Method and program product for identifying educational content for a business initiative

• US 20070088562A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hollingsworth, John, Mersereau, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/253,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/326
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A method and program product for identifying educational content and skill requirements for a business initiative is provided. The method includes defining a business initiative having a framework with predefined levels of skill. Further, for each of the predefined levels of skill, the method includes identifying one or more standard skills for a plurality of skilled workers, and for each of the one or more standard skills identified for each of the plurality of skilled workers, the method further includes determining whether any business initiative specific skills are required by any of the plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing the business initiative, and identifying at least one education module required to provide education for any business initiative specific skills determined to be required by at least one of the plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing the business initiative.

Claims

1. A method for identifying educational content, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a business initiative having a framework with predefined levels of skill;

for each of said predefined levels of skill, identifying one or more standard skills required for each of a plurality of skilled workers;

for each of said one or more standard skills identified for said each of said plurality of skilled workers, determining whether any business initiative specific skills are required by any of said plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing said business initiative, wherein said any business initiative specific skills are derived from said one or more standard skills identified for each skilled worker; and

identifying at least one education module required to provide education for said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required by at least one of said plurality of skilled workers for implementing said business initiative.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

developing one or more new education modules required to provide education corresponding to said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required for implementing said business initiative.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

displaying a skill level of educational content provided by said one or more new education modules developed to provide education for implementing said business initiative.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said predefined levels of skill comprises at least one of:

an overview level, a foundation level and an enhanced level.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said identifying one or more standard skills step includes the steps of:

for each of said predefined levels of skill, identifying one or more professions for said plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing said business initiative;

for each of said one or more professions identified, identifying one or more associated disciplines; and

for each of said one or more associated disciplines identified, identifying one or more associated job roles.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein said identifying at least one education module step includes the step of:

establishing a job role skill set for each of said plurality of skilled workers, such that said job role skill set can be used to develop said one or more new education modules required to provide education for implementing said business initiative.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said identifying at least one education module step includes the steps of:

performing an inventory of current education modules that can be used to provide education for implementing said business initiative; and

identifying gaps in said current education modules based on said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required for implementing said business initiative.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein said identifying at least one education module step includes the step of:

grouping said one or more business initiative specific skills determined to be required for implementing said business initiative into one or more groups of business initiative specific skills, such that said at least one education module identified can provide education as to one of said one or more groups of business initiative specific skills.

9. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

entering into a tool each of said one or more standard skills identified for said plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing said business initiative; and

entering into said tool each of said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required by any of said plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing said business initiative.

10. A method for developing educational content for deploying a business initiative, said method comprising the steps of:

defining a business initiative, wherein a plurality of predefined levels of skill are established for said business initiative;

for each of said predefined levels of skill, identifying one or more standard skills for each of a plurality of skilled workers;

for each of said one or more standard skills identified for said each of said plurality of skilled workers, determining whether any business initiative specific skills are required for any of said plurality of skilled workers for deploying said business initiative;

identifying educational gaps in available educational content for providing education as to said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required for said any of said plurality of skilled workers for deploying said business initiative; and

developing one or more new education modules based on said educational gaps identified, such that said one or more new education modules provide education for one or more of said plurality of skilled workers as to said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required for deploying said business initiative.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said identifying one or more standard skills step includes the steps of:

for each of said plurality of predefined levels of skill, identifying one or more professions for said plurality of skilled workers for deploying said business initiative;

for each of said one or more professions identified, identifying one or more associated disciplines; and

for each of said one or more associated disciplines identified, identifying one or more associated job roles.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said identifying educational gaps step includes the step of:

performing an inventory of said available education modules that can be used to provide education for deploying said business initiative.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein said developing step includes the steps of:

grouping said any business initiative specific skills determined to be required into one or more groups of business initiative specific skills, such that each of said one or more new education modules developed provides education as to at least one of said one or more groups of business initiative specific skills; and

displaying a skill level for educational content provided by each of said one or more new education modules.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of predefined levels of skill comprises at least one of:

an overview level, a foundation level and an enhanced level.

15. A computer program product for identifying educational content for implementing a business initiative, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to access a set of skilled worker skills required for a skilled worker among a plurality of skilled workers;

second program instructions to assess individual skill levels of said skilled worker with respect to said set of skilled worker skills accessed for implementing said business initiative;

third program instructions to identify whether any education modules are required by said skilled worker based on said individual skill levels assessed for said skilled worker who will be implementing said business initiative; and

wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said medium.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

fourth program instructions to evaluate a set of business factors pertaining to the capability of a business to implement said business initiative, and wherein said fourth program instructions are stored on said medium.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said set of skilled worker skills comprises:

standard skills required for said each skilled worker among said plurality of skilled workers, and business initiative specific skills required by any of said plurality of skilled workers for implementing said business initiative.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to receive in a memory one or more standard skills required for each skilled worker among said plurality of skilled workers for implementing said business initiative and to receive in said memory any business initiative specific skills required for any of said plurality of skilled workers who will be implementing said business initiative.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to provide a list of available skilled workers for a job role, such that any worker on said list of available skilled workers can implement said business initiative.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said third program instructions include instructions to perform an inventory of available education modules to identify gaps in said available education modules for determining any new education modules required for implementing said business initiative.