User Research Skills Matrix

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Levels 👉	Level 1 – Beginning	Level 2 – Growing	Level 3 – Proficient	Level 4 – Pushing the practice	Level 5 – Mastery
2	Skills 👇	Entry level	Not autonomous	Mostly autonomous	Fully autonomous	Leading the practice at the organisation

3	1. Scoping research projects	Passive involvement with a senior researcher Note taking Is given the method to use Basic knowledge of a few research methods Does not communicate the decisions why specific method was chosen	Can develop research questions with a senior researcher moderating the discussion or checking work Can define research objectives with a senior moderating the discussion or checking work Breadth of knowledge of research methods, deeper knowledge of a few methods Can select a method that's appropriate for the research question with help of senior Can communicate with the help of senior why the method selected	Can develop research questions with stakeholders Can seek out opportunities where research needs to be applied Can define research objectives without input from a senior Knows all of the methods that are taking place in the organisation Can select the most appropriate method to achieve the research objectives Can make suggestions on how to improve methods Clearly communicates why a research method is preferred	Defines what research initiatives should be taking place over the next six months Is able to tie them to the company's strategic objectives Works with senior leadership to help achieve objectives for their own initiatives Deep demonstrable knowledge of a wide range of research methods Increases the skillset of others in the organisation for practicing and choosing methods	Defines what research initiatives should be taking place over the next twelve months or more Is able to tie them to the company's strategic objectives Evaluates which initiatives have the biggest potential for impact Works with senior leadership to help define objectives for their own initiatives Deep knowledge of a wide range of research methods Increases the skillset of others in the organisation for practicing and choosing methods
4	1.1 Framing the research question
5	1.2 Defining research objectives
6	1.3 Knowledge of research methods
7	1.4 Selecting the most appropriate method
8	1.5 Communicating decisions
9	2. Planning research	Audience prescribed by a senior Using pre-define screeners No contact with recruitment agencies Passive involvement with all skills	Some involvement in selecting the audience for research Edits previously developed recruitment script Passive involvement with the recruitment method or involvement with senior oversight Can write discussion guides with the help of a senior researcher	Identifies an audience based on needs and behaviours Knows the audience segments within the organisation Can write a recruitment screener independently Knows what the different methods of recruitment are in the organisation Can decide which is the most appropriate way to recruit Has some experience dealing with external recruitment agencies Can write high quality discussion guides without the help of a senior Has experience writing surveys	Builds screeners for new audience segments or behaviours Teaches others how to recruit their audiences better Trains colleagues to improve their discussion guide writing skills to ensure a higher quality of research throughout the organisation	Identifies new audience segments to recruit Innovates on existing methods to create more robust and efficient recruitment methodologies Creates systems and templates for the organisation to write discussion guides, questionnaires and research questions. Works at strategy level to develop questions that meet the needs of the of strategic initiatives Provides training a higher quality of research throughout the organisation
10	2.1 Identifying audience
11	2.2 Writing recruitment screeners
12	2.3 Selecting the most appropriate recruitment methods
13	2.4 Writing discussion guides
14	2.5 Writing questionaries
15	2.6 Writing research questions
16	3. Running research	Is an observer or note-take for user research sessions Developing interview style with internal participants Does not facilitate workshops Responsible for one or two admin tasks Does not have a method they're comfortable running	Runs sessions with a senior as note-taker Can do the majority of the administration without supervision Is able to interview in a particular style and assess where they can improve Has facilitated a workshop (retro, analysis etc) Confident and clear note taker with several different tools	Carries out the administration tasks associated with research independent of senior researcher Has developed one specific style of interviewing and understand its limits Is flexible with participants personalities in user research Can take detailed and meaningful notes during user research Has facilitated several workshops Is comfortable running several different research methods unsupervised	Can manage the power dynamics in a room to ensure everyone is heard Identifies other work that needs to be completed prior to a workshop Expert in several methods Assesses and improves designers' capabilities in specific methods Templates and scripts created for each method and how it applies in the organisation Works with senior leadership to help define problem statements	Can manage the power dynamics in a room to ensure everyone is heard Develops resources, such as templates, for the company to use for their facilitation Expert in numerous methods Creates new methods of doing research Assesses and improves the organisation's capabilities in specific methods Teaches how to select methods strategically to uncover new opportunities Works with execs to help define problem statements
17	3.1 Administration
18	3.2 In-house vs commissioning research
19	3.3 Developing an interview style
20	3.4 Note taking
21	3.5 Facilitation
22	3.6 Methods and comfort level running
23	4. Analysing data	Passive or minimal involvement analysing research Some experience with qualitative or quantitative analysis	Analyses research with a senior Some autonomy Has a preference in a method	Can draw insights from data collected through qualitative and quantitative methods Understands the limits of various analysis approaches Can analyse data in a group setting quickly Can analyse data in a deep and meaningful way individually	Expert in analysing either qual or quant data and moderate at the other Can teach people how to analyse a number of methods Creates templates and frameworks so that others can do analysis quickly or with better quality	Expert in analysing both qualitative and quantitative data Teaches people how to analyse multiple types of research together
24	4.1 How to analyse research
25	4.2 Qualitative
26	4.3 Quantitative
27	5. Sharing insights	Writes summaries of individual research sessions supervised by a senior Passive engagement writing research reports supervised by a senior Has not presented research to an audience	Writes reports, double checked by a senior Has presented findings to the project/product team	Comfortable writing reports form their own research taking into account the context the findings are delivered (short, long, face to face) Has presented research outside their team and the project teams that requested research	Comfortable presenting findings to senior leadership and creating artefacts for them to draw upon Teaching others how to present data Innovative ways to communicate insights so they are easily accessible Creates systems to manage and document research findings Can influence project outcomes through storytelling representing the research participants	Comfortable presenting findings to executives creating artefacts for them to draw upon Innovative ways to communicate insights Innovative ways to report research insights so they are automatic and easily accessible Is a masterful story teller able to build narrative out of research that is informative and lasting throughout the organisation
28	5.1 Writing research reports
29	5.2 Designing research deliverables
30	5.3 Presenting research findings
31	6. Research ethics	Handles data with the direction of a senior researcher Learns about the ethical considerations of running user research	Handles data with minimum direction of a senior researcher Aware of the ethical considerations of running user research	Maintains data privacy principles based on the direction the legal team Knows and can teach data privacy procedures to others Applies ethical considerations at each stage of a research project	Up to date and advocate for all data security for research Teaches others about best practice Teaches others about the ethical considerations of user research	Works with legal to create data protection frameworks Innovates storage and data handling procedures for research Sets ethical standards for user research across the organisation
32	6.1 Data privacy
33	6.2 Data security
34	6.3 Your legal obligations
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