IADC launches KSA Competencies online database

By Joanne Liou, associate editor, and Amy Rose, director of external relations

IADC officially kicked off its Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) Competencies Program last week at IADC World Drilling 2014 in Vienna. The goal of the project is to ensure the competency of rig crews, supporting the drilling industry’s path to zero incidents, Jay Minmier, 2014 IADC Chairman and President of Nomac Drilling, said in launching the program. Click here to access the database.

The IADC KSAs, a free resource available to the global drilling industry, set competency benchmarks for nearly all rig positions and provide a foundation of information for the industry to demonstrate the qualifications of their personnel. The KSAs were originally developed in 2001 for 12 rig positions. The latest initiative, which allows users to generate a unique set of competencies based on position, rig type and operational environment, was launched in 2012, Mr Minmier said.

The KSA competencies respond to both regulatory and industry demands for globally accepted and recommended standards. “They connect people, help them collaborate and help create,” Stephen Colville, IADC President and CEO, said. “The purpose of IADC is all around catalyzing improved performance.”

IADC assembled more than 70 subject matter experts from across the industry to develop KSA competencies for 73 rig-based positions. Volunteers were selected to participate in one of eight work groups: Quality, Health, Safety and Environment; Offshore Drilling Operations; Onshore Drilling Operations; Subsea Operations; Marine Operations; Technical Maintenance; Processes and Procedures; and Crane and Rigging Operations. The output of six of the workgroups is currently represented in the database. KSA competencies for Technical Maintenance and Marine Operations are currently under review and are expected to be added in the near future.

Phase 1 of the project is now complete, and Phase 2 is under way. Two new workgroups, Well Servicing and Company Man, were initiated to define KSA competencies for each of these areas, with work expected to be complete by the end of 2014/early 2015. Leaders of the KSA initiative are also evaluating the necessity to expand the database to include additional rig positions.

“The KSA competencies can serve as the underpinnings of any robust competency assurance program and will assist with creating such a program for those who don’t already have one in place,” Mark Denkowski, Vice President, IADC Accreditation and Credentialing Division, said. “We will continuously update the database to ensure that the competencies keep pace with technology and changes in the industry and invite industry comments on how we may be able to improve our the database. It’s been a lot of hard work, by a group of dedicated individuals, to make these KSA competencies available to our industry, and I believe they will have a positive impact in helping our industry raise competency and performance levels.”