CSCF/MFCF Skills Table

The following describes four levels of skill for a variety of areas used to characterize job requirements. They do not correspond directly to USG levels, but instead correspond to a general level of expertise. For example, the technical aspect of skills might be roughly characterized as:

Foundation

Familiarity with theories and concepts; basic working knowledge of primary procedures, tasks, methodologies; academic and/or some work-related experience.

Proficient

Good understanding of theories and concepts; practical working knowledge of most procedures, tasks and methods; sufficient to provide technical advice to less-experienced staff.

In-Depth

Comprehensive understanding of theories and concepts; broad working knowledge of most procedures, tasks and methods; understanding of use of the technology in the University environment; demonstrated ability to deliver information on advanced topics.

Expert

Advanced knowledge of theories and concepts; recognized authority with wide impact in procedures, tasks and methods; proven ability to creatively apply existing and leading edge knowledge to new environments.

In general, it is expected that skill assessment is influenced by the:

• abstract thinking
• breadth and depth of experience and knowledge
  • general technical knowledge and experience
  • local knowledge
• extent and difficulty of responsibilities
• disciplined, standardized approach

Typically a job description will provide a table of expected levels for each area, for each USG level. A beginning position might have mostly lower skill levels for those areas not critical to the position, and slightly higher levels for the fundamental areas in the job. More senior positions might require higher levels in secondary areas as well.

In practice, specialization may require that some skills be higher than the guidelines, at the expense of some other skills. In general, totals for each section of the table are considered to be minimums. The rankings for the items in each section are recommendations. Acceptable variations from the recommendations are judged by the job description.

It's expected that most positions will require a linear increase in most skills, and thus any table that refers to these descriptions will note when skill changes are other than linear. The driving force behind non-linear increases tends to be the ease or difficulty with which a skill can be obtained, and tradeoffs between needs for different skills.

The "skills" described below are to be taken in the context of the job to which they apply. Thus, for example, the "Hardware" skill might refer to general computing systems, or to networking hardware, depending upon specializations in the job.

For those in an infrastructure role, the term "clients" may at times refer to other members of the group, in addition to conventional external clients.

Table of Contents

• Technical Knowledge
  • Hardware
  • Network
  • Operating Systems
  • Systems Management
  • Software Development
  • Electronic Desktop
  • Applications Support
• Problem Solving
• Accountability
• Communication and Human Relations Skills
  • Communications
  • Teaching
  • Mentoring, Coaching
  • Consulting
  • Teamwork
  • External Relations
• Organizational Skills
  • Leadership
  • Planning
  • Supervising
• Administrative Knowledge
  • Financial
  • Procedures/Organizational Structure
  • Inventory

Technical Knowledge

Hardware

This is about understanding hardware architectures to facilitate specification, diagnosis, and repair. Increasing levels are characterized by the size of the client base affected, and/or the complexity of the architectures involved; typically number, variety, and interaction of components.

Network

Operating Systems

In contrast with "Systems Management", this skill is more about a bottom up knowledge of operating systems, rather than the top-down approach.

Lower levels begin with specialization in specific operating environments. The ability to compare operating environments increases with level.

Systems Management

In contrast with "Operating Systems", this skill is more about a top-down knowledge of operating systems, rather than a bottom-up approach. It's more of a "follow the instructions and it works" kind of thing, as opposed to "hmmm, how do we make the following new/odd thing happen".
A good knowledge of 'xhier' (for example) would imply an "In-Depth" rating.
Using 'ONA' would imply "Proficient".

Software Development

While some jobs can be specific to developing software, most aren't. Instead, the software developed is tools useful in completing job responsibilities. Systems administrators are expected to become competent at developing such tools. WWW specialists would be expected to be able to develop CGI's, and interfaces to databases. Network specialists would focus mostly on tools to assist in configuration of network devices, and/or monitoring their state. Programming skills for such positions are expected at senior levels; junior levels use existing applications to achieve their goals.

Electronic Desktop

Computing professionals are generally expected to have good desktop skills, if only as a result of continuous use of one particular environment. Thus, significant expertise in one desktop environment, and a general understanding of concepts common to most desktop environments, is expected.

Applications Support

This exists primarily for those who specialize in supporting "applications", an application being software used directly by clients. Infrastructure staff might never provide applications support, some staff might provide specialized support for a specific class of applications, front-line staff might provide general support for a wide variety of applications.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is "the amount and nature of the thinking required in the job in the form of analyzing, reasoning, evaluating, creating, using judgement, forming hypotheses, drawing inferences, arriving at conclusions, etc."

There are two dimensions in problem solving:

1. The environment in which the thinking takes place.
2. The challenge of the thinking to be done; the novelty and complexity of the thinking required.

Accountability

The Hay system says:

Accountability is "the answerability for action and its consequences. The measured effect of the job on end results in the organization."

There are three dimensions in accountability:

1. "Freedom to Act" which is the extent of personal, procedural or systematic guidance and control on the job.
2. "Job Impact on End Results" which is the degree to which the job affects or brings about the results expected of the unit or function being considered.
3. "Magnitude" is the size of the function or unit measured in the most appropriate fashion.

Communication and Human Relations Skills

Communications

Teaching

Mentoring, Coaching

This applies to informal training provided to co-workers (other CSCF, MFCF, and possibly IST).

Consulting

This is the communication of expertise to our clients, characterized by the ability to determine and communicate the "how to" of problems. It applies to such advice given to anyone, whether it be our clients, staff within the group, or support staff across campus.

Teamwork

Some examples of teamwork are:

• contributions to team meetings,
• getting along with co-workers.

External Relations

This applies to

• vendors,
• campus-wide committees.

Organizational Skills

Leadership

The OED says leadership is:

the action or influence necessary for the direction or organization of effort in a group undertaking.

Planning

Planning involves the identification and organization of work into discrete sub-tasks, with potentially complicated interrelationships. The ability to organize a larger number of steps and the complexity of the interrelationships increases with skill level.

Supervising

Supervision is about making sure that assigned work (typically of others) gets done.

Administrative Knowledge

Financial

Procedures/Organizational Structure

Inventory