Establishing A Minimum Generic Skill Set For Risk Management Teaching In A Spreadsheet Training Course

Past research shows that spreadsheet models are prone to such a high frequency of errors and data security implications that the risk management of spreadsheet development and spreadsheet use is of great importance to both industry and academia. The underlying rationale for this paper is that spreadsheet training courses should specifically address risk management in the development process both from a generic and a domain-specific viewpoint. This research specifically focuses on one of these namely those generic issues of risk management that should be present in a training course that attempts to meet goodpractice within industry. A pilot questionnaire was constructed showing a possible minimum set of risk management issues and sent to academics and industry practitioners for feedback. The findings from this pilot survey will be used to refine the questionnaire for sending to a larger body of possible respondents. It is expected these findings will form the basis of a risk management teaching approach to be trialled in a number of selected ongoing spreadsheet training courses. 1. QUESTIONNAIRE AS A DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUE The questionnaire reported upon herein was a pilot survey sent to ten persons of whom six responded. It was intended that the results from this would be used to create a fuller more comprehensive questionnaire for eventual sending to at least 100 possible respondents. To establish the skills that needed to be covered in generic spreadsheet risk management training the pilot questionnaire was constructed around a minimum set of 16 questions addressing five training methods to be used and eleven generic skills to be taught. The questionnaire was also constructed with facility for respondents to suggest further areas of concern that needed to be covered. For accuracy, the pilot survey had to simulate the eventual final questionnaire as closely as possible so its preamble, questions, and distribution method were carefully considered. For the theoretical research perspective and research paradigm see appendix C. 2. THE PILOT QUESTIONNAIRE 2.1 The Six Sections 1. Pre-amble: to explain the rationale of the questionnaire to the respondent. 2. Generic Training Methods: a sample of 5 generic training methods suggested by the author. Respondents were asked to comment upon these and rank their suitability for use in a training course by marking a 1-5 Likert scale. 3. Generic Training Content: a sample of 11 generic spreadsheet training content suggestions suggested by the author. Respondents were asked to comment upon these and rank their suitability for inclusion in a minimum generic skill set for a training course by marking a 1-5 Likert scale.