Academic Staff Competence Model (COMPAC)

The Aim: Develop an academic staff competence model for the transition to the academic career framework - competence assessment, identification of learning needs, professional development planning, personnel policy development and quality assessment.

Project’s thematic objective is to promote the transition to the New Academic Career Framework and its establishment in higher education institutions and research institutions.
The scientific group will develop a competence model for academic staff based on theory and international practice research. Competence model will support the transition to the New Academic Career Framework in Latvian higher education institutions and research institutions. It will incorporate components aligned with university typology and stages of the academic career: competence assessment, identification of learning needs and professional development planning. It will be used for the development of institutional personnel policies, internal and external quality assurance and improvement.

During the implementation stages of the project, the following activities will be carried out:
• Conducting an analysis of scientific literature, documents, and international practices.
• Defining and describing competencies in accordance with the four levels specified in the New Academic Career Framework.
• Creating descriptions of performance levels and an assessment system that correspond to career stages and job competencies.
• Developing a tool prototype for assessing academic staff competencies and identifying learning needs.
• Developing descriptions and examples for the curriculum design of continuous professional development micro-modules aimed at enhancing academic staff competence.
• Developing guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of the competence model in higher education institutions and research institutes, planning higher education and research policies, as well as for the development of educational policy and legislative acts.

The Competence Model will provide support for:
• Representatives of the academic staff in assessing their competence and identifying learning needs
• Higher education institutions and research institutions in planning and refining systemic personnel policies – regular competence assessment and the organization of the professional development process
• Educational designers of professional development training
• Education policymakers in higher education and science policy planning in the development and implementation of laws and regulations
• Implementers of internal and external quality assessment and assurance processes.

The direct beneficiaries will be students of all levels, alumni, their employers and society as the project's contributions will directly enhance quality monitoring and improvement.