NAVFAC Employee Competency Assessment

FAQs Whiteboard Video

PRIVACY NOTE: This survey does not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) and its results cannot be associated with individuals. Thus, you can feel comfortable being as candid as possible in your self-assessment. Candid and strong participation by all civilian employees will also enable NAVFAC to understand skills and proficiency levels across the various commands and enterprise wide.

If you have questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) link to the side of this page.

Thank you!

A Note to NAVFAC Civilian Employees

This Employee Competency Assessment (ECA) is a quick and easy survey to assess your proficiency level across the 20 non-technical core competencies that comprise the Workforce Development (WFD) Continuum. Taking the ECA is the first critical step for participating in Career Compass—a career development program for all civilian employees. You will use the ECA, and its resulting report, to identify career growth and development opportunities. You are also encouraged to download the blank ECA form at the bottom on this page, provide it to your supervisor and/or mentors, and ask them to provide their candid assessment of your proficiency across these 20 competencies. Their feedback, along with your own, will be helpful information as you work with your supervisor to identify learning and development opportunities and develop your Individual Development Plan (IDP). PRIVACY NOTE: This survey does not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) and its results cannot be associated with individuals. Thus, you can feel comfortable being as candid as possible in your self-assessment. Candid and strong participation by all civilian employees will also enable NAVFAC to understand skills and proficiency levels across the various commands and enterprise wide. If you have questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) link to the side of this page.

Thank you!

Employee Details

Select Command

Business Line/ Support Line

Pay Plan/Grade

Instructions: Please choose the proficiency level that best describes your current capabilities in each competency. Assess yourself across the competencies using the provided proficiency level definitions. Each proficiency level has unique knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with each competency. Levels range from “Awareness” to “Expert” in order of increasing proficiency. These descriptions should be used as a guide to help you determine your current proficiency level. They are not meant to be representative of all professional situations. Important note: An “awareness” level of proficiency does not indicate poor competency performance and may be an appropriate assessment for many employees, whereas an “expert” level of proficiency should be exceedingly rare.

Foundational Competencies

Foundational competencies include the knowledge, skills, and abilities which are most relevant to NAVFAC’s core values and mission. They apply to all employees regardless of career path, technical community, area of expertise, or grade level.

Accountability: Taking responsibility and ownership for decisions, actions, and results. Being accountable for both how and what is accomplished.

Awareness: You are aware of all work-related policies and procedures.

Basic: You demonstrate an understanding of the link between your own job responsibilities and team goals and needs. You adhere to policies and procedures.

Intermediate: You look beyond the requirements of your own job to offer contributions to overall organizational operations.

Advanced: You focus and guide others in achieving organizational results. You hold team members accountable for work standards and expectations by taking action when standards are not met.

Expert: You provide oversight of complex procedures, including delegating responsibilities and checking in to see that standards are met.

Initiative: Voluntarily taking the first steps to identify and address existing and potential obstacles, issues, and opportunities.

Awareness: You volunteer to undertake activities within your capability. You ask questions and gather information prior to taking on new tasks. You seek help when challenged to try something new.

Basic: You volunteer to undertake tasks that stretch your capability. You identify who can provide support and you ask for their input. You identify problems and act to prevent or solve them.

Intermediate: You seek out challenges that require managing risk. You determine resources, team support, and technical needs necessary for success. You keep responding to the challenge despite obstacles and setbacks.

Advanced: You anticipate future challenges and related opportunities. You plan potential responses considering resources, people, processes, and technology. You lead a timely response, seek advice, and sustain progress through unforeseen challenges.

Expert: You integrate future challenges and opportunities, planning directly for significant outcomes and contingency plans. You identify areas of high risk. You procure organizational resources and leverage leaders, core organizational processes, and technologies.

Resilience: The ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and bounce back from adversity.

Awareness: You adapt and modify work behavior and assignments as required.

Basic: You respond quickly, positively, and comfortably to new challenges. You are open to new methods, ideas, or approaches. You can work and collaborate effectively in unstructured or dynamic environments.

Intermediate: You comfortably handle and respond to uncertainty. You work well with a diversity of situations, people, and groups to adapt to a change in assignment, objectives, or strategy. You are able to change behaviors or approaches when necessary to achieve a goal.

