Talent & Technology To meet one of SPE’s strategic priorities, capability development, the Society has partnered with International Human Resource Development Corporation (IHRDC) to offer the SPE Competency Management Tool (CMT) free to its members. The tool can be used to assess the competencies needed to perform specified key technical jobs in the oil and gas industry. Based on assessment results, the tool will identify competency gaps and help members develop individual learning plans to close these gaps. Learning plans will refer users to SPE training resources, along with resources offered by sister organizations, such as the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and also to generic course titles reflecting those offered by third-party course providers. In developing a learning plan, the user will be able to choose priorities for closing competency gaps, select the most appropriate learning resources, and determine the pace at which learning should take place. The SPE CMT will give the user flexibility and a chance to take ownership of his or her professional development. Employers, meanwhile, will benefit from the consistency in skills and improved productivity that their employees are able to achieve. The “pilot” status of the SPE CMT is designed to gauge the level of interest for a service of this nature. Upscaling the tool to its full scope of service will require significant investment in time and resources, which can be justified only if the results of the pilot validate the need for such a level of service. Published global trends show an ever-increasing demand for professional development of the workforce to meet future energy needs. That, along with the recognition that the onus of personal development in the oil and gas industry today rests largely with the individual, should be sufficient justification for such a service. However, one cannot ignore the fact that major oil and gas companies, including many national oil companies, have been preparing for the “big crew change” for some time and have developed in-house capabilities for competency assessment and development. Competency development, certification, and training activities are not new to SPE, which was a forerunner in recognizing the need for competency guidelines to define minimum aptitude levels for petroleum engineers and establish future industry standards. These competency guidelines are in place today on the SPE website.