Profiling Jobs and Competencies with the tekom Competence Framework. tcworld India 2016

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1 Profiling Jobs and Competencies with the tekom Competence Framework tcworld India 2016 Prof. Sissi Closs - Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences & Dr. Daniela Straub tekom Germany 1

2 What is the tekom Competence Framework? A tekom advisory body with experienced heads in TD and university teachers has created a cross industry Competence Framework for Technical Communication. This new Competence Framework describes the occupational profile and potential job profiles in technical communication. 2

3 Why is a competence framework necessary? Demand of the industry: Specially trained and qualified staff with specific competencies is required: Technical Communicators! A constant demand for Technical Communicators (EU figures) 1.4% of all employees in the industry sector 3.6% of all employees in the software sector Lateral entrants with background in engineering and translation There is a need for a better understanding of the profession and its competence The occupational profile and roles are unclear The competencies and qualifications for Technical Communicators are unclear

4 What is the tekom Competence Framework? The tekom Competence Framework focuses on the creation of information products. Because the requisite competencies, proficiencies and necessary knowledge were derived from tasks, it was possible, during modeling, to ensure that the Competence Framework was strictly task and action oriented. In doing so, it defines practice based and action oriented skills of the kind that are used in technical communication workplaces and the requisite qualifications. 4

5 How was the tekom Competence Framework developed? The tekom Competence Framework was developed on the basis of the reference process for developing information products. It describes r the seven process steps, the respective areas and fields of competence, as well as the underlying thematic blocks with teaching s and learning objectives in four levels. 5

6 Product (ip) Development Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Methods Integration of Archiving Results Results of of flow Internationalization/localization Quality assurance for Arranging Arranging localization and localization and translation translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization

7 What is the tekom Competence Framework? tekom s Competence Framework provides clear, basic guidance for companies of any kind and for technical communication employees and people who are interested in or entering the profession who need to make decisions relating to job advertisements, personnel selection, careers, further education, training, curricula, or exams. The Competence Framework is made available on the Internet to all users and interested persons as a multilingual, interactive profiling tool. 7

8 For whom is the tekom Competence Framework intended? Company managers and personnel departments For drawing up specialist job profiles and roles For targeted personnel recruitment and writing job advertisements For HR development and targeted employee competency development Further education institutes and training providers, including universities For developing new training offerings and curricula People interested in further education For identifying and defining individual further education and objectives For developing individual, needs based further education concepts Technical communication employees and people who are interested in the profession As guidance on job and workplace As a definition of the occupational profile 8

9 Persona Technical communicator 3 profiles for jobs in technical communication: What do these people do and what do they have to do/know for it? al-writer-jobs-in-bangalore 9

10 Beginner / Associate Technical Writer Experience: 0 1 years Supports a team of experienced Technical Writers to produce highquality product documentation for software products Generates output for publication and performs file maintenance tasks Assists with routine documentation tasks, such as capturing screen shots, correcting formatting issues and applying styles Makes minor updates to product documentation/online help project topics. Incorporates review feedback and minor edits. 10

11 Product (ip) Development Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Methods Integration of Archiving flow Quality assurance for Associate Technical Writer Results of Internationalization/localization Arranging localization and translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization 1

12 Beginner / Junior Technical Writer Experience: 2 4 years Works with internal teams to obtain an in depth understanding of the product and the documentation Ability to extract technical information from software design documents Interviews subject matter experts to extract required information Analyzes existing and potential, focusing on reuse and single sourcing opportunities Writes easy to understand user interface text, online help and developer guides Contributes to technical writing processes and standards for the team 12

13 Product (ip) Development Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Methods Integration of Archiving Results of flow Internationalization/localization Quality assurance for Arranging localization and translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support Junior Technical Writer S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization 1

14 Experienced / Senior Technical Writer Experience: 5 9 years Understands customer and product specifications to collect information for writing manuals Designs and develops written and/or visual product related manuals for print, web, and mobile devices Analyzes existing to identify and bridge documentation gaps Identifies and resolves any technical writing/documentation related issues Drafts Standard Operating Instructions to standardize layout and format, so that technical descriptions and instructions can be readily understood by the users Adheres to defined technical writing standards, best practices, style guides, templates, scripts, style sheets, and graphic libraries Reviews and tests the product for consistency with regards to documentation, identifying problems and suggesting revisions Works and acts as liaison with other technical writers, multimedia, technology team and reviews their work Provides input and guidance regarding time estimates for planning and deploying documentation solutions 14

