Summary
A test manager takes ownership of delivery, creates the strategy and leads its implementation. At this role level, you will:
be responsible for test improvement and optimisation
potentially promote and advocate test capabilities internally and outside the government
take responsibility for talent, succession planning and supplier management
make important decisions relating to test within the context of the delivery environment
Work Activity Components
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Compliance analysis and reporting (Level 5) | Evaluates, appraises and identifies non-compliances with organisational standards, QMS and/or quality plans and determines whether appropriate quality control has been applied. |
| Client relations (Level 5) | Manages client relationships with respect to testing matters for the project or programme. Plans, arranges and facilitates where appropriate meetings, workshops and relations with client/user staff during test planning and throughout subsequent development and testing activities. |
| Testing execution and management (Level 5) | Manages all test processes including test plans, resources, costs, timescales, test deliverables and traceability. Takes responsibility for the integrity, and coordinates execution, of technology and/or acceptance testing activities for a development project or programme of projects. |
| Risk management (Level 5) | Ensures that any risks associated with test strategy and the system test plan are clearly documented and reported to the clients/users and colleagues as appropriate, in accordance with organisational processes. |
| Test planning (Level 5) | Within a development or integration project or programme, coordinates and manages the planning of system and/or acceptance testing, including software security testing. Where appropriate, establishes and plans the automated testing strategy for the project or programme, providing a platform for the testing team to automate previously manual scripts. |
| Testing approach (Level 5) | Defines and communicates the most appropriate test strategy for the project or programme. Cooperates with clients/users and senior staff as required to agree the testing strategy to be employed for the projects. Maintains awareness of testing alternatives at a level where they can be analysed and the most effective testing strategy selected and agreed. |
| Testing process improvement (Level 5) | Undertakes investigations to assess and advise on the practicality of testing process alternatives. Identifies process improvements, and contributes to corporate testing standards and definition of best practice. |
| Test Manager | |
| Guidance, performance and feedback (Level 4) | Provides direction, support and guidance as necessary, in line with individual's skills and abilities setting appropriate and effective boundaries. Sets achievable goals, monitoring and acknowledging performance and supporting individual and team development. Collects data on individual and team performance. Gives regular feedback to team members and leads them to achieve their full potential. |
| Formal appraisals (Level 4) | Conducts formal appraisals of the performance of team members. Facilitates a dialogue with team members about expectations, progress, performance and development needs. |
| Empowerment and role model (PEMT) (Level 4) | Facilitates effective working relationships between team members. Motivates team members to maintain a high level of performance. Engages with, and empowers team members. Acts as a role model for individuals and team members, setting a standard, acting professionally at all times and working to a professional code of conduct and ethics. |
Behavioural Skills
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Conceptual Thinking | Acquiring understanding and insights regarding the underlying issues in complex problems or situations through the development of abstract representations, the identification of patterns and the analysis of hypotheses. |
| Planning and Organisation | Determining a course of action by breaking it down into smaller steps and by planning and resourcing each of these, making allowance for potential problems and escalating if necessary. |
| Decision Making | Making decisions at the appropriate time, taking into account the needs of the situation, priorities, constraints, known risks, and the availability of necessary information and resources. |
| Goal Orientation | Maintaining focus on agreed objectives and deliverables. |
| Organisational Awareness | Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers. |
| Interacting with People | Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences. |
| Teamwork | Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal. |
| Providing Direction | Directing others to undertake specified tasks within a defined timescale. |
| Follow-up and Monitoring | Checking progress against targets, taking action to resolve exceptions/ issues and reporting and escalating where necessary. |
Technical Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Application Development Tools | Software tools which automate or assist part of the development process. | Familiar with |
| Corporate, Industry and Professional Standards | Applying relevant standards, practices, codes, and assessment and certification programmes to the specific organisation or business domain. | Proficient in |
| Test Management Techniques | Principles, methods, techniques and tools for the effective management of the testing process and the execution of tests throughout the lifecycle of development or integration projects. | Proficient in |
| Development Approach | Understanding and application of different development approaches e.g. iterative/ incremental methodologies (Agile, XP, TDD, SCRUM) or traditional sequential methodologies (Waterfall or V-Model). Irrespective of development methodology a DevOps approach may also be taken where development and operational staff work collaboratively. | Proficient in |
| DevOps | The collaborative approach consisting of agile practices, processes, and procedures designed to facilitate rapid IT service and product delivery. DevOps emphasizes people (and culture) and seeks to improve collaboration between development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams with the aim of shortening the systems development life cycle to provide continuous release of high-quality software. | Proficient in |
| Agile | A collection of methods, practises, tools and techniques, underpinned by the Agile Manifesto, that enable teams to deliver high value products and services in small, workable, increments. An Agile culture typically encompasses concepts such as Servant-Leaders; ceremonies, Stand-Ups, Sprints and Retrospectives; and the deployment of tools and techniques such as Backlogs and A/B Testing. | Proficient in |
Other Skills
| Title | Details | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation Techniques | Methods and techniques for delivering effective and accessible presentations, either face-to-face or online within various contexts and to a variety of audiences. | Familiar with |
| Appraisal Techniques | Methods and techniques for appraising an individual's performance and potential. | Familiar with |
