Integrating Training and Performance Management of Civil Aviation Inspectors: A Mixed‐Methods Study of Competency‐Based Training and Assessment

The objective of this study is to critically examine how the competency‐based training and assessment (CBTA) approach is operationalised within European civil aviation authorities (CAAs), building on a pilot study of CBTA targeted at civil aviation inspectors. Integrating a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, based on 78 participants from various European CAAs and three major European aviation regulatory training providers (RTPs), it provides a nuanced understanding of CBTA, revealing differences of its application between Central/Eastern European (CEE) and Southeastern European (SEE) countries. Results indicate that competency frameworks are more widely applied in CEE than in SEE countries, while distinct regional barriers to implementing training management include digital and technical limitations for CEE countries and struggles with financial and human resources for SEE countries. The study also reveals that effective implementation of CBTA is highly dependent on the depth and duration of cooperation arrangements between RTPs and CAAs, thus having an impact on training design, training evaluation, and performance management. Finally, it emerges that adapting training to the new ‘virtual environment’ was the major challenge encountered by RTPs due to the pandemic. This study offers insights with tangible value for practice towards harmonising the implementation of CBTA in European CAAs and improving their relationship with the European RTPs.