2020 Non Technical Skills Integration Good Practice Guide

A Good Practice Guide to
Integrating Non-Technical Skills

into Rail Safety Critical Roles
Copyright
© Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited, 2016. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced free of charge for research, private study or for internal
circulation within an organisation. This is subject to it being reproduced and referenced accurately
and not being used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as the copyright of
Rail Safety and Standards Board and the title of the publication specified accordingly. For any other
use of the material please apply to RSSB's Head of Human Factors for permission. Any additional
queries can be directed to enquirydesk@rssb.co.uk. This publication can be accessed by authorised
audiences, via the SPARK website: www.sparkrail.org.
Written by:
Dr Philippa Murphy and Paul Leach, RSSB
Published:
July 2016
Foreword
Non-Technical Skills (NTS) were formally introduced to the GB rail industry in

2012 when the list of NTS categories and skills were defined, a train-the-
trainer course was created along with various supporting documents to help
the industry better understand and integrate NTS. Since 2012, the industry
has made great strides in their understanding, development and integration
of NTS. There is good practise developing as companies plan their NTS
integration and start to realise the benefits that NTS can give.
This guide supersedes the original Integration Guide (http://www.rssb.co.uk/
Library/improving-industry-performance/2012-guidance-non-technical-
skills.pdf) and is a result of consultation with industry partners to provide more
up to date guidance. While the original guide is still useful, particularly for
companies who are at the outset of their NTS journey, this guide provides
more practical guidance, learning from other companies or industries and
references up to date research.
One of the key aims of this guide is to be practical and focused around key
stages of NTS integration, namely: planning the integration, identifying the
relevant NTS, integrating NTS into selection, training NTS, measuring NTS and
finally reviewing the effectiveness of the programme. This guide is supported
by the on-line RSSB NTS toolkit, details of which can be found in section 1.6.
The guide has been developed with and endorsed by industry leaders and
partners. As part of the ORR's guidance on 'Developing and Maintaining Staff
Competence' their document references the importance of integrating NTS
into company's competence management systems. The ORR endorses the use
of information contained in this guide to help fulfil their expectations.
RSSB hopes that you find this guide interesting and useful in supporting your
NTS integration work. For companies with NTS integration already underway,
we hope it can provide you with some new ideas, different insights and
motivation to keep your NTS programme moving forward. If you are new to
NTS we hope that this guide provides you with the information you need to
better understand NTS and its benefits and develop a common-sense
structure around which to understand and plan your NTS integration.
RSSB | A Good Practice Guide to Integrating Non-Technical Skills into Rail Safety Critical i
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Acknowledgements
RSSB would like to thank these organisations for their help with writing this
integration guide:
SouthEastern Trains
Office of Rail and Road
Abellio ScotRail
Northern Rail
Great Western Railway
Abellio Greater Anglia
Transport for London
East Midland Trains
Network Rail
Crossrail
Arriva Trains Wales
ORR is convinced that improving the non-technical skills of staff is

key to further enhancing risk control on Britain's railways. We
commend this updated RSSB guide on NTS integration as a valuable
addition to the existing suite of guidance on improving NTS within
the UK rail industry.
Johnny Schute OBE MBA MSc
Deputy Director, Policy Strategy and Planning
Railway Safety Directorate ORR
ii RSSB | A Good Practice Guide to Integrating Non-Technical Skills into Rail Safety Critical
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Table of Contents
Foreword................................................................................................. i
Acknowledgements ........................................................................... ii
1 Introduction.......................................................................................1
1.1 What are non-technical skills? ...................................................................................1
1.2 Why develop non-technical skills? ...........................................................................3
1.3 Who is this guide for? ...................................................................................................4
1.4 What is the purpose of the guide? ..........................................................................5
1.5 How can this guide help you? ..................................................................................5
1.6 The RSSB NTS online toolkit.......................................................................................8
2 Planning the integration of non-technical skills ...................9
2.1 How can this section help you?.................................................................................9
2.2 Who should be in the project team?.......................................................................9
2.3 How do I develop my plan?..................................................................................... 10
2.3.1 Why have a plan?..............................................................................................................................10
2.3.2 Where to start? ..................................................................................................................................10
2.3.3 Is my organisation ready? ............................................................................................................11
2.3.4 What should be in my plan? .........................................................................................................12
2.4 How do I sell my plan to the organisation? ...................................................... 14
2.4.1 Senior management commitment.............................................................................................14
2.4.2 Wider business ...................................................................................................................................15
3 Identify non-technical skills ......................................................18

3.1 How can this section help you? ............................................................................ 18
3.2 How do I determine which NTS are relevant? ................................................. 19
3.2.1 Identify your technical tasks.........................................................................................................19
3.2.2 Map NTS to your technical tasks.................................................................................................20
3.2.3 Review and finalise your mapping and prioritisation ........................................................24
3.3 How do I integrate NTS into my competence standards? .......................... 25
3.3.1 Why integrate? ..................................................................................................................................25
3.3.2 What are my options?.....................................................................................................................26
3.3.3 Which option to choose? ...............................................................................................................28
4 Integrating non-technical skills into selection....................29

4.1 How can this section help you? ............................................................................. 29
4.2 How do I integrate NTS into selection criteria?............................................... 30
4.2.1 Consider existing knowledge of staff .......................................................................................30
4.2.2 Compare selection criteria to your NTS mapping ................................................................30
4.2.3 Make improvements where necessary......................................................................................30
4.3 How do I measure NTS in selection? ................................................................... 33
5 Train and develop non-technical skills ..................................35
5.1 How can this section help you? ............................................................................. 35
5.2 Understanding what to train.................................................................................. 36
5.2.1 Identifying training needs.............................................................................................................36
5.2.2 What is the current level of organisational understanding or interest in NTS?.........37
5.3 How to create the right environment for learning ......................................... 39
5.3.1 Managers setting expectations (before training).................................................................39
5.3.2 The trainer's role before the course in knowing needs of the learners.........................40
5.3.3 The manager's role after the intervention..............................................................................40
5.4 How can I inform leaders, managers and supervisors about NTS?.......... 41
5.5 How can I help trainers and assessors understand and maximise the
effectiveness of NTS back on the job? ....................................................................... 45
5.6 How do I help front line staff relate NTS to their role? ................................ 47
5.7 Should I consider out-sourcing my training? .................................................... 48
5.7.1 An informed buyer’s guide to outsourced training..............................................................49
5.8 How can I maintain momentum after training?.............................................49
6 How do you measure non-technical skills? ..........................52
6.1 How can this section help you?..............................................................................52
6.2 How do I measure an individual's NTS?.............................................................52
6.2.1 What do I measure?.........................................................................................................................52
6.2.2 How do I measure non-technical skills? ....................................................................................53
6.3 How do I provide feedback? ...................................................................................57
6.4 Measuring the NTS of leaders, managers, supervisors, trainers and
assessors ................................................................................................................................ 58
6.5 Overall, what are the NTS measurement dos and don'ts? .......................... 59
6.5.1 Do............................................................................................................................................................59
6.5.2 Don't......................................................................................................................................................59
7 Revise and renew NTS integration .........................................60

7.1 How can this section help you?..............................................................................60
7.2 Has the programme worked and what have we learnt?...............................61
7.3 Learning from experience and incident investigation .................................. 64
7.4 How to track performance over time...................................................................67
7.5 Continued support and development ................................................................. 68
8 Concluding comments ................................................................70
9 Bibliography....................................................................................71
1 Introduction
1.1 What are non-technical skills?
Technical skills and underpinning knowledge describe what you need to do
and know for a given safety critical task. Non-technical skills (NTS) describe
how you will do that task.
For example, undertaking train dispatch by platform staff, requires certain
technical skills for completing the train safety check and providing the correct
signal to indicate the check is complete. These also require non-technical skills
such as maintaining concentration and checking.
Non-technical skills complement technical skills and underpinning knowledge
and help you understand your approach to tasks, the risk and errors that can
occur, and how your approach can be enhanced to mitigate against risk and
errors.
In 2012 RSSB researched the role of NTS in safety critical performance and
created a list of non-technical skills (Table 1), which many rail companies in GB
have been integrating into their management systems. They have been
selected and designed as a list of skills whose execution can all be improved
through better understanding, training and development. These skills can be
defined as ‘….the cognitive, social and personal resource skills that
complement technical skills and contribute to safe and efficient task
performance’.
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Table 1 - GB Rail Non-Technical Skills
NTS categories Skill

1.1 Attention to detail
1.2 Overall awareness
1. Situational
1.3 Maintain concentration
awareness
1.4 Retain information
1.5 Anticipation of risk
2.1 Systematic and thorough approach
2. Conscientiousness 2.2 Checking
2.3 Positive attitude towards rules and procedures
3.1 Listening
3.2 Clarity
3. Communication
3.3 Assertiveness
3.4 Sharing information
4.1 Effective decisions
4. Decision making and
4.2 Timely decisions
action
4.3 Diagnosing and solving problems
5.1 Considering others’ needs
5. Co-operation and 5.2 Supporting others
working with others 5.3 Treating others with respect
5.4 Dealing with conflict or aggressive behaviour
6.1 Multi-tasking and selective attention
6. Workload
6.2 Prioritising
management
6.3 Calm under pressure
7.1 Motivation
7.2 Confidence and initiative
7. Self-management
7.3 Maintain and develop skills and knowledge
7.4 Prepared and organised
2 RSSB | A Good Practice Guide to Integrating Non-Technical Skills into Rail Safety Critical
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1.2 Why develop non-technical skills?
Making mistakes is inevitable but you can develop your non-technical skills to
help mitigate and manage these errors. For example, a train dispatcher who
is conscientious and has situational awareness will be more likely to notice
threats as they occur on the platform. And if they are good at making
decisions, managing workload and communicating with people they may act
to effectively mitigate that threat.
Analyses of accidents in a range of safety critical industries suggests that NTS
are important in helping front line safety critical staff identify, manage,
mitigate and recover from threats and errors. Table 2 illustrates some benefits
of NTS integration.
Table 2 - Potential benefits of NTS
Potential benefit Example evidence

Great Western Railway integrated NTS into its
competence management system and found
that SPADs reduced by 6%. SPADs at depots
further reduced by 30%.
Reduction in SPADs Queensland Rail in Australia reported that
trainee drivers who did not complete NTS
training were more than twice as likely to SPAD
in their first 12 months compared to those who
had received the training.
Network Rail reports that 33% of all irregular
working events at level crossings have
communications as a factor. The other two
Reduction in irregular
significant categories, ‘persons or vehicles being
working events
trapped’ and ‘permission to cross granted with a
train still in section’, have lack of attention and
poor overall awareness as a major causal factor.
Network Rail reports that the causes of an
Reduction in line increase in line blockage irregularities has been
blockage irregularities directly linked to operators’ lack of attention to
detail and poor communications.
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Table 2 - Potential benefits of NTS
Potential benefit Example evidence

Canadian Pacific Railway reported a 46%
decrease in human-caused incidents and the
lowest incident rate for Class 1 Railways in North
America.
Within the shipping industry, it has been
Reduction in incidents
reported that the introduction of NTS training
attributed to human
was linked to a one-third reduction in major
error
safety occurrences.
Within the military aviation sector, reports
suggest that the occurrence of accidents has
reduced by 81% after the introduction of similar
training.
Continental Airlines found ground maintenance
costs were reduced by 66% following the
Reduction in costs introduction of NTS. They also found a 27%
reduction in occupational injuries, which also
reduced costs associated with these injuries.
1.3 Who is this guide for?

