The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/480238
BEST PRACTICES PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 10 standards that succinctly define the skills, understanding, attitudes and knowledge required within each area of expertise for the individual to perform competently in the role at any given level. A CLEAR PATH The PDC Competency Model can be a powerful organizational tool that provides practitioners a clear path to growth and development. It not only will serve as a foundation for important organizational functions such as recruitment, hiring and retention, training and development, and performance management, it will give organizations the ability to identify and hire top legal professional development talent. by SHRM and the Association for Talent Development (ATD). The PDC Competency Model includes four core competency areas and eight sub- competencies. The core competencies are: 1. Professionalism 2. Leadership, Management and Organizational Development 3. Legal Industry Knowledge and Functional Expertise 4. Performance Management and Professional Development Each competency includes an overarching definition, associated sub- competencies, behaviors demonstrated by individuals most proficient at that competency and behavioral standards that characterize successful legal PD professionals at the relevant career stage. Each competency also has associated competency statements or performance design, development and delivery of core competencies and benchmarks for attorneys, it only made sense to develop a model specifically for the PD profession. In developing competency models for PD professionals, the goals were two-fold: 1. Create a road map to sustain the growth and development of PD professionals 2. Enable organizations to identify, recruit and develop new high- potential performers to guide their attorneys to success Identifying and understanding what PD practitioners do and how well they are doing it will enable them to provide the best possible support to their employers. METHODOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT Developing the PDC Competency Model was a four-year, four-phase project. The principal goal was to develop a model broad enough to be relevant to the PDC membership while being specific enough to give individuals and firms a powerful organizational tool that will enable a link between individual performance goals and organizational goals and strategies. The project began with a comprehensive review of current literature that included recent publications and archived materials in the legal PD field and was followed by a series of surveys to the entire membership. The surveys of the PDC provided detailed day-to-day job data from legal PD professionals with a goal to develop an accurate picture of the tasks and behaviors that contribute to successful job performance, as well as judgments about the relative importance of identified competencies. The surveys also gathered demographic data that included firm/ organization size, number of years in role, functional level, etc. Once the data were collected and analyzed, a draft model was developed, based on both the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) competency standards and best practices identified Common uses reported for a competency model include professional development initiatives, recruiting, succession planning, knowledge management and talent management. Learn more about the Professional Development Consortium at pdclegal.org.