GEM’s Competency Framework: Professional Practice

The Professional Practice category looks at our responsibilities with regards to making sure our skills are up-to-date in three different “Themes”:

• Teaching, Learning & Curriculum
• Managing Projects, Programmes & People
• Sustainability & Efficiency

Teaching, Learning & Curriculum

This theme focuses on ensuring that our teaching and learning skills meet the standards expected by and of teachers in schools. These include organising and delivering high-quality, relevant educational activities and resources that connect our organisations’ stories and objects with curriculum topics.  The theme makes references to safeguarding, inclusivity, diversity and wellbeing.

At Foundation Level, competency statements focus on using objects and stories connected to heritage sites to devise, create and deliver sessions, resources and other activities that inspire, educate and engage diverse audiences, adapting them to suit the needs and context of different participants. At Experienced level, Heritage Educators develop these skills further in line with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of best educational practice alongside proactive development informed by evaluation. There is also a focus on learning session facilitation skills. Leading level statements use the further development of these skills and attitudes to influence their team or organisation’s development by monitoring both the quality of the learning offer and the teaching and learning standards, and taking steps to improve these informed by appropriate research.

Managing Projects, Programmes & People

The Managing Project, Programmes & People theme aims to ensure that appropriate planning and implementation takes place for all projects at all levels of the organisation. This is important for colleagues in all roles, not just those with leadership or managerial responsibility. 

At Foundation Level statements focus on managing themselves, collaborating with others and taking the lead on appropriate short-term projects which may involve volunteers, work experience students or freelancers. This progresses to include responsibility for longer-term projects with objectives contributing explicitly to your organisations broader education and learning plans at the Experienced level, and at the Leading level refers to developing and implementing major, long-term projects and programmes with responsibility for all aspects of management within them.

Sustainability and Efficiency

This theme is about developing an effective and efficient use of resources, as well as paying attention to environmental sustainability. At Foundation level this includes recognising and understanding the need to be accountable for resources of different types; understanding the income and expenditure of their learning programme on a basic level; and being aware of fundraising, income generation and opportunities to save money. This progresses at Experienced level to manage budgets for projects, and influencing the allocation of resources for the learning team and programme. At Leading level the competency statements look at managing and allocating resources efficiently and sustainably for the entire learning programme, maximising resource usage and advocating for learning in terms of resource allocation.

There is no progression from one category to the next, they are all of equal precedence and can be worked on in parallel.

Return to the Competency Framework Home Page to download your preferred version of the document.