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Information Gathering and Processing

Locating and collecting data from appropriate sources and analyzing it to prepare meaningful and concise reports that summarize the information.
Level 1 Follows prescribed information gathering procedures

BEHAVIORS

  • Identifies relevant facts and issues underlying a particular problem.
  • Identifies the information needed to clarify a situation, complete an assignment, or make a decision.
  • Researches the most useful source of information to meet the requirements of the task.
  • Poses direct questions to immediately available people.
  • Reads relatively short texts to locate a single piece of information.
  • Follows prescribed methods of information collection.

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a situation where you had to examine the information surrounding a particular problem.

Probing Questions

* What was the problem?

* What was the source of the information?

* How did you determine what the most essential pieces of information were?

* What was the solution?

* To what extent did your research help develop the solution?

  • Tell us about a situation where you had to gather the necessary information to make a decision.

Probing Questions

* What was the decision that had to be made?

* What was the source of this information?

* How did you identify the proper sources of information?

* What feedback did you receive from others?

* What was the final decision?

Level 2 Adapts information gathering strategy-analysis to situation

BEHAVIORS

  • Recognizes the need for a modified approach to data/ information gathering/ analysis.
  • Checks multiple sources for more complete and accurate information.
  • Digs for information below the surface.
  • Accesses various complementary, rapidly changing sources of information (e.g., books, journals, websites).
  • Reads more complex texts to locate a single piece of information or simpler texts to locate multiple pieces of information.
  • Makes straight-forward inferences.

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a project where you had to gather information from multiple sources.

Probing Questions

* What was the project?

* What types of information did you need to seek out?

* What sources of information did you utilize?

* How did you know what pieces of information were less relevant or irrelevant?

* How did you integrate the information?

  • Tell us about a situation where you had to research complex texts in order to locate specific information.

Probing Questions

* What was the information that you needed to find?

* What made the text's complex?

* What texts did you research?

* Which text(s) provided the necessary information?

* How did you ensure the accuracy of the information?

  • Describe a situation where you decided to pursue some research on your own initiative.

Probing Questions

* What motivated you to do this research?

* What information did you seek?

* What sources of information did you utilize?

* How did this research affect your work?

* How did your superior(s) react to this initiative?

* What type of feedback did you receive?

Level 3 Processes complex information from various sources

BEHAVIORS

  • Evaluates data sources for reliability using objective criteria.
  • Seeks expertise to discern and compare information or to clarify a problem.
  • Maximizes the potential of available technology to identify relevant information.
  • Processes large volumes of information discerning relevant and irrelevant information under tight deadlines.

QUESTIONS

  • Tell us about a situation where you had to analyze large volumes of information.

Probing Questions

* What were you analyzing?

* How did you analyze the information?

* What type of technology did you utilize to process the information?

* How did you discern between relevant and irrelevant information?

  • Describe a project that you worked on where the reliability of the sources of data was uncertain.

Probing Questions

* What was the project?

* What were your sources of data?

* What made you question the reliability of the sources?

* How did you evaluate the reliability of the sources?

* What did you do as a result of your evaluation?

Level 4 Makes complex inferences based on highly specialized and technical matters

BEHAVIORS

  • Synthesizes data from multiples sources.
  • Interprets information to reach logical conclusions and/or identify significant trends or patterns.
  • Probes with tact and diplomacy to get the facts, when others are reluctant to provide full, detailed information.
  • Makes complex inferences using general background knowledge and contextual information.
  • Assists others in discerning and comparing critical information.
  • Interprets dense and complex texts that require the use of specialized knowledge and the ability to focus over a long period of time.

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a group project that you led in which you participated in the extraction, synthesis, and interpretation of the necessary data from multiple sources.

Probing Questions

* What was the project?

* What were the sources of the data?

* How did you find and gather the necessary sources of data?

* What was your interpretation of the data?

* How did you help the others in your group in gathering and processing data?

  • Tell us about a project in which the data you had to analyze came from one or many reluctant sources.

Probing Questions

* What was the project?

* Who were the sources of data?

* To what extent was the information from the reluctant source(s) necessary to the completion of the project?

* Why were the sources reluctant to provide the information?

* How did you get the necessary data from the sources?

Level 5 Sets standards for information gathering and processing

BEHAVIORS

  • Sets the standard for reporting, filing, and accessing information.
  • Develops strategies for researching and obtaining information that is difficult to collect.
  • Sets the standard for evaluating information sources on their quality and relevance.

QUESTIONS

  • Tell us about a project where you had to create standards or guidelines on how to report, file, and access information.

Probing Questions

* What was the project?

* What information needed to be reported/filed/accessed?

* How did you create the standards or guidelines?

* How did you implement the standards or guidelines?

* What was the result of implementing the standards or guidelines?

  • Describe a time when you had to develop a strategy to obtain information that is difficult to get.

Probing Questions

* What was the information you needed?

* What were the difficulties that were preventing you from obtaining the information?

* How did you find the strategy to obtain the information?

* What was your strategy?

* What was the result of implementing the strategy?