Refining, Gas Processing and Petrochemical Business magazine (Sept/October 2006)

Optimizing Your Plants Number One Asset People

The Oil & Gas Industry has always placed emphasis on R&D and technology. This article focuses on one of the most important natural assets any organization has Manpower. Here we look at the need to recognise this asset as well as to optimise it through training and development.
he refining and petrochemical industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation fueled by a need to become leaner, more efficient organizations. As plants look for ways to successfully navigate this transformation, the most significant trend emerging is associated with the way operators and maintenance technicians are viewed. Specifically, organizations are transforming their view of point - of manufacturing personnel from task-based employees to professional, knowledge-based employees. With this change in view, the focus of employee development is switching from task-based training to the development of employee competence.

Minimum Competence (Rote Memorybased)

The most basic level of competence for an employee represents the KSAs associated with the ability to perform specified, procedural job tasks. This level of competence only enables employees to perform tasks based on rote memory. Therefore, employees at this level typically struggle in completing tasks when working conditions deviate from the expected norm. Unfortunately, many companies only strive for this level of employee competence; they may attempt to compensate through the use of complex, highly detailed procedures, which are difficult to use in real work situations, or by relying on highly-experienced supervisors to make all of the operational decisions, which seriously limits the ability of the operating team to respond to abnormal events.

Defining Competence
To better understand the transformation described above, we must first define the meaning of competence. The term competency refers to a set of related knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) that enable an individual to perform a specific set of behaviors or activities. When applied to employee development, competencies represent the KSAs required to successfully perform the required duties of the position. While the ability to perform discreet job tasks represents a certain level of competence, there is a distinct difference between task-based training and competency-based training. Let us first define and examine the various levels of employee competence so that we can better understand this difference. (Note: The breakout given here is used for example purposes only. In practice, competency levels are typically defined according to employee progression schemes.)

Competent (Understanding-based)
At this level of competence, employees not only possess the KSAs associated with performing the specific job tasks, but they understand how the tasks relate to the overall process, and, more importantly, how the different aspects of the process function to produce the desired product. This increased level of understanding enables employees to think through tasks with minimal instruction and both perform the task correctly and understand why the various steps of the tasks are important and their relation to each other. Further, employees at this level are able to evaluate situations to determine when and how to deviate from standard procedures in response to an abnormal event. Employees at this level can effectively contribute to optimization efforts.

R E P O R T

Reprinted with permission from the publisher of Hydrocarbon Asia

Proficient (Expertise-based)
Proficiency represents a level of competence associated with the assimilation of knowledge and skills into the general behavioral characteristics of an employee. One of the best examples of proficiency is a professional athlete, who has assimilated the KSAs associated with his or her sport to the point that their actions appear effortless and thoughtless to the outside observer. The high level of understanding associated with proficient performance enables employees to apply their knowledge and skills to processes that, while similar, are not the same as the one(s) in which they were originally trained. When applied to the normally assigned process, this level of competence allows operators to proactively troubleshoot abnormal events and drive optimization efforts.

The development of true competence must occur in stages, such that each stage builds upon the previous stage. This building process is necessary because of the way adults acquire KSAs. In order to acquire new knowledge or skills, adults look to associate the new knowledge or skill with something they already know or are able to do. Therefore, by building competence in stages, the knowledge or skills associated with each new stage builds upon the foundation created in the previous stage. Each stage should be separated by time on the job to allow the individual the opportunity to apply the KSAs gained through training and assimilate them into their overall behaviors. The first stage of competency development focuses on providing the employees with the foundational knowledge and skills associated with the competencies required by their job. This stage of development includes a combination of knowledge training along with procedural or task-based training, so that employees not only learn the tasks required by their position, but also why the tasks are important and why they are performed in that manner. This training also focuses on the basic process and equipment understanding necessary to support subsequent levels of training. The second stage of competency development focuses on helping employees understand how the processes and equipment for which they are responsible function and how they can fail. This training should be designed to help employees monitor equipment and process performance, as well as recognize and respond to abnormal operating conditions. The final stage of competency development focuses on helping employees gain true expertise in their assigned area. The main development activities associated with this phase center around the application of KSAs to various situations, either simulated or real, to provide the employees with the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in a manner that reinforces the fundamental principles driving the process. Due to the nature of the training and experience required to achieve this level of competency, most employees will require years of focused development to reach this level.

Developing Competence
The traditional approach to competency development focuses on training employees with the ability to perform tasks based on rote memory, and then, expecting them to gain understanding of the process(es) for which they are responsible through work experience. To accomplish this, employees are initially taught through repetitive demonstration and assisted execution of the specific tasks until they have the specific steps of the task(s) committed to memory. (Note: Due to the number and complexity of tasks associated with some production positions, employees must have access to and be able to use written procedures to assist in task execution.) Once the basic task execution portion of the training is complete, employees are expected to gain the understanding required to respond effectively to abnormal events through work experience. This requires the employee to actually experience the specific abnormal event, and learn the appropriate response through trial and error. The most significant problem with this style of learning is associated with the sheer number of possible event variations associated with most production units. As a result, it takes most employees many years to acquire enough work experience to be able to respond effectively to most abnormal events. Even with experience, employees are still routinely faced with events, or permutations of events, that are completely new to them and with which they are unprepared to deal.

Reprinted with permission from the publisher of Hydrocarbon Asia

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Conclusion
The transition to competency-based employee development will fuel the journey to Operational Excellence (OpX) for the refining and petrochemical industry. However, with this transition, will come fundamental differences in how we train and manage point-of-manufacturing employees. Specifically, organizations must begin managing employee development with a focus on the applied understanding of the processes and equipment they are responsible for operating and maintaining. This focus must ensure that employees have the KSAs needed to function effectively during normal, predictable operations, as well as effectively mitigate and resolve abnormal conditions to ensure optimal performance. It is through this focus that companies will begin to recognize the full value of their human assets. HA

This publication thanks Mr. Kevin Smith, VP KBC Advanced Technologies for providing this article. Kevin Smith is the Vice President of HPI Consulting for KBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. He specializes in improving human performance in the process industry, with an emphasis on the performance of operations and maintenance personnel and their direct supervision. Additionally, Kevin works with plant management teams to develop and implement organizational alignment strategies focused on supporting a drive toward operational excellence. Mr. Smith previously worked for EQE International, Inc. - an ABS Group Company (formerly JBF Associates, Inc.) and Kimberly Clark Corp, where he holds five (5) patents. Mr. Smith holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Reprinted with permission from the publisher of Hydrocarbon Asia