INCOSE Systems Engineering Competency Framework ( ISECF)

INCOSE
Systems Engineering
Competency Framework
( ISECF )
Leganés (Madrid) , Spain, 20th June 2019
Bernardo A. Delicado
INCOSE Competency Working Group (CWG)
Bernardo.Delicado@incose.org

Systems Engineers from
FIVE continents
4
How to ensure effective Systems
Engineering deployment in Projects and
Organizations ?
WHY is key the above question
( see next slide )
Competency is a common
and shared concern of
Systems Engineers worldwide

Technical complexity continue
to grow over time
5
Programs that have missed their
commitments reveal many root causes,
including the use of immature
technologies, lack of appropriate
levels of systems engineering
discipline, and a plethora of complex
engineering changes.

Contents
6
• Introduction
• Systems Engineering Competencies within
INCOSE
• New Systems Engineering Framework
• Terminology, definitions, and expectations
• Examples of Systems Engineering Models
• INCOSE Systems Engineering Competency
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Contents
7
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

The practice of Systems
Engineering is…..
8
…..a balance between Systemic and Systematic
aspects:
Systemic - thinking about the whole system, its
context and stakeholders
Systematic - following a structured approach to
the realization of the system
( INCOSE UK website )

Systemic
System
(system of
interest )
Sistematic
System Life Cycle
System
MODEL
PROBLEM
/NEED
SYSTEM
SOLUTION
Product/
Service
lens
refers to the holistic appreciation
of the problem/system of interest,
considering its context,
stakeholders, and the
interrelationships and
interconnections
( SYSTEMS THINKING )
refers to taking a structured, orderly
approach to solve the problem and to
implement the system
SOFT
HARD
System
MODEL
Copyright © 2019 B Delicado prepared by the author

Relevant Characteristics of
Systems Engineers
10
Systems Engineers are the glue that enables a
complex project to succeed
• Most good Systems Engineers are “T-shaped people“
• Broad understanding across domains/disciplines
• Deep specialist competence in systems approaches
• May also have secondary disciplines
• MOST systems engineers are interesting, and inquisitive people
open to new ideas
( INCOSE UK website )

T Model for SE Career Development
12
HW …
DEEP Large Project Lead
BREATH
Educational Disciplines
SW…
Experience
Mentoring&Life-LongLearning
Program Lead
Small project Lead
Systems Program LeadBSMSPhD
Education
Technical Contributor
( 1 - 4 years )
Team Participant
( 5 - 8 years )
Senior Systems
Engineer
( 13 - 20 years)
Systems Engineering
Leader
( >20 years)
Systems
Engineer
( 9 - 12 years)
Kossiakoff et al ( 2011)

Contents
13
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Most Relevant Activities on SE
Competencies
• Understanding what makes an
Effective Systems Engineer
o INCOSE Competency Working Group
o INCOSE Competency Framework
• Qualifications
o INCOSE SE Certification
14

CWG Scope
15
• Focused on the development and continual improvement of the SE Role
Based Competency Framework and Assessment Guide through collaboration
with users, academia, industry and Working Groups as it relates to changes in
SE processes and methods employed throughout a product or system
lifecycle.
• Maintain a broad membership to enhance knowledge base.
• Evaluate competency alignment with other organizations/functions such as
Program Management.
• Ensure consistency of product with INCOSE SE Handbook and Certification.
• Produce papers for publication.
• Provide training related to framework content and assessment capabilities.
• Collaborate with the INCOSE Professional Development Initiative with training
needs assessments.

CWG : Award for Product of the
Year
16
At IW 2019 Competency
Working Group was selected
to receive an award for
Product of the Year in 2018.
This award intended to
recognize the Competency
Working Group for publishing
the
INCOSE Systems Engineering
Competency Framework

INCOSE Competency Framework
(ISECF)
17
• This is a generic
framework. It can be
applied in the context of
any application, project,
organization or enterprise
for both individual and/or
organizational assessment
and/or development.
https://www.incose.org/products-and-publications/competency-framework

INCOSE SEP Architecture
18
Multi-Level Base Credentials
The base ASEP, CSEP, and ESEP
credentials cover the breadth of
systems engineering at increasing
levels of leadership,
accomplishments, and
experience.
Copyright by INCOSE. All rights reserved.