This guide is for people responsible for integrating non-technical skills into
their organisation. It is for you, if you are:
 Creating non-technical skills training
 Identifying the right non-technical skills
 Integrating these skills into the competence management system
 Measuring non-technical skills
 Promoting and gaining buy-in for these skills across the organisation
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1.4 What is the purpose of the guide?
This guide provides practical tips, guidance and case studies to help you:
 Get people within your organisation interested in NTS, especially senior
managers.
 Develop a plan for integration and a business case to support this plan.
 Identify the right non-technical skills for rail safety critical roles.
 Integrate these skills into the selection process for these safety critical roles.
 Train and measure the non-technical skills of leaders, managers,
supervisors, trainers, assessors and front line staff.
 Maintain the momentum of your NTS integration programme.
1.5 How can this guide help you?

This guide is structured around the model in Figure 1 that illustrates the
different stages of NTS integration.
Companies will be at different stages of integration and as such, you may
want to read only the sections of the guide that are most relevant to your
needs, or you may choose to read the guide it is entirety.
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Figure 1: A model for integrating non-technical skills into rail safety critical roles
The following matrix will also help you to decide which chapters are most relevant to your
needs as it lists potential issues you may be having and guides you towards the most
relevant chapters.
6 RSSB | A Good Practice Guide to Integrating Non-Technical Skills into Rail Safety Critical Roles
1 Introduction
4 Selection
2 Planning
6 Measure
5 Training
3 Identify
7 Review
I want to……
Know where I should start X X

Get my senior managers
interested in NTS and believing X X X
it is the right thing to do
Understand what my return on
X X
investment might be
Understand how ready my
X
organisation is for NTS
Get people in my organisation
interested in NTS and believing X X X
it will benefit them
Get the right resources to help
X
integrate NTS
Know how NTS relates to a
X
technical aspect of a role
Stop NTS just being a bolt on
to our competence X X X X X
management system
Stop the belief that NTS is just
X X X
common sense
Help leaders, managers,
trainers, and assessors X X X X
demonstrate the right NTS
Prevent NTS integration
increasing the workload of my
X X
supervisors, trainers and
assessors
Help people apply NTS in the
X X X
workplace
Maintain the momentum of
X
my NTS programme
RSSB | A Good Practice Guide to Integrating Non-Technical Skills into Rail Safety Critical Roles 7
1.6 The RSSB NTS online toolkit
There is an electronic toolkit which has case studies, useful tools and guidance
associated with each chapter of this guide. This can be found here: http://
www.rssb.co.uk/extranet/nts-toolbox
In addition, a summary version of this guide has been produced (http://
www.rssb.co.uk/improving-industry-performance/human-factors/non-
technical-skills) which you can use to help promote NTS within your
organisations.
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2 Planning the integration of non-
technical skills
2.1 How can this section help you?
To successfully integrate non-technical skills into your organisation you need
people to like the idea, believe it will benefit them and the organisation, and
understand how it will be done. To do this, you need people to buy in to the
idea. You need to be able to describe why you think NTS should be integrated
and to have a plan. This has to include how you will win over the sceptics.
This section will help you do this by providing guidance on building a project
team, developing an integration strategy, and creating a business case.
The guidance is supported by items in the RSSB NTS online toolkit:
 Examples of business cases and strategies
 Links to guidance on change management
 Conference papers and reports that illustrate the benefits of NTS, which can
be used to help develop a business case
2.2 Who should be in the project team?

A project team can help to formulate a plan, build the case for NTS, and then
sell it to your organisation. In addition, the team can:
 Gather opinions and concerns from different parts of the organisation
regarding NTS integration and feed it back to you.
 Provide updates on progress and successes to the wider business.
 Quickly correct misinformation and/or rumours before they spread.
 Provide mutual support to each other.
The team does not need to be big but should be made up of individuals who
have influence within your organisation. This could include:
 A director (with budgetary influence)
 Senior managers, for example from Operations, Health, Safety and
Environment, and Human Resources
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 Supervisor(s) and front line manager(s)
 Respected trainer(s) and assessor(s)
 Trade Union representative(s)
 Influential front line worker(s)
Attending a course on NTS, such as RSSB’s NTS course (http://www.rssb.co.uk/

improving-industry-performance/human-factors/human-factors-courses/non-
technical-skills-course) can help the team develop a collective understanding
of NTS, the benefits it can bring, and how they can be integrated into the
organisation. This knowledge can be used to help put together an integration
strategy and business case.
It is also helpful to ensure that each member of the team has the skills, time,
and resources to positively contribute to the project. Many project teams are
set up with team members who are expected to do this work in addition to
their day to day role. This often means people cannot commit an adequate
amount of time to the project so this will need to be planned and
accommodated in advance.
Roles and responsibilities should also be agreed. Each person needs to
understand how they are expected to contribute and the level of effort that is
needed from them.
2.3 How do I develop my plan?

2.3.1 Why have a plan?
Integrating NTS fully into your organisation can take time and so should be
seen as a medium to long-term project. Without a clear strategy, projects of
this duration can lose direction and momentum, ultimately being seen as a fad
that will disappear over time and will end in not realising the investment you
have made, potentially increasing dis-engagement in the subject.
2.3.2 Where to start?

Focus your strategy on the risk areas in your organisation where NTS can have
the biggest impact.
Examine the key areas of risk faced by your organisation. Look, for example,
at accident and incident statistics and reports, your corporate risk register, risk
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assessments, operational performance figures, and KPIs. You can also draw on
the expertise of relevant risk, safety and operational teams.
For each risk area, consider whether non-technical skills could help mitigate
the risk and if so, how. This will allow you to identify the areas where you can
have the biggest impact. This could be done using a methodology such as
bow-tie analysis, safety critical task analysis, or human HAZOP. You can find
references for these in Section 9.
Northern Rail completed an analysis of its incidents to understand how

they occurred, the cost of these incidents, where NTS could have an
impact, and the overall cost benefit of NTS integration. The analysis
was used to help focus time and resources on specific areas of risk.
2.3.3 Is my organisation ready?

Having identified areas to focus on, think about what would be your best
approach to integration. Understanding how ready your organisation is for
NTS integration can help you.
For example, if your organisation is new to NTS or has limited resources, then
you would expect to build a strategy that takes a phased approach to
implementation. Your strategy would suggest drip feeding NTS and its
benefits to employees through articles, short briefings, and booklets, for
example. Then, as people start to understand and like the idea, and believe it
will benefit them and the organisation, you can gradually introduce awareness
training. Follow this by identifying the right NTS that relate to your identified
risk areas, and integrate these into competence standards, training
programmes and measurement.
Alternatively, if your organisation already understands NTS and/or has
integrated them into a safety critical role (for example the driver role), a
phased approach may not be needed. Instead you may want to learn the
lessons from previous integration (if relevant), communicate success stories
(from your organisation or similar), and then go straight into identifying the
right NTS for your identified areas of risk and integrating these into
competence standards, training programmes and measurement.
Integration of NTS often causes and also requires changes in attitudes and
behaviours. For example, NTS encourages everybody to acknowledge the risk
and challenges that you can all face. Introducing NTS can lead to open and
honest discussions about these challenges and how they can be overcome.
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Some people may not be used to this and can find such change in attitude and
behaviour hard and uncomfortable. This in turn can lead to resistance or lack
of buy-in and commitment.
The project team can help to identify where groups or departments of people
are in general and how ready your organisation is by gathering opinions,
concerns, misinformation and rumours from different parts of the
organisation regarding NTS. You could also undertake a safety culture survey
or employee engagement survey to further understand attitudes and
opinions. This information can help you identify the challenges you will face,
the type of messages you will need to communicate, and the type of
integration approach you will need to take.
2.3.4 What should be in my plan?

Your strategy sets the direction of travel for your integration project. As such
it can contain:
1 A summary of NTS and their benefits (see Section 1.2).
2 A statement of commitment to the development and demonstration of
NTS.
3 A vision describing what success will look like, including measures of success.
4 A road map to achieve this vision, focused on your risk areas and outlining
your approach to integration. It should include quick wins, short, medium,
and long-term goals.
The road map should also include review points. These help you to reflect
on progress, build on successes, and continually improve your approach to
integration.
5 Resources needed to implement the road map and achieve the vision.
6 Roles and responsibilities of the people who will implement the road map.
7 Roles and responsibilities of everyone in the organisation who will support
achievement of the vision.
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Northern Rail recognised integration was a medium- to long-term
programme and created an integration strategy to help the company
understand why and how NTS was going to be integrated.
The strategy covered:
1 Statement of commitment, by senior managers, to embed the
principles of non-technical skills and human factors into the
competence management system.
2 A summary of NTS and their key benefits.
3 Description of how NTS will contribute to the development of a
positive and just safety culture.
4 Description of the phased approach to be taken (the road map).
This included:
 Awareness raising through, for example, safety briefing days, training of
relevant staff, and discussion of incidents where NTS played a part and
the use of NTS terminology and markers.
 A programme of refresher briefings and/or on the job coaching for
experienced staff to maintain awareness.
 Setting NTS into standards of competence.
 Incorporating NTS into selection criteria.
 NTS training for managers, drivers, conductors, and other safety critical
staff.
 A process for discussing NTS as part of the formal assessment process.
Northern Rail stated that it would not be possible for a member of staff
to fail their assessment based on NTS performance alone.
 Mechanisms for evaluating progress made, for example through staff
feedback, the success of remedial action plans containing NTS, and the
number of safety of the line incidents over time.
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2.4 How do I sell my plan to the organisation?
The strategy sets direction, while the business case helps people understand
why they should go in that direction. Your business case has to sell the benefits
of NTS and highlight how your plan will help the organisation to achieve these.
2.4.1 Senior management commitment

A key objective of the business case is to gain senior management buy-in to
NTS integration. Without this buy-in the integration project will not be
successful.
To do this, aim to answer the key questions and concerns management may
have. Typically, these are likely to include:
 Why should I, or we, do this?
 What will it cost?
2.4.1.1 Why should I do it?

