Technical Competency Assurance for Pipeline Integrity Professionals: A Model and a Toolkit

The integrity of a pipeline and the competence of those who manage it are undeniably linked — you can’t have one without the other. While few would argue this point, the process of how best to define, measre, develop and assure the competency of pipeline professionals, especially those working outside of field operations, is far less certain. The Pipeline Integrity (PI) department of the Liquids Pipelines (LP) division of Enbridge took on this challenge. Following a review of best practices and technical competency models in diverse industries, Enbridge custom-built an innovative technical competency model for Pipeline Integrity Professionals, from junior engineers to senior specialists and managers. The model includes competencies both general (e.g., communication, project management) and highly specific to the work of pipeline integrity (e.g., tank integrity management, internal corrosion engineering, pressure cycling management). This paper will describe the Enbridge Pipeline Integrity Technical Competency Model and “toolkit” in detail, including the architecture, competency library, measurement scale and assessment process. The business case, best practices research, project governance, development process and lessons learned are also described in order to provide a robust case study and practical guideline for others in the pipeline sector seeking to define and manage competencies for technical professionals.