Key

 Competencies  in  Sustainability  

Competencies   entail   more   than   just   issue-­‐related   knowledge,   e.g.,   on   the   global   water   cycle,  
consumption   patterns   in   the   U.S.,   or   distributional   injustices   in   developing   countries.  
Competencies  are  defined  in  a  way  that  they  can  accommodate  all  topical  knowledge  required  
for   successful   problem   solving   in   a   particular   context.   Competencies   in   sustainability   are  
complexes   of   knowledge,   skills,   and   attitudes   that   enable   successful   task   performance   and  
problem  solving  related  to  real-­‐world  sustainability  problems,  challenges,  and  opportunities.  

Since   ten   years   key   competencies   are   being   used   for   curriculum   development   (Program-­‐Level  
Learning  Objectives)  and  course  development  (Learning  Outcomes)  in  sustainability  education.  A  
set  of  six  key  competencies  in  sustainability,  synthesized  from  the  literature,  has  received  quite  
some   attention   over   the   past   few   years   and   has   been   used   in   sustainability   programs   at  
universities  around  the  world.  The  faculty  of  the  School  of  Sustainability  has  agreed  on  using  this  
competencies  set  for  the  development  of  the  SOS  curricula.  The  key  competencies  are:    
• Systems  Thinking  Competence  
• Futures  Thinking  (Anticipatory)  Competence  
• Values  Thinking  (Normative)  Competence  
• Strategic  Thinking  Competence  
• Interpersonal  (Collaboration)  Competence  

There   is   a   critical   sixth   competence   (implicitly   mentioned),   which   is   the   meta-­‐competence   of  

meaningfully  using  and  integrating  the  five  key  competencies  for  solving  sustainability  problems  
and  fostering  sustainable  development:  
• Integrated  Problem-­‐Solving  Competence  

 
In   the   following,   we   present   profiles   of   the   six   competencies   by   providing:   a   definition,   selected  
concepts  it  entails,  selected  methods  it  entails,  and  an  exemplary  professional  task.  
 Systems  Thinking  Competence  
Graduates,  who  are  competent  in  systems  thinking,  are  able  to  analyze  sustainability  problems  
cutting   across   different   domains   (or   sectors)   and   scales   (i.e.,   from   local   to   global),   thereby  
applying   systems   concepts   including   systems   ontologies,   cause-­‐effect   structures,   cascading  
effects,  inertia,  feedback  loops,  structuration,  etc.  

Graduates   are   also   able   to   describe   the   need   for   systemic   thinking   in   sustainability   problem-­‐
solving,   for   example,   for   anticipating   future   trajectories   (from   a   systemic   perspective),   for  
identifying   intervention   points   and   critical   actors,   and   for   testing   transition   strategies.   Finally,  
graduates   are   able   to   describe   how   different   professional   activities   contribute   to,   or  
solve/mitigate  sustainability  problems.  

Selected  concepts    

• Systems  and  problem  ontologies   • Across/multiple/coupled  domains:  

society,  environment,  economy,  
• Variables/indicators,  clusters,  sub-­‐
technology,  culture  
systems  
• Values,  needs,  perceptions,  actions,  
• Cause-­‐effect  chains,  cascading  effects,  
tactics  
feedback  loops,  delays  
• Institutions  (e.g.,  rules,  rights,  decision-­‐
• Tipping  points,  resilience,  adaptation  
making  processes),  power  relations,  
• Across/multiple  scales:  local  to  global   structuration  

Selected  methods    

• Qualitative  system  analysis  (e.g.,   • Causal  problem  analysis  (causal  chain  

structural  analysis,  cognitive  mapping)   analysis,  etc.)  
• Quantitative  modeling  (e.g.,  system   • Social  and  agent  network  analysis  
dynamics  or  statistical  modeling)  
• Participatory  systems  approaches  (e.g.,  
• Institutional  analysis   participatory  modeling)  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

