Framework Conceptual Overviews

This application is currently undergoing data and structure changes. You may encounter problems with application functionality or viewing application data until the changes are completed.

Competency Framework
	Communication Domain	Core Domain	Critical Thinking Domain	Organizational Awareness Domain	Technical Domain
Leadership	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies
Technical Specialist	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies
Advanced	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies
Entry	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies	Competencies

Click anywhere in the above framework (except information icons) to view the full framework.

Curriculum Framework
Leadership	Recognition of Competency Attainment			Professional Level Spanning Content Areas
Leadership	Core Content
Technical Specialist	Recognition of Competency Attainment
	Unprocessed Concentration	Manufactured Concentration	Retail Concentration
	Core Content
Advanced	Recognition of Competency Attainment
	Unprocessed Concentration	Manufactured Concentration	Retail Concentration
	Core Content
Entry	Recognition of Competency Attainment
	Unprocessed Foundations	Manufactured Foundations	Retail Foundations
	Core Content

Click anywhere in the above framework (except information icons) to view the full framework.

Other Framework Development Projects

Competency Framework

The Competency Framework is a model that broadly defines the blueprint for excellent performance within the profession, at various points of one’s career. The framework helps identify high-level competencies (desired outcomes or behavior), enumerates metrics by which competency can be measured, spells out observable and measureable characteristics, and provides evaluation criteria.

Five competency domains have been identified (Communication, Core, Critical Thinking, Organizational Awareness, and Technical), along with four professional levels, depending on the regulator’s current job position (Entry, Advanced, Technical Specialist, and Leadership). Hovering the cursor over each “box” in the Competency Framework reveals the competencies specific to the individual’s professional level and the specific competency domain. To illustrate, a regulator at the Advanced Level is expected to have the following competencies related to the Organizational Awareness domain:

Collaborate as a member of workgroups.
Explain the roles and jurisdiction of the agency in relation to other agencies.
Collaborate in the development of outreach materials and activities.
Identify policy issues.

Curriculum Framework

The Curriculum Framework is a color-coded, visual grid that demonstrates the interrelationship between, among, and progression through:

Content areas:
These are topics or subjects in which regulatory feed and food professionals should attain competencies (represented by each “box” in the framework). Each content area contains a set of sub-competencies that:
1. Accumulate to the high-level competencies in the Competency Framework
2. Serve as the basis for learning events to help feed and food regulatory professionals achieve those competencies
Hovering the cursor over each “box” in the Curriculum Framework reveals the sub-competencies related to that particular content area.
Professional levels:
These are the horizontal rows in the framework. (Entry, Advanced, Technical Specialist, and Leadership)
Spanning content areas:
These are topics or subjects that are applicable to multiple professional levels (vertical) or professional tracks (horizontal).
Professional tracks:
These are specific areas of specialization. (Unprocessed, Manufactured, and Retail)
Program areas:
These are specific content areas within professional tracks. (Dairy, Eggs, Animal Food, Manufactured Food, etc.)

Interrelationship

The Curriculum Framework represents the roadmap for content area learning events (i.e., courses) that will enable regulatory feed and food professionals to match the blueprint for excellence spelled out by the Competency Framework.

To illustrate, if an individual achieves competency in all of the Core Content areas at the Entry Level of the Curriculum Framework (e.g., Allergens, Biological Hazards, Biosecurity, etc.), the individual would then represent the “ideal” Entry Level regulatory professional, meaning he or she would possess all of the Entry Level competencies across all five domains of the Competency Framework (Communication, Core, etc.).

The same would hold true at the Advanced Level, the Technical Specialist Level, and the Leadership Level.

