📖 Note: This article explains how Org Designers (users with Manage Functions) can create and edit Functions in their organisation. This article requires some pre-requisite understanding of the concept of Functions on the FifthDomain platform. Please refer to this article first for an overview of Functions.
What is an Org Designer?
An Org Designer is a user who understands an organisation's top-level skill needs and is able to define and develop the structure of the organisation. Org Designers create Functions within the organisation, appoint Function Leads to manage these Functions, and define Target Skills for each Function.
Navigating to the Workforce Page
To create and/or edit Functions as an Org Designer, you'll first need to navigate to the Workforce Page. To do this, click Workforce on the sidebar. You'll see a Functions button below Workforce. Click this to navigate to the Workforce page.
📚 This article focuses on how Org Designers can create new Functions, and edit existing Functions. For details on how Org Designers can read the Workforce page, refer to this article.
Creating a New Function
Once you have reached the Workforce page, click the Create button at the top of the Function Dashboard section. Clicking Create will open up the Function creation form.
Adding Function Details
First, you'll need to add Function Details. Add a Function Name [1]. If you like, you can also add a Function Description [2]. Once ready, click Next [3].
Setting a Function's Target Skills
Next, you'll need to set Target Skills for the Function (this will provide a baseline for Actual Skills in the Function to be compared against to identify cyber skill readiness). To begin, use the Work Roles (WRs) dropdown [1] to begin adding the WRs that should make up the Function's Target Skills. Once you're ready, click Add [2].
Once a WR has been added in the dropdown, it will populate in the Selected Work Roles section. Use the + and - buttons to adjust the quantity of units [1] for each WR (WR units) that you would like to add to the Function's Target Skills. Click Remove [2] to delete a WR (and its quantity of units) from the Target Skills of the Function. If you would like to see what specific skills are required for a specific WR (and at what specific proficiency targets), click a WR Name [3] for a popup which will visualise this for you.
The cumulative skills of all WRs you have added to the Function's Target Skills will populate in the Cyber Skills Cortex on the righthand side of the page, along with a cumulative count of how many Skill-Proficiency units are required for each skill (from the WR units you have added to the Function's Target Skills).
💡 Remember: A skill's target proficiency is marked on each skill row with a thick dark green border. Each required skill in a Function has one or more target proficiencies. As detailed in this article, each skill in an individual WR only has one target proficiency. However, because a Function's Target Skills is based on a collection of WR units, cumulatively, a required skill may have multiple target proficiencies (reflective of multiple different WRs requiring the same skill at different levels).
For every required skill from added WR units, there will be one or more Skill-Proficiency squares with a thick dark green border. The squares with this thick dark green border mark target proficiencies.
For instance, you can see that the Function below has a requirement for 5 x OC Skill-Proficiency units. The target proficiency for OC is Level 2 (Advanced Beginner), as denoted by the thick green border on the OC Level 2 square. Because only Level 2 has a target proficiency border, all 5 units of OC are required at Level 2.
As another example, DM has two target proficiency borders - Level 3 (Competent), and Level 5 (Expert). 3 x DM Skill-Proficiency units are required - some are required at Level 3, and some at Level 5.
To identify how many units are required for a specific proficiency, hover over a Skill-Proficiency square. In the example below, you can see that WX has 3 x Skill-Proficiency units required across two target proficiencies - some units of WX are required at Level 1 (Novice), some at Level 2. Hovering over the WX Level 1 square triggers a tooltip stating that 2 x units of WX are required at Level 1. Because 3 units are required in total, this means that 1 x unit of WX is required at Level 2.
📚 For more information on what Target Skills in a Function are, click here.
Saving a Function - Inactive vs Active
After you are happy with the Target Skills you have set for the Function, you can save the Function as Inactive or Active.
Click Save an an Inactive Function [1] if you wish to save the Function you have created as a draft. If you do this, your Function will appear in the Inactive tab on the Workforce page for further viewing and editing. Click Save an an Active Function [2] if you wish to have the Function be operational.
Clicking Save an an Active Function will open a popup window where you will need to assign at least one Function Lead from the dropdown [1] to manage the Function. Once you have selected Function Leads, click Activate Function and Assign Function Lead(s) [2]. Once this is done, assigned Function Leads will be able to access the Function and create Squads within it to best match the Target Skills set.