NTS integration is expected to improve safety performance and is supported
by the ORR. It can be difficult to illustrate improvement or benefits with
specific figures. However, you can use the information in Section 1.2 to help
demonstrate the safety and financial benefits of NTS. If you completed an
analysis of risk areas to inform your strategy, you can use your findings to
demonstrate potential areas of benefit.
If you decide to use your own figures it is useful to consider areas such as:
 Potential reduction in accidents and incidents related to human error
 Improvements in performance
 Potential cost reduction associated with these incidents
 Potential reputational improvements associated with reducing incidents
and accidents and improving the customer experience
It is also worth highlighting the less tangible benefits of NTS integration.
These are harder to link to the bottom line, but are still very important. For
example, effective NTS integration can lead to staff who have enhanced
knowledge, skills and attitudes, and are more engaged and motivated. This
may improve operational performance, lower staff turnover and reduce staff
sickness.
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2.4.1.2 What will it cost?
NTS integration is a medium- to long-term programme and there will be a
range of costs that may include:
 Promotional materials
 Developing familiarisation sessions and training sessions, administration
and use of training facilities
 Release of staff to be part of the project team
 Release of staff to facilitate learning and staff to attend sessions
 Time and effort by supervisors and managers to ebbed NTS into the
workplace
The business case should clearly outline the expected costs and resources. It
should also show how NTS can reduce costs; for example, by reducing
incidents and accidents and these will help to describe the overall cost benefit.
These costs on resources should be linked to your plan, for example, some
years or quarters may have more expenditure associated with them than
others. Section 1.2 of this guide contains example NTS cost benefits.
2.4.2 Wider business

Once you have senior management commitment the rest of the business
needs to be brought into the idea of integrating NTS.
Use your business case to help people understand why integration is
important, while the strategy can help them understand how it will happen.
People at different levels within your organisation will want to know different
things (examples are provided in Table 3). So you will need to tailor your
messages and communications.
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Table 3 - Example questions people may ask
Grade Potential questions to answer

What do I need to do?
How will it help me improve performance?
Middle managers What resources will I need and what will be the
benefit?
Who in the company is supporting this?
How will this help me manage my staff?
Front line managers How much of my time will it take?
and supervisors What do I need to learn and do?
Who will help me?
How will this be used in training?
Trainers Will this make our training better?
Will I need training?
How will this link to competence assessment?
How will I actually measure NTS?
Assessors
Will it make things better?
How do I talk about NTS after the assessment?
How will this help me?
Will this increase my work?
Front line staff Don’t I do this anyway?
What support will I get?
Is this another fad?
In addition, the following can help you to communicate effectively to the

wider business.
2.4.2.1 Champions
Involve enthusiastic ‘champions’ who can spread the word regarding the
benefits of NTS integration and also demonstrate the NTS you want to
develop. These should come from different levels of the organisation and do
not necessarily need to be people in authority but should be well respected
and good influencers.
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2.4.2.2 Create ownership
Engage staff, through communications, briefings and awareness workshops,
so they feel part of the integration project, as opposed to feeling that
integration is something being done to them.
2.4.2.3 Multiple methods

Use a range of different communication methods. Think about the type of
people you are communicating with and the types of messages you want to
express. Examples could include:
 Posters, leaflets, and booklets
 Company magazine articles, highlighting examples of where NTS have
been applied and successfully mitigated a safety risk
 Web pages and video clips
 Safety briefing days, awareness raising workshops including case studies, or
inviting staff to talk about their experience of NTS
 Flash mobs
 Informal discussions and chats instigated by champions. Examples of these
from other companies can be found in the RSSB NTS online toolkit.
2.4.2.4 Demonstrable commitment

The project team, senior managers and champions should demonstrate
commitment to the integration project through their behaviour, decisions and
communications to staff, both formally and informally. NTS self-assessment
questionnaires could be used to help the project team, senior managers and
champions reflect on their own NTS. An example questionnaire can be found,
in the RSSB NTS online toolkit.
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3 Identify non-technical skills
When trying to identify which NTS are important for a technical task, it can
often feel as though all the skills are relevant, making it hard to determine the
right ones for any given task or role. This section will help you to understand
how to identify the right NTS for technical tasks using the principles of Risk
Based Training Needs Analysis.
The guidance is supported by these items contained in the RSSB NTS online
toolkit:
 Introductory slides to Risk Based Training Needs Analysis (RBTNA) and the
RSSB RBTNA Tool.
 Link to the RBTNA Tool.
 RBTNA Tool user guide. This provides more information on developing task
inventories, mapping NTS and prioritising tasks. It also tells you how to use
the RSSB RBTNA tool.
 Selected conference papers on Risk Based Training Needs Analysis.
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3.2 How do I determine which NTS are
relevant?
Figure 2 illustrates a simple process for helping you determine which NTS are
relevant. Each stage of the process is described in further detail below.
Figure 2: Process for determining which NTS are relevant
3.2.1 Identify your technical tasks

Before starting to map NTS, create a task inventory by listing out all the tasks
needed for the role, covering:
1 Tasks that are carried out day-to-day under normal operating conditions
2 Tasks completed during degraded working
3 Tasks completed during emergency situations
Tasks can then be organised into goals, which are headings for a group of
tasks. For example, you may have a goal of dispatch train under which you
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would list the tasks required to achieve this goal. You can see an example of
this, for the train driver role, in Figure 3.
If you want, goals can be chronologically ordered to reflect a typical day in the
life of the job holder.
Job descriptions, procedures, industry standards, National Occupational
Standards, competence standards, job holders and other subject matter
experts can be used to help identify the relevant tasks.
If you already have a task inventory, it can be helpful to review it using the
guidance above so you are happy that it reflects the right technical tasks for
the role.
3.2.2 Map NTS to your technical tasks

3.2.2.1 Prioritising
If you have a long list of tasks it can be helpful to prioritise these. Focus first
on the tasks that have either a high safety risk and/or place a high demand on
the job holder. For example, tasks that may be difficult to learn or carry out, or
that are done less often, with the result that people may forget some of the
actions. Figure 3 shows an example of task prioritisation using the RBTNA
template.
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Figure 3: Example RBTNA task inventory and prioritisation matrix
3.2.2.2 Sources of data
You may also want to collect relevant information from your near miss, close
call, incident and accident reporting, and investigation systems. These can
help you determine if there are common, recurring issues that relate to NTS.
RSSB completed a review of SPADs to highlight the main errors and

underlying factors that contribute to these incidents. Common human
errors associated with SPADS included action, memory and perception
slips or lapses.
You can also use information generated from Rail Accident Investigation
Branch (RAIB) investigations.
Investigated incidents cover a range of safety critical roles and operational
environments, often drawing out information that is relevant to non-technical
skills.
The RAIB investigation into the trap and drag incident, involving a DOO
(p) train at West Wickham (10th April 2015) highlighted the relevance
of several non-technical skills in dispatch, namely:
 Situational Awareness: attention to detail, overall awareness,
anticipation of risk, maintaining concentration
 Conscientiousness: systematic and thorough approach, and checking
 Decision making: effective decisions and timely decisions
 Co-operation and working with others: considering other’s needs
 Workload management: multi-tasking, selective attention and
prioritising
Finally, you can also draw on the combined knowledge of subject matter
experts, such as job holders, managers, assessors and trainers, to work through
the task inventory, and determine which NTS are required for effective and
safe performance of each task.
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3.2.2.3 Task type
To make the mapping process easier consider the type of task you are looking
at and the typical areas of risk and challenges of that task. Consider which NTS
are needed to overcome these challenges and mitigate the risk.
Some examples include:
Example task: Finding faults during a routine wheel inspection.
Task type: Observing or noticing information
Risk and challenges: Distracted, not paying attention or rushing. They may
make an error and potentially miss a fault.
Relevant NTS: Elements of situational awareness (such as attention to detail,
overall awareness, and maintaining concentration) and conscientiousness
(such as systematic and thorough approach, and checking).
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Example task: Authorising a shunt move.
Task type: Making a judgement or decision about what to do.
Risk and challenges: Does not fully understand the procedures, or does not
have all the right information, they may make the wrong decision.
Relevant NTS: Elements of conscientiousness (such as positive attitudes
towards rules and procedures) and decision making (such as effective
decisions and timely decisions).
You can also consider whether the conditions under which the task is being
completed change the NTS needed. In some cases, goals and tasks may
appear to be similar but are carried out in different conditions. For example,
train dispatch under normal conditions requires slightly different NTS than
under degraded operations.
In an emergency situation, all the skills related to situational awareness and
workload management are likely to be relevant. In these circumstances tasks
are often done under pressure, where the situation is continually changing and
many actions may need to be done at the same time.
Finally, some NTS are always going to be relevant to some degree, such as the
skills associated with workload management and self-management.
Individuals will find it hard to complete their tasks safety and efficiently if they
are unable to manage their workload and/or themselves.
You can use the RSSB RBTNA tool to help prioritise tasks based on safety risk
and task demand; and to map NTS by task type. Also pages 17 to 21 of the
RBTNA user guide, which you can find in the RSSB NTS online toolkit, provide
a set of tables to guide you through the process of determining task types and
then assigning NTS to these.
3.2.3 Review and finalise your mapping and prioritisation

Once you have completed the mapping, review all aspects. Be sure that the
tasks, prioritisation, and mapping reflect the true nature and scope of the role
in your company. And that you have included all the company- and operation-
specific areas of risk and challenges staff will face carrying out these tasks.
Two examples are shown in Figure 4.
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Figure 4: Examples of completing NTS mapping and prioritisation using
an adapted RBTNA template
3.3 How do I integrate NTS into my competence

standards?
3.3.1 Why integrate?
Competence standards will more often than not describe the level of competence needed
to carry out tasks safely, effectively, reliably and in line with company procedures
(statements of performance). They may also include the underpinning knowledge and
technical skills needed to achieve this level of competence (performance criteria).
Integrating your NTS mapping into these competence standards means you are able to
create standards that describe the underpinning knowledge, technical, and non-technical
skills needed to achieve defined levels of competence.
This has a number of benefits:
1 As these standards inform selection, training, and assessment, NTS will be
better integrated into these aspects of the competence management
system.
2 You can start to define different levels of expertise such as 'competent',
'proficient', and 'expert', which can help foster a culture of learning and
development.
3 It brings NTS to life and helps job holders, trainers, assessors, front line
managers and others understand how NTS relate to technical tasks.
3.3.2 What are my options?

