Enabling Individuals

The purpose of this knowledge area is to point to the current knowledge on organizing systems engineering competency of individuals and methods used to create and develop this competency. It provides a summary of existing literature on SE competency, guidelines for assessing competency needs, strategies for gap closure, and ideas for the maintenance of competency plans. In addition, possible future work in this area is described. The aim of the chapter is to provide the reader with enough understanding of SE competency to create a customized approach for use by organizations and individuals. Specific examples are discussed and referenced to assist in this customization.

Individual, Team, and Organizational Competency

SE competency resides in individuals, teams, and organizations. An expert systems engineer might possess a full suite of SE competencies. A high-performing SE team might consist of individuals who each have a smaller subset of competencies but collectively demonstrate the full complement of the required SE competencies. An organization might have a list of SE competencies critical in their SE organization and a strategy for combining individual and team competencies for organizational competency in SE execution. Competency is considered a subset of capability. Capability includes not just the human capital but the machines, tools, and equipment as well. Systems engineering performance is a function of competency, capability, and capacity. Competency is built from knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes (KSAA). These are developed through education and experience. Traditionally, systems engineering competencies have been developed primarily through experience. Recently, education has taken on a much greater role in the development of systems engineering competencies. SE competency must be viewed through its relationship to the systems life cycle, the system engineering discipline, and the domain where the engineer practices systems engineering. Competency models for systems engineering must include the discipline and life cycle knowledge and skills. These models may also include an added dimension for the domain and perhaps for mission areas where the systems are applied. Each competency model typically includes a set of applicable competencies along with a scale for assessing the level of proficiency of each competency or competency area in the model. Individual competency models are typically used for three purposes:

====*Recruitment and selection – Competencies define categories for behavioral-event interviewing, increasing the validity and reliability of selection and promotion decisions. They also let candidates know what behaviors are valued within their organization.====

*Education, training and development – Curriculum can be designed around desired competencies.

Competency models are relatively new to the systems engineering community, having been developed over the past ten years. Most existing models were developed to characterize individual competency, not team competency. Systems are designed, managed, and operated by teams, and the competency of the team directly affects the system. The team competency is not a direct summation of the competency of the individuals on the team, since team dynamics and interpersonal issues complicate the combination of individual competencies at the team level. Since most large, complex systems are designed and managed by teams, this is an area of opportunity in the literature. The Organizing Teams, Projects, and Programs to Perform Systems Engineering knowledge area specifically will address grouping of individuals to perform SE. To date, a consensus on SE competencies and competency models has not yet emerged.

The Nature and Role of Systems Engineering Standards

A major role of a profession is to standardize the terminology, measurement methods, and process methods used in national and international practice of the profession. The goal is to enable professionals, educators, and organizations to communicate internationally, and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of professional practice. The knowledge area Systems Engineering Standards provides comprehensive description of standards that are related to the practice of systems engineering. As the systems engineering profession evolves, the corresponding competencies required to support the discipline also evolve.

Bodies of Knowledge

The definition of requisite SE competencies evolves as the body of knowledge evolves. A body of knowledge, describing the organization and principal elements of a discipline, provides a foundation for a profession that supports curriculum development, certification and licensing, continuing professional education, and a code of ethics and professional conduct. The following bodies of knowledge have been influential in systems engineering:

*Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

BKCASE is intended to provide such a body of knowledge for systems engineering.

Topics

The topics contained within this knowledge area include:

• Personal Systems Engineering Competencies and Performance
• Personal Systems Engineering Development
• Ethical Systems Engineering

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