Cory Environmental are one of the UK’s leading waste management companies employing approximately 1,500 people.

The Competence Management System (CMS) was developed through collaboration between employers, Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills) and the Environmental Services Association (ESA). It provides a means of demonstrating technically competent management of permitted activities on the basis of both corporate competence and employees’ individual competence. The scheme requires the operator to obtain certification of their CMS, from a UKAS accredited (ISO17021) Certification Body. This demonstrates that the organisation has the requisite processes and procedures for managing the competence of its employees in accordance with the scheme standard.

In 2010 Cory Environmental embarked on commencing a pilot, in conjunction with EU Skills, to implement CMS at its operational sites, including Transfer Stations, Municipal Depots, Landfill operations and a Material Recycling Facility. Detailed role profiles were developed defining the competencies required by employees; competence reviews of staff were carried out through the performance management process; each supervisor/manager was regularly assessed against the required competencies; and, where necessary, development and training programmes were implemented. In March 2012 a programme of external audits by certification body Bureau Veritas (BV) were undertaken and Cory Environmental received official certification from BV for its CMS.

Tangible benefits of CMS include:

• the competence of a site or facility can be demonstrated holistically by taking into account all competent people at a site rather than one person;
• reduces risk of sites/facilities being exposed if technically competent person leaves;
• identification and addressing of skills gaps;
• incorporates continuing competence as a corporate requirement for updating competence of employees;
• role profiles and associated competencies are regularly updated;
• a structure which can be used for succession planning;
• recruitment from a wider pool of people for management/supervisory positions;
• consistency across sites;
• deployment of staff in an effective and efficient way that is risk based and proportionate.

Contact: Fiona Cummins fcummins@coryenvironmental.co.uk