3.3.2.1 Standalone NTS performance criteria
One option is to have NTS as a standalone set of criteria, either one set for the
entire standard or a set of criteria for each statement of performance. The
latter means that for each statement of performance within the standard
there will be the relevant NTS, alongside the defined technical skills and
underpinning knowledge.
This option is less time consuming, using the information generated from your
NTS mapping. You determine which mapped goals and tasks are associated
with each statement of performance and then identify the common NTS
mapped to these goals and tasks. This will give you a set of NTS for each
statement of performance.
This option also allows job holders, trainers, assessors, front line managers and
others to distinguish between underpinning knowledge and the technical and
non-technical skills needed to achieve defined levels of competence. This can
be useful as each of these can be trained and measured in different ways.
However, the downside is that this type of integration can create the
perception that NTS is a bolt-on to existing criteria. An example of a
standalone unit and a semi-integrated competence standard can be found in
Figure 5.
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Figure 5: Examples of a standalone and semi-integrated competence standards
3.3.2.2 Re-wording existing performance criteria
Another option is to reword existing performance criteria so they combine
underpinning knowledge, technical and non-technical skills, to describe
behaviours and actions needed to achieve and demonstrate the level of
competence required.
For example, if the statement of performance is ‘safe access/egress on or near
the line’ re-worded criteria could include:
Consistently applies correct rules and procedures, showing an
understanding of why they are appropriate. For example, uses
official walking routes.
Anticipates what hazards could occur, and constantly on the lookout
for dangers. For example, takes the safest walking route, faces
oncoming trains where possible.
Shows heightened alertness and vigilance, takes an unhurried,
systematic and thorough approach, checks information and actions.
For example, identifies Sectional Appendix glossary for type of
running line, direction of travel, and maximum speed.
Re-worded criteria can use NTS language and be based on the relevant
behavioural markers that accompany each of the 26 NTS. You can find these
behavioural markers in the RSSB NTS online toolkit.
This option allows NTS to be fully integrated into existing performance
criteria, helping to demonstrate how NTS contributes to performance and the
explicit link between technical tasks and non-technical skills.
The downside to this option is that it can take some time to re-write the criteria
and it can increase the length of performance criteria.
3.3.3 Which option to choose?

It is important for you to consider each option. Bear in mind the pros and cons
and the current level of understanding and support for NTS within your
organisation. As part of planning for NTS integration you will have developed
a feeling and understanding of how ready your organisation is for NTS, which
will help you decide which option is most appropriate.
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4 Integrating non-technical skills
into selection
The application of non-technical skills helps individuals undertake technical
tasks safely efficiently and reliably. As such, these skills along with other
behavioural preferences and aptitudes can often be important determinants
of job performance. They can help differentiate the very good performers
from those less strong. If you recruit the right people into a role, development
and improvement become easier.
To do this, you need to understand who the ‘right people’ are. Integrating NTS
into your selection criteria will help identify the people who have the potential
to perform well in the role. These are used in conjunction with selection tests
which focus on selecting people with the innate capability or preference
related to key safety critical aspects of the role. This section will help you to
understand how to do this. It uses the current Train Driver Psychometric
Selection Process, from Rail Industry Standard 3571-TOM, as an example.
The guidance is supported by these items in the RSSB NTS online toolkit:
 Link to the Rail Industry Standard 3571-TOM
 Selected conferences papers on the development of the Train Driver
Psychometric Selection Process
 Links to RSSB research undertaken to develop the Train Driver Psychometric
Selection Process.
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4.2 How do I integrate NTS into selection
criteria?
4.2.1 Consider existing knowledge of staff
Before reviewing selection criteria you need to know if the staff responsible for
setting policy on recruitment and selection are aware of NTS and how these
skills support performance.
You may need to spend time helping them understand what NTS are, how
they relate to technical tasks, the benefits of NTS, and why they should be
considered in selection. This guide, the RSSB NTS online toolkit, as well as your
NTS integration strategy and business case can help you do this.
4.2.2 Compare selection criteria to your NTS mapping

Identify the selection criteria for the chosen role and ensure you have
completed the NTS mapping for that role in line with the guidance provided in
Section 3. Now you can compare the selection criteria to your NTS mapping,
identifying the extent to which the criteria reflect the NTS needed to carry out
the role safely, efficiently, and reliably.
When making this comparison focus only on the critical skills required for the
role. For example, the selection criteria for the Train Driver Psychometric
Process represents only the safety and time critical skills and behaviours to be
demonstrated at all times while driving a train.
Prioritising tasks, by safety risk, across modes of operation (normal, degraded
and emergency, see Section 3.2.2.1) will help you to determine critical skills.
The RSSB RBTNA can help you with this. Ask job holders and subject matter
experts to review your prioritisation before you compare the selection criteria
to your NTS mapping.
4.2.3 Make improvements where necessary

You can use your comparison to identify where NTS are suitably reflected and
where improvements are needed.
Often selection criteria can consist of critical cognitive skills (such as attention,
memory and perception) and behavioural preferences or aptitudes (such as
working with others and self-management). You can draw on the NTS
behavioural markers to think about behavioural preferences or aptitudes you
may want to include within your criteria.
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To help consider the cognitive skills that may affect the demonstration of the
NTS you want to incorporate into the selection criteria, think about the type
of task the NTS is associated with (see Section 3.2.2.3). For example, two
critical non-technical skills for safe train driving are maintain concentration
(Situational Awareness category) and checking (Conscientiousness category).
Both are affected by an individual’s ability to demonstrate a basic level of
vigilance.
As such one of the selection criteria for the Train Driver Psychometric Process
is vigilance, which is defined as: The ability to attend and respond to stimuli
which occur relatively infrequently and over extended periods of time.
Table 4 gives further examples of how non-technical skills have been
incorporated into selection criteria for the Train Driver Psychometric Process in
RIS-3751-TOM. Each of the selection criteria is described at a high level and is
defined to help duty holders and candidates understand what is being
assessed.
.
Table 4 - Examples of how non-technical skills have been incorporated into
selection criteria for the Train Driver Psychometric Process as outlined in RIS-3751-
TOM
NTS category and Selection

Definition
skills criteria
Selective attention - The ability
Situational Awareness – to differentiate between
attention to detail (1.1) different sources of information
Workload management - Attention and attend selectively to them
multi-tasking and Divided attention - The ability to
selective attention (6.1) switch attention between
sources of information
Situational Awareness –
maintain concentration
The ability to attend and
(1.3)
respond to stimuli which occur
Conscientiousness - Vigilance
relatively infrequently and over
systematic and thorough
extended periods of time.
approach (2.1) and
checking (2.2)
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Table 4 - Examples of how non-technical skills have been incorporated into
selection criteria for the Train Driver Psychometric Process as outlined in RIS-3751-
TOM
NTS category and Selection

Definition
skills criteria
The ability to learn, recall and
Situational Awareness –
Memory apply job related information in
retain information (1.4)
appropriate time limits
The ability to solve problems and
Decision making and Reasoning
make decisions.
action – effective
decisions (4.1), timely A quick and adequate response
decisions (4.2) and to simple and complex visual and
Reaction
diagnosing and solving acoustic stimuli and the
time
problems (4.3) associated quality of
performance
The ability to anticipate
Situational Awareness - elements in a traffic
overall awareness (1.2) environment and make a correct
Perception
and anticipation of risk decision about how to respond
(1.5) given the speed and distances
involved
The ability to read, listen,
Communication –
understand and respond
listening (3.1), clarity Communi-
appropriately, and effectively
(3.2) and sharing cation
convey information orally and in
information (3.4)
writing.
Conscientiousness (all
skills – 2.1 to 2.3) No established occupational
Co-operation and work psychological deficiencies,
Behavioural
with others (all skills - 5.1 particularly in operational
aptitudes
to 5.4) aptitudes or any relevant
Self-management (all personality factor.
skills – 7.1 to 7.4)
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4.3 How do I measure NTS in selection?
There are many approaches which relate to or contain references to NTS, such
as psychometric assessments, personality measures, structured interviews,
unstructured interviews, group activities, and work sample tests.
All measures have different pros, cons, and purposes. For example,
psychometric assessments can be useful to measure the cognitive skills that
can affect the demonstration of NTS such reasoning, attention and vigilance.
Structured interviews and personality measures such as situational judgement
exercises can be used to measure NTS such as co-operation and working with
others, communication, conscientiousness and self-management. To help you
pick suitable measures, think about the considerations in Table 5 and how you
could apply the advice.
Table 5 - Things to consider when picking suitable selection methods for NTS
Consideration Advice
Methods should always be matched to the criteria
being assessed. You can also check with the test
What am I
publisher to understand the method’s construct
assessing?
validity – the specific constructs or elements that the
method assesses.
Your methods and associated pass marks should match
the expected ability of the candidate pool. You do not
want to pick methods that are too easy or too hard.
What standard of
For example, candidate train drivers need to
performance do I
demonstrate a minimum standard on each of the
expect?
safety- and time-critical abilities and behaviours that
are assessed. This will screen out potentially unsafe
candidates.
How many
Ideally, it is best to assess each safety- and time-critical
methods should I
ability and behaviour using more than one method.
use?
You should pick methods that produce results that are
How reliable and stable over a period of time and do not discriminate
fair is the against people by, for example, age, gender, or
method? ethnicity. The test publisher should be able to provide
this information.
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Table 5 - Things to consider when picking suitable selection methods for NTS
Consideration Advice
You should pick methods that have a demonstrated link
How do scores
to job performance in the role you are selecting for. The
relate to job
test publisher should be able to provide this
performance?
information.
Some methods may require detailed training before
What training will
they can be administered while others can be used by
my company
novices. You should consider the competence of staff
need to use the
involved in selection and also their available time for
method?
additional training if required.
Tests vary in cost and this can be influenced by the level
of assessment and type of output provided by the
method. For example, the cost of personality measures
How much does it can vary depending on the type of detail you require in
cost? the output report. You should therefore consider the
level of assessment and reporting you think is
reasonable along with the amount of money you think
your company would consider acceptable to spend.
You should consider the amount of time available to
How long does it assess candidates as well as the impact long
take? assessments can have on candidates’ performance and
perception of the company.
Tests are often available in paper based and on-line
format. Online can make it easier to administer and
scoring can be automated. However, on-line
Should I use on-
assessment can bring security issues, while in some
line or paper
cases on-line tests do not demonstrate the same level
based?
of validity as their paper based equivalent. You should
discuss these with the test publisher before making a
decision.
Finally, it is helpful to review your selection criteria and methods at regular

