developing team skills: testing professional development framework

Enabling Science

Enabling Science

Developing Team Skills:Testing Professional

Development Framework

Mike Jarred & Dr. Luke Avsejs

Enabling ScienceSlide 2 © IDBS 2012

Welcome, Introductions and Agenda

Welcome Introductions Agenda

◦ Objectives, and constraints

◦ What is the Testing PDF?

◦ IDBS – overview and regulation

◦ Why did we do it?

◦ Some things we had to think about…

◦ How have we implemented the PDF

◦ The good, the bad and the beautiful…


Objectives and Constraints

Objectives of this session◦ It’s a ‘show and tell’ – our journey to date, not an attempt to sell a generic

approach

◦ Keep it interactive – feedback and thoughts from other practitioners in the community

◦ Garner feedback and improvement suggestions. This is under continuous improvement, all ideas welcome

Constraint◦ Our framework is not publically available , but check out the BCS SFIA

plus for a good starting point if interested http://www.bcs.org/category/7849

http://www.bcs.org/category/7849


So, what is the Testing PDF?

It’s a mechanism for specifying roles, competencies, skills, skill levels, training and qualifications required to deliver testing services to our projects

Competencies and skills are broken down into Technical (what we want people to do) and Transferable (how we want people to be, inc. soft skills / behavioral attributes)

Provides a consistent, logical approach to staff development through benchmarking of knowledge, experience, training and qualifications

Under continuous improvement – updated regularly as new competencies and skills are identified as the demands on testing change

Lets take a look at it in a little more detail…


Career Path

Senior Tester / Test DBA / Automation Test Engineer

ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst / Test Analyst

Tester 1/2ISTQB Foundation

Tester 0ISTQB Foundation

Test ManagerISEB Practitioner / ISTQB Advanced /

PRINCE2 Practitioner

Test Lead / Test Team LeadISTQB Advanced Test Manager / ISEB

Practitioner

Test DBAISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst /

Test Analyst

Automation Test EngineerISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst /

Test Analyst

Career Level Project Experience Education

Tester 1 / 2 Experience should include participation in at least two medium projects, with exposure to:1. Multi Tier Architecture2. More than 3 systems being integrated3. Minimum of 100 tests created4. Minimum of 100 tests executed

Writing Test Plans

Web Application Security Tester


Example Competency Skills Matrix

Competency Skill Job Role 1 Job Role 2 Job Role 3 Example Evidence / Indicators

Competency 1

Competency Skill 1 2 3 4

Test Scripts, Defect Reports, Test Results, Reports, Data Models, Project Documents, Test Project Plan







Competency 2

Competency Skill 1 2 2 3Think beyond the day-to-day tactical solutionCapable of developing strategies to meet medium /long-term business goals




Skill Level (0-5)


Delivering Software to Regulated Environments IDBS is a global provider of innovative enterprise data management,

analytics and modelling solutions◦ Used by more than 200 pharmaceutical companies, major healthcare providers,

global leaders in academic study, and high tech companies

◦ Our products enable increased efficiency, reduced costs and improved productivity of industrial R&D and clinical research

◦ Our platforms are enabling translational medicine – personalised medicine (right drug, right patient, right time)

Customer work in highly regulated environments◦ GxP (GLP, GCP, GMP etc…) FDA regulated, 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annexe 11

Customers audit us to ensure risk of non-compliance introduced by our products is mitigated through robust software development practice

The Test Group are under particular scrutiny as we provide the safety net...


So, why did we do this…?

Drivers Demonstrate to customers how we

holistically maintain a competent testing group (we are always asked under audit )

Demonstrate internally that we are driving professionalism / increasing capability in test group

Enable clear objective setting and structured appraisal reviews

Provide clarity regarding competencies and skills needed in the test group

Demonstrate the Career Paths open to individuals in the Test Group – there was an org structure, but no visibility of how to progress

Benefits A more structured & professional

approach to career development Visibility to all staff of how to

progress within testing Increase skill levels and broaden

experience Gain Industry recognized

qualifications Commitment from IDBS to their

development Opportunities to cross skill into a

different framework e.g. Development (once rolled out to other groups)


Some things we had to think about…


How have we applied the PDF? Overview of PDF, benefits, risks and pilot implementation plan provided to Exec

team – secured approval and sponsorship Test Management contributed and reviewed PDF content Test Group received PDF overview as part of change management

Team members skill levels for competencies are validated through the appraisal mechanism. Evidence of skill levels required

Outputs from appraisal are linked to Personal Development Plans Experience, skills and qualifications are continuously reviewed as part of

personal development meetings Once a level on the PDF, is established, further opportunities for development

will be provided where possible as part of project delivery and departmental initiatives

Transitions points to other frameworks will be identified as the framework is rolled out to other groups


The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful…

Lots of positive feedback (within, and outside the Test Group)

Training economies of scale Competency based recruitment, and succession planning Increasing team flexibility

Some scepticism over value of PDF and our ability to support career aspirations

Evidencing skill levels has proven time consuming, but is a one off activity – consensus is it’s worth investing in

Evidencing transferable skills is difficult

Beautiful – heat map / pie charts (management information)


Example heat map & pie chartsCOMPETENCY SKILL Job Role 1 Job Role 1 Job Role 2 Job Role 2

Competency 1

Competency Skill 1 2 2 3 4 Competency Skill 2 1 2 2 2 Competency Skill 3 1 1 1 2 Competency Skill 4 2 2 2 3 Competency Skill 5 3 1 2 4 Competency Skill 6 1 3 2 4 Competency Skill 7 1 1 2 4

Competency 2

Competency Skill 1 2 1 2 2 Competency Skill 2 2 2 3 4 Competency Skill 3 1 1 3 4

Competency Skill 4 0 1 2 3

52%

30%

18%

Test Team Competency

Attaining

Not Meeting

Exceeding

51%

25%

24%

Tester 2 Competency

Attaining

Not Meeting

Exceeding

developing team skills: testing professional development framework

Documents

test scripts

test results

skill levels

idbs overview

scienceenabling scienceslide

testing pdf

sciencedeveloping team

testing services