Contents
19
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

INCOSE BoD tasked CWG
20
In 2014, INCOSE leadership tasked the Competency Working Group
( CWG ) with two objectives:
• The first objective was to evolve the former INCOSE UK Competency
Framework to a globally accepted (i.e., approved for release as an
INCOSE product) and marketed standard competency framework,
based on systems engineering effectiveness, that could be used to
produce competency models tailored to the needs of organizations.
This is an important distinction, the competency framework is not itself
a competency model.
• The second objective was to create a globally used standard
assessment instrument/tool based on the competency framework
that is tailorable to the needs of the customer organizations.

Done so far and on-going activities
21
• Originally developed in UK ( 2005 )
o Adopted as an INCOSE Technical Product in UK
o Defines competencies of a Systems Engineer
o In use by UK industry and Government.
• Version 1.0 ( 2018 )
o Evolution to a role-based competency framework that is extensible,
scalable, and can be tailored adding the Concepts of Roles and
Activities.
o Enhance the proficiency levels by adding a new level: Senior Practitioner
• On-going ( 2020 )
o Assessment Guide Development
o Use cases

Contents
22
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Competency
• A measure of an individual’s ability in
terms of their knowledge, skills, and
behaviour to perform a given role
Holt and Perry (2011)
23

Competence vs Competency
• Competence – the ability to do something well;
• Competency – an important skill that is needed to do a
job.
The key difference here is that competence reflects the
total ability of the individual, whereas a competency is a
single skill; (hopefully) one of many that the individual will
hold. The sum of an individual’s competencies will make up
their competence and it is these individual competencies
that are assessed to provide an overall indication of
competence.
Holt and Perry ( 2011)
24

Capability vs Competence
• Capability describes the ability of an organization or
organizational unit.
• Competence describes the ability of an individual
to do something.
Holt and Perry ( 2011)
25

Individual Competence
Leads to Organizational, System & Operational Capability
27
SEBoK Version 1.9.1 Copyright © 2018 by BKCASE. All rights reserved.

Future of Systems Engineering
Competencies
F R O M
• The competency of today’s systems engineer vary
significantly in the depth and breadth of their
systems engineering knowledge. Their
competencies are often based on their domain
specific engineering background.
TO
• The expected competencies of a systems engineer
will be more consistently defined and broadened to
support the expanded systems engineering roles.
28
INCOSEa ( 2014 )

How to develop your Systems
Engineering Competencies
• Experiences ( most critical factor ) : position,
chronological time, number of organizations, roles,
lifecycle phases, and systems ( domain, type and
level )
• Mentoring arrangements
• Attending conferences
• Individual reading
• Certification
• Online courses
• Education & Training
29
SEBoK Version 1.9.1 Copyright © 2018 by BKCASE. All rights reserved.

Roles and Competencies
• A typical systems engineering role varies from
managing requirements to being the technical
leader on a project.
• A job role is a description of what a person does. A
job title is a convenient name for a role.
• A role is the part that is played within a specific
work process within the company.
30

Mismatch Personal Competencies
vs Role Competencies
31SEBoK Version 1.9.1 Copyright © 2018 by BKCASE. All rights reserved.
Critical

Examples of SE Roles
32
Roles Focused on the System Being Developed:
• Concept Creator
• Requirements Owner
• Systems Architect
• System Integrator
• System Analyst
• Detailed Designer
• V&V Engineer
• In-Service Support Engineer
Roles Focused on SE Process and Organization:
• Systems Engineering Capability Manager
• Process Engineer
Roles Focused on Teams That Build Systems:
• Customer Interface
• Technical Manager
• Information Manager
• Coordinator
• Instructor/Teacher