intervals. They should reflect the critical skills required for the role, which may
change over time. Use these reviews to further integrate NTS into your
selection criteria.
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5 Train and develop non-technical
skills
As part of your NTS integration programme you are going to need to think
about how you'll train or brief out NTS to help clarify or improve people's
knowledge, ensure staff get the right message, and help them develop their
NTS performance.
Because knowledge, technical skills, and non-technical skills are so closely
related, it makes sense to train them together. Ideally they should blend
together to illustrate how they interlink. The RSSB NTS course encourages
participants to think about NTS in the context of their working lives and
technical tasks. Similarly, technical training courses could encourage staff in
safety critical roles to think about their tasks in the context of NTS.
This section will help you to decide:
 What to include in your training courses or briefings. Different levels of
staff and roles will have different training needs.
 How to consider different levels of organisational readiness in terms of your
training.
 How to create the right environment to promote learning.
 What your trainers or assessors need to be aware of once NTS is included in
your CMS.
 How to help front line staff relate NTS to their roles through training.
 Whether to run your training yourself or to out-source it.
 How to maintain the momentum and interest in your programme once
training has started.
The guidance is supported by these items contained in the RSSB NTS online
toolkit:
 Models of training, including the RSSB NTS courses.
 NTS self-evaluation questionnaires.
 Example techniques to improve NTS, such as risk triggered commentary.
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5.2 Understanding what to train
The content of your training course should be based on a training needs
analysis (TNA) or the RBTNA. Competence and the safe performance of tasks
in rail safety critical staff roles require functional skills, under-pinning
knowledge, technical skills, and non-technical skills. How you get this across,
what methods you use, whether you link NTS into the technical training, is up
to you.
For example, you can use NTS language in technical training programmes.
When training a technical task, rule, or procedure, discuss the NTS that
underpin this task. Using this training methodology will stop NTS being seen
as a bolt on. Also talk about human performance limitations, how people
make mistakes or choose to violate rules and what can be done. This can help
highlight how NTS, technical skills and underpin knowledge interact and affect
performance (positively and negatively).
Training and development does not always need to be done in the classroom.
A range of training and development methods can be used to make the most
of adult learning principles and create a positive and interesting learning
environment.
5.2.1 Identifying training needs

It's important to begin by understanding who you want to train, where your
staff are now, and what you want them to be able to do after the training. A
TNA can help you to identify and address the gaps in the current level of
knowledge and understanding of NTS, what you want your staff to understand
or be able to do, the skills that need to be trained, how they are trained and
what medium could be used for this. This will mean that the training course
will be most suitable for your company and for those roles you are aiming the
training at.
The output of a TNA will help to define the training course content and
requirements in terms of:
 The format of training
 Training requirements based on performance demand of the task
 The best approach for training, development and assessment
It's likely your company will have a format for a TNA, or you could use the
RBTNA described in Section 3. The additional benefit of using the RBTNA is
that it helps you to:
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 Prioritise training requirements based on the safety risk associated with
task failure
 Automatically populate NTS skills to technical tasks
 Consider a range of different training options
5.2.2 What is the current level of organisational

understanding or interest in NTS?
Following on from Section 2.3.3 which discussed indicators of organisational
readiness for NTS integration, this section considers readiness in terms of
training. Gauging your company's level of understanding and readiness for
NTS can be done through informal discussions, at meetings, through your
champions or with individuals to assess their knowledge or capabilities around
NTS.
Different people or different roles could be at different levels, so you may need
to tailor your training accordingly. The output of the TNA will give the detail
of what to train and how to train it. You can use the guidance in Table 6 to see
where your organisation is in terms of its corporate understanding. This could
also guide you to what to consider when structuring the training or briefing.
This guidance describes three development levels and the suitable topics and
training approaches to promote improved understanding.
Table 6 - Three development levels and the suitable topics and training
approaches to promote improved understanding
Development
Areas to develop Rationale
level
Develop knowledge of:
At this level, the training is
 What NTS are
likely to be theoretical and
 How NTS and technical
classroom based,
tasks are linked
focussing on improving
Level 1. Beginner  How NTS can help knowledge on what NTS is
promote safe (and is not) and
performance
promoting a level of
 How NTS have helped interest or motivation to
other industries to explore NTS.
improve
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Table 6 - Three development levels and the suitable topics and training
approaches to promote improved understanding
Development
Areas to develop Rationale
level
Develop knowledge of: At this level the training is

likely to be based more on
 Why people make
mistakes discussions and
promoting knowledge
 How NTS map to the
development and thinking
Action Model
about how NTS can be
 Differences between
Level 2. applied in a real work
errors and violations
Intermediate environment. This can be
 Own NTS capabilities
classroom based or can
 Each NTS category in involve observation of
detail other colleagues carrying
 How NTS can be built out tasks or reflection in
into training and the workplace on their
assessment own capabilities.
At this level, your staff will
have a good
understanding of NTS and
how to apply this
Develop knowledge of:
understanding to their
 NTS development plans
own or to other’s
 Identification of specific experiences. Their training
strategies to improve
could focus on the
individual NTS
application of their
Level 3. Advanced  How NTS can improve knowledge in different
competence operational contexts. This
management (the CMS)
can be an evaluation of
 Understanding how NTS NTS, analysis and critique
performance leads to or of investigations and the
prevents accidents and suggestions of how NTS
incidents
performance could have
affected the outcome
either positively or
negatively.
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5.3 How to create the right environment for
learning
Regardless of the level of capability, the environment in which training and
learning takes place is vital to the success of any training programme. These
three management factors have the biggest impact on how well learning is
transferred from the classroom to the working environment:
1 The learner's manager in setting expectations before the course
2 The trainer's role before the course in getting to know the needs of the
learners
3 The manager's role after the intervention
These factors highlight how important it is that your managers have the right
level of awareness of NTS and how the way in which managers talk about the
course in advance and after the course will have an effect.
There are other factors to consider which relate to the learner such as their
motivation and ownership of learning. These are discussed in chapters 5 and
6 of the RSSB RS800 guide (http://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/
RS800%20Iss%201.pdf) and in Section 2.2 of the RSSB RS100 good practise
guide on Competence Management (http://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/
RS100%20Iss%201.pdf).
5.3.1 Managers setting expectations (before training)

The learner's line manager affects how well the training is carried back to the
job. They need to set positive expectations in terms of the importance of NTS
and the benefits. Therefore it is important to consider how well prepared your
managers are for this, so consideration should be given to:
 How well informed are your managers? Do they require briefing or training
on NTS to enable them to speak in a positive and informed way about the
training? Have you considered what questions they might be asked by
attendees and made sure the managers know how to answer these?
 What are your managers' attitudes towards NTS? Do they believe it adds
value and that NTS training will make a positive impact? Or do they see it
as common sense or psycho-babble? The attitude they have is likely to come
across in the way they talk to their staff attending the course.
You should consider briefing or training managers in advance of their staff
attending the training, to help them promote a positive attitude and explain
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the importance of them setting expectations with their staff before the
course.
5.3.2 The trainer's role before the course in knowing needs of

the learners
The level of understanding that the trainer has of the needs of the learners
before the course, can impact on how well it is transferred back to the
workplace. The more trainers know of the capabilities and levels of
understanding of the trainees, the more relevant and targeted they can make
the training and improve the transfer of training back to the workplace.
Consideration for upskilling trainers to be able to do this are:
 Understanding of current capabilities: an analysis of the levels of
understanding could be undertaken before training takes place. This could
be in the form of the self-evaluation questionnaire (see NTS tool box) or
design an alternative method.
 Familiarisation with NTS associated with technical tasks: trainers should be
familiar with the NTS which are required for successful completion of the
technical tasks. The training needs analysis should specify these while
materials (and training) given to the trainers should highlight these.
5.3.3 The manager's role after the intervention

