WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy's ongoing efforts to better identify job skill requirements and the future development needs of its workforce will get a boost this fall when the Civilian Community Management Division launches the Safety Community, the first of 21 career communities.

Phase One of the community management development begins with core competency identification. Competencies are specific sets of knowledge, skills and abilities that allow people to perform successfully on the job. Knowledge of these competencies enables the Navy to provide civilians with detailed and validated information about how to succeed.

"Competency identification is the first, and perhaps most important, phase in workforce development and human capital planning," said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm.Gerry Hoewing. "For us to provide a civilian worker with a viable career path, we have to be able to list all the tasks associated with a given job, as well as skills needed to do those tasks. It's like drawing a roadmap to help workers determine how best to master their craft and how to develop their careers."

Using the same commercial software in place for analyzing Sailors' work, the civilian Safety community will launch a pilot program with the help of SkillsNetT Corporation to identify job tasks, capture personal qualifications, and link certifications and qualifications to each civilian worker.

"I have long believed that we must take a corporate approach in developing our workforce of the future," said Hoewing. "We have made some very good progress, but using SkillsNetT like this will really get us jump-started on tying their growth and development in with Sea Warrior. It's all part of a larger, more integrated way of looking at human resource management."

Sea Warrior is the Navy initiative integrating active and Reserve manpower, personnel and training efforts.

Hoewing made civilian workforce issues a top priority when he became the 53rd Chief of Naval Personnel in October 2002. He supported a Civilian Community Management organization and the formation of 21 civilian communities. A Senior Executive Service member or Flag Officer leads each community. All Navy civilians, depending on their current job series, will be mapped to one of these Communities.

Identifying the competencies required by each of these communities, Hoewing says, is a critical first step.

Representatives of the Navy's civilian Safety community, led by Connie DeWitte, deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Safety, meet this week to begin planning for the pilot.

"This effort is the beginning of a new way of developing our talented civilian workforce," said Marcia Tremaine, director Civilian Community Management Division. "Our efforts will provide the Department of Navy better information to use in the recruitment, selection, development and retention of our civilian workforce. Applicants and employees should have a better understanding of how to manage their careers and what opportunities are available to them."