HSE Critical Positions responsible for Planning & Supervisory HSE Critical Activities’.

The criteria for such positions are shown in charts. They are more narrow than the previous criteria and focus on the management of Red RAM risks. This will result in a reduced number of positions requiring formal assurance.

Line Managers, supported by Skill Pool managers, have identified those planning/supervisory positions they consider to be HSE critical and those positions have been identified in SAPpHiRe.

Changes to hse competence requirements for leadership and critical positions

Competence requirements for positions will no longer be based on activity type and JG. They will be based on the HSE risk management requirements of the position. The requirements are summarized in the following chart.

How will i be impacted ?

If you were previously a holder of a Leadership Position or a Level 2 HSE Critical Position, it is possible that your position no longer requires HSE competence assurance. In which case, the HSE competence requirements for your position will be automatically removed in SAPpHiRe but any assessments already completed in SAPpHiRe will be automatically converted from the old 12 to the new 3 competence elements.

If you were previously a holder of a Leadership Position or a Level 2 HSE Critical Position, it is possible that your position will still require HSE competence assurance. In which case, the HSE competence requirements for your position will be automatically changed in SAPpHiRe but any assessments will be automatically converted from the old 12 to the new 3 competence elements.

It is also possible that your position was one, which previously did not require HSE competence assurance, but will require assurance in the future. In that case, the HSE competence requirements will be automatically be assigned to your position in SAPpHiRe and any previous assessments completed in SAPpHiRe will be automatically converted from the old 12 to the new 3 competence elements.

For the present time, there are no changes to the way in which assurance is carried out for HSE Professional Positions

Staff identified as holding hse leadership positions and planning/supervisory hse critical positions

If your position requires HSE competence assurance, a new HSE competence requirement profile will be automatically loaded into SAPpHiRe based on the risk management profile of your position.

Any existing assessment you have completed will be ‘converted’ automatically in SAPpHiRe fom the old 12 to into the 3 new HSE competences. Partially completed assessments will not be converted.

The new position requirements and converted profiles will become visible in SAPpHiRe from 31st Aug 2013.

How you will be further affected and what actions you will need to take will depend on whether you have already completed a competence assessment and whether the assessment identified any competence gaps.

Details are given below, by possible scenario.

I have not yet started my HSE competence assessment

I have started my HSE competence assessment but not yet finished it

I have already completed my HSE competence assessment, with no competence gaps

I have already completed my HSE competence assessment, but with some competence gaps

The actions you need to take are:

• Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of your job. If you think it is wrong, contact your line supervisor and your Skill Pool Manager.
• Agree with your line manager the timing and process for carrying out your assessment.

Click here to access

HSE Guideline GU-679 – Carrying Out HSE Competence Assessments

Self-Learning Slide Pack providing guidance on carrying out an HSE competence assessment

Any assessments, which are ‘in progress’, must be completed (in SAPpHiRe) by the changeover date: 15th Aug 2013.

Any assessments, which are not completed (in SAPpHiRe) by 15th Aug 2013, will not be converted and a new assessment will have to be carried out.

• Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of your job. If you think it is wrong, contact your line supervisor and your Skill Pool Manager.
• Check that no error has occurred in the conversion of your old assessment into the new one and that no gaps are indicated against the new requirement.

I have already completed my HSE competence assessment, but with some competence gaps. The conversion of your assessment may have resulted in a reduction in the number of competence gaps. This is because some of the requirements in the old competences have been removed from the new ones.

The actions you need to take are:

• Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of your job. If you think it is wrong, contact your line supervisor and your Skill Pool Manager.
• Identify the competences where any gap(s) is still shown if no gaps are shown vs the new requirements, then no further action is required.
• If gap(s) are still shown, then continue to take the actions you previously agreed with your line supervisor to fill the gaps in your previous assessment, they should already be in your PDP, they will still be appropriate for filling the gaps in the new competences. No new competence requirements have been added.
• When you believe you have taken action to fill the remaining gap(s), contact your line manager to arrange a reassessment.

Line managers of staff holding hse leadership positions and planning/supervisory hse critical positions

The impact and necessary actions will depend on whether the staff have already been assessed and whether the assessment identified any competence gaps.

You have staff, who have not yet been assessed

The actions you need to take are:

• Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your reportee’s position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of the job. If you think it is wrong, contact your Skill Pool Manager.
• Agree with staff concerned the timing and process for carrying out an assessment.
• Complete the assessment.

Click here to access

HSE Guideline GU-679 – Carrying Out HSE Competence Assessments

Self-Learning Slide Pack providing guidance on carrying out an HSE competence assessment

You have staff, who have started but not yet completed an assessment

This may be because they have started but not completed their self-assessment or because they have submitted their self-assessment to you but you have not yet reviewed it.

Any assessments, which are ‘in progress’, must be completed (in SAPpHiRe) by the changeover date: 15th Aug 2013.

Any assessments, which are not completed (in SAPpHiRe) by 15th Aug 2013, will not be converted and a new assessment will have to be carried out.

The actions you need to take are:

• Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of your job. If you think it is wrong, contact your line supervisor and your Skill Pool Manager.
• Check that no error has occurred in the conversion of your old assessment into the new one and that no gaps are indicated against the new requirement.

The conversion may have resulted in a reduction in the number of competence gaps. This is because some of the requirements in the old competences have been removed from or given lower weighting in the new ones.

• The actions you need to take are: Review the HSE competence requirement profile assigned to your reportee’s position in SAPpHiRe and check that it makes sense in relation to the responsibilities of the job. If you think it is wrong, contact your Skill Pool Manager.
• Identify the competences where any gap(s) are still shown.
• Agree with the position holder what action they need to take to fill those gaps; they will essentially those actions identified as needed to address gap(s) identified in their previous assessment, which should already be in their IDP.
• When you believe they have taken action to fill the remaining gap(s), carry out a formal reassessment.
• Reassessments should be carried out in line with the guidance for carrying out initial assessments.

Click here to access

GU-679 – Carrying Out HSE HSE Guideline Competence Assessments

Self-Learning Slide Pack providing guidance on carrying out an HSE competence assessment

Who to contact for further help

If the above information does not answer any of your questions related to HSE competence assurance for leadership and critical positions, you should contact your Skill Pool Manager or your HSE Team Leader, Hd.Op. Safety (CFDH), MSE/1 or the HSE Skill Pool Manager (MSE/6).​​​​​​​​​