You need to consider what you expect your managers to be able to say, do, or
promote after their staff have been on the training. As NTS development is
based on coaching, self-reflection and conversations, it is important to make
time for managers to have the skills and time to do this. Without the right
skills, attitude, and time to have these conversations, you may not get the
return of investment that you have made and so you may not get the desired
change.
The success of training is also dependent upon the learner's attitude and
willingness to take ownership of his or her development. This is particularly
important with NTS as they require open-mindedness and for the learners
themselves to be able to identify areas to be improved and strategies which
they can use to achieve this.
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5.4 How can I inform leaders, managers and
supervisors about NTS?
Leaders, managers and supervisors can all set the tone and will influence the
motivation of employees to engage in NTS. They also play a key role 'back on
the job' in reinforcing the messages of the training through their feedback
and measurement sessions with staff.
So, it is important that they know how to effectively observe, and give
feedback on, NTS. This may involve upskilling (see case study from
SouthEastern) or sharing with them the RSSB managers' handbook (contained
in the RSSB NTS online toolkit).
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SouthEastern considered how to maximise the effectiveness and
sustainability of their NTS programme. They decided to start by
training their Driver Managers and Operations Managers first, before
training any drivers. They believed that these managers played a key
role in both getting buy in from staff and in maintaining the
momentum for the programme as they are a key link between the
managers above them and the front line staff. They need to be able to
understand the needs and concerns of their drivers as well as needing
to ‘translate’ the requirements of senior managers.
To do this they ran an NTS awareness course for their managers and
followed this up with a second day of training on managerial skills.
They held the second day as they realised that much of NTS
development requires managers being able to build rapport and
engage with their staff, and to be more flexible in their managerial
style. They identified that their managers had not been given this
training previously.
‘We thought carefully about how we could get the best out of our NTS
training and who we should prioritise as we could not train everyone at
the same time. We decided to start by training our Operations and
Driver Managers first, because they needed to have the knowledge and
skills to be able to describe to their drivers why NTS was important and
to help the Drivers to be motivated and interested in it. We decided to
ask RSSB to run a two day course for us, based on:
 An introduction to NTS
 A more detailed understanding of each NTS category and skill
 An introductory exercise on integrating NTS into our competence
standards
 Introduction to measurement and evaluation of NTS
We had some good feedback on this and the operations and driver
managers felt much clearer and more confident in their capabilities to
describe NTS after this training. We then followed it a few weeks later
with some general management skills training in factors like
communications, coaching skills and conflict management as we
identified these were key skills they needed to both be good managers
and to maximise the effectiveness of discussions around NTS.’
Jim Maxwell, Head of Drivers, SouthEastern trains
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Table 7 lists the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) that leaders, managers,
and supervisors should have to support the development of NTS.
You can suggest the NTS self-assessment questionnaire in the RSSB NTS
online toolkit as a way for them to identify and quantify their own NTS.
Table 7 - Leaders’, managers’ and supervisors’ KSAs needed to support the

development of NTS
Knowledge, skills, attitudes Further explanation

Knowledge of what the NTS
Explains what each NTS is and how
categories and skills are and
this relates to their staff’s role.
Knowledge
their relevance to the role

Knowledge of how NTS is
Can consistently document their
evaluated, what managers
staff’s NTS performance and
need to do and what should
development using company forms.
be documented and how
Shows awareness of own
communication style and is able to
Self-awareness describe their own areas of NTS
challenges and positive
performance.
Objectively evaluates their staff’s
Objective observation
NTS without being prone to bias.
Can provide clear, well-documented
Skills
Prepared and organised and well-structured feedback on

NTS performance.
Through active listening, shows that
they are keen to understand others’
rationale for NTS performance.
Good listener Gives staff space and
encouragement to discuss NTS
performance and strategies to
improve.
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Table 7 - Leaders’, managers’ and supervisors’ KSAs needed to support the
development of NTS
Knowledge, skills, attitudes Further explanation

Can describe their reason for NTS
evaluation and areas for
Clarity of communication improvement, without jargon so
that they can be understood by
others.
Adapts their own communication
Skills, cont.
Flexible and feedback styles to the

individual they are working with.
Can motivate others to be engaged
Motivational skills with NTS and to perform tasks
safely, across a range of staff.
Provides feedback in a constructive
Assertiveness way if a challenge is given to them
on their evaluation.
Positive approach to NTS and Demonstrates commitment to
keen to promote their promoting the importance of NTS
relevance and value and the value they add.
Demonstrates management
Keen to contribute to the
Attitude
commitment to developing the NTS

ongoing development of NTS
of their staff and promoting NTS
within the organisation
within the organisation.
Treats incidents or errors as an
Takes a learning approach to
opportunity for others to learn from
mistakes
rather than blaming someone.
The RSSB NTS Train the Trainer (TTT) course for managers can be used to train
leaders, managers and supervisors. The course consists of modules that
explore the importance of these roles, and how to effectively observe,
measure, promote, and give feedback on, NTS.
http://www.rssb.co.uk/improving-industry-performance/human-factors/
human-factors-courses/non-technical-skills-course
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5.5 How can I help trainers and assessors
understand and maximise the effectiveness of
NTS back on the job?
NTS needs a different attitude to assessment than that used in technical
assessments. The term assessment infers a pass or fail outcome, which is not
appropriate for NTS development. People should not be failed on the NTS
alone. During an assessment, someone could fail a technical task such as
'Safely dispatching train on a curved platform', and one of these reasons
could be related to NTS performance '2.2 Checking'.
People should only fail on the technical task. The NTS may be raised as one of
the reasons for this. However, they should not fail at the NTS task of
'Checking' alone. This is a view endorsed by the Unions at the outset of the
NTS research and is in line with good practise from other safety critical
industries.
It is important that trainers and assessors are well briefed on the requirements
for this and the expectations on them.
Trainers and assessors need the right skills and attitudes to approach NTS
objectively. Not doing so could significantly limit the effectiveness of training
and evaluations of NTS, especially during a measurement session and at the
stage of giving feedback.
Trainers and assessors must be given the time and opportunity to have:
 A good understanding of the NTS categories and skills, and a basic
knowledge of human factors and the impacts of human performance.
 A good understanding of the concept, content and use of behavioural
markers appropriate to the role, and their use in objectively measuring NTS
performance.
 The ability to use appropriate questioning and feedback methods to
support understanding and development of NTS performance.
 An assessment style and attitude which includes coaching, and facilitates
rapport building, open and honest discussions, participation and
engagement. They must be able to motivate individuals to want to improve
and to make them want to contribute to discussions and development of
their competence.
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 A good knowledge of the technical aspect of the role(s) of the people they
train and/or assess. To build credibility and trust, they should, ideally, have
occupational experience of this role themselves.
 A positive belief in the value of NTS. Trainers and assessors play a key role
in communicating the importance of and motivating staff to embrace NTS.
If the trainer and/or assessor is negative, overtly sceptical, or
unenthusiastic, staff are unlikely to be motivated and this may increase
resistance. Trainers and assessors need to show a positive attitude, good
knowledge of NTS, and empathy with individuals' perspectives.
 An awareness of the company's wider strategy for NTS, so they can answer
questions on the topic and set discussions within the wider context.
The KSAs described in Table 7 are applicable to trainers and assessors, while
the RSSB NTS managers' course can be used to help train NTS trainers and
assessors.
Tips for developing trainers and assessors from Arriva Trains Wales:
 It takes some time for trainers and assessors to really understand NTS.
As well as the basic concept, they need to understand NTS to a point
where they can deliver an NTS course that really adds some context in
terms of the participants' role.
 Another challenge for trainers and assessors is being able to have
enough personal understanding of NTS to coach, challenge and probe a
participant's level of understanding.
 Trainers and assessors should be prepared to act as future support for
both managers and front line staff as they will be seen as an 'authority'
on NTS
You can find more information in the RSSB Good Practice Guide on
Competence Development RS/100 (http://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/
RS100%20Iss%201.pdf).
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5.6 How do I help front line staff relate NTS to
their role?
Whenever you introduce change, you will find some staff are positive, and
others will be negative. To reduce negativity and scepticism around NTS, it's
important to be honest and open about what NTS are and how they can help
people to develop their roles and themselves. Sceptical staff will think NTS are
psycho-babble, a dark art, or just common sense. So you will need to consider
how you can overcome these challenges and factor this into the way in which
you brief or train your front line staff.
To help break down any barriers and increase engagement in the NTS
programme, whatever form of training or briefing you choose, to help them
relate NTS to their role, they should be able to understand:
 The areas of risk in their role
 How NTS can help
 How NTS supports technical tasks
The RSSB front line NTS course (available in the RSSB NTS online toolkit) gives
an example of how this can be done, but these factors can be integrated into
any training course. Consideration will also need to be given to the different
risks posed by different levels of experience. For example:
 Inexperienced staff may be less aware of the risk involved in different
operational situations.
 More experienced staff may become be overconfident or complacent and
this can affect their perception of risk.
Additional guidance on training development can be found RSSB Good
Practice Guide on Competence Development RS/100 (http://www.rssb.co.uk/
rgs/standards/RS100%20Iss%201.pdf).
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5.7 Should I consider out-sourcing my training?
This depends on your organisation, their buy-in, investment and training
strategy. There are positives and negatives for out-sourcing your training and
these need to be considered before making a substantial outlay. Table 8 and
Table 9 shows some considerations.
Table 8 - In house training
Positive Negative
Relies on positive attitude and
Greater control over messages given
acceptance from staff
Increased workload and training
Upskilling staff
need for trainers and assessors
Trainers and assessors may be more
Cultural change in competence used to instruction based training
management and/or safety culture and may not have the necessary
facilitation and coaching skills
Table 9 - Outsource training
Positive Negative
Reduced workload for internal staff Greater cost
No opportunity for investment in
Clear specification of requirements
internal staff or their development
Perceived investment in staff (by The procurement process can be
staff themselves) resource intensive
Staff may find it easier to be open, Staff may feel that someone from
honest and more communicative outside the organisation does not
with someone from outside their understand how the industry and/or
organisation organisation works
Internal staff may not get the
Internal staff can learn from sitting
chance to develop the skills required
in with external trainers
to deliver the training in house
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5.7.1 An informed buyer’s guide to outsourced training
If you are given the opportunity or decide to buy in your NTS training you may
want to consider the following when searching for a contractor or consultant
to undertake the work.
 They use a well-founded methodology for identifying NTS relevant to your
operations, for example the RSSB list of NTS (or Network Rail's if you're
looking at control centre type staff).
 There is a focus on all NTS within the list, not just a sample related to one
aspect of the job.
 They show an interest in your RBTNA or TNA and write training materials to
fit this.
 They come with a positive recommendation on effectiveness from other rail
or safety-related companies.
 They link the training to an evaluation or assessment of the effectiveness of
their training.
 They understand the differences in operational roles and can define the
NTS and behavioural markers relevant to specific roles.
 They have a focus on establishing and maintaining a good working
relationship with your company.
 Their training involves practical exercises and use a blended learning
approach to training.
5.8 How can I maintain momentum after