In  practice,  systems  thinking  competence  is  necessary,  for  instance,  for  a  sustainability  officer  at  
an   energy   company.   The   competence   entails   the   knowledge   and   skills   required   for  
understanding   the   complex   relations   and   tradeoffs   between   meeting   energy   demand,  
generating   revenues,   preserving   the   natural   environment,   fostering   technological   innovation,  
creating  social  benefits,  and  so  forth.  This  type  of  thinking  is  critical  in  large  corporate  structures  
that  have  thrived  from  compartmentalization  (supply  chain,  finance,  CSR,  etc.).  The  competence  
would   enable   the   officer   to   identify   opportunities   as   well   as   unintended   consequences   (i.e.,  
species  and  habitat  lost,  contaminants  emitted,  workers  endangered)  as  they  pertain  to  a  new  
technology  for  extracting  oil,  or  the  selection  of  a  new  drilling  location.  

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 Futures  Thinking  (Anticipatory)  Competence  
Graduates,   who   are   competent   in   futures   thinking,   are   able   to   anticipate   how   sustainability  
problems   might   evolve   or   occur   over   time   (scenarios),   considering   inertia,   path   dependencies,  
and  triggering  events;  as  well  as  creating  and  crafting  sustainable  and  desirable  future  visions,  
considering  evidence-­‐supported  alternative  development  pathways.  

Graduates   are   also   able   to   describe   the   need   for   futures   thinking   in   sustainability   problem-­‐
solving,   for   example,   for   informing   strategy   building,   including   prevention,   mitigation,   and  
adaptation  responses  (responding  to  scenarios),  as  well  as  actively  pursuing  visions;  further,  for  
exercising  precaution  in  decision  making,  and  motivating  change.  Finally  graduates  are  able  to  
anticipate  how  one’s  job  might  evolve  over  time  (career  trajectory)  and  how  one’s  professional  
activities  might  contribute  to,  or  mitigate  future  sustainability  problems.  

Selected  concepts    

• Temporal  terms,  phases,  states,   • Consistency  and  coherence  

continuity  and  non-­‐linearity  
• Quality  criteria  of  visions  (visionary,  
(conceptualized  differently  in  different  
tangible,  plausible,  shared,  etc.)  
cultures)  
• Risk,  precaution,  and  intergenerational  
• Possibility,  plausibility,  probability,  and  
equity  
desirability  
• Inertia,  path-­‐dependency,  and  non-­‐
intervention  features  

Selected  methods    

• Scenario  construction/analysis  methods   • Visioning  methods,  including  the  first  

(qualitative  and  quantitative)   module  of  backcasting  
• Forecasting  from  statistical  and   • Participatory  anticipatory  approaches  
simulation  models   (e.g.,  Delphi)  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

In  practice,  anticipatory  competence  is  important,  for  instance,  for  a  city  planner.  Planning  has  a  
long   history   of   adopting   rather   short-­‐term   (5-­‐year)   planning   horizons   and   focusing   on   a   single  
future  (forecast),  which  reduces  preparedness  and  responsiveness.  Cities  are  complex  systems  
where   policies   in   one   area   have   resonating   impacts   in   other   areas   and   a   range   of   plausible  
impacts   far   into   the   future.   Competence   in   anticipation   enables   city   planners   to   consider  
alternative  but  plausible  outcomes  to  plans  and  policies  while  thinking  systemically  about  how  
the  city  will  function  in  the  short  and  long  term.  Tools  such  as  scenario  building  can  be  used  by  
planners   to   create   more   sophisticated   plans   that   consider   different   futures   from   plausible   to  
desirable,  while  incorporating  perspectives  of  the  public.  

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 Values  Thinking  (Normative)  Competence  
Graduates,  who  are  competent  in  values  thinking,  are  able  to  specify,  compare,  apply,  reconcile,  
and   negotiate   sustainability   values,   principles,   goals,   and   targets,   informed   by   concepts   of  
justice,   equity,   responsibility,   etc.,   in   various   processes,   including   visioning,   assessment,   and  
evaluation.  