Viewing an Inactive Function
All Inactive Functions will appear on the Workforce page under the Inactive tab [1]. To view an Inactive Function, click View [2].
📖 Note: Inactive Functions only contain Function details, Target Skills, and possibly allocations of Function Leads. They cannot contain Squads - Inactive Functions don't have contributing members, and therefore have no attached Actual Skills.
When viewing an Inactive Function, you'll be able to see two tabs - Function Details [1] and Function Skills Target.
Viewing Inactive Function Details
On the Function Details tab, you'll be able to see the Name and Description (if any) set for the Inactive Function during the creation process. Click Edit [2] if you wish to update these. Any Function Leads assigned will be listed in the Assign Function Lead(s) section. Use the dropdown to select Function Leads to assign and click Add Function Leads [3] when ready. You can also remove any existing Function Leads from the table if you wish. Lastly, you can click Delete Function [4] if you wish to permanently delete the Function from your organisation. Note that this action cannot be undone.
Viewing Inactive Function Skills Targets
On the Function Skills Target [1] tab, you'll be able to see the Target Skills that have already been set up for the Function. Please refer back to the Setting a Function's Target Skills section in this article for details on how to navigate this tab.
Activating Inactive Functions
When you're happy with the Function's details and Target Skills and you are ready for assigned Function Leads to access the Function and create Squads within it, click Activate Function [2]. This will trigger a popup window asking you to confirm whether you wish to activate the Function. Note that you can make Active Functions Inactive again if you wish, but this will remove Function Leads' access to the Function, and will also delete any Squads in the Function and remove any assigned contributing individuals.
Viewing an Active Function
All Active Functions will appear on the Workforce page under the Active tab [1]. To view an Inactive Function, click View [2].
📖 Note: Active Functions contain Function details, Target Skills, and allocations of Function Leads. They also contain Squads and have contributing members, whose skills contribute to Readiness Scores, and fulfilment of Target Skills.
When viewing an Active Function, you'll be able to see three tabs - Function Details [1], Function Skills Target, and Function Squads.
Viewing Active Function Details
On the Function Details tab, you'll be able to see the Name and Description (if any). Click Edit [2] if you wish to update these. Function Leads will be listed in the Assign Function Lead(s) section. Click Add Function Leads [3] if you want to add more Function Leads to manage the Function. You can also remove existing Function Leads if you wish. Lastly, you can click Make Function Inactive [4] if you wish to deactivate the Function. Doing this will make Function Leads lose their access to the Function. All Squads will be lost, and contributing members in Squads will be removed from the Function. Their skills will no longer contribute to your Organisational Skills Profile. However, these users will be available to be added into another Squad in another Function. If you make an Active Squad Inactive, note that the Function will still keep its key details and Target Skills set.
Viewing Active Function Skills Targets
On the Function Skills Target tab, you'll be able to see the Target Skills that have already been set up for the Function. Please refer back to the Setting a Function's Target Skills section in this article for details on how to navigate this tab.
Viewing Active Function Squads
On the Function Squads [1] tab, you'll be able to see all Squads which exist within the Function. As an Org Designer, you can view Squads, but you can't create or edit them. Only Function Leads can do this. If you would like to be able to create and edit Squads in a Function, as an Org Designer, you can allocate yourself as a Function Lead for any particular Function you wish to manage Squads for.
At the top of the page, you'll be able to see the following:
Readiness Score [2] (for the Overall Function) - this is a 0-100 score that measures the overall readiness of a Function's cyber skills. The Readiness Score is the percentage number of total fulfilled Skill-Proficiency units out of the total required Skill-Proficiency units across the Function.
Required Units [3] - this is the total number of Skill-Proficiency units required for the Function, as determined by the Target Skills set. Required Skill-Proficiency units are marked by thick dark green borders on Skill-Proficiency squares in the Cyber Skills Cortex.
Fulfilled Units [4] - this is the number of Skill-Proficiency units (out of the total required number of units) that have been fulfilled by contributing members within the Function. Fulfilled Skill-Proficiency units are marked by fills in Skill-Proficiency squares on the Cyber Skills Cortex.
