System and method for evaluating a selectable group of people against a selectable set of skills

• US 6,735,570 B1
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Lautzenheiser, Ted G., Lacy, David R., Bucher, Mary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/366,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: G06/F 1.760, 705/11, 705/7, 705/8-9, 434/118, 434/219, 434/350
• US Class Current: 705/7.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An improved administration system for use in managing and reporting skill assessment data entered by users of a skill assessment tool is disclosed. The skill assessment tool of the preferred embodiment may include a large skill set of possibly-unrelated skills. A large, diverse use population may employ the skill assessment tool to enter data rating a user'"'"'s proficiency at performing ones of the skills in the skill set. The resulting skill assessment data may therefore be both extensive and diverse. The administration system allows the skill assessment data to be reported using any selectable subset of the users or any selectable subset of the skills supported by the skill assessment tool.

Claims

1. For use with a data processing system used to perform skill assessment, the data processing system including a storage device for storing first data signals indicative of a Comprehensive Skill Set (CSS) that includes a comprehensive list of skills related to operation of an organization, the storage device further storing second data signals indicative of users of the data processing system, predetermined ones of the users each being associated with skill assessment data indicating the proficiency of the associated user at performing one or more of the skills included in the CSS, a skill assessment administration system, comprising:

first selection means for allowing any subset of the skills included in the CSS to be selected as a currently-selected skill set; and

report generation means for creating a report including the skill assessment data associated with any of the users that indicates the proficiency of said any of the users at performing the skills included in said currently-selected skill set, the skills in said currently-selected skill set being related to tasks said any users may perform on behalf the organization.

2. The skill assessment administration system of claim 1, and further including second selection means for allowing any subset of the users of the data processing system to be selected as a currently-selected set of users, and wherein said report generation means includes means for generating said report including only the skill assessment data that indicates the proficiency of said any subset of the users of the data processing system at performing the skills included in said currently-selected skill set.

3. The skill assessment administration system of claim 2, wherein said second selection means includes name specification means for selecting said currently-selected set of users by specifying one or more of the names of the users of the data processing system.

4. The skill assessment administration system of claim 3, wherein each of the users of the data processing system are included within a respective group, and said second selection means includes group specification means for specifying one or more of said groups, and wherein each of the users included in any specified said one or more of said groups are included within said currently-selected set of users.

5. The skill assessment administration system of claim 4, wherein the storage device further includes means for storing third data signals to associate ones of the users each with a respective supervisory position, and wherein said second selection means includes hierarchy specification means for specifying one or more of said supervisory positions, and wherein each of the users associated with any specified said one or more of said supervisory positions is included in said currently-selected set of users.

6. The skill assessment administration system of claim 5, wherein the storage device includes means for storing fourth data signals to associated each of said supervisory positions with a respective one of the users, and wherein said hierarchy specification means includes means for allowing said supervisory position to be specified using the name of the respective one of the users.

7. The skill assessment administration system of claim 5, wherein said second selection means includes means for allowing said currently-selected set of users to be specified by selecting one or more specifications from the group consisting of one or more of the names of the users, one or more of said groups, and one or more of said supervisory positions.

8. The skill assessment administration system of claim 1, wherein the skills included in the CSS are organized into groups, and said first selection means includes group specification means for allowing said currently-selected skill set to be specified by selecting one or more of said groups, and whereby each of the skills included in any of said one or more selected groups are included in said currently-selected skill set.

9. The skill assessment administration system of claim 2, wherein said report generation means includes report type specification means for specifying that said report is to include summary metrics providing a summary of the skill assessment data associated with said currently-selected set of users.

10. The skill assessment administration system of claim 9, wherein said report type specification means includes means for specifying that said report shall be a detailed report including the proficiency of each of the users included in said currently-selected set of users at performing each of the skills included in said currently-selected skill set.

11. The skill assessment administration system of claim 2, wherein said first selection means and said second selection means are dynamically responsive to external input to allow for re-selection of said currently-selected skill set and said currently-selected set of users without requiring reconfiguration of the skill assessment administration system.