Advanced: You model flexibility and help others adapt to changes in procedures, processes, and policies. You coach others and provide feedback to help them adapt to change. You possess a mindset of continuous improvement and agility.

Expert: You provide an environment that encourages experimentation and rewards efforts. You willingly demonstrate that failure is acceptable, as long as lessons learned are applied to ensure future success. You anticipate changes in the internal and external environment and adjust accordingly.

Integrity: Behaving in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Showing consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics.

Awareness: You behave and express yourself in an open and honest manner. You treat others fairly and with respect.

Basic: You share information accurately, completely, and appropriately.

Intermediate: You use applicable professional standards and established procedures and policies when taking action and making decisions. You instill a climate of trust by admitting your own mistakes and taking responsibility for your actions.

Advanced: You promote a climate of openness and honesty and do not penalize reasonable dissent. You identify ethical dilemmas and conflicts of interest and act to avoid and prevent them.

Expert: You display courage to support ethical actions that may negatively impact yourself or stakeholders. You anticipate and prevent breaches in confidentiality and/or security.

Interpersonal Skills: Treating others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Having the ability to be a good team member. Considering and responding appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.

Awareness: You relate to people in an open, friendly, and professional manner.

Basic: You cooperate and work to gain support and commitment from others when performing tasks.

Intermediate: You present yourself in a professional manner to maintain image and credibility. You tactfully discuss subjects in a constructive and positive manner.

Advanced: You foster cooperation, collaboration, and communication with others to accomplish tasks.

Expert: You accurately interpret what others are feeling, based on their word choices, voice tones, facial expressions, and other nonverbal communications and use those interpretations to achieve positive outcomes.

Communicating for Results: Clearly and effectively transmitting technical and enterprise concepts, ideas, feelings, opinions, and conclusions orally and in writing. Listening attentively and for comprehension. Reinforcing words through empathetic body language and tone.

Awareness: You appropriately express your opinions. You communicate with peers in ways that support transactional activities. You share information and ask questions prior to acting.

Basic: You communicate in ways that support team activities. You seek and share opinions. You explain the immediate context of situations and ask appropriate questions.

Intermediate: You communicate with co-workers at all levels in ways that support problem solving. You seek and share judgements and handle conflict empathetically. You explain the context of complicated situations and ask probing questions.

Advanced: You speak with, compose documents for, and deliver presentations to, all levels of co-workers and peers to support problem-solving and planning. You seek consensus with team members and colleagues. You debate opinions, test understanding, and clarify judgments. You explain the context of complex situations and demonstrate active listening.

Expert: You speak with, compose documents for, and create/deliver presentations to leaders and external groups. You guide discussions with leaders and external partners in ways that support planning and decision-making. You challenge assumptions and model active listening skills, including interpretation of non-verbal communications.

Problem Solving: Anticipating, identifying, and defining problems. Seeking root causes. Developing and implementing practical and timely solutions.

Awareness: You ask questions and look for information that helps to identify the symptoms and causes of everyday problems. You suggest remedies that meet the needs of the situation. You resolve problems and make supervisors aware of potential issues as appropriate.

Basic: You investigate issues with uncertain causes. You ask for information from others to help identify the symptoms and causes of problems. You suggest alternative approaches that meet the needs of the organization, the situation, and those involved.

Intermediate: You apply problem-solving techniques to diagnose and solve work-related and interpersonal problems. You are able to determine the potential causes of the problem and develop ways to validate your conclusions. You regularly consider the alternatives, risks, and benefits for a range of potential solutions.

Advanced: You are able to diagnose problems using tools and techniques from multiple angles. You probe underlying issues to generate multiple potential solutions. You proactively anticipate and prevent problems and identify potential consequences and risk levels.

Expert: You are able to anticipate problem areas and associated risk levels. You regularly set standards to define critical issues and solutions to complex problems.

Continual Learning: Assessing and recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses; pursuing self-development

Awareness: You understand the importance of learning and self-development.

Basic: You are able to identify strengths and areas of growth; you readily discuss career aspirations and interests with supervisors.

Intermediate: You demonstrate interest in targeted self-development; you acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel in your current role.

Advanced: You are able to align self-development with your career aspirations.

