There is often confusion around the definition of skills and competencies. Are these different words for the same thing or do they refer to different things with different uses. The IEEE 1484.20 Defining Competencies standard is a work in progress, but progress is being made on shared definitions for critical terms.

Competency models, all rely on skills and skill definitions. This raises the critical question, who gets to define a skill? To answer this question we need to know a few things. What is a skill term and how are they used? Who is concerned with the definition of a skill and how does it impact others? We conclude by inviting you to think about how you define your own key skills