Skill Descriptors
Core Application Systems: Knowledge of major production application systems used for delivery of services to internal and external clients; ability to leverage major production application systems in diverse situations.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Helps create contingency plans to mitigate impact of disruption on core applications.
• Identifies key players, criticalities, roles, and responsibilities.
• Investigates application-related issues with both business and IT professionals.
• Recommends enhancements for a major application system or related subsystems.
• Works with core application systems for a major business unit or function.
Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives.
• Examines a specific problem and understands the perspective of each involved stakeholder.
• Develops alternative techniques for assessing accuracy and relevance of information.
• Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decision on resolution.
• Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems.
Application Design, Architecture: Knowledge of application design and architecture principles and practices; ability to utilize application design methodologies, tools, and techniques to convert business requirements and logical models into a technical application design.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Analyzes system requirements and translates them into detailed design specifications.
• Designs complex application architectures that meet performance, scalability, and reliability requirements.
• Evaluates and selects appropriate pattern, components, technologies, and tools for application development; integrates them with technical design.
• Leads application design reviews and walkthroughs to ensure alignment between business requirements and technical solution.
• Troubleshoots complex design issues and provides innovative solutions.
• Prepares technical design documents and blueprints for applications.
Implementation: Knowledge of how to run applications for organizations; ability to implement application software within an organization and help end-users perform specific tasks (ex: accounting or graphic design).
Level Working Knowledge:
• Tracks problems associated with the quality and effectiveness of application software.
• Researches the benefits and drawbacks of an organization’s application software.
• Drafts application software usage for the department’s needs.
• Provides instant support for end users of application software.
• Implements a specific application software under the supervision of management.
Requirements Analysis: Knowledge of tools, methods, and techniques of requirement analysis; ability to elicit, analyze and record required business functionality and non-functionality requirements to ensure the success of a system or software development project.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Follows policies, practices and standards for determining functional and informational requirements.
• Confirms deliverables associated with requirements analysis.
• Communicates with customers and users to elicit and gather client requirements.
• Participates in the preparation of detailed documentation and requirements.
• Utilizes specific organizational methods, tools and techniques for requirements analysis.
System and Technology Integration: Knowledge of the features and facilities of systems; ability to integrate and communicate among applications, databases and technology platforms.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Assists with current and planned integration initiatives.
• Explores major issues and considerations for successful system integration.
• Works with applications, data, technology bridges and a variety of platforms.
• Works with existing interfaces as well as integration and migration plans within own area.
• Plays an active role in local integration efforts.
System Testing: Knowledge of system and software testing; ability to design, plan and execute system testing strategies and tactics to ensure the quality of software at all stages of the system life cycle.
Level Working Knowledge:
• Supports the project leader in developing and executing system test plans.
• Evaluates system documentation and user manuals for usability, accuracy and completeness.
• Executes test cases, analyzes test results and reports on findings regularly.
• Tests system components for compliance with functional requirements.
• Participates in the testing of a system’s ability to recover from hardware or software failures.