The document discusses an approach to skills development that focuses on identifying the discrete skills underlying competencies. It involves decomposing competencies into their component skills, mapping skills to appropriate learning options, and measuring the effectiveness of learning. Key steps include developing skills profiles for roles, recognizing skills elements within competencies, aligning skills with learning solutions, and using assessments and surveys to gauge performance improvement. The overall approach provides a framework for skills development that transforms capabilities into learnable skills through identification, learning, and measurement.

1. T Performance
Andy Thomson
y
Skills Management Consultant, QA
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2. Transforming Performance
• Focus on skills
• Recognising component skills
• Best fit learning options
• Measuring improvement
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3. Focus on skills
• Performance?
• Delivering the required capability
• Meeting/exceeding expected levels of service
• Business-driven capabilities
• Functional Managers, Teams / Job Families, Roles
• F
From rounded competencies to discrete skills
d d t i t di t kill
• Professional, personal, tech/meth, domain
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4. Focus on skills
• Role purpose expressed as competencies (Skills Profile)
•B i
Business A l t
Analyst
• Business analysis
• R
Requirements d fi iti and management
i t definition d t
• Stakeholder relationship management
• To apply competencies requires discrete skills
• Methods / tools / languages / products
• Personal skills, domain exp. , core skills
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5. Recognising component skills
• Profile identifies competencies (SFIA descriptions)
p ( p )
• Break down compound competencies skills elements
Business Analysis SFIA Level 4 Information gathering
Investigates operational requirements, Requirements engineering
problems,
problems and opportunities seeking
opportunities,
effective business solutions through Process Modelling & Improvement
improvements to automated and non-
in … components of new
or changed processes.
automated components of new or
Acceptance testing
g
changed processes. Assists in the
processes
Assists in the analysis of stakeholder
analysis of stakeholder objectives, and
objectives and the underlying issues …
the underlying issues arising from
Interviewing skills
and identifies options for consideration.
investigations into business
Identifies potentialproblems and
requirements and problems,and
benefits,
benefits Facilitation skills
identifies options for consideration.
available
Identifies potential benefits, and Report writing & Presenting
Works with clients/users in defining
available options for consideration.
acceptance tests. Cost Benefit Analysis
Works with clients/users in defining
acceptance tests.
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6. Recognising component skills
• Bus An. requires mainly p
q y professional / personal skills
p
• Technical competency requires mainly technical skills
Programming/software development Language skills (e.g., Java, C#, VB)
SFIA Level 4 Object oriented modelling/design
Designs, codes, tests, corrects and
documents large and/or complex Product/platform skills (e.g., NetBeans, VS 2010)
programs and program modifications:
•from supplied specifications
Quality assurance & software testing
y g
•using agreed standards and tools Facilitation skills
•to achieve a well engineered result.
Takes part in reviews of own work and
leads reviews of colleagues' work.
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7. Recognising component skills
• Higher technical skill-level sees emphasis shift from
g p
technical to interpersonal & management skills
Programming/software development Product/platform plans (e.g., upgrade, switch)
SFIA Level 5 Software Architectures (e.g., Cloud / SOA / MVC)
Sets standards for programming tools
and techniques, advises on their Development approaches (e.g., Agile),
application and ensures compliance.
Takes technical responsibility for all
Resource management
g
stages in the software development
process. Time & priority management
Prepares project and quality plans and Mentoring & Coaching
g g
advises systems development teams.
Assigns work to programming staff and Report writing & Presenting
monitors performance, providing
advice,
advice guidance and assistance to less Project planning & control
experienced colleagues as required.
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8. SFIA alignment of learning options
• Component skills map to learning solutions
p p g
• Informal, internal, self-paced, instructor-led
• E.g., Service level management (SLMO)
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9. Learning measurement
• "If it isn't measured, it can't be improved"
• Self-Assessment, Questionnaires, Testing
• Pre-learning guide to suitability
Pre learning
• Test of readiness (pre-requisites)
• S
Survey of needs,
f d
attitudes
• Information
capture for tutor
• Learning evaluation
• Test knowledge gained
• Assess learning effectiveness
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10. Summary of skills development 'journey'
Capability De-compose competencies to
requirement Role-skills profiles learnable skills
Job-Role level 5
Skills Profile
BUAN 5
REQM 4
RLMT 5
...
Learning options Take Learning Measure effectiveness
/ targets
Performance Measurement
andy.thomson@qa.com
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