Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Operational research specialist standard?
Knowledge
K1: How to select and apply, a range of problem structuring methods to understand complex problems.
K2: How to establish and scope client requirements into clear analytical questions.
K3: The comparative strengths and weaknesses of informal and formal methods used to structure problems.
K4: The approaches used to identify and obtain potentially useful data (including their provenance, scope and limitations).
K5: How to manipulate, interrogate and manage raw data.
K6: How to conduct exploratory data analysis. This includes identifying relationships, robustness and quality, covering both model generated data and external information sources.
K7: The range of potential Operational Research techniques & methods, their strengths and weaknesses and how they are used in practice. This includes, optimisation, machine learning, scheduling, forecasting, simulation, decision analysis, inventory models, Markov models, dynamic programming, performance measurement (such as KPIs, metrics and benefits), heuristics and statistical methods.
K8: Operational Research software solutions (packaged and "in-house" developed) and their comparative strengths and weaknesses in analysing client operational research problems.
K9: How to create spreadsheets and code in at least one programming language to develop models and carry out analysis.
K10: The role of the Operational Research team within their own organisation.
K11: The wider political, business and social context and how these external factors might affect their clients and analysis.
K12: The principles of Organisation theory. This includes how organisations work, change and behave. And how this impacts Operational Research practice, modelling and the uptake of findings.
K13: Ethical principles and processes that relate to Operational Research and how to ensure compliance.
K14: How regulatory frameworks, commercial and contract management collectively impact the practice of Operational Research.
K15: How Data Protection legislation is implemented across own and client organisation
K16: The importance and value of using expertise from your own internal/external networks when considering an Operational Research question.
K17: The techniques for managing client relationships from project initiation to closure.
K18: Project management principles and techniques; including people, risk, financial controls and budgets.
K19: How to translate information, insights and recommendations into client focused reports and presentations.
K20: How Operational Research has evolved and its impact on society.
K21: Techniques for managing and appraising your own personal and professional development.
K22: Techniques for supporting colleagues in their professional development through provision of feedback.
K23: The concepts of team dynamics and its relevancy to solving Operational Research problems. How to use this to create, lead and manage high performing and collaborative teams.
K24: The principles and techniques of quality assurance. This includes model structure and clarity, validation & verification, recording data sources, assumptions and documentation.
K25: How to balance actions and benefits that meet client needs with policy, legal, codes of practice and funding requirements.
Skills
S1: Structure a client's problem using a relevant informal or formal methodology.
S2: Conceptualise complex client problems into tractable operational research questions.
S3: Critically evaluate and synthesise data relevant to the client problem (including data provenance, scope and limitations).
S4: Manipulates, interrogate and manage raw data, using relevant methodology.
S5: Undertake exploratory data analysis. This includes identifying relationships, robustness and quality, covering both model generated data and external information sources.
S6: Exercise judgement by selecting the appropriate technique to design an approach to a client's problem.
S7: Use relevant software solutions to support the analysis of a client's problem.
S8: Creates a model to analyse a problem; applies an appropriate approach including programming, scripting, coding or using spreadsheets.
S9: Critically analyse the internal and external factors relevant to an Operational Research problem to determine a holistic approach. These factors include organisational structures, the political, business and social context.
S10: Apply holistic approaches to an Operational Research problem, taking into consideration internal and external factors.
S11: Recommend compliant solutions that address the client's problem.
S12: Source and use relevant internal/external technical expertise necessary to address the client's problem.
S13: Use appropriate methodologies to manage complex client relationships.
S14: Strategically manage all variables necessary to deliver timebound Operational Research recommendations. This includes, but is not limited to, people, risk, financial controls and budgets.
S15: Exercise judgement to deliver persuasive arguments that are objective and unbiased.
S16: Translate complex landscapes into client focused communications that balance rationale for recommendations with project limitations & compliance.
S17: Critically evaluate & address own developmental needs.
S18: Apply judgement to provide relevant and timely feedback when supporting colleagues' development.
S19: Use concepts of team dynamics to create, lead and manage high performing and collaborative teams.
S20: Operate autonomously within the limits of own authority and responsibility.
S21: Design and implement strategic approaches that motivates team members to achieve objectives.
S22: Exercise judgement in managing and using data in accordance with relevant legislation, organisational principles and governance.
S23: Validate quality by application of relevant quality assurance methodology.
Behaviours
B1: Adapts approach to meet client needs, whilst avoiding over-attachment to pre-determined or expected outcomes.
B2: Actively utilises diverse networks to enhance Operational research outcomes.
B3: Overcomes challenges and perseveres in order to deliver on time.
B4: Delivers client centric outcomes.
B5: Seeks out the latest Operational Research techniques in order to address client problems effectively.
B6: Adopts an analytical mindset to the client's problem.
B7: Seeks out proportionate and pragmatic response to client issues.
B8: Acts ethically and challenges unethical evidence/practice.
Duty 1
DUTY: Work with clients to understand a problem and capture their requirements; translating complex, non-routine, real-life customer and business problems into a clear structure and formulating specific questions that can be tackled through analysis of available data and modelling.
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
K10
K11
K12
K13
K14
K15
K16
K17
K18
K20
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
B1
B2
B4
B6
B7
Duty 2
DUTY: Use formal and informal methods (with their clients, subject matter experts, other interested parties) to understand the organisations’ systems and processes.
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K13
K14
K15
K16
K17
K18
K19
K25
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S13
S14
B1
B2
B4
B6
B7
Duty 3
DUTY: Relate their understanding of a client problem and organisational context to a set of Operational Research problem archetypes and select appropriate Operational Research methods.
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
K10
K11
K12
K13
K14
K15
K16
K17
K18
K19
K20
K25
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S12
S13
S14
S19
S21
B1
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
Duty 4
DUTY: Carry out analysis using a range of Operational Research methods, adapting and developing them to meet client needs whilst understanding their limitations.
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
K9
K13
K14
K15
K17
K18
K19
K22
K23
K25
S8
S9
S10
S12
S15
S16
S18
S23
B1
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
Duty 5
DUTY: Identify what data is available to help solve a problem and how to acquire it and manipulate it, applying appropriate data protection principles.
K4
K5
K6
K7
K8
K9
K13
K14
K15
S3
S4
S5
S8
S9
S10
S13
S14
S23
B2
B5
B6
Duty 6
DUTY: Develop and implement methods to quality assure their work and others’ analyses.
K1
K2
K3
K7
K8
K10
K11
K12
K19
K22
K23
K24
K25
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
B3
B5
B7
Duty 7
DUTY: Communicate their analysis and recommendations with impact to their clients, specialist and non-specialist audiences to help them make decisions; including the strengths and limitations of the analysis and underlying data.
K1
K2
K3
K7
K8
K10
K11
K12
K19
K24
K25
S1
S2
S6
S7
S11
S12
S16
S17
S18
S23
B1
B2
B6
B7
B8
Duty 8
DUTY: Manage operational research projects, budgets and staff.
K17
K18
K21
K24
S15
S18
S23
B1
B2
B4
B6
Duty 9
DUTY: Develop professional capability by tracking developments in the field of Operational Research and improve their managerial, networking and leadership skills.
K16
K21
S19
S20
S21
S22
B1
B5
B6
Duty 10
DUTY: Identify new opportunities for applying Operational Research techniques for their organisation or clients and disseminate and share best practice inside and outside of their organisation.
