24.3 – Advocate on Behalf of Profession

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) advocate on behalf of the profession to advance the field of practice.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Identify issues impacting advancement of field of practice, for example:
- Lack of public recognition
- Limited research funding
- Limited use of Standards of Practice
- Unclear inter-professional boundaries
- Absence of evidence-based practice
- Limited professional development opportunities
P2. Identify solutions to address challenges, for example:
- Education programs based on standards of practice, e.g. competency framework
- Public recognition campaign
- Scientific research funding
P3. Participate in advocacy initiatives, such as:
- Support development and implementation of public policies
- Support integration of career awareness across curriculum
- Champion advancements in practice, policy, research and education
- Present positions on emerging practice issues
- Participate in development of professional identity
- Participate in professional associations
- Build alliances with career development professionals and other professionals, e.g. social workers,
  psychologists, educators, healthcare, correctional services
- Educate public and other professionals about practice, e.g. roles, educational backgrounds, similarities and
  differences with other professions
- Publish scientific research

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Advocacy principles

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

CDPs may need to advocate on behalf of profession in challenging situations, including having limited resources and funding, inadequate risk management, non-established network of stakeholders, etc.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

None

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Cohen, D. et al. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Advocacy Toolkit: a guide to influencing decisions that improve children’s lives. First edition. New York, 2010

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Minimal risk: SOMEWHAT CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Circumstantially, e.g. per project, when a specific event arises

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

—A career development professional must have recognized expertise in the field of career development, hold a position of authority in an organization, and nurture a network of relationships (personal, public, professional and organizational).

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None