Skills Monitoring Setup Guide

Overview

Skills Monitoring is a powerful feature within Open eLMS designed to help organisations track, manage, and refresh personnel competencies automatically. This system is particularly valuable for emergency services, healthcare organisations, and any workplace where maintaining current skills is essential for safety and compliance.

Key Benefits:

• Automatic skills refresh notifications

• Colour-coded status indicators (Red, Amber, Green)

• Integrated certificate management

• Bulk sign-off capabilities

• Comprehensive reporting

Prerequisites

• System Requirements: Enterprise level Open eLMS with Skills Monitoring module enabled

• User Permissions: Administrator access for setup, Manager access for monitoring

• Recommended For: Fire services, police, hospitals, and safety-critical industries

Part 1: Initial Skills Setup

Step 1: Create Individual Skills

Before setting up programmes, you need to define the individual skills in your system.

1. Log in as an Administrator

2. Go to Learning Library › Skills

3. The Skills list opens

4. Click 'Add' to create a new skill

Key Configuration Options:

Basic Information:

• Skill Name: e.g., "Abrasive Wheels", "Domestic Cooking Appliances"

• Description: Clear explanation of what the skill covers

• Category: Core Skills, Special Skills, or custom categories

Repetition Settings:

• Repetition Period: How often the skill needs refreshing (1-60 months)

Certificate Requirements:

• Mandatory Certificate Upload: Tick this box if certificates must be uploaded before sign-off

🔸 Important: Skills requiring certificates cannot be bulk signed off and must be processed individually.

NB: Good practice - make sure the description box summarises the skill and what is expected for sign off.

Step 2: Configure Role Permissions

Determine who can sign off skills in your organisation.

1. Go to System Setup > Roles

2. Select the appropriate role (e.g., Line Manager, Supervisor)

3. Find the permission: "Show skills monitoring in manage learning section"

4. Tick the box and Save

💡 Planning Tip: Consider whether line managers, specialised assessors, or department heads should have sign-off authority.

Part 2: Creating Skills Monitoring Programmes

Step 3: Set Up Skills Monitoring Programme

1. Access Learning Library

2. Select Learning Programmes tab

3. Click 'Add'

4. Choose 'Add Skills Monitoring Programme'

Programme Configuration:

Basic Settings:

• Programme Name: e.g., "Fire Safety Skills", "Core Competencies"

• Description: Overview of the programme's purpose

• Repetition Period: How often the entire programme is reviewed

• Default Skill Repetition Period: Default refresh frequency for skills within the programme

🔸 Best Practice: Repetition period and default skill repetition period are usually the same value.

Step 4: Add Skills Structure

After saving the initial programme:

1. Find your programme in the table (it will be the last record)

2. Click Actions > Edit

3. Add Outcomes by clicking "+ Add" - enter the name of the skill e.g. Manual Handling

4. Add Skill Criteria by clicking "+ Add Skill Criteria" e.g. Manual Handling Certification

Adding Skills to Criteria:

1. Select the criteria by ticking "Default Learning"

2. Click "+ Add Skills"

3. Choose from your pre-configured skills

4. Set time windows using the sliders to define when refresher work should be done

Part 3: Skills Assignment and Management

Step 5: Assign Skills Programmes

Skills programmes can be assigned in three ways:

Method 1: Query Builder (Automated)

• Set up rules based on job role, department, location

• Skills automatically assigned to users meeting criteria

• Most efficient for large organisations

Method 2: Direct Assignment via Jobs

• Manually assign to specific jobs (System Setup - Organisation - Jobs)

• Useful for unique roles or temporary assignments

Method 3: Bulk Assignment

• Select multiple users and assign programme - Learning Library - Learning Programmes - + Add

• Assign Programme - Choose Start Date - Select via Department, Groups, Jobs or Individual Users

• Good for training rollouts

Step 6: Configure Sign-Off Workflow

🔸 Default Timeline: When first assigned, skills have a 30-day default completion period. After completion, the repetition period takes over.