Contents
33
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

34
Examples of Competency Models
DAU Systems Planning, Research, Development and
Engineering (SPRDE) APPEL Model for Systems Engineers NASA
US Navy’s SE Competency Career Model (SECCM) MITRE Systems Engineering Competency Model

Competency Models/Frameworks
are used ( Uses Cases )
35
• Recruiting
• Assessing Candidates
• Improving Education and Training Programs
• Identifying Resources for Professional Development
• Aligning Curriculum
• Developing Career Paths
• Others

Contents
36
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Why was the ISECF created?
• The INCOSE Competency Working Group (CWG)
produced the framework to improve the practice of
Systems Engineering.
• The framework along with adoption of effective
competency management approaches is intended
to be used by customer organizations to produce
competency models specifically tailored to their
unique needs.
37

Aligned with
• US Navy’s SE Competency Career Model (SECCM)
• DAU Competency Model and Acquisition Workforce
Qualification Initiative (AWQI)
• INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook V 4.0
• INCOSE Professional Development Initiative
• Systems Engineering Research Center’s Helix Study
• Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK Part 5)
38

INCOSE SE Role-Based Competency
Framework Architecture
39
INCOSEb ( 2018 )

Framework Architecture
40
A set of 36 competencies for Systems Engineering
INCOSEb (2018 )

Framework Taxonomy
41INCOSEb (2018 )

Proficiency Level Table
42
INCOSEb (2018 )

How will the ISECF help me?
• The framework is expected to be tailored to suit the
application and domain in which it is applied,
combining competencies identified herein with
others taken from complimentary frameworks (e.g.
Program Management, Human Resources,
Aerospace, Medical), or generated
organizationally, to define the required knowledge,
skills and behaviours appropriate to an area or role.
46

Contents
47
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Conclusions
• INCOSE Competency Framework creates generic role
statements embedding Systems Engineering
competencies into the people that make up the
enterprise.
• Role statements can be considered the “requirements” for
the individuals who make up the enterprise (the system).
• A role statement must be a combination of describing
what the role does (activities) and the competencies
(knowledge, skills, abilities & behaviors) that the
individual needs to perform the activities.
• INCOSE Competency Framework is only a guide – the
definitions of Systems Engineering roles must be consistent
with the HR policies of the organization.
48

Contents
49
• Introduction
INCOSE
Framework ( ISECF )
• Conclusions
• Final Proposal

Final Proposal
• AEIS BoD ( Spanish Chapter of INCOSE ) is tasking members to
set-up a national Competency Working Group.
• The scope is : Understanding of practice in our country in all
domains and sectors, their specific needs of systems
engineering practitioners, promote the systems engineering
career path in our organizations, guide for systems engineering
development and adaptation of ISECF to our reality.
I encourage you to participate in this initiative
If you decide to participate! Send us an e-mail
contact@aeis-incose.org
50

51
Drive your professional life forward
having competence
THANK YOU

References
• Holt, Jon; Perry, Simon ( 2011), “ A PRAGMATIC GUIDE TO COMPETENCY Tools,
Frameworks and Assessment”, ISBN 978-1-906124-70-0
• INCOSEa ( 2014 ) , “ A World in Motion – Systems Engineering Vision 2025”
Copyright ©2014 by INCOSE
• INCOSEb ( 2018 ), “ Systems Engineering Competency Framework”, INCOSE
Technical Product Reference: INCOSE-TP-2018-002-01.0
• Kossiakoff, Alexander; Sweet, William N.; Seymour, Samuel J. ; Biemer; Steven
M. ( 2011), “ Systems Engineering Principles and Practice”, ISBN: 978-0- 470-
40548-2, Wiley , 2nd Edition
• NASA (2007), “ NPR 7123.1A - NASA Interim Directive (NID) - NASA Systems
Engineering Processes and Requirements”, NASA Procedural Requirements -
March 26, 2007
52

INCOSE Systems Engineering Competency Framework ( ISECF)

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