3 Responses

1. Standard Skills Frameworks can be useful
   Natasha,

   When auditing skills it’s useful to have a standard skills framework produced by an external body – this provides some degree of objectivity to the exercise. An example is the IT User Skills Framework, produced by e-skills UK. You can check it out on http://207.45.116.9/ITUSF/Login.aspx

   The framework for technical IT skills is SFIA, available via http://www.e-skills.com/sfia/

   Other skills frameworks are being produced by other sector skills councils (http://www.ssda.org.uk/ssc/sscouncil.shtml for a list).

   Hope this proves useful.

   Don

2. Skills Auditing
   Natasha

   Having only 10 people with whom to do a skills audit makes it both difficult … and easy.

   With a very large number of people it is appropriate to identify the skills they need and then run a questionnaire, validated by supervisors, to find out who needs what training. Large numbers can provide more specific results than small numbers (most of the time) With such a small group, I’d do it by personal interview -with or without a questionnaire.

   Important issues are: 1. Do they all do the same job? 2. Are there performance standards to use as a guide? 3. Are there people who are known exemplary performers whose behaviour you can model?

   You could run a questionnaire followed-up by interviews to validate respondents’ answers.

   If you’d like a copy of a skills audit I have used, please email me.

3. TNA Toolkit
   Hi, You might want to consider looking at the TNA Toolkit, available from the Training Zone library, which I’m sure will be of real help to you.