(29b) Culture, Competence and Compliance

Atlantic LNG is one of the world’s largest producers of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). From our base in Trinidad, we operate a four-train liquefaction facility with a total capacity of 15 million metric tonnes per annum (tpa)

When Atlantic first embarked on the implementation of a competence management system for our Production Operation and Maintenance Technicians we quickly realized that we needed to focus on compliance just as much if not more than competence. We were grappling to understand why some individuals who after having been deemed competent were observed doing things that their competence should tell them was wrong.

This presentation was our attempt, as the unit responsible for technical competence assurance to help the rest of the organization understand just how culture, competence and compliance interrelate and how focusing on competence alone in a vacuum would not lead to the improved performance the company desired. It will explore the relationship between competence and compliance and how one without the other can be dangerous for an organization. And the importance of understanding people and culture in the design of systems for sustained success.