Secretary's Commission for Achieving the Necessary
Skills (SCANS) for the Workplace

Two conditions that arose in the last quarter of the Twentieth Century have changed the terms of employment for all working individuals: the globalization of commerce and industry and the explosive growth of technology on the job. In 1991, under then President Bush, the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills was asked to examine the current and future demands of the workplace.

This Commission was asked to define the skills needed for the workplace of the future. Recognizing that very few of us will work totally by ourselves, the Commission identified five competencies and a three part foundation of skills and personal qualities which lie at the heart of job performance today.

Competencies Resources Interpersonal Skills Information Systems Technology

Foundation Basic Skills Thinking Skills Personal Qualities

Many specific skill occupations and professions, including librarianship, have since developed their own set of competencies based on this original work.

Core Competencies in University Libraries, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Resources Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources.       Top of Page	Time- Selects goal-relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, and prepares and follows schedules. Money- Uses or prepares budgets, makes forecasts, keeps records, and makes adjustments to meet objectives. Material and Facilities- Acquires, stores, allocates, and uses materials or space efficiently. Human Resources- Assesses skills and distributes work accordingly, evaluates performance and provides feedback.
Information  Acquires and uses information Top of Page	Acquires and Evaluates Information Organizes and Maintains Information Interprets and Communicates information Uses Computers to Process Information
Systems Understands complex inter-relationships       Top of Page	Understands Systems- knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively with them. Monitors And Corrects Performance- distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses deviations in systems' performance and corrects malfunctions. Improves or Designs Systems- suggests modifications to existing systems and develops new or alternative systems to improve performance.
Technology Works with a variety of technologies   Top of Page	Selects Technology- chooses proceedures, tool or equipment including computers and related technologies. Applies Technologies to Task- Understands overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment. Maintains and Troubleshoots Equipment- Prevents, identifies, or solves problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies.
Interpersonal Skills Works with others.     Top of Page	Participates as member of a Team- contributes to group effort. Teaches Others New Skills Serves Clients/Customers- works to satisfy customer's expectations. Exercises Leadership-communicates ideas to justify position, persuades and convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies. Negotiates- works toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolves divergent interests. Works with Diversity- works well with men and women from diverse backgrounds

Basic Skills	Reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking and listening.
Thinking Skills	Thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning.
Personal Qualities     Top of Page	Individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity.