When we talk about critical controls, most of the attention often goes to the physical or procedural barriers themselves: what they are and whether they exist. But there’s another layer that is frequently overlooked: the competency and training of the people involved in the life cycle of these controls.

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This is a major opportunity for improvement and one that can make the difference between a control that merely exists on paper and one that truly performs its intended function in the field.

Every Critical Control Has a Life Cycle

Let’s consider this: every critical control has a life cycle. Whether it's an engineered solution like a fire sprinkler system or a procedural safeguard, it doesn’t just appear fully formed in operation. It goes through stages such as:

• Concept and design
• Manufacture
• Procurement
• Installation
• Commissioning
• Operation
• Maintenance

At each stage, different people interact with the control. Each of those people may need specific training or competencies to ensure that the control is effective, reliable, and sustainable over time.

Why Competency Mapping Matters

A common gap we see is failing to define who needs what competency at each stage. For example:

• Does the design engineer understand the operational conditions the control will face?
• Is the installation team properly trained to install the control according to specifications?
• Do the operators and maintainers understand how to keep the control functioning as intended?

Too often, these questions are not asked until something goes wrong.

The opportunity here is to embed competency mapping directly into your Critical Control Performance Standards. Start by asking:

1. What is the full life cycle of this control?
2. Who is involved at each stage?
3. What competence is required at each point?
4. How will we verify that the competence is in place?

What Good Looks Like

In my experience, high-performing systems take a proactive approach:

• The life cycle of each critical control is clearly defined.
• Competency requirements are mapped to each stage.
• These requirements are documented in the performance standard.
• Assurance processes are in place to verify that people meet the required standards.

This turns your performance standard into more than just a checklist. It becomes a living framework that drives reliability, safety, and accountability.

Final Thoughts

This space is often under-explored, yet it's where real value lies. Embedding competency into the DNA of your critical control framework doesn’t just check a compliance box. It builds resilience. I’d love to hear how others are tackling this issue in their operations. Let's keep the conversation going.