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In the absence of a formally adopted EU definition in the initiation phase of this research work,
a definition from a Commission staff working document relating to the European qualifications
framework (European Commission, 2005c, p. 11) was used in developing this competence
framework. It is a composite definition and reflects the elements of knowledge noted earlier:

‘Competence includes: (i) cognitive competence involving the use of theory and concepts,
as well as informal tacit knowledge gained experientially; (ii) functional competence (skills or
know-how), those things that a person should be able to do when they are functioning in a
given area of work, learning or social activity; (iii) personal competence involving knowing
how to conduct oneself in a specific situation; and (iv) ethical competence involving the
possession of certain personal and professional values.’
These definitions emphasise a conceptualisation of competence underpinning this
competence framework that is not rooted in a mechanistic subdivision of tasks into
micro-skills and isolated building blocks of discrete professional tasks. It represents an
integrative model of competence, which permits the identification of aspects of self-direction
and reflective practice, including the important capability for professional development from
novice to expert over time. It can be seen to interrelate, in different ways, with all the training
traditions discussed in Section 2.2.

5.2. Designing the competence framework

5.2.1. Existing frameworks
A number of international and national frameworks already exist, having been developed
through various international collaborations, transnational projects and national initiatives. A
list of the relevant websites is provided in Annex 3. Principal among these frameworks are:
(a) International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG): a
competence framework developed through an international research project during the
period 1999-2003, this framework comprises a cluster of 11 core competences and a
further 10 clusters of specialised competences, each containing between five and 11
more detailed statements of competence;
(b) European accreditation scheme (EAS): a Leonardo da Vinci-funded EU project intended
to draw on IAEVG competences to develop a common accreditation scheme for
European countries, this project developed its own set of five client-facing main tasks on
which to base its proposed accreditation procedures;
(c) Institute of Career Certification International (ICCi): an earlier framework of five core
competences and a further five clusters of specialised competences was replaced in
2008 by a framework of 12 core competences and 19 selected competences;

(d) MEVOC: the quality manual for educational and vocational counselling: a Leonardo da
Vinci-funded European project, led by Austria, which developed a set of standards in
four competence categories, consisting of 35 competence standards in 12 groupings.
The work to develop a certification system based on these standards continues through
a follow-on project, the European career guidance certificate (ECGC);

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