Graduates   are   also   able   to   describe   the   need   for   values   thinking   in   sustainability   problem-­‐
solving,  for  example,  for  providing  normative  orientations  to  problem  analysis,  futures  thinking  
activities,   and   strategy   building.   Finally,   graduates   are   able   to   assess   the   sustainability  
effects/impact  of  one’s  job  activities  and  envision  a  sustainable  future  for  one’s  profession.  

Selected  concepts    

• Sustainability,  sustainable  development     • Risk,  harm,  damage,  etc.      

• Viability,  vitality,  livability,  (social-­‐ • Ethics  
ecological)  integrity,  etc.  
• Resource  stewardship,  fair  use,  and  
• Sustainability  principles,  goals,  targets,   conservation  
thresholds,  tipping  points,  etc.  
• Tradeoffs  (bounded,  etc.)  and  “win-­‐wins”  
• Justice,  fairness,  responsibility,  etc.   synergies  

Selected  methods    

• Sustainability  assessment  and  appraisal   • Risk  analysis    

methods    
• Visioning  methods  
• Multi-­‐criteria  assessment  methods  (MCA,  
• Participatory  normative  methods  (e.g.,  
cost-­‐benefit  analysis,  etc.)  
negotiation  methods,  consensus  
• Impact  assessment  methods  (LCA,  SIA,   conference)  
etc.)  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

Technical   advisors   and   consultants   are   traditionally   brought   in   by   administrations,   corporations,  
or   agencies   to   assess   the   environmental   impacts   of   products   and   services.   Broader   normative  
competence   is   required   if   they   want   to   apply   sustainability   as   a   comprehensive   and   value-­‐laden  
guiding  principle.  Beyond  skills  in  Life  Cycle  Assessment  and  Environmental  Impact  Assessment,  
normative  competence  in  sustainability  would  enable  technical  advisors  or  consultants  to  elicit  
the  spectrum  of  values  and  preferences  that  are  embedded  in  products  and  services.  The  critical  
skill   is   then   to   assess   those   values   and   preferences   against   sustainability   principles   such   as  
intergenerational   equity   (how   do   we   seriously   consider   future   generations   in   large  
infrastructure  decisions?).  And  finally,  this  competence  would  constructively  be  used  for  crafting  
visions   of   products   and   services   that   would   align   with   sustainability   principles   (what   does   a  
sustainable  food  system  look  like?).  

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 Strategic  Thinking  Competence  
Graduates,   who   are   competent   in   strategic   thinking,   are   able   to   design   and   implement   systemic  
interventions,   transformational   actions,   and   transition   strategies   toward   sustainability,  
accounting   for   unintended   consequences   and   cascading   effects.   They   are   able   to   develop  
intentional   plans   that   leverage   assets   (carriers)   and   stakeholder   coordination   (alliances)   to  
overcome  systemic  inertia,  path  dependencies,  and  other  barriers  to  reach  envisioned  outcomes.    

Graduates   are   also   able   to   describe   the   need   for   strategic   thinking   in   sustainability   problem-­‐
solving,   for   example,   in   designing   and   carrying   out   plans,   interventions,   and   actions   towards  
transformational  change.  Finally,  graduates  are  able  to  position  one’s  job  activities  in  a  way  that  
it  contributes  to  sustainability  transitions.  

Selected  concepts    

• Intentionality,  behavior  change,  and   • Barriers  including,  obstacles,  inertia,  path  

decision  making     dependencies    
• Theories  of  change  (social  learning  etc.)   • Carriers  including,  incentives,  assets  and  
resources,  roles  and  responsibilities    
• Strategies,  action  programs,  transition  
agendas,  and  systemic  intervention   • Stakeholder  networks  and  alliances  
• Adaptation  and  mitigation  strategies   • Power,  politics,  authority  in  strategy  
building  and  change  (vested  interests  in  
• Quality  criteria  including,  success  factors,  
the  status  quo)  
viability,  feasibility,  effectiveness  