Squads [5] - this is the number of Squads which exist within the Function.
Contributing Members [6] - this is the number of Squad Managers and Squad Members that have been added across all Squads within the Function. Contributing members are users whose skills contribute to Readiness Scores and Skill-Proficiency unit fulfilment.
Reading the Function Skills Profile
The Function Skills Profile is a Cyber Skills Cortex showing the cyber skills of contributing members in Squads within a Function (Actual Skill) against the set Target Skills for the Function.
Selecting Squads/Contributing Members to Display
Each Squad that you see on the righthand side of the page has a checkbox [1]. The skills in Squads with a selected checkbox will populate in the Function Skills Profile. By default, all checkboxes will be selected. You can select and deselect checkboxes to filter your view of the skills appearing in the Cyber Skills Cortex - you will be able to filter your view by entire Squads, as well as specific members in Squads.
As you select and deselect checkboxes, you will also be able to see the fulfilled Skill-Proficiency units [2] for selected Squads/contributing members, as well as the collective Readiness Score [3] for selected Squads/contributing members.
Understanding Skills Fulfilment Statuses
Each skill row in the Cortex that forms part of selected Squads'/contributing members' cumulative Target Skills will have one of two skills fulfilment statuses:
Fulfilled Skill (Current), referring to cumulative Target Skills that contributing members selected have demonstrated at or above the target proficiency for included WRs in Target Skills (these are marked by a green tick icon);
Unfulfilled Skill (Post-Training), referring to cumulative Target Skills that selected contributing members have not demonstrated at or above the target proficiency for included WRs in Target Skills (these are marked by a red exclamation icon).
You'll see a status icon next to each required skill name abbreviation on the Cortex.
Understanding Skill-Proficiency Units
Next to each status icon, you'll also see a fraction. This shows the number of fulfilled Skill-Proficiency units out of the total required Skill-Proficiency units for a skill (for Squads/contributing members selected). Each skill that is part of Target Skills has a set number of Skill-Proficiency units required.
In the example below, you'll see that selected Squads/contributing members have Opensource Collection (OC) as a Target Skill. The selection requires 5 x Skill-Proficiency units of OC as part of Target Skills. In the selection, there is just 1 contributing member who fulfils OC at the required proficiency. As such, you can see 1/5 next to OC, and a red exclamation icon, demonstrating that the Skill-Proficiency requirement for OC in the selection is unfulfilled.
As another example, Darkweb Monitoring (DM) is also a Target Skill for the selection below. The selection requires 3 x Skill-Proficiency units of DM as part of Target Skills. 3 contributing members in selected Functions have actually demonstrated DM at the proficiency levels required. As such, you can see 3/3 next to DM, as well as a green tick icon showing that the DM Skill-Proficiency requirement in selected Squads/contributing members is fulfilled.
💡 Remember: A Skill-Proficiency unit represents a requirement for one individual to fulfil a skill at a specific proficiency level. Each individual can only fulfil one Skill-Proficiency unit in the same skill. For instance, if 2 x DM Skill-Proficiency units are required, one at Level 1, another at Level 3, and 'Jack' has demonstrated DM at Level 4, he can only contribute to fulfilling 1 x DM Skill-Proficiency unit - he can't count toward both the Level 1 and Level 3 requirements at the same time. The organisation requires 2 x separate individuals who can fulfil DM (one at Level 1, the other at Level 3). As 'Jack''s ability to demonstrate DM (at Level 4) is nearest to the Level 3 requirement, he will fulfil the 1 x Level 3 DM Skill-Proficiency unit requirement. The organisation will need to find a separate individual to fulfil their requirement for 1 x Level 1 DM Skill-Proficiency unit.
Note that this just means that a user can't fulfil multiple Skill-Proficiency units for the same skill. Their abilities in other skills however, will be able to contribute to one Skill-Proficiency unit for other required skills.
The total number of Skill-Proficiency units required of all selected Squads/contributing members (across all skills) is listed above the Cyber Skills Cortex.