Expert: You help facilitate a culture of learning. You teach, mentor, and coach others. You demonstrate drive for self-growth beyond subject matter expertise.

Service Motivation: Showing a commitment to serve the public and other key stakeholders. Ensuring that actions meet public needs; aligning organizational mission, objectives, and practices with stakeholder interests. Demonstrating commitment to the NAVFAC mission.

Awareness: You demonstrate a willingness to serve the public, stakeholders, and customers.

Basic: You demonstrate commitment to serve the public, stakeholders, and customers through action.

Intermediate: You ensure that individual and team actions meet public needs.

Advanced: You ensure that individual and team actions align with the commander’s guidance and intent.

Expert: You develop programs which serve the national interest. You elicit employee’s commitment to serve the public good during disaster or in times of war.

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Supervisory Competencies

Supervisory competencies include the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to lead, coach, advise, and engage other employees whether individually or as a team. These competencies may be relevant to both current and prospective supervisors or leaders. Select “N/A” if you do not feel a particular competency is relevant to your career path.

Building Diverse Teams: Inspiring, fostering, and managing a diverse, inclusive, and committed team that creates trust and pride to achieve the NAVFAC vision and mission. Facilitating cooperation and motivating team members to accomplish group goals.

Awareness: You are able to direct work, explaining what to do and why. You treat all individuals with respect regardless of individual differences in race, gender, age, ethnicity, physical capabilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, religion, or chosen profession.

Basic: You foster a working atmosphere conducive to collaborative efforts and mutually beneficial working relationships, regardless of individual differences. You collect input from your team.

Intermediate: You listen to constructive feedback and incorporate suggestions to achieve team objectives. You modify communication and behavior based on an understanding of individual differences.

Advanced: You empower teams to work independently as a unit. You recognize and communicate the value of diverse perspectives. You help others increase their awareness and appreciation of individual differences.

Expert: You build a high-performance culture centered around collaboration. You foster an environment of inclusion, where diverse thoughts are freely shared, respected, and integrated.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Developing Others: Developing the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing constructive feedback and opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.

Awareness: You establish an effective, professional, and positive relationship with your team. You clarify responsibilities and expectations.

Basic: You provide direct, timely, and constructive feedback. You are able to describe the impact of actions and check for understanding. You provide guidance in how to strengthen knowledge, skills, and abilities to improve personal and team performance.

Intermediate: You collaboratively work with team members to set meaningful performance objectives. You provide new assignments and experiences to develop your employees’ capabilities and competencies. You increase others’ confidence to execute their Individual Development Plans (IDPs).

Advanced: You coach and mentor others. You recognize and reinforce developmental efforts and improvements. You identify developmental opportunities for direct reports that align with their IDPs.

Expert: You are able to make tough decisions when necessary to ensure current and future success. You foster a culture of learning and actively prioritize learning and development to support the mission of the organization.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Conflict Management: The ability to manage and resolve concerns, disagreement, and conflict in a constructive manner. Encouraging creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipating and taking steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations.

Awareness: You do not avoid or ignore conflict. You openly invite others to express their points of view.

Basic: You are able to express disagreements in a calm way that does not attack or disparage others.

Intermediate: You help uncover underlying issues and information causing conflict. You stay focused on desired outcomes when managing conflict.

Advanced: You negotiate win-win outcomes in efficient and effective ways that are consistent with organizational values and objectives.

Expert: You are able to resolve conflicts arising at senior levels due to competing objectives, limited resources, or differing perspectives. You model conflict management techniques for others.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Decisiveness: Obtaining information and identifying key issues and implications to make informed and objective decisions.

Awareness: You make decisions in routine context. You consult and seek necessary information on which to base decisions and are not paralyzed by the analysis.

Basic: You make decisions in ambiguous situations. You use all available data to determine responses in a timely manner.

Intermediate: You are able to make decisions when under pressure or in a crisis. You make time-sensitive decisions even when limited information is available. You keep your composure during difficult times and act decisively to resolve work issues.

Advanced: You are able to make decisions in ambiguous or risky situations. You make decisions with potentially significant consequences for the organization. You implement systems to proactively monitor risks.