Leadership	Communication	LComm	Inform the media regarding public health.~Address inquiries from stakeholders.~Formulate public health information to obtain a desired outcome.~Engage stakeholders.~Intervene in disputes.~Advocate organizational position to decision makers.
Leadership	Core	LCore	Create teams.~Create policy.~Collaborate with stakeholders.~Manage resources.~Validate program effectiveness.~Devise novel approaches to issues.~Manage organizational change.
Leadership	Critical Thinking	LCrit	Formulate defensible decisions for complex issues.~Justify decisions on complex issues.~Anticipate the effect of changes to regulations, policies, or procedures.~Schematize organization or agency mission, vision, and strategy.
Leadership	Organizational Awareness	LOrga	Explain agency positions~Facilitate inter-agency cooperation.~Facilitate intra-agency cooperation.~Manage outreach activities.~Revise policies.
Leadership	Technical	LTech	Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams.~Formulate courses of action.~Decide courses of action.~Propose regulations.~Manage implementation of regulations.
Technical Specialist	Communication	TSComm	Provide input for policy development.~Write documents for public distribution.~Provide expert testimony.~Interact with media.~Advocacy for public health issues and resources.~Justify resource needs.
Technical Specialist	Core	TSCore	Evaluate emerging issues of trends in specialty program areas.~Advise teams on technical issues.~Teach specialized subject matter to food safety professionals.
Technical Specialist	Critical Thinking	TSCrit	Evaluate technical writing.~Prepare technical information for legal proceedings.~Develop technical information for stakeholders.
Technical Specialist	Organizational Awareness	TSOrga	Collaborate in workgroups using subject matter expertise.~Evaluate outreach materials and activities.~Evaluate policies and procedures.~Recommend agency policy and procedure changes.
Technical Specialist	Technical	TSTech	Evaluate data from multidisciplinary teams.~Recommend courses of action based on subject matter knowledge.~Coordinate courses of action based on subject matter knowledge.~Recommend agency food safety policy.~Write draft regulations.~Evaluate program performance.~Recommend compliance and enforcement penalty measures.
Advanced	Communication	AComm	Use communication skills for public speaking.~Use communication skills to transfer knowledge to entry-level employees.~Review written correspondence from peers and entry-level employees.~Employ technical writing skills.
Advanced	Core	ACore	Act as mentor to entry-level employees.~Operate as a lead on a team.~Produce constructive feedback for industry.~Perform regulatory activities with minimal oversight.
Advanced	Critical Thinking	ACrit	Articulate implications and the consequences that emerge from the proposed conslusions or solutions.~Correlate data relevant to the essential question, issue, or problem.~Employ the scientific method to make decisions.
Advanced	Organizational Awareness	AOrga	Collaborate as a member of workgroups.~Explain the roles and jurisdiction of the agency in relation to other agencies.~Collaborate in the development of outreach materials and activities.~Identify policy issues.
Advanced	Technical	ATech	Contribute to policy development.~Educate stakeholders.~Produce technical reports with minimal oversight.~Complete regulatory assignments for all risk level processes within facilities.~Employ technical expertise for multi-disciplinary teams.
Entry	Communication	EComm	Complete reports commensurate with job tasks.~Exchange information commensurate with job tasks.~Use questioning techniques, re-statement, and comprehension checks to verify understanding.~Utilize negotiation skills to find acceptable solutions.~Report inspection findings in legal proceedings.
Entry	Core	ECore	Explain the importance of using integrity while conducting work tasks/duties.~Explain the importance of adapting to changing conditions.~Complete tasks/duties in an objective manner.~Use a systematic approach to accomplish assigned tasks/duties.~Prioritize work in order to meet timeframes.~Explain the importance of working as a team.~Point out potential food safety risks.
Entry	Critical Thinking	ECrit	Articulate problems clearly.~Indentify factors leading to solutions.~Evaluate processes.~Employ the equipment or methods designated for the task.~Use situational awareness when conducting activities.~Develop defensible informed conclusions.~Collect data relevant to the essential question, issue, or problem.~Recognize the scientific method to make decisions.
Entry	Organizational Awareness	EOrga	Describe public relations policy.~Recognize the role of agency legal counsel.~Explain agency legal authority.~Explain the ethical behavior expectations of the organization.~Explain agency policies and procedures for performing job duties.~Identify the roles of divisions within the same agency.~Relate information to industry and consumers through outreach activities.~Identify the roles and jurisdiction of the agency in relation to other agencies.
Entry	Technical	ETech	Employ accuracy and precision in performing job tasks/duties.~Complete regulatory assignments for low- to mid-risk processes within facilities.~Describe the relationship between science and regulatory requirements.~Explain the interrelationship between law, regulation, and guidance.~Explain public health rationale and its relationship to food safety requirements.

