Competency models explain the nature of effective performance within an organization and are often used as a framework to guide the development of training interventions. Competencies reflect a person's potential to meet cognitive demands in learning and behavioral domains (Hartig, Klieme, Koeppen, & Leutner, 2008). The application of Competency Models has been rapidly growing in popularity; however, research has not kept up-to-date with these advancements leading to criticisms over their effectiveness and scientific underpinnings. Researchers debate the over generalization of competencies such as "Teamwork" and "Communication" that make it difficult to apply the results to training development because they lack concrete behavioral or cognitive indicators. The models that include indicators tend to focus heavily on discrete behaviors, which make it difficult to transfer to cognitively complex domains. The most serious limitation is the lack of a standard methodology that is accepted in the literature that can ensure valid and reliable inferences. Researchers have suggested the need for a hybrid approach that capitalizes on the strength of different methodologies. To date, no research has been done towards this solution.
This paper takes the first step at addressing these limitations by applying a hybrid methodology. This procedure draws on the strengths of Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), Traditional Job Analysis, and Competency Modeling methodology to develop a performance model that provides the detail necessary to develop training interventions. We conducted 12 interviews, a series of card sorts, developed and distributed task and KSA surveys to eight Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and performed qualitative and quantitative analyses. The final model consisted of 11 competencies that were specific to the domain of military planning with their associated knowledge, skills, cognitive abilities, and tasks. The model has been used to restructure performance appraisal systems, to develop defensible job position descriptions, and to evaluate current training of military planners.