Identifying Proficiency Targets for Skills
The target proficiency for a skill that is part of a Squad's (or a selection of contributing members') Target Skills is marked on each skill row with a thick dark green border. Each required skill has one or more target proficiencies. As detailed in this article, each skill in an individual WR only has one target proficiency. However, because the Function Skills Profile shows a collection of individuals and a collection of required WRs, cumulatively, a required skill may have multiple target proficiencies (reflective of multiple different WRs requiring the same skill at different levels).
In the example below, you can see that for every required skill, there are one or more Skill-Proficiency squares with a thick dark green border. The squares with this thick dark green border mark target proficiencies.
For instance, in the image below, the target proficiency for OC is Level 2 (Advanced Beginner). 5 x OC Skill-Proficiency units are required - because only Level 2 has a target proficiency border, all 5 units of OC are required at Level 2.
As another example, DM has two target proficiency borders - Level 3 (Competent), and Level 5 (Expert). 3 x DM Skill-Proficiency units are required - some are required at Level 3, and some at Level 5.
To identify how many units are required for a specific proficiency, hover over a Skill-Proficiency square. In the example below, you can see that AN has 4 x Skill-Proficiency units required across two target proficiencies - some units are required at Level 1 (Novice), some at Level 4 (Proficient). Hovering over the AN Level 4 square triggers a tooltip stating that 1 x unit of AN is required at Level 1. Because 4 units are required in total, this means that 3 x units of AN are required at Level 1.
📖 Note: All Skill-Proficiency squares underneath the target proficiencies set for a skill will have a thin green border. For instance, if Level 4 is the target proficiency for a skill (e.g. BX), then the Level 4 Skill-Proficiency BX square will have a thick green border, and BX Levels 1-3 will in this case have a thin green border.
Skill-Proficiency squares above the target proficiency will have a thin grey border, denoting that they are not required to be demonstrated (referring to the same example, Level 5 BX is above the target proficiency of Level 4, and hence will have a thin grey border).
Aside from the target proficiency border (thick dark green border), the other Skill-Proficiency square borders are for visual effect only and do not have any bearing on Skill-Proficiency unit fulfilment.
Identifying Actual Skills for a Skill
In contrast to Target Skills, which are displayed as thick dark green borders, Actual Skills are displayed as fills inside Skill-Proficiency squares. Skill-Proficiency squares that have been demonstrated by contributing members in selected Squads will have a fill. Squares that haven't been demonstrated by selected contributing members have no fill. Each individual contributing member of a skill contributes to one fill shade. The darker a fill in a square, the more contributing members there are demonstrating the skill at that proficiency. For instance, below, you can see that WX Level 3 has a very light shade. This means that few individuals have demonstrated WX at Level 3. WX Level 2 is darker, showing that more have demonstrated WX at Level 2. WX Level 1 is even darker, demonstrating that out of all users who have demonstrated WX, the most common level of demonstration is Level 1.
You can hover over any square to specifically identify how many individuals have demonstrated a specific Skill-Proficiency. You'll also see the assigned Squad of each individual contributor.
📚 As detailed here, you can open the Affiliated User Profile of any user in a squad in the Function by clicking their name.
What do I do with this information?
The ability to compare collective Target Skills to collective Actual Skills in a Function in your organisation is key to being able to evaluate the readiness of a specific Function's cyber skills, identify where skills match requirements, where they don't meet requirements (i.e. identify skill deficits), and see where there may be extra skills (i.e. identify surplus skills). Being able to identify this informs hiring needs and helps cyber team managers make targeted steps toward tailored and personalised skills development and training to address skill gaps. This information is also crucial in being able to understand where to best allocate individuals in an organisation based on the structural requirements of each cyber team.
❗️Important: Please note that although the Function Skills Profile is a helpful way to discern whether members within cyber teams have Skill-Proficiency gaps in certain required skills, insights provided by the Cyber Skills Cortex are dependent on users completing enough events on the FifthDomain platform, and solving enough challenges to reflect their real-life cyber skills.
Additionally, please also consider the frequency, recency, and/or 'depth' of Skill-Proficiency demonstrations in assessing a user's real-life skills. Users who have demonstrated required skills at their target proficiencies may, in some cases, still have a skills gap if they have only demonstrated the relevant Skill-Proficiency infrequently, and/or not very recently.