Track for Band 3 associate quality assurance test analyst

• 1: Gives and receives routine information orally, mainly with colleagues.
• 2: Gives and receives routine information orally, in writing, or electronically, with colleagues and others.
• 3: Gives routine information needing tact or persuasion, or complex or sensitive information, or straightforward training to groups.
• 4: Gives complex, sensitive, or contentious information needing persuasion, negotiation, or training skills, or highly complex information.
• 5: Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.
• 6: Gives highly complex, highly contentious information where there are significant barriers to acceptance, using the highest level of communication skills.

• 1: A few routine procedures, learned on the job in a short induction.
• 2: A range of routine procedures, learned through on-the-job training and induction.
• 3: A range of procedures, some non-routine, needing base-level theory (for example a level 3 qualification or equivalent experience).
• 4: A range of procedures, mostly non-routine, needing intermediate theory (for example a foundation degree or equivalent experience).
• 5: Expertise in a specialism, underpinned by theory or practical experience (degree level or equivalent).
• 6: Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).
• 7: Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).
• 8: Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period.

• 1: Judgements on straightforward facts or situations.
• 2: Judgements on facts or situations, some needing analysis.
• 3: Judgements on a range of facts or situations needing analysis or comparison of options.
• 4: Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.
• 5: Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.

• 1: Organises own day-to-day work.
• 2: Plans straightforward tasks or activities, some ongoing.
• 3: Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.
• 4: Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.
• 5: Forms long-term strategic plans, with uncertainty and effects across the organisation.

• 1: Little need for physical skills.
• 2: Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.
• 3: Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.
• 4: Highly developed skills needing precision or speed and high hand–eye coordination.
• 5: The highest level of precision, speed, and coordination.

• 1: Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.
• 2: Gives general non-clinical advice, information, or services directly to patients or the public.
• 3: Gives personal care, basic clinical technical services, or basic clinical advice.
• 4: Carries out clinical care, provides clinical technical services, or advises on the care of patients.
• 5: Develops programmes of care, provides specialist clinical technical services, or gives specialised advice on patient care.
• 6: Develops specialised care, gives highly specialised advice, or is accountable for part of a clinical service.
• 7: Accountable for delivering a clinical or care service.
• 8: Corporate responsibility for clinical or care services.

• 1: Follows policies set by others; may comment on changes.
• 2: Implements policies for own area and proposes changes to its practices.
• 3: Implements policies for own area and proposes changes that affect other areas.
• 4: Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.
• 5: Implements and develops a range of policies or services for a directorate.
• 6: Corporate responsibility for major policy or service development across or beyond the organisation.

• 1: Takes personal care of equipment and resources used in own work.
• 2: Handles cash or valuables, looks after equipment used by others, controls stock, or authorises small payments.
• 3: Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.
• 4: Holds or sets the budget for a department or service, or buys or maintains its assets.
• 5: Holds or sets budgets, or manages assets, for several services.
• 6: Corporate responsibility for the organisation's finances or assets.

• 1: Shows own work routines to new or less experienced colleagues.
• 2: Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.
• 3: Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.
• 4: Line manages a function or department, designs training programmes as a main duty, or delivers a full range of HR services.
• 5: Line manages several departments, or manages training or a large part of HR across the organisation.
• 6: Corporate responsibility for the organisation's people or HR function.

• 1: Records information that the job holder produces.
• 2: Enters or stores data compiled by others, or occasionally writes reports or queries.
• 3: Takes formal minutes, regularly writes reports or queries, or maintains information systems as a significant duty.
• 4: Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.
• 5: Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.
• 6: Manages and develops information systems across the organisation as the main duty.
• 7: Corporate responsibility for the organisation's information systems.

• 1: Carries out surveys or audits for own work; occasionally takes part in research or testing.
• 2: Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.
• 3: Carries out research or development within formal programmes as a main duty.
• 4: Coordinates and carries out research and development programmes.
• 5: Initiates and develops research and development programmes that support the organisation's objectives.
• 6: Initiates and develops research and development programmes with effects beyond the organisation.

