Page - 52 - in The Future of Software Quality Assurance

52 P.Gerrard 3.3 TSPIsaLearningandDevelopment Scheme Clearly, TSP is more than a few daysclassroom training.The training must be part of a more comprehensive L&D regime. Training can impart new ideas, concepts and skills, but to trigger new behaviours, these skills must be embedded in the practitioners’mindandalignedwith localwaysofworking. Foreveryhourof trainingmaterial, thereneeds tobe1–2hsupport,assignments andpracticalworktoachievethegoalofnewbehaviours.Employersareencouraged to support learners by answering their questions and providing local logistics knowledgetocomplete the learningprocess. When learners do receive line manager support, 94% go on to apply what they learned. There’s a positive correlation between the transfer of learning to the workplace, line manager support and performance improvement. (Kevin Lovell, Learning Strategy Director atKnowledgePool) 3.4 TheSkills Inventory The initial workof the ProgramMemberswas to define the rangeof skills required foratestingpractitioner.Itwasunderstoodattheoutsetthat therangeofskillsmeant that there had to be a graduated set of L&D schemes. The Skills Inventory would be a shopping list of topics that could be part of Foundation,Advancedor Mastery level schemes. ThesummaryTopicAreas in the inventoryappearbelow: • AdaptingTesting • AdvancedTesting • Agile TestingApproaches • Assertiveness • Certification • ChallengingRequirements • Collaboration • Communication • Critical Thinking • DeveloperTesting • ExploratoryTesting • ExploringSourcesofKnowledge • Facilitation • HiringTesters • Instrumentation • Modelling • Monitoring • Non-FunctionalTesting • Process Improvement