What this is
What is a competency matrix?
What is a competency matrix?
A competency matrix maps the competencies each role requires against the people holding that role, showing for each combination whether the person holds it, how it was assessed, when it was achieved and when it expires. It makes gaps visible by role, by person and by area.
What is the difference between training and competency?
Training is an input, an activity delivered to someone. Competency is a demonstrated ability to perform a task to a required standard. Several standards require the effectiveness of training to be evaluated, and some require a documented practical evaluation, which is why a matrix built from course attendance records answers a different question from the one being asked.
Scope
When is a competency matrix required?
The matrix is a currency and gap view. It depends on other records for its content and should not attempt to be them.
Use this template when
- Establishing what each role requires, so a vacancy or role change immediately shows the gap
- Reporting currency and gaps by area, shift or role for planning and audit
- Controlling access where competency is a prerequisite for a task or an area
- Planning training demand from actual gaps rather than from an annual budget cycle
- Demonstrating to an auditor who is authorised for a controlled activity, on demand
Do not use it for
- The training record itself, which holds the delivery detail, trainer, content and date
- Practical assessment records, which capture what was observed and by whom
- The licence or certificate, which is issued externally and should be verified at source
- Performance management, which is a different judgement about a different thing
- Job descriptions, which describe the role rather than the competencies it requires
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 45001 cl.7.2 requirements does this satisfy?
Competence requirements are spread across management system standards and equipment-specific regulations, and the equipment-specific ones are more prescriptive.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 45001 cl.7.2 | Determine competence, ensure competence on the basis of education, training or experience, evaluate effectiveness | Requirements by role |
| ISO 9001 cl.7.2 | Equivalent competence requirement for people affecting quality performance | Requirements by role |
| OSHA 1910.178(l) | Powered industrial truck training plus documented performance evaluation, re-evaluated at least every three years | Requirements by role |
| OSHA 1910.147(c)(7) | Lockout training certified by employee name and training dates, with retraining on defined triggers | Coverage |
| OSHA 1910.146(g) | Confined space training by role with certification, and retraining when duties change | Requirements by role |
| FMCSA 49 CFR 391 | Driver qualification file including licence and medical certificate with expiry | Coverage |
| ISO 45001 cl.7.3 | Awareness of the OH&S policy, hazards and the ability to remove oneself from danger | Requirements by role |
| MSHA 30 CFR 46/48 | New miner, task and annual refresher training with records on Form 5000-23 | Requirements by role |
What it does not cover
- The training delivery record, which holds content, trainer and date and is referenced by the matrix rather than replaced by it.
- Practical assessment records, which capture what was demonstrated, by whom and against what standard.
- External licences, which must be verified at source rather than accepted as a photocopy.
- Medical clearance, which is a separate confidential record and should appear in the matrix as a status only.
- Succession and development planning, which uses the matrix as an input but asks a different question.
How to complete it
How to complete a competency matrix, step by step
A matrix is only as useful as the discipline behind two fields: how the competency was evidenced, and when it stops being valid.
A competency should describe something a person can be observed doing: operate a counterbalance truck, apply a machine specific energy control procedure, perform a pre-operational sanitation inspection. Competencies defined broadly, such as safety awareness, cannot be assessed and cannot fail, which makes them decorative.
Attendance, knowledge check, observed practical assessment, external certification. These carry different weight and different regulatory standing. A matrix showing a green cell without the method behind it cannot support a decision about whether someone can do the work tonight.
The alert must fire early enough to book a course, complete it and record it before the credential lapses. For externally delivered training that is frequently sixty to ninety days. Alerting on the expiry date guarantees a gap during which the person either stops working or works without a valid credential.
When someone moves roles, the matrix should immediately show the competencies the new role requires and they do not hold, and should stop showing them as current for work they no longer do. Without that trigger the matrix reports the previous organisation indefinitely, and role change is the single largest source of matrix drift.