headCompFW	A model that broadly defines the blueprint for excellent performance within the feed and food regulatory profession, at various points of one’s career.
coheadLeader	Food protection professionals who are experienced supervisors or upper-level administrators, and have a proven track record of excellence in all aspects of food protection. These professionals must be able to accurately design, improve, and prioritize food program functions and roles, and effectively communicate the role and value of food protection program activities to all levels within the organization as well as to external stakeholders. These professionals are often involved in strategic planning and policy making for their department or agency and serve as mentors and role models for inspectors in their agencies.
coheadTechnicalSpecialist	Food protection professionals with knowledge in a specific technical area, and who may or may not have a great deal of field experience. These professionals are able to conduct complex, high risk inspections and investigations, coordinate or convene key stakeholders in process development/improvement activities and will be engaged in problem solving activities. These professionals are depended upon to provide assistance and advanced or specialized support to inspectors at the entry and advanced levels.
coheadAdvanced	Food protection professionals who are able to independently perform sanitary inspections of a variety of facilities in addition to performing more complex investigations than inspectors at the entry level. These professionals would normally comprise the bulk of the food inspection workforce, and perform most of the core food protection activities for their agency.
coheadEntry	Food protection professionals who are newly hired in a local, state or federal food protection agency. These individuals have developed their investigational and communications knowledge and skills through formal education, training courses, and on-the-job-training activities, often working with more experienced inspectors.
headCommunication	Competencies related to communicating with diverse populations through verbal, written, and non-verbal means.
headCore	Competencies that cut across all domains.
headCriticalThinking	Competencies related to objectively assessing information collected from a variety of sources by using a disciplined, analytical, and repeatable thought process and achieving a defensible conclusion.
headOrganizationalAwareness	Competencies related to the understanding of the regulatory agency’s authority, structure, activities, and mission.
headTechnical	Competencies related to the knowledge, skills, and abilities specifically relating to food regulatory control.

headCurrFW	A color-coded, visual grid that demonstrates the interrelationship between, among, and progression through content areas, professional levels, spanning content areas, professional tracks, and program areas.
cuheadLevel5	Food protection professionals who are experienced supervisors or upper-level administrators, and have a proven track record of excellence in all aspects of food protection. These professionals must be able to accurately design, improve, and prioritize food program functions and roles, and effectively communicate the role and value of food protection program activities to all levels within the organization as well as to external stakeholders. These professionals are often involved in strategic planning and policy making for their department or agency and serve as mentors and role models for inspectors in their agencies.
cuheadLevel4	Food protection professionals with knowledge in a specific technical area, and who may or may not have a great deal of field experience. These professionals are able to conduct complex, high risk inspections and investigations, coordinate or convene key stakeholders in process development/improvement activities and will be engaged in problem solving activities. These professionals are depended upon to provide assistance and advanced or specialized support to inspectors at the entry and advanced levels.
cuheadLevel3	Food protection professionals who are able to independently perform sanitary inspections of a variety of facilities in addition to performing more complex investigations than inspectors at the entry level. These professionals would normally comprise the bulk of the food inspection workforce, and perform most of the core food protection activities for their agency.
cuheadLevel2	Food protection professionals who are newly hired in a local, state or federal food protection agency. These individuals have developed their investigational and communications knowledge and skills through formal education, training courses, and on-the-job-training activities, often working with more experienced inspectors.
ProgramSection3	Foundational knowledge for food and protection professionals working within the unprocessed (on-farm, etc.) professional track.
ProgramSection2	Foundational knowledge for food and feed protection professionals working with facilities that manufactured foods.
ProgramSection1	Foundational knowledge for food protection professionals working within the retail (restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) professional track.
ProgramSection6	Knowledge and procedure application for food protection professionals in the unprocessed (on-farm, etc.) professional track.
ProgramSection5	Knowledge and procedure application for food protection professionals who will be working with manufacturing facilities.
ProgramSection4	Knowledge and procedure application for food protection professionals who will be working with retail facilities.
ProgramSection9	Training events that span all specialty content areas with the professional track.
ProgramSection8	Training events that span all specialty content areas with the professional track.
ProgramSection7	Training events that span all specialty content areas with the professional track.
Level4_PC	Cumulative training bundled to address competencies, knowledge, abilities, and skills for the professional level and track.
Level3_PC	Cumulative training bundled to address competencies, knowledge, abilities, and skills for the professional level and track.
Level2_PC	Cumulative training bundled to address competencies, knowledge, abilities, and skills for the professional level and track.
Level1_PC	Cumulative training bundled to address competencies, knowledge, abilities, and skills for the professional level and track.
ProfLevelSpan	Content areas that span multiple professional levels.
Core_4	A set of content areas in which all feed and food regulatory officials at a specific Professional Level should be competent.
Core_3	A set of content areas in which all feed and food regulatory officials at a specific Professional Level should be competent.
Core_2	A set of content areas in which all feed and food regulatory officials at a specific Professional Level should be competent.
Core_1	A set of content areas in which all feed and food regulatory officials at a specific Professional Level should be competent.
cuheadLevel1	Food protection professionals who are newly hired in a local, state or federal food protection agency. These individuals have developed their investigational and communications knowledge and skills through formal education, training courses, and on-the-job-training activities, often working with more experienced inspectors.

Professional Level

Level 1 [Domain] Competencies

List of Competencies [ID] - [Competency Statement]

Object Name

Definition