Skills audits

This exercise is great for helping groups to work out what skills and knowledge they need. There is a second part to the exercise which gets groups to work out, recognise and celebrate who can already do what.

Preparation

• Look through the skills and knowledge cards. You can add extra topics according to the group and local circumstances.
• Print them off. You can print them directly onto labels (Avery J8160 or equivalent) and stick onto cards; or print them onto card and cut them out.
• Print off a set of the three category cards too.
• You'll also need a set of stickers or marker pens in different colours.

With the group...

• Introduce the idea of a skills audit - have a look at the supporting information (.PPT, 15.5KB) for details.
• Put all the skills and knowledge cards out on a table. Ask the group if they can see any specific skills or knowledge that are missing, and fill in the blank cards. Don't let people remove any cards!
• Get people to turn over all the cards with a skill or knowledge that the group already possesses. Once turned over, they can't be turned back.
• Collect up all the cards that have been turned over and put them on the "Skills and knowledge we already have" category card.

Part 1: identifying skills needs

• Ask the group to look at the cards left on the table. Get them to decide whether to put the cards on the "Skills and knowledge we need" or the "Skills and knowledge we don't need" category cards.
• When finished, the cards on the "Skills and knowledge we need"  pile are the starting point for learning and development, or recruiting new people.

If you've got time and energy (or you can always do this another time...)

Part 2: Identifying current group skills and knowledge

• Go back to the pile of skills and knowledge cards on top of the "Skills and knowledge we already have" category card, and turn them back over.
• Ask people to put their own colour sticker or mark on any card that names a skill or knowledge that they have (don't forget to produce a colour key, so people can work out who can do what).
• You can use this information to celebrate the group's existing skills and knowledge. It's also a basis for looking at how skills and knowledge can be shared in the group (but remember there's no guarantee that people are up to date with the skill or knowledge they've got).

Don't forget to look at hints and tips (.DOC, 29 KB).