Three categories of key competencies

Building on the concept of competence  (action competence model) the research process resulted in a widely accepted definition of key competencies, namely that they  

• are learnable and, to some extent, teachable;
• contribute to highly valued individual outcomes (gainful employment, income, personal health and safety, political participation, intellectual resources, social networks, cultural participation) and societal outcomes (economic productivity, democratic processes, solidarity, social cohesion, human rights and peace, equity and equality, ecological sustainability);
• are instrumental for meeting important, complex demands in a wide spectrum of contexts;
• are important for all individuals;
• involve a higher level of mental complexity, identified as reflectivity/reflectiveness or
• reflective practice implying the use of metacognitive skills, creative abilities and taking a critical stance.

The conceptual framework is structured around three broad categories of key competencies:.  

1. Interacting in socially heterogeneous groups – relating well to others, cooperating with people from different backgrounds, managing and resolving conflicts.
2. Acting autonomously – acting within the big picture, setting life goals, defending and asserting one's rights and interests, limits and needs.
   
3. Using tools interactively – engaging effectively with language, texts, symbols, knowledge, and information, including digital technologies.

A central dimension of the DeSeCo framework is reflectiveness or reflective practice: individuals should be able to critically assess situations, learn from experience, and adapt to change.

For more details see publicatios (e.g. excecutive summary and final report)