| Techniques for Effective Meetings | Methods and techniques for running effective meetings and for understanding and influencing the roles played by participants. | Familiar with |
| Coaching Techniques | Methods and techniques for coaching individuals or groups by a balanced combination of support and direction, which could include use of virtual learning environments plus add-ons to augment feedback specific to work items, workflow or career plans. | Familiar with |
| Standards Writing Techniques | Principles, methods and techniques for establishing, documenting, and maintaining standards. | Familiar with |
| Project Planning and Control Techniques | Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of projects. | Familiar with |
| Resource Allocation | The effective and efficient routine deployment of resources, (but also including reassessment and reallocation in a dynamic multi-project environment), to achieve optimum results. | Familiar with |
| Stakeholder Engagement | Establishing relationships, analysing perspectives and managing stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Adapting stakeholder engagement style to meet the needs of different audiences. The identification of key business stakeholders and an assessment of their level of power and interests, and their perspectives to inform the way(s) in which they should be considered and managed. | Aware of |
| Performance Monitoring | Identifying, agreeing and monitoring (usually by face-to-face interviews) objectives and deliverables with individuals. Identifying under-performance issues against agreed quality standards and performance criteria. Identifying gaps in capability and causes, disciplinary or ability-related (needing assistance, training or other support). | Familiar with |
| Disciplinary Issues and Procedures | Managing episodes of unsatisfactory behaviour or performance in accordance with appropriate policies and legislative conformance. Includes changes to circumstances, such as sickness, disability and other personal issues. | Aware of |
Training
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Systems Development | Systems development, including development life-cycles and methods, organisation interfaces, typical corporate application architectures, project and programme management, risk management and change control. |
| Facilitation | Methods and techniques for managing (or facilitating) a meeting or group session (both face-to-face and online) and then through a series of planned activities the creation, by consensus, of products (e.g. lists of business issues, requirements, technical options, etc.). |
| Software Configuration | Installation, configuration and tuning of applications or systems software. |
| Coaching | Concepts, methods and techniques for providing coaching in subject specialisms to individuals or groups (e.g. GROW model). |
| Software Quality Assurance Techniques | Methods, techniques and standards for the quality assurance of the software development process. |
| Security Awareness | Tools and techniques to help users and employees understand the role they play in helping to combat information security breaches and for IT and security professionals to prevent and mitigate risk. |
Professional Development Activity (PDA)
| Title | Details | PDA Group |
|---|---|---|
| Deputising | Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence. | Broadening Activities |
| Job Shadowing and Special Assignments | Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures. | Broadening Activities |
| Mentoring | Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development. | Broadening Activities |
| Gaining Knowledge of Broader IT Issues | Increasing and maintaining currency of knowledge of broader IT issues through reading, attending and participating in seminars or conferences, special studies, temporary assignments etc. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Gaining Strategic Knowledge of Employing Organisation | Developing a comprehensive understanding of the business environment in which the employing organisation operates and its position, policies and direction in relation to health and care, country and global issues. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Participation in Professional Body Affairs | Taking an active part in professional body affairs at branch, specialist group, committee or board level. | Participation in Professional Activities |
| Negotiating and Influencing | Undertaking learning and practice of negotiating with and influencing others. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Management Development | Undertaking learning and best practice of the skills appropriate to managing all or part of an organisation, including business and financial management, benefits management, people management, management of change and strategic planning. This will require both on and off the job learning and may include participation in an appropriate development programme such as MBA or DMS (Diploma in Management Studies). | Developing Professional Skills |
Organisational Skill Name and Description
| Framework | Skill | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Functional testing Financial management involves planning, organising and monitoring financial resources. |
Practitioner Functional testing You can: design and execute a wide range of testing techniques and communicate test results to both technical and non-technical stakeholders make decisions on the environment for testing, and can coach others identify defects, alert the business to them, and help to prioritise them based on defect severity |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Non-functional testing Modern development standards involves using the latest technologies and best practices to improve the quality of the software development process. |
Awareness Non-functional testing You can: show an awareness of non-functional testing techniques execute non-functional test scenarios and identify defects run non-functional tests others have written and know the processes to do so understand a range of standard non-functional testing techniques |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Technical breadth |
Practitioner Technical breadth You can: demonstrate a good working knowledge of different tools and techniques, and can train others advise others on testing techniques and frameworks effectively research, plan and train others within the team |
| Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework |
Test analysis |
Practitioner Test analysis You can: think creatively, ask the right questions and critically evaluate and communicate findings to a larger team lead investigative work into problems and opportunities in existing processes drive the collection of information and the creation of recommendations for improvements absorb large amounts of conflicting information and use it to determine solutions |
Qualification Components
| Title | Awarding Bodies |
|---|---|
| FEDIP Advanced Practitioner | FEDIP - The Federation for Informatics Professionals in Health and Care |
| ISTQB-BCS Advanced Test Manager | BCS - The Chartered Institute of IT |
The Professional Body Responsible for this job family is BCS. This job role profile was created in collaboration with BCS, using Role Model Plus.