Lifelong Learning UK
Discussion document on a draft framework
for new National Occupational Standards
for the libraries, archives and information services workforce
For discussion at the Project Steering Group on 4 December 2006
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
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Introduction
Lifelong Learning UK is developing a new approach to how National Occupational Standards
(NOS) are expressed, in preparation for the design of new types of vocational qualifications
within the new national credit and qualifications frameworks – the Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework and the Qualifications and Credit Framework for England, Wales
and Northern Ireland – to facilitate better progression routes within and across related
qualification pathways.
This new approach to standards describes in generic terms the skills, knowledge and
attributes required of the libraries, archives and information services workforce and produces
a statement of workforce capabilities that are not levelled in relation either to roles within the
workforce or to qualification levels.
The standards will provide the basis for identifying role specifications which are used to
disaggregate from the “over-arching” standards the knowledge and skills requirements that
apply to particular roles in the workforce and to then develop the units of assessment (each
written to a common template) that will form qualifications.
The identification and validation of appropriate role specifications requires further
investigation, but for the purpose of this discussion these roles might be:
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Service Support Staff
Practitioner
Expert (or Advanced) Practitioner
Operational Manager
Strategic Manager
Creating a full role specification, and the resulting qualification pathway, will require the
inclusion of “areas of capability” (or units) from other NOS such as administration (the
Council for Administration), leadership and management (the Management Standards
Centre) and the IT user standards (e-skills UK). It is not anticipated that individuals within
the workforce would be required to develop and demonstrate all of the capabilities within the
standards. This will depend on job role.
In order to achieve occupational standards that embody the mainstream capabilities of the
workforce, the primary focus of the standards is on the Service Support Staff and Practitioner
roles. It is considered, for the purposes of this discussion document, that the Expert
Practitioner role is a development of the Practitioner role, based on occupational experience,
self-reflection and appropriate CPD; whereas the management roles embody significant
generic leadership and management capabilities.
The standards framework is divided into a number of domains (or areas of capability) which
comprise, with the exception of some generic capabilities in domain A, those functional
capabilities that differentiate the libraries, archives and information services workforce from
other workforce groups. It does not include functional areas of capability (or units) imported
from other NOS, but in its final form it is intended to include signposting to other relevant
NOS. The framework may include some specific capabilities that are also appropriate to
other workforce groups, but they are contextualised to meet the requirements of the libraries,
archives and information services workforce.
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
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The standards framework
The standards framework comprises the following areas of capability that, with the
exception of Domain A – generic skills, are specific to the libraries, archives and
information services workforce:
Domain A
Generic skills
Domain B
Identify the need for and procure information
Domain C
Manage and organise information
Domain D
Retrieve information
Domain E
Analyse and interpret information
Domain F
Promote and facilitate access to information
In addition, some areas of capability from the following National Occupational
Standards are required to create a complete role profile:
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Leadership and management
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IT user skills
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Customer care
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Conservation
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Teaching in the learning and skills sector
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Learning support
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Retail
Values and attitudes
Activity is underpinned by a set of values and attitudes…
These statements could be the existing codes produced by CILIP and the Society of
Archivists, or LLUK could commission new work in this area.
(Check for similar codes in local government and the civil service)
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
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Domain A – Generic skills
Example layout to give an example of what the standards could look like.
Explanation of each domain would be set out here.
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
AK1 – what it means to treat people fairly
and integrate diversity into the workplace
and in to the delivery of services to users
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
AK2 – implementing effective health and
safety procedures in the workplace
AS2 – able to demonstrate appropriate
literacy, numeracy and ICT skills
(signposting to employability skills)
AS3 – able to work effectively as a
member of a team
AK3 – the importance and value of
working in partnership with other
agencies or other departments across a
larger organisation
AS1 – able to deal with and solve issues
that arise on a day-to-day-basis
AK4 - You know and understand your
role in an emergency in the workplace
AS4 – able to demonstrate adaptability
and flexibility in their work role
AK5 - You know and understand the
organisation’s service delivery and
development plans, and your role within
these
AK6 – understand why it is importance to
reflect on what you do and consider how
your performance or the procedures you
use can be improved to add value
AK7 – understand the need to update
your knowledge and skills
AS5 – communicate effectively face-toface and in writing
AK8 - You know and understand the
relevant legislation that applies to the
provision of lais
AK9 - You know and understand relevant
organisational procedures
AS6 – able to demonstrate commitment
to improving the ways in which services
are delivered
AS7 – demonstrate a commitment to
continuing personal development
You are able to identify those occasions
when you need to refer to a senior
colleague for a variation to normal
organisational procedures
The above are example statements of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only –
this is not a complete listing of capabilities
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
(H&S)
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
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Domain B – Identify the need for and procure information
