It didn't take long from the establishment of OFFB in 2010 for member companies to realize the need for a common training and competence center. Now, we plan and organize courses, theme days, and other competence-enhancing initiatives that are open to all our members.
— The Competence Center has become a meeting place across companies where employees can share experiences they have gained when it comes to emergency response, says Dag Normann Aasjord, leader of the OFFB Competence Center.
Over the past decade, Aasjord has built up the course portfolio in close dialogue with representatives from the companies. Currently, OFFB organizes around 30 courses annually at our premises in Koppholen 19, as well as individual courses at the companies' locations.
During our courses, people from different companies meet, and we see that many appreciate expanding their network in addition to refreshing or acquiring new knowledge.
— Since OFFB focuses on training, emergency response and handling incidents, there is a short distance from observations to incorporating them into the courses. Additionally, our members avoid going to the commercial market, says Aasjord.
Sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences align perfectly with what OFFB is built on, and we find that members are willing and adept at sharing experiences related to emergency responce. The Competence Center is a platform for doing this in a meaningful way.
Facts: The Competence Center
The OFFB Competence Center is a competence hub for its members.
The goal of the Competence Center is to:
Simplify members' access to qualified competence enhancement.
Develop and conduct courses and theme days tailored to members' needs.
Create and communicate course plans to members.
Develop and communicate recommended practices as tools for members.
Contribute to quickly bringing new members up to the right level.
Ensure structured competence enhancement for its own personnel.
The deliveries from the OFFB Competence Center are covered through OFFB membership.
— We notice that the informal conversations during the courses also contribute to competence enhancement. We also know that participating in courses is a nice break from the daily work routine, says Aasjord.
The common thread between courses, exercises, and emergency response
OFFB's Competence Center uses its own staff as instructors, ensuring alignment with training and exercises. In addition, our own employees participate in courses — both newly hired and more experienced individuals in need of updated knowledge.
Our courses are also coordinated with other entities we closely collaborate with during exercises and incidents, including the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres (JRCC), police, healthcare services, the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil), and municipalities — in addition to our own members.
— It is important to us that the courses are based on real needs. We conduct annual member surveys that show satisfaction from both participants and those sending people to our courses, says Aasjord.
Adjusting the course plan based on wishes and needs
The model for the Competence Center has always been based on members influencing the content. If member companies have ideas for new products or courses, we are flexible in adjusting to their wishes and needs. Courses in media management and stakeholder analysis are examples of courses that have been added in this way.
— Right now, we see that several companies want to strengthen the organization at the strategic emergency response level. This is reflected in the 2024 course plan, where we offer several rounds of strategic emergency response management, media handling, stakeholder analysis, courses for liaisons, crisis reaction handling, and OSEP courses, among others, says Aasjord.
Interested in a course? Find the updated plan here.
It is also our job to go out, observe, and evaluate the emergency response of our members. They receive good advice based on evaluations. The advice and experiences are then gathered in written documents called recommended practices.
More information?
Contact Head of OFFB Competence Centre, Dag Normann Aasjord: Office phone:
Office number: +47 51 96 51 52
Mobile: +47 958 86 986
E-mail: dag.normann.aasjord ( a ) offb.no
