15. Individual Competency Index

 Individual Competency Index (older version v1.2)

The Individual Competency Index (ICI) measures both  conceptual knowledge (referred to as knowledge) and procedural knowledge (referred to as skill) which are needed by individuals in order to perform a defined activity or deliver a measureable outcome.

The ICI identifies five competency levels (0-4):

• Level 0 (none) denotes a lack of competence in a specific area or topic;
• Level 1 (basic) denotes an understanding of fundamentals and some initial practical application;
• Level 2 (intermediate) denotes a solid conceptual understanding and some practical application;
• Level 3 (advanced) denotes significant conceptual knowledge and practical experience in performing a competency to a consistently high standard; and
• Level 4 (expert) denotes extensive knowledge, refined skill and prolonged experience in performing a defined competency at the highest standard.

The index also identifies two competency divides: the learning divide separating level 0 from level 1, and the time/repetition divide separating level 3 from level 4.

However, although the ICI measures both knowledge and skill, it does not measure personal traits (typically referred to as attitude) which require specialized psychometric indices similar to Myers-Briggs and RIASEC. Also, the ICI only measures the abilities of individuals and – by extension, the aggregate abilities of a group of individuals –  but does not measure the abilities of organizations, organizational teams or larger organizational scales (refer to BIM Capability Stages and BIM Maturity Levels).

For a BIM perspective of how to apply the ICI in assessing BIM competencies, please refer to this article on BIMThinkspace.