• 1: Works within set procedures, with supervision close by.
• 2: Follows standard procedures and precedent; someone is usually available to ask; work may be checked.
• 3: Follows defined policies and procedures; work is managed rather than supervised.
• 4: Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.
• 5: Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.
• 6: Interprets overall policy and strategy to set goals and standards.

• 1: Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.
• 2: Frequent sitting or standing in a restricted position, or occasional light to moderate effort.
• 3: Frequent light effort for long periods, or frequent moderate effort for short periods.
• 4: Ongoing light effort, frequent moderate effort for long periods, or occasional intense effort.
• 5: Ongoing moderate effort, or frequent intense effort.

• 1: General attention; occasional concentration on predictable work.
• 2: Frequent concentration on predictable work, or occasional concentration on unpredictable work.
• 3: Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.
• 4: Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.
• 5: Frequent intense concentration.

• 1: Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.
• 2: Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.
• 3: Frequent exposure to distressing circumstances, or occasional exposure to highly distressing ones.
• 4: Occasional exposure to traumatic circumstances, or frequent exposure to highly distressing ones.

• 1: Rare exposure to unpleasant conditions.
• 2: Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.
• 3: Frequent unpleasant conditions, or occasional highly unpleasant ones.
• 4: Some exposure to hazards, or frequent highly unpleasant conditions.
• 5: Considerable exposure to hazards.

You can: - explain why it's important to communicate technical concepts in non-technical language - explain the types of communication that can be used with internal and external stakeholders, and their impact

Next level, Working: You can: - communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders - support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics - be an advocate for the team externally - manage differing stakeholder perspectives

You can: - contribute to deciding the most appropriate test types and techniques to use - follow guidance to design, build and maintain simple tests that align to user needs and requirements - execute simple tests with support - explain the value of automation within testing

Next level, Working: You can: - set up suitable environments with some support - select appropriate test types and techniques with some support - design, build, maintain and execute tests that align to user needs and requirements - conduct exploratory testing - research and try new test types and techniques

You can: - explain how to report and track defects - follow a defect management process to report, communicate and maintain defects with appropriate information - retest and escalate defects when needed

Next level, Working: You can: - collaborate with others to create a defect management process to report, communicate and resolve defects, with support - critically assess dependencies, defects and risks, with support - contribute to mitigation and contingency plans - clearly communicate risks and the impact of defects to stakeholders

You can: - describe quality characteristics and explain why they are important - analyse information, such as user stories, prototypes, processes and designs, with support - explain what might be a risk in achieving quality goals

Next level, Working: You can: - work with stakeholders to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value - determine what to test following an agreed approach - identify and advocate for test needs, such as data, access and environments, with support - analyse information to identify risks

You can: - explain the value of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies - explain how different delivery methodologies affect quality testing approaches, plans and strategies - follow quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, with support - explain how to measure the effectiveness of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, and why it’s important

Next level, Working: You can: - create or adapt quality testing approaches based on risk, with some support - follow a quality testing strategy and contribute to its development - contribute to continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies

You can: - explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important - follow test engineering practices and standards, with support - support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing

Next level, Working: You can: - use test engineering frameworks and tools to support testing activities - follow test engineering practices and standards, such as source control and continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines - integrate and execute tests to ensure early testing and continuous feedback - create and maintain automated tests, with some support - write and review coded solutions, with some support

You can: - describe the main parts of the health and care system and the services the organisation supports - explain why patient safety and confidentiality matter in your work

Next level, Working: You can: - explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports - use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues - recognise when a change could affect patient care and raise it

You can: - explain how health IT systems can harm patients, for example through wrong, missing, or delayed information - report a possible clinical safety issue through the right route

Next level, Working: You can: - take part in hazard workshops and contribute to a hazard log - follow the clinical risk management process for your work - provide evidence for a clinical safety case, such as test results

You can: - follow the organisation's rules for handling personal and health information - recognise and report a data breach or near miss

Next level, Working: You can: - apply data protection principles to your work - contribute to data protection impact assessments - handle information requests and records correctly