Your PaCE Reminder: Are you familiar with your Competencies?

November 29, 2022 - Defence Stories

We are all familiar with annual performance appraisals. However, with the transition to the Performance and Competency Evaluation (PaCE) system, you may feel unsure about what the new performance appraisal process will focus on. You have learned about Competencies, Facets and Behavioural Indicators (BI), and you might even be a bit intimidated by the notion of Meta-competencies. No problem!

If this is the case, and if you struggle to find spare time to read more doctrine, because… well, Life, then this article should help you dive in and retain the key aspects you need to know quickly.

First, the performance appraisal in PaCE is based on the CAF Competency Dictionary (CD). The CAF CD is a science-based tool developed by each rank, for their rank, that converts the Leader Development Framework (LDF) into practical items and measurable outcomes. The LDF consists of the five meta-competencies (Expertise, Cognitive Capacities, Social Capacities, Change Capacities, and Professional Ideology) that are developed as the individual, officer or NCM, progresses through the professional development system.

From those five meta-competencies, 19 competencies were identified and further operationalized. Each Competency is comprised of (1) a definition, which was written to encourage personnel to aspire to a high calibre of performance; (2) Behavioural Indicators, illustrating a progression of prescribed performance across ranks; and (3) Facets, which are labels for conceptually similar BIs (i.e., they are the specific components of the broader Competency).

The backbone of PaCE is truly the set of BIs developed for each rank level representing the expected results or performance outcomes in the workplace in terms of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes. These BIs are clustered by Competency and are the concrete manifestation of the one they are associated with. Combined, the 19 Competencies capture the complex, multi-dimensional construct of leadership in the CAF, which is the main or general focus of the performance appraisal process. Because the CAF CD provides rank-specific and standardized guidelines on expected performance, behaviours and values of CAF members, they are also aligned with organizational vision and strategic goals, solidifying the link between individual and organizational performance. Remember, PaCE supports the CAF in growing our leadership from within and its aim is to develop successful CAF leaders, who epitomize CAF values and embrace CAF objectives and strategies. Each Competency builds across the ranks, with a cumulative effect. In other words, the behaviours you develop and demonstrate at one rank level you are expected to continue demonstrating as you move up in rank.

As for the five meta-competencies (the LDF), although they are conceptually related to specific Competencies, they are used mainly as the theoretical foundation for the CAF CD and the evaluation of Potential during the Unit Potential Board process. Competency ratings are not tied to the meta-competency ratings. 

Now you may ask how all this relates to you as a CAF member or supervisor. It is plain and simple. You should be familiar with the expectations for your own rank. As a supervisor, you should also have a general understanding of the expectations for your subordinates in order to properly manage performance and make a fair and accurate assessment. In practical terms, here are the steps you should be taking:

1. Understand the big picture and how the Competencies and meta-competencies are organized conceptually.
2. Read and understand the definitions of the Competencies and their respective Facets.
3. Familiarize yourself with the BIs of each of the Competencies in order to understand how they are put into practice in the real world, in the daily routines and duties related to the job you have, and for the jobs of your subordinates.

You can complete these steps and refresh your knowledge by consulting your resources here (accessible only on the National Defence network) or on the internet (click on “Competencies”). You will find the CAF Competency Model representation (step 1), the Competency Dictionary which includes Competency and Facet definitions (step 2), and the Competency one-pagers which include each BI, by rank.

From a practical point of view, familiarizing yourself with how the CAF CD works will make it easier to understand its role in PaCE as well as the interconnections between the Competencies, their Facets and the respective BIs. This will allow you to keep in mind that performance is to be evaluated at the BI level because it is more easily interpreted, granular, and transparent, which normally results in defensible, fair, and consistent ratings. This is truly a bottom-up approach and the good news is that PaCE was designed to enable this. In addition, if you fully understand the Facet and its definition, it will make assessing the BIs easier.

And do not forget that the BIs also offer a tangible frame-of-reference for you to use to understand the expectations for your own rank and to proactively manage your own performance, as well as the performance of your subordinates, in a constructive manner.

For more information about PaCE, don’t forget about these PaCE resources: Performance and Competency Evaluation (PaCE), the MS Teams PaCE Knowledge Centre (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) (access password: dkam7a7), and lastly, your own L1’s PaCE Directives that are more tailored to your organization. Take note that a handy aide-mémoire for the CAF member/supervisor PaCE cycle has been recently developed and added to the first resource.