Sign-Off Process:

1. Manager accesses Skills Monitoring page - Select Skills Monitoring Programme - click on Load Data

2. Uses filters to find relevant personnel

3. Selects individuals requiring sign-off

4. Clicks 'With Selected' > 'Sign Off'

5. Adds comments explaining the sign-off reason

6. Uploads certificates (if required)

Part 4: Using the Skills Monitoring Interface

Understanding the Dashboard

Colour Coding System:

• ⚪ Grey: Skills assigned for the first time (30-day default completion period)

• 🟢 Green: Skills current and valid

• 🟡 Amber: Skills due for refresh soon (within 30 days)

• 🔴 Red: Skills overdue for refresh

Key Features:

Filter Options:

• Department/Location

• Skill Categories (Core Skills, Special Skills)

• User Groups

• Lapsed Skills Counter

Bulk Actions:

• Select multiple skills for bulk sign-off

• Filter and search while maintaining selections

• Warning messages for skills requiring certificates

Step 7: Managing Skills Monitoring

Daily Management Tasks:

1. Review Red/Amber Skills

   • Prioritise overdue skills (red)

   • Plan upcoming refreshers (amber)

2. Process Sign-Offs

   • Individual sign-off for certificate-required skills

   • Bulk sign-off for standard competencies (you cannot bulk sign off skills that require a certificate added as evidence)

   • Add meaningful comments for audit trail

3. Monitor Compliance

   • Use lapsed skills counter: "13/32" (13 out of 32 skills lapsed)

   • Track improvement over time

Weekly Review:

• Check for disabled users appearing in monitoring

• Review repetition periods for accuracy

• Validate certificate uploads

Part 5: Advanced Configuration

Step 8: Certificate Management

For Skills Requiring Certificates:

1. During Sign-Off Process:

   • Upload certificate before attempting sign-off

   • System prevents sign-off without valid certificate

   • Certificates stored with audit trail

2. Certificate Validation:

   • Date stamps automatically recorded

   • Manager attribution tracked

   • Historical certificates maintained

Error Prevention:

• Bulk sign-off excludes certificate-required skills

• Warning message: "Some selected skills not signed off as they need certificates"

Part 6: Troubleshooting Common Issues

Date Inconsistencies

Problem: Last sign-off dates don't match actual records Solution: System now uses completed_at field for accurate dating

Duplicate User Entries

Problem: Users appearing twice in skills monitoring Solution: Regular system maintenance resolves duplicate entries

Missing Comment History

Problem: Previous audit trails disappearing Solution: Historical comments now properly maintained in database

Filter Functionality

Problem: Category filters not working properly Solution: Ensure skills are properly categorised and system cache is clear

Part 7: Reporting and Analytics

Built-in Reports

Skills Monitoring Dashboard:

• Visual overview by department/location

• Lapsed skills by category

• Individual learner drill-down capability

Power BI Integration (not default with system - please ask your account manager for more information:

• Real-time skills compliance data

• Custom dashboards available

• Filter by company, department, location, watch, group

Key Metrics to Track

• Overall Compliance Rate: Percentage of current skills

• Skills Due Soon: Amber status skills requiring attention

• Overdue Skills: Red status requiring immediate action

• Certificate Compliance: Skills with proper documentation

Part 8: Best Practices

Setup Recommendations

1. Start Simple: Begin with core skills before expanding to specialised competencies

2. Standardise Repetition Periods: Use consistent timeframes where possible

3. Clear Naming Conventions: Use descriptive skill names that all staff understand

4. Regular Reviews: Quarterly assessment of repetition periods and requirements

Operational Best Practices

1. Proactive Management: Address amber skills before they become red

2. Meaningful Comments: Always add context when signing off skills

3. Certificate Organisation: Establish clear guidelines for what certificates are required

4. Training for Managers: Ensure all authorised personnel understand the sign-off process

Quality Assurance

1. Regular Audits: Monthly review of sign-off patterns and compliance

2. Data Validation: Quarterly check of skills assignments and repetition periods

3. User Feedback: Collect input from managers on system usability

4. Continuous Improvement: Update processes based on operational experience

System Requirements and Availability

License Requirements:

• Enterprise level Open eLMS subscription

• Blue Light Services module (for emergency services)

• Skills Monitoring add-on module

Technical Requirements:

• Modern web browser with JavaScript enabled

• Network access to Open eLMS platform

• Sufficient storage for certificate uploads

Support and Training:

• Initial setup assistance available from Open eLMS team

• User training sessions can be arranged

• Ongoing technical support through standard channels

Getting Started Checklist

• Confirm Enterprise license and Skills Monitoring module enabled

• Define initial skills list and categories

• Set up user roles and permissions

• Create first skills monitoring programme

• Configure repetition periods

• Test assignment and sign-off processes

• Train management users

• Implement regular monitoring routine

• Schedule first compliance review