Expert: You make sound strategic decisions in very ambiguous situations based on data-informed, analytic techniques. You take managed risks based on principles, values and sound business arguments. You champion initiatives with significant potential reward, accounting for possible adverse consequences.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Evidence-based Decision Making: Guiding data collection, analysis, and synthesis with a variety of stakeholders and sources in an unbiased manner to reach an objective conclusion, goal, or judgement, and to enable optimal strategic and leadership decision making.

Awareness: You gather data and compile basic statistics. You break down tasks and problems into manageable components. You solicit guidance as needed to assess importance and urgency. You escalate issues to higher levels as needed.

Basic: You report information in an efficient manner and are able to identify trends and outliers. You identify correlations and causal relationships. You investigate to define problems accurately and are able to sort information in order of importance. You define criteria and assign values of importance and urgency.

Intermediate: You conduct original research to define problems and prepare responses to anticipated questions. You are able to identify linkages and identify root causes and effects. You anticipate the unintended consequences of potential solutions.

Advanced: You determine criteria for assessing issues and opportunities. You systematically analyze relationships between apparently independent problems and issues. You review and translate analytical reports into management presentations and provide guidance to resolve issues. You initiate research to identify critical problems.

Expert: You regularly establish strategic goals and enterprise-wide priorities using data. You use advanced analyses to identify and assess problem definitions and potential solutions and compare them against predetermined criteria. You create frameworks for reviewing large amounts of data. You probe for and identify relationships in highly complex matters. You systematically identify and resolve complex enterprise-wide issues, while keeping leaders apprised.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

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Management Competencies

Management competencies include the knowledge, skills, and abilities to strategically implement the vision and policies of senior leaders. These competencies apply primarily to employees in senior management positions. Select “N/A” if you do not feel a particular competency is relevant to your career path.

Strategic Thinking: Innovating through analysis of issues and trends and how these link to responsibilities, capabilities, and potential of the organization.

Awareness: You have the ability to think both logically and creatively to assess organizational opportunities and needs.

Basic: You use industry best practices and trends to recommend ways to achieve high-impact results.

Intermediate: You understand emerging challenges and opportunities, understand available options, formulate objectives, and determine the direction to achieve strategic objectives. You avoid rushing to conclusions and judgement.

Advanced: You are able to anticipate emerging challenges and opportunities. You develop a clearly focused strategic vision. You use experiences and knowledge to more efficiently and effectively tackle strategic issues.

Expert: You exemplify open-mindedness to all ideas without prioritizing your own ideas. You recognize internal and external subtleties, political and otherwise, to guide future direction and leverage opportunities for the organization.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Influencing & Negotiating: Using persuasion to gain support and cooperation; exploring positions and alternatives to reach outcomes that gain acceptance of all parties.

Awareness: You check your own understanding of others’ communication (e.g. paraphrase, ask questions). You listen to differing points of view to promote mutual understanding.

Basic: You persuade others by using concrete examples to make a point. You recall others’ main points and take them into account in your own communication. You identify main negotiating points of a given issue and engage in negotiation.

Intermediate: You use compelling arguments to convey conclusions and ideas. You understand others’ underlying needs, motivations, or concerns and adjust communication effectively. You demonstrate empathy with other’s positions. You negotiate based on first-hand observations and information collected from both sides and avoid using hearsay or personal opinions.

Advanced: You communicate complex issues clearly and credibly with widely varied audiences. You use situations to create a desired impact and to maximize the chances of a favorable outcome. You prepare and effectively negotiate to achieve a specific objective. You make realistic compromises and focus on achieving value-added results.

Expert: You handle strategic communication issues in high-visibility situations. You handle difficult on-the-spot questions and use experts or other third parties to influence. You demonstrate more than one negotiating style and adapt as required. You demonstrate an ability to step back when necessary from the negotiation process while staying focused on the objective. You take well though-out and impactful actions to win a point or reach an agreement.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Project & Program Management: Implementing, participating in, and evaluating the results of programs, projects, or processes, and managing related resources, personnel, and activities to successful completion.

Awareness: You have knowledge of fundamental project management processes, methodologies and tools. You understand the organizational purpose of a project and the ability to make decisions within that context.

Basic: You are able to encourage and enable people to work together as a team to accomplish a project. You develop and tailor approaches to ensure that the program or project outputs meet quality standards. You report project status to leaders and other relevant parties when asked.