12. The skill assessment administration system of claim 2, wherein the storage device includes data signals indicative of licensing and certification data associated with ones of the users of the data processing system, and wherein said report generation means includes means for generating reports including said licensing and certification data for said currently-selected set of users.

13. The skill assessment administration system of claim 1, and further including administration metrics reporting means for summarizing which of the predetermined ones of the users have been associated with skill assessment data.

14. For use with a data processing system having a storage device to store first data signals indicative of a predetermined set of skills related to operation of an organization, to store second data signals indicative of a predetermined set of people included within the organization, and further to store third data signals indicative of the proficiency of ones of the predetermined set of people at performing ones of the predetermined set of skills, the data processing system further including an instruction processor coupled to the storage device to process ones of the first, second, and third data signals, the computer-implemented method of administering the first, second, and third data signals, comprising the steps of:

defining a currently-selected skill set to include any subset of the predetermined set of skills; and

using the currently-selected skill set to create a report indicating the proficiency of the predetermined set of people at performing said currently-selected skill set for the purpose of assessing ability of the predetermined set of people to perform tasks for the organization.

15. The method of claim 14, and further including the step of:

defining a currently-selected group of people; and

wherein said generating step generates a report indicating the proficiency of said currently-selected group of people at performing said currently-selected skill set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of defining said currently-selected group of people includes the steps of:

providing a menu including the names of the predetermined set of people; and

allowing a user of the data processing system to provide selection indicators indicating the names of one or more of the predetermined set of people that are to be included in said currently-selected group of people.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage device stores fourth data signals indicative of organizations, wherein ones of the people in the predetermined set of people are associated with a respective one of the organizations, and wherein said step of defining said currently-selected group of people further includes the steps of:

providing a menu including the names of the organizations; and

allowing a user of the data processing system to provide selection indicators indicating the names of one or more of the organizations, and wherein each of the people associated with an indicated organization is included in said currently-selected group of people.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the storage device stores fifth data signals indicative of supervisory personnel, wherein ones of the people in the predetermined set of people are associated with a respective one of the supervisory personnel, and wherein said step of defining said currently-selected group of people further includes the steps of.

providing a menu including the names of the supervisory personnel;

and

allowing a user of the data processing system to provide selection indicators indicating the names of one or more of the supervisory personnel, and wherein each of the people associated with an indicated one of the supervisory personnel is included in said currently-selected group of people.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of defining said currently-selected group of people further includes the steps of:

allowing a user of the data processing system to provide any combination of said selection indicators selected from the group consisting of the names of one or more of the predetermined set of people, the names of one or more of the organizations, and the names of one or more of the supervisory personnel, and wherein each of the people associated with any of said selection indicators is included in said currently-selected group of people.

20. The method of claim 14, and further including the step of allowing a user to provide summary report-type input selection data, and in response thereto, performing said generating step to generate a summary report collectively indicating summary metrics on the proficiency of currently-selected set of people at performing said currently-selected skill set.

21. The method of claim 14, and further including the step of allowing a user to provide detailed report-type input selection data, and in response thereto, performing said generating step to generate a detailed report indicating the proficiency of each of said currently-selected set of people at performing each of the skills included in said currently-selected skill set.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said storage device stores sixth signals indicative of the licensing and certification status of ones of the predetermined set of people, and further including the step of generating a report indicating the licensing and certification status of said currently-selected group of people.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined set of skills is arranged into multiple groups, and said step of defining said currently-selected skill set includes selecting one or more of said multiple groups such that each of the skills included in said selected one or more of said multiple groups are included in said currently-selected skill set.

24. The method of claim 15, and further including the step of generating a report including administration metrics to summarize which of the predetermined set of people are described by the third data signals.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein said steps of defining said currently-selected skill set and said currently-selected group of people are performed dynamically using external input data signals received from a user of the data processing system and without requiring reconfiguration of the data processing system.

26. The method of claim 25, and further including the step of allowing a user to repeat said steps of defining said currently-selected skill set, defining said currently-selected group of people, and generating said report any number of times, and during each repetition, allowing the user to provide revised ones of said external input data signals.