UpSkill is a guaranteed, delivery focused, skills transfer programme. It helps organisations adopting RUP and the IBM Rational Tools control their costs by providing measurable skills uplift on a fixed price basis. The fixed price allows demonstration of the return on investment using industry standard software economic cost models.

UpSkill helps reduce the risks associated with adopting a new software development process and tool set. UpSkill helps live projects to deliver using the new process and tools by giving the required level of support to the project, addressing the skills transfer required, using regular metrics to track and monitor progress and giving complete coverage, encompassing process, tools and environment. UpSkill creates a safe learning environment which focuses on project delivery.

UpSkill engages with an organisation at each level:-

• enterprise
• programme
• project
• practitioner

At the enterprise level, UpSkill focuses on strategy, helping to define a long-term framework for the development of software assets which match the enterprise structure.

At the programme level, a benefits management regime ensures that programmes recognise and realise the targeted benefits of RUP implementation. These will include the contribution to software assets and a demonstrable return on investment from improved software development efficiency. UpSkill helps an organisation to achieve self sufficiency and removes third party dependency by development of an internal roll-out capability for RUP and the Rational Tools through the development of internal mentors and management capability in the use of UpSkill. UpSkill helps create the environment and support necessary to support projects adopting RUP and the Rational tools. This is achieved through creating management awareness of RUP and the Rational tools, and introducing resource planning and project progress measures that are compatible with iterative development. By engaging at the programme level, UpSkill helps achieve continuity in RUP roll-out, avoiding the dispersion of skills that often occurs when individual projects adopt new processes.

At the project level, UpSkill engages with whole projects to ensure all project members get the support they need. Through the programme level engagement, UpSkill can ensure successful project start-up by engaging with projects from the start and providing the critical support needed at the beginning of a project. This allows the training and mentoring to be scheduled into the project plan. At the project level, UpSkill is delivery focused, providing the support needed to ensure project success. This includes seeding of key roles by experts to reduce the risk of failure.

At the practitioner level, UpSkill engagement focuses on skills transfer and support. UpSkill uses a structured skills uplift model based around Learning Streams. Skills transfer is measured through skills assessment and leads to certification when project members have acquired the skills required to do their job. The skills transfer is planned through Personal Learning Plans, with delivery through training, pro-active mentoring and continuous assessment.

Project Members are assigned to one of the Learning Streams, which broadly correspond to the Disciplines in RUP. This is more practical than addressing the individual RUP roles, and encourages team integration through group learning.

Prior to joining the training and mentoring programme, each project member takes an initial skills assessment related to their role on the project. Their current skill levels are baselined as a reference point against which to measure skills uplift, and skill areas requiring improvement are recorded on a Personal Learning Plan. Each project member is considered unique and will receive the training, mentoring and support that fit their individual circumstances.

The initial assessment results in each individual being assigned one of these grades:-

• Novice
• Improver
• Competent
• Expert

Find out more about Improvix Skills Assesment.

Following the Initial Assessment, a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) is prepared for each project member. The PLP is the means by which an individual?s training and mentoring needs are recorded and their progress is tracked. It is a living document, owned jointly by the project member and their assigned mentor and updated continuously until certification at the required level. It records:-

• Past experience and training
• Required skills with target and current skill levels
• Action plan
• Achievement record

As learning proceeds, the PLP is updated with a re-assessment of the skill levels. Actions necessary to aid skills development, typically project activities, are identified and agreed and accomplishments recorded. When the target skill levels are achieved, readiness for re-assessment and certification is indicated

Classroom based training provides project members with the necessary underlying knowledge to support the skills development requirements identified in their Personal Leaning Plan. The curriculum identifies common training courses for all project members and specialist courses for each learning stream.

Training is delivered just in time as project activities demand and as scheduled through the PLP Action Plan. The courses are tailored to reflect the organisation?s process and tools configuration. Find out more about Improvix Classroom-based training.

Mentoring is driven by project artefacts and activities. It starts in Inception with the Project Manager being given help to prepare the project plan which provides the opportunity to include the training and mentoring in the plan. This helps the training to be delivered when it is needed ("just in time"), and for the mentoring to be aligned with project activity, thus avoiding training and mentoring being seen as optional.

The mentoring approach is pro-active, based around tutorial workshops, desk-side mentoring and reviews - project members are shown how to perform activities, helped to do them, and then the work is checked to see that it has been done properly. Find out more about Improvix Mentoring.