training?
NTS training and development is not a 'quick fix' and will take time to be
understood and accepted by all staff.
Training courses should therefore not be delivered in isolation. Learning needs
to be supported back in the workplace, to allow skills to be practiced. Measures
such as integrating NTS appraisals into performance measurement,
management conversations, referencing NTS in safety briefs, and practicing
NTS on a simulator can all help to reinforce learning.
For the NTS training to be effectively transferred to the job, the new material
and content of the course should be actively practiced and sustained over a
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notable period of time. Methods to support on-going communication and
promotion of NTS include:
 Having a supportive manager who encourages conversations about NTS
performance.
 Discussions of NTS performance after an incident rather than 'blaming'
front line staff.
 Evaluating knowledge back in the workplace to make sure that a shared
understanding has been transferred.
 Monitor attitudes, reactions and performance after training and maintain
this performance monitoring.
 Use of promotional information such as posters, NTS briefings, newsletters
and magazines to maintain focus.
 Publicise and share success stories and lessons learned of NTS initiatives.
 Continue to monitor through management discussion, incident reporting
and self-reporting by front line staff.
It is also important to re-visit your measures of success from your planning
stage and consider factors such as:
 Did you train the right people first or have you identified a new audience?
 Have your biggest influencers succeeded in promoting NTS positively or do
you need new champions?
 Does the company feel they are getting a positive return on their
investment or have expectations changed?
 Are your managers setting the right expectations of NTS and promoting
NTS positively back in the workplace? Is your current safety culture
supporting NTS integration and maximising your investment or do you
need to work on aspects of this?
 Are you meeting your proposed measures of success for your training and
development? If not, why not and do you need to improve the training or
amend your measures?
If you are planning to train a range of operational staff and managers, you
may need to prioritise roles and consider taking a risk-based approach to this
decision. Both the RBTNA, and analysis of incidents and accidents, or another
risk-based approach could help to identify the levels of risk and who should get
training first, or what type of training they should receive.
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While not explicitly about NTS training, further information on supporting
training and development can be found in:
 RSSB RS100 Good Practise Guide on Competence Development (http://
www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/RS100%20Iss%201.pdf)
 Chapters 3, 5 and 6 of the RSSB RS800 Guide (http://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/
standards/RS800%20Iss%201.pdf) in terms of how people react to
change, and structuring an effective brief or training session.
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6 How do you measure non-
technical skills?
Measuring NTS can be a challenge, in terms of identifying what to measure,
how to measure and how to feed this back to staff.
This section will help you to determine which NTS to measure, the type of
approaches you can use to measure NTS, and how to provide feedback.
The guidance is supported by these items in the RSSB NTS online toolkit:
 Example forms for structuring NTS measurement
 Materials providing further tips for measurement and feedback
 Relevant case studies
6.2 How do I measure an individual's NTS?

6.2.1 What do I measure?
When measuring NTS performance on the job, this should always be done as
part of evaluating technical task performance. As such your NTS mapping
(see Section 3.2) will help you identify which NTS you should be measuring for
each technical task.
If you have integrated your NTS mapping into competence standards (Section
3.3) then these standards can be used to structure your NTS measurement.
If you have completed the mapping but not integrated the findings into your
standards then you can use the behavioural markers developed by RSSB for
each non-technical skill (contained within the RSSB NTS online toolkit) to
create statements of observable behaviour that the assessor can look for and
provide feedback on.
Behavioural markers are very helpful for structuring measurement because
they provide:
 Clear and observable examples of NTS.
 Consistent and a common language for describing NTS.
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 Clarity for employees in terms of how NTS relate to their role and what is
expected of them.
If you have not completed an NTS mapping exercise, then it is advisable to do
so before you start measuring NTS. Guidance on completing this mapping is
provided in Section 3, while Section 5 provides guidance on training needs
analysis which can also help you identify NTS to measure.
6.2.2 How do I measure non-technical skills?

6.2.2.1 Opportunities for measurement
There are many opportunities for measuring NTS as part of technical task
performance. For example, measurement can be undertaken on the job,
perhaps providing greater opportunity and a more realistic environment or in
a simulator allowing for more unusual and challenging situations to be
practiced.
Table 10 provides some example opportunities for measurement.
Table 10 - Example opportunities for measurement
Opportunity Benefit Weakness

Can be distracting.
Can be used on the job Not all NTS can be
Observations and during simulated observed, for example
scenarios. those relating to
decision making.
Staff asked to talk
through actions as they
complete them so more Staff can find it hard to
NTS can be measured. carry out tasks and
‘What if’ questions can explain them at the
Talk throughs
be used to help same time.
understand how staff Some NTS can be
would demonstrate NTS difficult to articulate.
if different situations
occurred.
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Interview is not carried
out while the person is
Staff talk through
completing the task and
Interview actions and NTS can be
so it can be difficult to
explored in detail.
clearly relate NTS to the
technical tasks.
Information is readily
available.
Investigations of
There can be a risk of
incidents, accidents and
assumptions being
Review of near misses can draw
made about an
performance, out NTS.
individual’s behaviour.
including review of When a staff member
Review needs to be
incidents, accidents has dealt with an
supplemented with
and/or near misses unusual event you can
observations or talk
use a structured
throughs.
interview to understand
the demonstration of
NTS.
Peers will need detailed
Staff NTS are measured training.
by their peers to help Should only be used for
Peer measurement
facilitate personal personal development
development. and not used to inform
competence decisions.
Should only be used for
personal development
NTS self-assessment and not used to inform
questionnaire to competence decisions.
Self-assessment facilitate awareness and Best to combine with
personal development. another assessment
(see Figure 6) method as individuals
tend to overestimate
their ability.
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NTS is measured within
May need more than
a team activity to
one assessor to be able
Team measurement understand how
to measure individual
individuals and teams
and team NTS.
demonstrate NTS.
Use of simulators, role
plays, emergency drills,
and desk top exercises
can help to simulate Still an artificial
Simulated
events that staff may environment and can be
measurement
not experience regularly. costly to organise.
Observations and talk
throughs can be used to
help measure NTS.
Figure 6: Extract of NTS self-evaluation questionnaire developed by Network Rail
To produce useful and usable results, all measurement should be:

 Reliable – producing consistent results.
 Valid – measuring what it is supposed to measure, providing results that are
trusted by the job holder, assessor and manager.
 Fair – not discriminating against people, for example, on the grounds of
age, gender or ethnicity.
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 Objective – based on factual evidence collected around determined criteria.
Ideally multiple methods should be used to collect evidence.
Measurement of NTS should also be undertaken across different operational
modes so that you can see how staff demonstrate NTS during routine,
degraded and emergency situations.
6.2.2.2 Picking opportunities

To help you determine the best opportunities for measurement consider:
1 Frequency of technical task performance: Tasks that are done more often
are likely to lend themselves to on the job measurement. Low frequency
tasks may lend themselves to scenario or simulation measurement. For
these, the rigour and frequency of measurement may need to be increased
due to limited opportunities for job holders to do the tasks.
2 Difficulty of technical task: With complex tasks there may be a greater risk
of error; so the measurement may need to be more in depth. Use multiple
methods, potentially more frequently.
3 Importance of the task: High priority tasks may need more in depth and
frequent measurement, using multiple methods.
You may have prioritised tasks during your NTS mapping exercise (Section 3.2)
and hence you can use this information to identify the best opportunities for
measurement. Alternatively, if you have carried out a training needs analysis
(Section 5.2) the analysis should provide information on task difficulty,
importance and frequency.
If you have not carried out either, you should read Sections 3 and 5 of this
guide before determining opportunities for measurement.
6.2.2.3 Recording the information

Creating a measurement form and/or checklist can help an assessor measure
NTS. The form or checklist acts as a reminder for the assessor about which NTS
to measure, and allows them to record evidence of NTS related to technical
task performance.
The measurement form can also create consistency in how NTS are measured
and provides structure for feedback (Section 6.3).
The measurement form should:
 Identify the technical task(s).
 List all relevant NTS and make reference to behavioural markers as needed.
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 Have sufficient room for the assessor to take notes.
Figure 7 shows an example extract from an NTS measurement form created

by RSSB. You can find this form, along with additional guidance for
completing NTS measurement, in the RSSB NTS online toolkit.
Figure 7: Extract from the NTS measurement form developed by RSSB
6.3 How do I provide feedback?

Feedback is the best way of helping staff to understand their strengths and
determine areas for improvement.
It should be based on the evidence gathered during the measurement, so it is
fair and objective. Feedback should be presented in a constructive manner
covering both positive elements and areas for development. This will help the
individual to understand the specific technical actions they were undertaking,
the NTS they were or were not demonstrating, the effect this had on task
performance (positive and negative), and what could have been done
differently (and will be done differently in the future).
The feedback session can also be used to gather further information on the
demonstration of NTS. For example, you could explore how certain decisions
were made, or the type of information the person used to understand the
situation.
It is useful to run the feedback session in the style of a coaching conversation.
This involves asking open questions (what, why, how, where, when) to help the
individual reflect on their performance, identify the positive elements of their
performance, areas for development, and improvements that can be made.
You can help to facilitate this process by providing relevant evidence gathered
from the NTS measurement.
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Taking a coaching approach to feedback helps the individual take greater
responsibility for, and ownership of, their development.
You can find further guidance on how to structure feedback sessions, including
the type of questions to use, in the RSSB NTS online toolkit.
6.4 Measuring the NTS of leaders, managers,