15 Product (ip) Development Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Results of Senior Technical Writer Methods flow Internationalization/localization Integration of Quality assurance for Arranging localization and translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support Archiving S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization 1

16 Technical Writer Manager Experience: 6 9 years As manager of user assistance, leads a team that designs and writes conceptually complex parts of new and existing documentation Responsible for directing the activities of a staff that creates, develops, plans, writes and edits operational, instructional, maintenance, or user manuals for paper, multimedia or web based publications Supervises the timely design, production and delivery/completion of product documentation and document sets Recognizes design dependencies with related product documentation and/or products and proposes design changes or new designs Provides subject matter guidance company wide to all levels Frequently interacts with supervisors and/or functional peer group managers. May interact with senior management 16

17 Head of Technical Writers Experience: 6 9 years Manages a team of technical writers who will produce high-quality documentation, videos, and other forms of assistance in coordination with other departments and developers Leads a team of technical writers through the adoption of new tools, standards, and processes, and explores new deliverables, such as videos Leads various user assistance projects and releases from inception to completion Develops project plans, negotiates the scope, priorities and milestones, manages assignments, creates schedules, monitors execution, and reports status Keeps manager(s) well-informed about the progress of writers Ensures that documentation meets commitment to quality, ensures that writers follow the style guide Comes up with process changes and leads department-wide initiatives/tasks Conducts workshops for educating writers on best practices related to style and grammar Develops writers through coaching and mentoring on language and style issues Participates in cross-functional teams and collaborates with internal stakeholders to define documentation and release deliverables Stays up-to-date with the latest industry trends and learns new user assistance tools and technologies 17

18 Product (ip) Development Head Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Methods Integration of flow Quality assurance for Results of Internationalization/localization Arranging localization and translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization tekom 2016 competence framework for technical communication Prof. Sissi Closs & Dr. Daniela Straub 1

19 Specialist Proofreading and Quality Assurance Performs editorial tasks to support technical software documentation Achieves the following quality goals for published : High level of accuracy in grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation Adherence to the standards of American English Consistent application of the editorial standards of the organization Consistent use of the terminology standards of the organization 19

20 Product (ip) Development Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Content presentation Tools for creating Quality Control for delivery Products and technologies Methods Integration of Archiving flow Quality assurance for Results of Internationalization/localization Arranging localization and translation Specialist S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization 2

21 Product (ip) Development Head Context analysis Planning Concept development creation production Publication and distribution Legal Product life cycle support products sources Print media Printing User Feedback Normative Target groups creation planning Project Management architecture Access Acquisition and selection of information Content creation Electronic media Automation and programming Delivery of electronic media Screen Design Evaluation Web Monitoring Country specific Products and technologies Results of Senior Technical Writer Content presentation Methods flow Internationalization/localization Tools for creating Integration of Quality assurance for Arranging localization and translation S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. IT Tool Support Quality Control for delivery Archiving Associate Technical Writer Junior Technical Writer Specialist S u p po r t P r o c e s se s, e.g. Terminology Management P a r a l l e l P r o c e s s e s, e.g. Translation/Localization 2

22 How to use the profiling tool of the tekom Competence Framework Company managers and personnel departments For drawing up specialist job profiles and roles Defining key responsibilities and qualification needs For targeted personnel recruitment and writing job advertisements For HR development and targeted employee competency development communication.org/ 22

23 Another example of use for the tekom Competence Framework Further education institutes and training providers, including universities For developing new training offerings and curricula People interested in further education For identifying and defining individual further education and objectives For developing individual, needs based further education concepts 23

24 TCTrainNet writing training and certification.com/ Online Training and Certification for Technical Writers, based on the tekom Competence Framework for Technical Communication 24

25 TecComframe TecComFrame: A joint European Academic Competence Framework and Curricula for the Training of Technical Communicator The project aims to develop standard curricula based on a common academic qualification and competence framework Transparency, recognition, and transferability of the qualification and competencies of Technical Communicators Harmonization with EU standards and approaches (EQFlevels & ECTS grades)

26 Thank you! Questions? Prof. Sissi Closs Dr. Daniela Straub 26