Intermediate: You develop and manage the scope of a program or project with clear objectives, assignments, tasks, deliverables, dependencies, timelines, hours, costs, and risks. You have knowledge of team strengths and weaknesses and effectively utilize team members to perform tasks. You measure project progression and performance.

Advanced: You establish clear processes and identify the objectives and measures for success necessary to achieve the desired outcomes. You identify key issues, risks, and problems, and pick the best choice among alternatives. You earn trust and respect from a project’s stakeholders. You use key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine whether a project is on track.

Expert: You have a high-level understanding of priorities and needs in the industry. You adapt project management processes to the organization’s products and services. You drive the strategic direction of the organization. You ensure systematic development of others in project and program management competency.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Human Capital Management: Building and managing workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensuring that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, developed, appraised, and rewarded; acts to address performance problems. Managing a multi-sector workforce and a variety of work situations.

Awareness: You make personnel decisions based upon selection criteria and position requirements. You utilize reward and recognition processes. You set clear performance goals.

Basic: You improve human resources processes and tools. You provide constructive feedback to all staff. You consider impact of personnel decisions on current staff.

Intermediate: You review and update position descriptions and performance plans. You clearly explain all major changes to staff and address all concerns. You recognize and reward employees for exceptional performance.

Advanced: You develop reward systems to recognize the impact of employee contributions to the organization. You identify strategies to recruit, retain, and inspire employees. You advocate for all employees to develop the required skills and qualifications. You identify mission critical competencies needed to achieve mission goals.

Expert: You transform organizational structure to provide improved people services by considering organizational goals, timeframes for achieving goals, and staff responsibilities. You develop new ways to retain high-potential and high-performing employees.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Financial Management: Understanding and monitoring the organization’s financial processes. Prepares, justifies, and administers the program budget. Overseeing procurement and contracting to achieve desired results.

Awareness: You have an awareness of budgeting and financial regulations and processes. You understand your responsibility for the careful use and protection of financial resources under your control. You adhere to budget controls as assigned. You provide correct financial information as required.

Basic: You monitor program/project expenditures for reporting purposes. You understand how to read, interpret, and use budgets and projections. You update budgets and projections diligently.

Intermediate: You understand the processes by which financial resources are identified, obtained, allocated, and managed. You make sound financial decisions after having analyzed their impact on the organization and operations. You allocate and manage financial resources transparently. You take a lead role in budgeting for projects and initiatives.

Advanced: You ensure adequate internal control systems over financial assets, liabilities, and expenditures. You identify additional or alternative financial resources and opportunities for funding organization-wide projects, programs, etc. You design, operate, and monitor rigorous financial management systems. You act on objective financial performance information.

Expert: You have an in-depth understanding of the strategic contexts within which the current fiscal policy and procedures exist. You ensure partner organizations, agencies, and/or governments understand the organization’s fiscal issues. You ensure frameworks are in place for sound financial planning, management, control, and reporting. You ensure that the process and infrastructure are in place to provide managers with integrated financial performance information.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)

Technology & Data Management: Keeping up-to-date on technological developments and overseeing effective use of technology to achieve results. Ensuring access to and security of technology systems. Planning and managing data storage and retrieval systems by ensuring the application of generally accepted data standards and processes.

Awareness: You have an awareness of the basic concepts of data management. You have knowledge of the principals, methods, and techniques of information technology (IT), including cybersecurity.

Basic: You have a basic understanding of data management principles, procedures, and tools. You participate in identifying general technology and data requirements for your area of responsibility.

Intermediate: You apply data management principles, procedures, and tools to facilitate decision making. You identify technology requirements and evaluate solutions to meet those requirements. You apply knowledge of IT systems to ensure access to, and security of, those systems.

Advanced: You have an advanced understanding of data management principles, procedures, and can streamline data collection processes to gain efficiency and enhance productivity for the organization. You develop evaluation criteria to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of technology within the organization. You participate in the development of technology and data management strategy, to include cybersecurity.

Expert: You serve as a key resource and advise others on technology and data management. You identify shortcomings in technology and data management systems and can advocate for and implement solutions to resolve those shortcomings. You provide vision for organizational technology and data management strategies.

N/A (This competency does not apply to me.)