From Compliance to Empowerment: A Capability Development Transformation
A national oil company in Malaysia recognised that its upstream technical skill group’s capability development approach had become outdated and misaligned with business needs. The competency assessment and development process was tightly regulated, siloed by discipline, and overly technical—leaving little room for agility or strategic alignment.
Key limitations included:
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Development efforts were compartmentalised, with a narrow focus on technical skills
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Capability building lagged behind the evolving business and portfolio strategy
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The process was organisation-managed, driven by governance rather than ownership
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Competency assessments lacked consistency and did not reflect true potential
To stay competitive, the company sought to evolve from a centrally controlled system into a self-driven, business-aligned capability management ecosystem. The goal was to empower individuals and supervisors to take active ownership of development and performance.
EnergyEdge’s Role
EnergyEdge was engaged to lead the transformation of the company’s competency assessment framework. The aim was to design a more objective, scalable system aligned with strategic workforce goals.
Our contributions included:
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Conducting a comprehensive situation analysis to assess strengths and identify improvement areas
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Mapping the current versus desired state of competency development
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Documenting a revised competency assessment process, including guidelines for assessors and assessees
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Developing and delivering a customised training initiative titled SMART – Superior Managed Assessment Readiness Training
Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Upstream Division
Period: January to February 2020
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Three SMART sessions delivered
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Seventy-five senior and general managers trained
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Purpose: Equip leadership to manage and lead the transformed assessment process
Phase 2: Downstream Division
Period: March to April 2020
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Six SMART sessions confirmed
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One hundred and fifty senior supervisors identified for training
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Purpose: Extend SMART capabilities across the organisation for a consistent, role-based approach to development
Outcomes and Impact
The SMART Program provided a foundation for a scalable, sustainable, and business-aligned development ecosystem.
Key results:
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Leadership accountability increased, with managers taking ownership of staff development
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Assessments became more consistent, objective, and role-specific
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Development efforts aligned more closely with evolving business strategy
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The approach was scalable and ready to be rolled out across other technical and business units
Conclusion
The SMART Program represents more than just process improvement. It reflects a cultural shift—from compliance-driven evaluation to empowered, business-led capability development. EnergyEdge enabled this transformation by combining strategic insight with practical implementation, delivering long-term value to both the organisation and its people.
If your organisation is seeking to enhance competency frameworks or empower leaders to drive development, our capability-building programmes can support your goals. Contact us to explore a tailored training solution.
