A Scale for Mature Practice

Written by: Greg Sadesky

One of the most powerful aspects of the CSC Framework and the Career-Span Competencies is their applicability to almost every profession. Application of the 14 competencies at some level is required throughout a career no matter what occupation is being considered. This applicability is what makes the CSC approach so well-suited as the foundation for quality assurance and/or quality improvement programs.

As a measurement specialist, I (GS) am intrigued by the aspect of the CSC approach that allows registrants to identify and target areas of growth and over time, to measure progress in those areas. One specific area of interest is in the commonalities in strengths and areas for growth in relation to the level of development of a professional. Could it be that for most or all professions some competencies, like Act with professional integrity, are acquired and practiced at a high level before others such as, Practice in a self-reflective manner?

If, within a group of professionals, there are commonalities in the sequence of acquisition of the competencies, there would be a number of intriguing implications. For one, it may be possible to develop a “mature practice scale”. The scale could be used by individuals to obtain a more comprehensive view of their progression as a professional and to more clearly understand how to effectively progress and grow. A profession-level snapshot of this practice maturity, based on the scale, could be used by regulators to optimally design activities for professional development that would be finely tuned to the needs of the registrants.

At the CSC Collab, we are exploring this possibility, both conceptually and in the data analytics that would be required to make the Mature Practice scale, and the benefits that come with it, a reality. Stay tuned!