Selected  methods    

• Intervention  design  (e.g.  constructive   • Behavioral  change  strategies  (behavioral  

governance  design,  policy  design)   economics)    
• Program  planning  and  evaluation   • Transition  management  strategies  (e.  g.  
strategies,  tactics,  operational)    
• Decision  support  (e.g.  tools,  techniques)  
• Reflexive  learning  (e.g.  socio-­‐technical  
• Organizational  change  management  
integration  research)  
strategies  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

Sustainability   is   becoming   a   popular   concept   among   public   administrators   interested   in  
transforming  their  administration  (e.g.,  in  schools)  so  that  it  positively  contributes  to  economic  
stability,   social   cohesion,   and   environmental   quality.   To   successfully   manage   this   transition   an  
administrator   needs   to   acquire   strategic   competence.   The   barriers   to   sustainability   in   today’s  
public   administration   are   numerous   and   administrators   need   to   develop   smart   and   robust  
action  programs  to  transform  facilities  and  practices  while  accounting  for  external  and  internal  
constraints  (lack  of  funding,  local  politics,  etc.).  Strategic  competence  enables  administrators  to  
build  critical  alliances,  enhance  accountability,  and  create  critical  synergies.  

5  
 Interpersonal  (Collaboration)  Competence  
Graduates,   who   have   acquired   interpersonal   competence,   are   able   to   motivate,   enable,   and  
facilitate  collaboration  towards  sustainability.  This  requires  core  skills  related  to  project  (group)  
management,   communication,   deliberation,   negotiation,   collaboration,   leadership,   pluralist  
(trans-­‐cultural)  understanding,  and  empathy  empathetic  listening  and  engagement.  

Graduates   are   able   to   perform   problem   analysis,   conduct   sustainability   assessments,   develop  
visions,  and  build  transition  strategies  in  teams  and  with  diverse  groups  of  stakeholders.  

Selected  concepts    

• Benefits  and  limits  of  cooperation  and   • Project  (group)  management  

empathy  
• Cross-­‐cultural  collaboration  and  empathy  
• Effective  verbal  communication  criteria  
• E-­‐  communication  
(e.g.  listening,  clarity,  and  constructive  
inquiry)   • Leadership  styles,  techniques  and  
attributes  
• Effective  written  communication  criteria  
(e.g.  personal  versus  professional)   • Solidarity,  ethnocentrism,  nationalism,  
etc.  (impacts  of  culture  and  perspective  
• Functions,  types,  and  dynamics  of  
on  participation)  
stakeholder  engagement  and  team  work    

Selected  methods    

• Strategies  for  effective  communication,   • Empathy  education  including  perspective  

listening,  inquiry,  negotiation,  etc.   taking  and  immersive  experiences  
• Constructive  conflict  resolution   • Group  facilitation  techniques  including  
active  listening,  rapport  building,  
• Trust  building,  including  non-­‐judgmental  
managed  conflict,  and  consensus  building    
interactions  and  relationship  building  
(e.g.  identifying  shared  goals  or  interests   Ethnography,  non-­‐judgmental  interaction  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

Millions  of  dollars  are  poured  annually  into  international  agencies  whose  missions  are  to  provide  
relief  and  community  recovery  in  the  aftermath  of  disasters.  Year  after  year,  recovery  initiatives,  
despite  their  intentions,  fail  to  create  resilient  societies  that  are  capable  of  living  without  foreign  
aid.   Employees   for   these   agencies,   such   as   USAID,   need   to   acquire   strong   interpersonal  
competence   in   order   to   understand   the   cultural   and   institutional   contexts   that   influence  
preparedness   and   responsiveness   to   disasters.   To   have   interpersonal   competence   means   that  
aid   workers   are   able   to   prioritize   collaborative   agreements   over   individual   agendas.   It   ensures  
that   aid   workers   have   an   open   ear   (and   language   competence),   are   able   to   map   different  
perspectives   and   values,   can   facilitate   dialogue,   and   reconcile   differences   across   social   and  
cultural  backgrounds.  

