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Development Worker Standards
The Development Worker standards are for people who work for a support agency (for example, an infrastructure organisation), and through that mechanism, perform the function of developing the groups and communities they serve.
These standards cover all of the areas of work undertaken by development workers - outlining the skills and knowledge a Development Worker should have in order to their job properly.
This work builds on the SkiLD competency framework developed by SkiLD/NAVCA.
Complete Standards
Download the full set of standards here (pdf, 157kb), or individual units below.
Individual units
1. Understanding and engaging your clients
(pdf, 7kb)
The unit covers understanding the groups and communities with which you are required to work
2. Know and understand the environment in which a development worker operates
(pdf, 9kb)
This unit is about how your work, and that of your organisations and its clients, is influenced by the external environment.
3. Maintain effective development work relationships with clients
(pdf, 10kb)
This is about managing your portfolio of development work clients, having rapport with each of those clients, whether an individual or a team, and helping to develop their trust in the organisation you work for.
4. Provide information to clients
(pdf, 10kb)
This unit is for you if your role is the provision of information to clients. The information may be in written format or may be provided orally. Other formats and communication methods, e.g. signing, Braille etc. may also be used according to the needs of the client.
5. Help the client to analyse their organisation and decide the way forward
(pdf, 11kb)
This is about enabling your clients to develop a clear picture of their organisation, where it is and where it is heading. To do that they need to analyse the current performance and identify their needs.
6. Enable clients to implement changes within their organisation
(pdf, 13kb)
This is about enabling the client to develop realistic action plans to make changes to their organisation they have identified as necessary, and to access any additional support and resources that may be required to deliver those changes.
7. Enable groups and communities to become autonomous
(pdf, 10kb)
This is about developing the client’s autonomy. It can involves challenging, inspiring, provoking, stimulating and facilitating the client to develop new ways of working, building their commitment to action and ability to become self-sustaining.
8. Evaluate and develop own contribution as a development worker
(pdf, 11kb)
This unit covers:
- Evaluating own practice
- Ensuring continuing self-development
- Evaluating contribution to own organisation
9. Identify the learning and development needs of the groups you work with
(pdf, 15kb)
This unit is appropriate for you if your role involves:
- Identifying the learning and development opportunities within an organisation
- Identifying the expectations of stakeholders and sponsors, and getting their commitment
- Identifying overall learning and training needs
- Managing learning and development services
10. Support the development of relationships and partnerships
(pdf, 7kb)
This unit covers supporting and encouraging groups and communities to work collaboratively and in partnerships.
11. Undertake research for the service and its clients
(pdf, 15kb)
This unit covers:
- Identifying sources and availability of information
- Collecting information to achieve research objectives
- Analysing information collected from research
- Reporting the results of research
12. Making effective presentations
(pdf, 7kb)
This unit is appropriate for you if your role involves making presentations to clients.
13. Manage a project
(pdf, 16kb)
This unit is about managing a project for which you have been given responsibility. This involves developing and agreeing a plan for the project and monitoring and controlling implementation of and changes to the plan.
14. Manage a budget
(pdf, 11kb)
This unit is about having ownership of and being responsible for a budget for a defined area or activity of work.
15. Promote the needs, interests and rights of individuals and groups in the community
(pdf, 11kb)
This unit focuses on the campaigning and promotional function to explain and assert the rights and roles of individuals. The standards in this unit combine the expectations of promotion with expectations as to how individuals may themselves be involved in representing their interests.
16. Lobby for influence
(pdf, 6kb)
This unit covers lobbying, campaigning and influencing.
17. Support clients in developing sustainable income
(pdf, 9kb)
This unit covers supporting groups and communities to explore and exploit a full range of funding and financing options (for example, grants, donations and income form trading) to develop a sustainable funding mix.