What auditors find
Most common competency matrix findings
Competency findings are among the easiest for an auditor to generate, because the evidence is either present or it is not.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Matrix records attendance where the standard requires a documented practical evaluation. | 1910.178(l)(6) | Record the evaluation as a distinct event with the evaluator named. |
| Credentials expired but the person still shown as current and still performing the task. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2 | Alert with real lead time and prevent task assignment on lapse rather than reporting it. |
| Role change with no reassessment; competencies for the previous role still recorded as current. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2 | Trigger a matrix review on role change, in both directions. |
| Contractors and agency workers absent from the matrix entirely. | ISO 45001 cl.8.1.4 | Include everyone who performs the task on your site, whoever employs them. |
| External licences accepted as photocopies without verification at source. | FMCSA 391 / equivalent | Verify with the issuing body where a register exists, and record the verification event. |
| Competencies defined too broadly to be assessed or failed. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2 | Define at task level, so the competency describes an observable activity. |
| Effectiveness of training never evaluated, only delivery recorded. | ISO 9001 cl.7.2 | Observe the task after a period; the standard asks whether the action worked. |
| Matrix built by job title, missing area and equipment specific requirements. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2 | Derive requirements from tasks and equipment actually encountered. |
| No visible authorisation at the point of use, so an unauthorised person can start the task. | 1910.178(l) | Make authorisation enforceable, not just recorded. |
| Refresher triggered only by calendar, never by incident, observation or procedure change. | 1910.147(c)(7) | Add event triggers, particularly procedure revision, which is missed most often. |
Case in point
Case in point: green on the matrix, absent on the shift
A distribution site reported 97 percent competency currency. The matrix was maintained, reviewed monthly and shown to auditors. During an incident investigation after a reach truck collision, the investigator asked how many people on the night shift were authorised to operate a reach truck.
The matrix could not answer. It held competency by person and by course, but not by shift, and the counterbalance and reach truck authorisations sat under one heading called forklift. Of eleven people rostered that night, four held reach truck evaluations and seven held counterbalance only. The operator involved was in the second group and had been running the reach truck for six months because the site was short and he was capable.
The 97 percent was accurate against what the matrix measured. It measured whether people held a forklift competency, not whether they held the right one for the truck they were on.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- TRN-020
- Archetype
- Register
- Record ID
- CM-2026-000
- Scoring
- Coverage percent
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 45001 cl.7.2
- Links
- Links Worker, Job, Course
- Tags
- Competency, Master data
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 43
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 2
- Links out
- 4
Header
10 fieldsMatrix ID*
Auto sequence. Format CM-2026-0000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Delivered By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Department Or Area*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Last Reviewed*
Next Review Due*
One View, One Question
Can we safely run tomorrow's shift with the people rostered. That is the only question this matrix exists to answer.
Requirements by role
Repeats8 fieldsRole*
Required Competency*
Requirement Type*
Legal requirement, customer requirement, internal standard or desirable.
Course
Course ID
Format CRS-000.
Links to FDN-007 Course ID
Validity Months
Refresher Required*
- Yes3 pts
- No1 pt
Assessment Required*
Coverage
Repeats8 fieldsWorker*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Role*
Competency*
Status*
Not trained, in training, competent, or competent and able to train others.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Achieved Date
Expiry Date
Days To Expiry
Coverage analysis
17 fieldsRoles Covered*
Competencies Required*
Coverage Percent*
Legal Requirements Fully Covered*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Competencies Expiring Within 60 Days*
Competencies Already Expired*
Single Point Failures*
Competencies held by only one person. One absence and the task cannot be done.
Shifts Without Full Cover*
Trainers Available Per Competency
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Training Coordinator*
Signature*
Department Manager*
Second Signature*
TRN-020 · record IDs look like CM-2026-000 · Links Worker, Job, Course
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The matrix is a view. What fails is the currency behind it, the role change nobody processed, and the population that never entered it.
Holds the matrix against roles, tasks and equipment, tracks currency and expiry per person, and raises requirements automatically on hire, role change or new equipment.
Watches procedure revisions and incidents for events that should trigger retraining, and raises the requirement rather than waiting for the anniversary.
Brings contractor and agency competency into the same view, verified rather than asserted, so the matrix covers everyone on site.
Enforces competency as a prerequisite where a task or area requires it, so authorisation is a control rather than a record.