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 Integrated  Problem-­‐Solving  Competence  
Graduates,  who  are  competent  in  integrated  problem-­‐solving  competence,  are  familiar  with  and  
able   to   apply   different   problem-­‐solving   frameworks   to   complex   sustainability   problems   and  
develop   viable   solution   options.   This   capacity   enables   graduates   to   meaningfully   integrate  
problem  analysis,  sustainability  assessment,  visioning,  and  strategy  building.  

Graduates  are  also  able  to  describe  the  need  for  integrated  problem-­‐solving  activities  and  how  
the  different  competencies  enable  this  effort  to  foster  sustainability  (this  is  complementary  to  
the   ability   to   articulate   the   individual   contributions   of   the   previous   five   competencies   to  
sustainability   problem-­‐solving).   Graduates   are   able   to   articulate   the   roles,   responsibilities,   and  
contributions  of  different  stakeholder  groups  to  effective  sustainability  problem-­‐solving.  

Selected  concepts    

• Transitions  and  transformations  (and   • Social  movements  and  organizational  

other  change  dynamics)   change  (learning)  
• Roadblocks  and  barriers   • Power,  politics,  authority  in  transition  
processes  
• Triggers  and  supporting  factors  

Selected  methods    

• Transition  management  /  governance   • Linking  foresight  and  backcasting  

• Organizational  change  management   • Transformational  planning  methodology  

Exemplary  Professional  Task  

A  sustainability  consultant  works  with  city  administration  and  stakeholder  groups  on  a  program  
to   develop,   test   and   implement   strategies   for   sustainable   urban   development.   This   calls   for   a  
well-­‐founded   integrated   problem-­‐solving   competence.   A   problem-­‐solving   framework   is   selected  
and  adapted  to  the  specific  context.  Strategies  are  the  ultimate  goal  intended  to  redirect  urban  
social-­‐ecological   systems   from   unsustainable   trajectories   toward   a   sustainable   future   state.   To  
this   end,   the   current   state,   past   developments,   as   well   as   future   trajectories   of   the   city   are  
analyzed  systemically  and  key  leverage  or  intervention  points  in  the  system  are  identified.  This  
requires  systems-­‐thinking  competence.  These  points  are  assessed  against  sustainability  criteria  
(to  identify  critical  trajectories  and  consider  trade-­‐offs),  which  requires  normative  competence.  
Based  on  new  knowledge  and  learning,  the  strategies  are  conceptualized  as  being  continuously  
adapted   in   order   to   redirect   path-­‐dependent   future   trajectories   in   the   city   toward   the   visions   of  
a  sustainable  future,  which  requires  anticipatory  competence.  The  collaboration  among  a  suite  
of   urban   stakeholders,   including   scientists,   policy-­‐makers,   managers,   planners,   and   citizens   is  
critical   for   understanding   the   system’s   complexity,   exploring   scenarios,   crafting   sustainability  
visions,   and   developing   robust   strategies   in   ways   that   are   scientifically   credible,   create   shared  
ownership,  and  are  conducive  for  action—all  of  which  requires  interpersonal  competence.  

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 References  
Wiek,  A.,  Bernstein,  M.,  Foley,  R.,  Cohen,  M.,  Forrest,  N.,  Kuzdas,  C.,  Kay,  B.,  Withycombe  Keeler,  
L.   (under   review).   Operationalising   competencies   in   higher   education   for   sustainable  
development.  In:  Barth,  M.,  Michelsen,  G.,  Rieckmann,  M.,  Thomas,  I.  (Eds.).  Handbook  
of  Higher  Education  for  Sustainable  Development  (Routledge).  

Wiek,   A.,   Withycombe,   L.,   Redman,   C.L.,   &   Banas   Mills,   S.   (2011).   Moving   forward   on  
competence   in   sustainability   research   and   problem   solving.   Environment:   Science   and  
Policy  for  Sustainable  Development,  vol.  53,  no.  2,  pp.  3-­‐12.  

Wiek,   A.,   Withycombe,   L.,   &   Redman,   C.L.   (2011).   Key   competencies   in   sustainability   –   A  
reference  framework  for  academic  program  development.  Sustainability  Science,  vol.  6,  
no.  2,  pp.  203-­‐218.  

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