Newsletter – March 2024
From the CEO
Earlier this month we launched a new Ongoing Competency Framework for Costs Lawyers. Building on our Competency Statement – which applies at the point of qualification – the Ongoing Competency Framework is designed to help Costs Lawyers identify new skills they will need as they progress through their careers. It is important to understand how you can use the Ongoing Competency Framework and how it links to your annual CPD.
Professional competence is not a fixed or static concept, but rather a dynamic one that is dependent on a range of factors. You might require knowledge and skills that are specific to your job role, areas of practice, stage of career, or changes to the law or client expectations. As you know, it is important to engage in ongoing professional development to ensure you remain competent and up-to-date by reference to your individual role and circumstances.
The Ongoing Competency Framework helps you do this by setting out additional or enhanced competencies that are likely to be required as you progress in the profession. It does this by building on the skills identified in the Competency Statement, focusing on three practising scenarios in which Costs Lawyers are likely to find themselves after qualification, namely becoming:
- an experienced practitioner;
- a people manager; and/or
- a business manager
The practising scenarios and skills in the Framework inevitably intersect and overlap, and we expect you to think about the unique mix of skills you need to be competent in your own role as your career unfolds.
If you identify skills that are relevant to your role – or to future roles or aspirations – you should consider whether you are already competent in those areas or whether you require training, mentoring or other types of professional development and support. A good moment to do this is when planning your CPD for the year ahead and setting your annual CPD objectives. In that context, you should consider whether you need to undertake CPD activities that will build one or more of the skills in the Framework.
If you have not done so already, now is the time to be thinking about your CPD for 2024, including by identifying your training needs and setting CPD objectives for the year. See the regulatory news section below for more tips and resources.
We would like to extend our thanks to all the Costs Lawyers who helped in developing the Ongoing Competency Framework. We hope the process has resulted in a Framework that will be relevant and useful for all practitioners. If you have any questions about the Ongoing Competency Framework or how it applies to you, please contact us.
Kate Wellington
CEO