This template lives in KnowTrain — training and credentials. Induction, competency, toolbox talks, refreshers and expiry tracking.
Meet KnowTrain→Glossary
Competency Matrix definitions and key terms
- Competency
- A demonstrated ability to perform a specific task to a required standard, distinct from having attended training about it.
- Currency
- Whether a held competency remains valid, given its expiry and any triggering events since it was achieved.
- Practical evaluation
- Observation of the person performing the task, required in addition to instruction by several equipment standards.
- Authorisation
- Permission to perform a task, granted on the basis of competency and enforceable at the point of use.
- Gap
- A required competency a person does not hold, or holds but is no longer current, for a role they currently occupy.
- Refresher trigger
- An event requiring retraining regardless of calendar: incident, observed unsafe practice, procedure change, equipment change or role change.
- Skills matrix
- Frequently used interchangeably with competency matrix, though it sometimes describes capability breadth for planning rather than authorisation.
- Verification at source
- Confirming an external credential with the issuing body rather than accepting a copy provided by the holder.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about competency matrix
Does attendance prove competence?+
No, and several standards say so explicitly. ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 both require the effectiveness of training to be evaluated. Powered industrial truck operation requires a documented evaluation of performance in addition to instruction. For any task where getting it wrong is serious, a signature on an attendance sheet is not defensible evidence.
How much lead time should expiry alerts have?+
Enough to book, deliver and record the renewal. For internally delivered refreshers thirty days may suffice; for externally provided certification, medical assessments or anything requiring a scheduled course, sixty to ninety days is realistic. The test is whether anyone has ever lapsed while a renewal was being arranged.
Should contractors be in the matrix?+
Yes, for the tasks they perform on your site. You carry exposure for hazards created by contractors under your control, and an inspector asking who was authorised to perform a task will not accept that the person was employed by someone else. Their competency should be verified rather than asserted, and recorded where you can retrieve it.
What triggers a competency review?+
Role change, equipment change, procedure revision, an incident or near miss involving the task, observation of unsafe or incorrect practice, and the calendar expiry. The procedure revision trigger is the one that most often fails, because it requires connecting a document change to a training obligation and usually nothing does.
How granular should competencies be?+
Granular enough to distinguish activities that are genuinely different. Counterbalance and reach truck are different competencies because they handle differently and have different failure modes. Grouping them improves your currency percentage and removes the matrix's ability to answer whether a specific person should be on a specific machine.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Worker Onboarding and Induction
New and temporary workers who know what to do before they touch anything.
Worker Competency and Credentials
A matrix that reflects observed practice rather than attendance.
Shift Management
Known problems crossing the handover, and nobody placed on a position they are not signed off for.
Equipment and Task Training
Authorisation tied to the equipment and the attachment, not to a general licence.
Statutory Safety Training
Statutory training complete and in date, with effectiveness checked rather than assumed.
Used together in Worker Onboarding and Induction
Contractor Site Induction
Introduces a contractor to your site rules, hazards, emergency arrangements and permit requirements
Worker Profile
Holds a record for each worker, including role, department, site and start date
Temporary and Agency Worker Review
Reviews whether agency and short term workers receive the same induction, training and supervision as permanent staff
New Hire Orientation
Introduces a new worker to the company, the site and how things are done here
Site Safety Induction
Covers the hazards and rules specific to this site, with photographs of the real areas
Department Orientation
Introduces the specific department, its work, its people and its risks
More in Competency
Skills Assessment
Assesses whether a worker can actually perform a task to standard, by watching them do it
Training Needs Analysis
Works out the gap between the skills a role needs and the skills people have
Trainer Qualification Record
Confirms that a person is qualified to train and assess others in a given task
Authorization to Operate
Formally authorises a worker to operate a specific piece of equipment
Competency Reassessment
Rechecks a worker's competency after a set period, an absence or an incident
Cross Training Record
Records training a worker to cover a role other than their own
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 45001:2018 clauses 7.2 and 7.3
- ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.2, competence
- 29 CFR 1910.178(l), powered industrial truck operator training and evaluation, OSHA
- 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7), lockout training and retraining, OSHA
- 49 CFR Part 391, qualifications of drivers, FMCSA
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.