Managing competency types
Competency types allow you to create custom fields and apply those fields to competency items set up within your framework.
Types are optional and can be associated to a competency item when it is being added or edited.
The type names and their custom fields can also be displayed in user reports built through the report builder.
Creating a competency type
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
Click Manage Types
- Click Add a new type.
- Enter a name in the Type full name field
- Optionally enter a Competency type ID number
- Optionally add a Competency Type Description
- Click Save changes.
Your competency type is now set up and can be used to classify competency items in your framework(s).
Editing a competency type
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
- Click Manage Types.
- Click Edit (
) in the Actions column for the competency type you wish to edit. - Make the required changes.
- Click Save changes.
Deleting a competency type
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
- Click Manage Types.
- Click Delete (
) in the Actions column for the competency type you wish to edit. - A warning message is displayed. Click Yes to confirm or Cancel to exit.
Custom fields
Custom fields are specific to the competency type they are set up under. When you assign a type to a competency item, the competency item inherits the custom fields associated with the competency type.
To create a custom field:
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
- Click Manage Types.
- Click the type Name in which you want to add a custom field.
- Select the Create a new custom field drop down box and choose which Custom Field Type you wish to set up
- Give the custom field a Full name and a unique Short name.
- Set the other common settings:
- Is this field required? When set to Yes the field is compulsory.
- Is this field locked? When set to Yes the field only displays the information set when the field was set up.
- Should the data be unique? When set to Yes the field only accepts unique values.
- Hidden on the settings page? When set to Yes the field is not displayed on the competency framework overview page.
- Complete the specific settings required for the custom field you have selected.
- Click Save changes.
Your custom field is now set up, you can set up as many custom fields under each type as required to hold the specific information for your competencies.
Custom field types
| Custom Field Type | Description | Specific Settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkbox | A check or tick box field | Select whether the checkbox should be checked/selected by default | - |
Date and Time | A day, month, year, hour and minute selector | Enter the Start year and End year to set the range of dates available. Check the Include time? box to include the hour and minute selector. | Users must Enable the field to use. |
File | Adds a standard file upload field | - | Any number of files can be added to this area. |
| Location | Provides an address field and an optional Google Maps location | Optionally default values for:
| You can set the map location using an address entered above or search for an address, town or city. If you want to refine the location of the Google Maps pin, you can do so by clicking on it while holding the mouse button, moving the pin and then releasing the mouse button. |
| Menu of choices | A drop down field with single option selection | Enter one or more Menu options in box provided with one item per line. Optionally set a Default value from the options entered. |
|
| Multi-select | A tick box selected of one or many options. A custom image may be added for each option. | Enter one or more Menu options in the fields provided. Add more menu options using the Add another option link. Optionally add icons for each option via the Choose icon link and/or make one option Selected by default. | Deleting menu option from custom field settings will not remove it from the records where it is currently selected. Custom icons can be loaded via the Administration menu through Courses > Custom icons
|
| Text area | A free text area with the default HTML editor. | Optionally set a Default value for the contents of the text box. Specify the width of the text area via the Columns area and the height via Rows. | If a text editor plug-in is applied to the text area, the width will be determined by the plugin and changing this value may have no effect. |
| Text input | A single line of text for short lines of text | Optionally set a Default value for the contents of the text field. Optionally set the Display size by entering the maximum number of characters this field will display. Optionally set the Maximum length by entered the number of characters this field will accept. Optionally enter a and the Description of the regular expression validation format | A regular expression that will be used to ensure entered text is in the expected format. For example /^[0-9]{3}$/ will ensure the text consists of exactly three numbers. This validation is performed only when submitting forms with custom fields, current data is not affected after validation is changed. |
| URL | A weblink | Enter the URL and optionally some Default text. Check the box for the link to Open in a new window. |
|
Assigning types to competency items
Once you have set up your competency types, you can associate competency items with them.
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies:
- Click Manage competencies.
- Click the name of the competency framework you want to work in.
- Click the Edit icon in the Actions column for the competency Item.
- Select the Type from the drop down box if No Type is assigned. Click Change Type if a Type is already assigned to the competency Item.
- Click Save changes.
Bulk re-classification
Bulk re-classification allows you to re-classify all competency items assigned to a particular competency type (including no type or Unclassified) to another competency type.
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
- Click Manage competencies.
- Click the name of the competency framework you want to work within.
- Select Re-classify items from the Bulk Actions drop down list. This opens the Manage types page. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Bulk re-classification section.
- Select the type you wish to re-classify from the Reclassify all items from this type: drop down box
- Step 1 of 2 of the Reclassifying page appears and the number of competency items to be re-classified appears in the title.
- Click Choose next to the Type you wish to re-classify the items to.
- Step 2 of 2 provides and a warning message appears detailing the change. Click Re-classify items to complete or cancel to disregard.
Alternatively:
- In the Administration menu, go to Hierarchies > Competencies.
- Click Manage Types.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Bulk re-classification section.
- Select the type you wish to re-classify from the Reclassify all items from this type: drop down box
- Step 1 of 2 of the Reclassifying page appears and the number of competency items to be re-classified appears in the title.
- Click Choose next to the Type you wish to re-classify the items to.
- Step 2 of 2 provides a warning message appears detailing the change. Click Re-classify items to complete or cancel to disregard.
The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to using Competencies in Totara Learn. Here you can learn more on how to use competencies, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.