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
R4/9 and A4/9 – Discover and organise information
R4/10 – Accession archival material
R4/11 – Identify material for voluntary acquisition
R4/12 – Acquire archival material
IL2/1(M) – Identify and provide information and material required by users
IL3/2(M) – Identify information and material required by user, and its availability
IL3/7 – Create new material to preserve information
IL4/1(M) – Identify a strategy to meet a user’s complex information needs
IL4/2(M) – Determine the requirements for information and material
IL4/10 – Investigate the use of information and library services
IL4/14 – Select information and material for acquisition
IL4/15 – Acquire information and material
A2/2(M) – Obtain and replace archival material
A3/8 – Create new material to preserve information
A4/2(M) – Identify material for voluntary acquisition
A4/3 (M) – Acquire archival material
A4/5(M) – Identify a strategy to meet a user’s complex information needs
Below is an example of a statement of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only –
this is not a complete listing of capabilities
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
BK1 - You know and understand
organisational procedures relating to the
acquisition and disposal of resources
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
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Domain C – Manage and organise information
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
R2/2 – Protect records
R2/3 – Maintain the arrangement of records
R2/4 and R3/5 – Administer the current records system
R2/5 and R 3/6 – Administer records in a records centre
R2/6 – Secure information and material
R3/9 – Organise information and material
R4/2(M) and A4/12 – Schedule the retention and deletion of records
R4/3(M) and A13 – Direct records retention and disposal procedures
R4/4(M) and A4/15 – Protect and recover records
R4/8 and A4/14 – Review the records management programme
IL2/1(M) – Maintain the arrangement of material to facilitate retrieval
IL2/5 – Issue and recover loan material
IL2/9 – Process and secure information and material
IL3/16 – Store and display information and material
IL4/16 – Withdraw unwanted information and material
A2/1(M) – Issue and recover archival material
A2/7 – Process and secure information and material
A3/1(M) – Issue and recover archival material
A3/4(M) – Contribute to the care of items (CHNTO)
A3/6 – Store archival material
A3/7 – Accession archival material
Below is an example statement of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only – this is
not a complete listing of capabilities
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
CK1 - You understand books,
manuscripts, photographs, microforms
and electronic materials and you know
how they should be handled to prevent
damage
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
CS1 - You demonstrate awareness of
archival best practice and of the relevant
British Standards
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Domain D – Retrieve and provide information
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
IL2/1(M) – Identify and provide information and material required by users
IL3/1(M) – Provide information and material to users
Below is an example statement of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only – this is
not a complete listing of capabilities
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
DK1 - You are aware of the range of
sources available to meet user needs
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
DS1 - You are able to establish user
information needs and timescale
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Domain E – Analyse, structure and interpret information
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
IL4/13 and R4/13 – Abstract information
IL3/5 and 4/11 – Organise information and material (cat & class)
IL3/6 and IL4/12 and A4/10 – Index information
R4/1(M) and A4/11 – Identify a hierarchy of records
R3/2 – Maintain and develop a records classification system
A3/9 – Create single level list
A4/1(M) – Accession archival material
A4/4(M) – Sort archival material and create multi-level list
Below is an example statement of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only – this is
not a complete listing of capabilities
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
EK1 - Understand the need for accurate
and consistent metadata and are able to
apply appropriate quality assurance
procedures
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
ES1 - Can use taxonomy and thesaurus
New areas of capability:
Design of simple websites using HTML
Writing for the web (web authoring)
Content management
e-publishing
digitisation
IT user skills:
Spreadsheets, Databases, DTP software
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
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Domain F – Promote and facilitate access to information
Mapping of 2000 NOS:
A2/3(M) and A3/2(M) – Help the user obtain access to archival material
A2/5 – Contribute to the maintenance of a supportive environment for users
A3/3 – Maintain a supportive environment for users
A2/6 – Direct users
A3/10 – Provide displays
A4/5(M) – Identify a strategy to meet a user’s complex needs for assistance
A4/7 – Plan the display of information and material
A4/8 – Market and promote the service
IL2/4 – Direct users
IL2/10 – Contribute to the maintenance of a supportive environment for users
IL2/11 – Display stock to specification to attract customer interest and promote sales
IL3/10 – Provide displays
IL3/13 – Provide induction and orientation activities for users
IL3/15 – Enable clients to access and use information
IL3/19 – Create effective working relationships (MCI)
IL4/3 – Plan the display of information and material
IL4/5 – Educate users to make the best use of the service
IL4/6 – Market and promote the service
IL 4/7 – Support and advise individual learners (L&D)
R2/1(M) and R3/1(M) – Provide authorised access to records
R4/5(M) – Identify a strategy to meet a user’s complex needs for assistance
R4/14 – Educate users to make the best use of the service
Below is an example statements of knowledge and skills, for discussion purposes only – this is
not a complete listing of capabilities
Knowledge and understanding
All individuals within the workforce
have a knowledge and understanding
of the following at a level appropriate
to their role:
FK1 – understand the need to promote
resources, services and facilities
Discussion document on LAIS NOS framework
Skills / behaviours / outcomes
All individuals within the workforce
have the following skills at a level
appropriate to their role:
FS1 – actively suggest new ways to
promote services and ideas for publicity
materials
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Sources:
Generic skills development in local government - progress report March 2004.
Employers Organisation, 2004.
Information literacy competency standards for higher education. [US] Association of
College & Research Libraries, 2000. Accessed on Nov 06 at
www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm
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