JULY 2013
MENTAL SKILLS This factor measures the Mental Skills required for the job. It includes analytical, problem solving and judgement skills. It also includes creative and developmental skills, whether related to design, handling of people or development of policies and procedures; and planning and strategic skills. It takes into account requirements to gather, collate and analyse the facts needed to solve problems; and also requirements for imaginative thinking. Level 1:
The job requires judgement skills, in order to identify straightforward solutions to simple problems.
Level 2:
The job requires judgement or creative skills, where there is some need to interpret information or situations and to solve straightforward problems.
Level 3:
The job requires analytical and judgement or creative and developmental skills, where there is need to interpret information or situations and to solve varied problems or develop solutions or plans over the short term.
Level 4:
The job requires analytical and judgement or creative and developmental skills to analyse and interpret complex information or situations and to solve difficult problems or develop solutions or plans over the medium term.
Level 5:
The job requires analytical and judgement or creative and developmental skills to analyse and interpret varied and complex information or situations and to produce solutions or strategies over the long term.
Level 6:
The job requires analytical and judgement or creative and developmental skills to analyse and interpret very varied and highly complex information or situations and to produce solutions or strategies over the long term.
MENTAL SKILLS - GUIDANCE 1.
In this context, "planning" has its normal dictionary definition of: "the establishment of goals, policies and procedures for a social or economic unit", rather than any specific meaning in the local authority context, for example, town and country planning or economic development. Similarly, "analytical" has its normal dictionary meaning of:
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