Systems theory for a competency model framework

Systems of Systems require organizations within them to have staff with abilities appropriate to the challenges. Large organizations frequently use competency models as the tool to ensure that their staff has the proper skills to deal with these challenges. While competency models represent an improvement on their primary predecessor, weaknesses have been noted in the literature. Most improvement efforts have been evolutionary adjustments or insertion of more elements. Systems Theory has been used as the literature data set for a grounded theory development of a competency model framework. This paper presents the background and a short history of competency models, introduces a wholly new method of developing competency models based on grounded theory supplemented by Whewell's Discoverer's Induction and reports on one case study implementing the new competency model framework in an organization embedded in a System of Systems.