Recent attention to competencies, especially the McBer approach, is reviewed. Different definitions focusing on personal qualities or task performance are outlined and it is proposed that neither macro‐competencies nor micro‐competencies are necessarily the practical route, and...

Few models have been developed to help clients to make sense of the variety of outdoor development courses and processes now available to them. Suggests that a consideration of focus, risk, facilitation type and reality may help with the differentiation between programmes.