supervisors, trainers and assessors
As described in Section 5.4, it is important that NTS measurement does not
just focus on front line staff. The NTS of leaders, managers, supervisors,
trainers and assessors should also be measured, to facilitate the effective
integration and demonstration of NTS.
This measurement can be developed in the same way as with front line staff,
while the same type of opportunities for measurement can be used. As such,
the guidance provided in Sections 6.1 to 6.3 can be used to help you measure
the NTS of leaders, managers, trainers and assessors. Some key points to
remember are:
 Measure NTS as part of leaders', managers', supervisors’, trainers' and
assessors' day to day tasks, as well as those carried out infrequently.
 Use NTS mapping and/or training needs analysis to help determine the NTS
you want to measure.
 Consider the frequency, importance and difficulty of tasks to help inform
the type, frequency and rigour of the measurement.
 Try to use more than one method, remember each method should be
reliable, valid, fair and objective.
 Use a form or checklist to structure your measurement.
 Provide feedback to leaders, managers, supervisors, trainers and assessors,
using coaching conversations.
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6.5 Overall, what are the NTS measurement dos and
don'ts?
6.5.1 Do
 Measure or evaluate, rather than assess, NTS.
 Conduct measurement as part of technical task performance.
 Use multiple methods and ensure they are reliable, valid, fair and objective.
 Consider the frequency, difficulty and importance of technical tasks.
 Use NTS mapping and/or training needs analysis to inform measurement criteria.
 Provide objective and constructive feedback.
 Measure the NTS of your assessors, supervisors, trainers, managers and leaders.
6.5.2 Don't
 Assess NTS (see Section 5.5 for more information).
 Measure NTS in isolation from the technical task.
 Fail people on their NTS. Competence decisions should be based on the failure to carry
out a technical task to the required standard, with the 'poor' NTS discussed as a factor
of this.
 Only measure the NTS of front line staff.
 Use only one method of measurement; such as the method your assessors are most
comfortable with.
 Base your measurement on subjective impressions.
 Provide feedback that lists everything the person did wrong.
7 Revise and renew NTS integration
The aim of this section is to help you to get the most out of your NTS programme by
providing ideas on how you can review the success of your programme and how you can
renew the momentum to your programme. You should continually monitor and review the
effectiveness of NTS integration, to help to identify areas of development, improvement,
or success. Rather than starting a programme and then becoming complacent,
organisations should want to learn from and continually develop their NTS work by asking
questions such as:
 What has worked or not worked particularly well?
 Has our integration gone to plan?
 What have we learnt?
 Has this programme had an effect on the business?
 Has this programme met front line staff's expectations?
 Has this programme met manager's expectations?
 What can we share with others?
 What further integration can we do?
Items in the RSSB NTS online toolkit to support this guidance include:
 Human Factors Awareness course information
 Questions from Manager NTS tools document
 Guidance on how to create a fair culture during incident investigations and in driver
development plans
7.2 Has the programme worked and what have
we learnt?
Once you have started the integration, training, and communication, you can
begin to review progress to understand if you are getting the outputs you
wanted or expected. The review should be based on the success measures
agreed at the outset of the programme (Section 2.3.4) and additional
measures could be included. These should focus on measureable leading and
lagging indicators and should contain feedback from staff, trainers, assessors,
supervisors, managers and leaders.
You could consider using:
 Number of staff trained vs number of staff planned to train
 Output of training satisfaction evaluation
 Attitudes towards safety
 Levels of integration achieved vs planned
 Feedback from managers (formal or informal)
 Feedback from front line staff (formal or informal)
 Feedback from champions on their perception of effectiveness
You can also measure effectiveness against four different levels. These are
described in Table 11.
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Table 11 - Levels of measurement
Level Description Example measures

1 Reactions Often questionnaires to
understand the participant’s
Measurement of how people feel reaction and satisfaction.
about NTS integration activities These can be administered after
such as training or awareness a training course for example, or
workshops. you can administer these six
months or a year into the
integration programme.
2 Learning At this level, you are measuring
(knowledge how well the participants have
and attitudes) understood and taken in the
information and facts you have
Pre and post training knowledge
trained them on. This can be
quizzes.
related to knowledge (can they
You can also administer a NTS
name the non-technical skills
self-evaluation questionnaire
and the categories they relate
pre and post training (see Figure
to), or to their attitude to NTS
6).
(do they believe in the
importance of NTS and has the
training affected this belief
positively).
3 Behaviour This can be evaluated through
At this stage, you are measuring
management discussions as part
whether the integration has had
of a performance review, or an
an actual, demonstrable benefit
NTS evaluation during an
to on the job performance.
operational performance review.
4 Organisation The number and severity of
At this stage you are looking for safety incidents – pre and post
demonstrable improvements to integration.
organisational outputs such as
Cost of incidents vs money
improved performance or safety
invested in NTS integration.
measures
To measure financial return,
However, it is difficult to tie this
companies will need to keep a
to NTS training. A more
record of monies invested in NTS
definitive measure could be a
integration. This may involve
safety culture or safety climate
pulling together records from
survey, as this can measure
various departments across the
changes in attitudes towards
company.
safety.
RSSB safety culture toolkit.
Measurement can bring a number of benefits such as:
 Seeing if your NTS integration programme is having the desired effect.
 Seeing if the integration is appealing to the audience or if you need to re-
think any aspects of it.
 Providing leaders and managers with feedback on their investments.
 Creating positive stories and successes that can be fed back to the
organisation.
Moreover, to promote and maintain interest in the NTS programme the
outcome of these measurements should be shared with staff. This feedback
will need to be phrased differently for different audiences. For example, for
front line staff this could mean that it is included in company communications
or newsletters, on staff boards, and discussed at safety meetings or
development days. For managers this could mean including NTS programme
feedback and measurements in management meetings and board packs. You
should choose the medium which is the most effective for your audience.
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7.3 Learning from experience and incident
investigation
Robust incident analysis is a great source of reactive information about how
safety management systems have failed. Good interview technique can elicit
the root causes of these insights into what can be done differently. To get
good quality incident information, the investigation should consider all factors
associated with an incident, and should follow the human factors (HF) model
illustrated in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Levels of human factors to consider for accident and incident
investigation
All three levels of the HF model can contribute to an incident; individual,

workplace and organisational factors. The outputs of NTS should only be
considered at the individual level factors. While they are affected by issues
such as poor equipment design or availability (job/workplace) or poor safety
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leadership (organisation) they can only ever be influenced and affected by an
individual's capabilities or performance, so they always sit at the individual
level.
To get the best NTS data from an investigation, it can be helpful to use the
RSSB NTS list and behavioural markers, and the questions in the Manager NTS
tools document as a checklist to identify what went wrong and why.
Identifying the relevant issues can lead to more effective action plans and
other recommendations being put in place.
The development advice provided in the Manager NTS tools document, along
with development tips suggested on the RSSB Train the Trainer course can be
used to proactively target areas for development. This should be used with the
guidance on creating a fair culture in incident investigation and in driver
development plans (RSSB research project T1068, see Section 11.). A fair
culture is likely to have greater levels of trust and honesty about the causes of
the incident.
Implementing a fair culture encourages open discussions and allows people to
be more honest about what went wrong and what they could do to stop this
happening again. This has been found to work well when managers have the
right attitude, as shown in the case study below.
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East Midlands Train’s Operations Standards and Control Systems
Manager, Darren Field-Thomas, implemented an NTS based review for
staff following operational incidents involving front line staff. The
discussion is based on a coaching conversation, provision of NTS and
human performance information to help raise awareness of the
potential for failures and for the member of staff to identify for
themselves strategies for improvement. This results in a development
plan which is written by the staff member to improve ownership.
East Midlands Trains have had very positive feedback to this initiative.
For example the following feedback was received from a dispatcher
who had an operational incident and went through the NTS review
process.
“Unfortunately at the very beginning of my dispatch career, I had an
attempt to dispatch against a red signal. I had to go through a few
procedures and meetings to find out what had caused this and also to
make sure it would not happen again in the future.
One of those meetings was with Darren Field-Thomas. Attempt to
dispatch against red probably has a different impact on different
individuals. The way it had affected me was that I had lost my
confidence and was embarrassed about what I had done.
The meeting with Darren helped me to understand that this could
happen to anybody and it did not necessarily mean that I was a bad
dispatcher.
All together the ‘brain work’ exercises, the tips and the conversations
about my lifestyle in general, along with the observations done by
XXXX have helped me a lot. The development plan has made me aware
that I have to stay focussed at all times no matter and I have gained
my confidence back. I am very sorry that I attempted to dispatch
against red but at the same time I think it has made me a better
dispatcher. This development plan was without doubt useful to me and
I would recommend (the process) to anybody.”
Written feedback from an East Midlands Dispatcher
Outputs of incident investigation should be collated and used to spot any

trends in NTS performance identified (either negative in that they were the
cause of an incident or irregularity, or positive in that NTS awareness and
intervention helped to stop an incident or irregularity from getting worse). This
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trend analysis should be used to inform training priorities and company
strategies where appropriate.
If you are at the stage of re-writing or amending performance criteria or
competence standards, this will give you an opportunity to integrate some of
the NTS terminology into the performance criteria. You should review and
revise performance criteria at regular periods to ensure that they are based
upon the most up to date understanding of managing the risk related to the
role.
Development of an individual's knowledge, skills and attitude to safety will
contribute to safe performance and will be likely be linked to having a
progressive organisational impact. Positive findings and results can be shared
within the industry and help to facilitate buy in of NTS and building the
business case of NTS integration.
7.4 How to track performance over time

To be able to track an individual's NTS performance over time, it is important
to keep detailed records of NTS measurement evaluation and the coaching
feedback conversations, notes taken by the managers and progress against
any development plans agreed.
These should be completed and filed in a standardised and consistent way to
track an individual's development over time and build a picture of strengths
and weaknesses and areas of further development. The data can show
patterns of individual's patterns of NTS activity, incident types, and their
associated development plans. From an organisational perspective, it is
important that these outputs are handed over and discussed with an incoming
manager so performance can be tracked over time, regardless of manager in
post. This was picked up as one of the failures related to the train collision at
Norwich.
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"RAIB also found that the driver had a previous operational history
indicative that he was prone to lapses in concentration, and that this
had not been identified by Greater Anglia's competence management
system.
Greater Anglia's investigations of the previous incidents that the driver
had been involved in had not raised any concerns about the driver's
ability to maintain concentration. This was because the driver manager
who carried out the investigation had not been trained to consider that
incidents, seemingly different in nature, could be linked by underlying
behavioural issues. Opportunities to formally review the driver's
operational history were missed and this was also not identified by the
internal audits conducted by Greater Anglia."
From RAIB report into 'Collision at Norwich' Report 09/2014
These trends in data could also be rolled up to a team level of performance to

share learning and comparisons of performance. It can also be used to spot
company-wide trends in positive or negative performance. Negative scores on
‘Communications’ in particular, should focus management and training
efforts on improving this category. However, as with all incident investigation
data, this is only looking at what has already gone wrong and proactive
measures of safety performance should also be considered for use.
7.5 Continued support and development

As with any change programme, you will need to sustain the momentum and
interest in the programme and this can be tiring and sometimes frustrating.
However there are multiple resources available to you to help keep your NTS
programme 'fresh' and engaging. These include but are not limited to:
 Staying up-to-date with industry (or other safety critical industry) good
practise: By continually updating the materials or training in your
programme, you can keep your programme fresh and relevant to your
audience. You can search online for the latest thinking using these search
terms: non-technical skills, NO-TECH, crew resource management, or
behavioural safety. You can also look in journals to find interesting and
relevant case studies, statistics, training materials, and more.
 Providing support to staff within the organisation and programme:
Integrating NTS is an endurance event rather than a sprint, and people's
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motivation and interest can sometimes wane. To avoid this, and to
maintain interest, you can implement 'champion' groups within your
organisation using people who have an interest or need to be involved in
NTS. You can also attend industry support events such as RSSB'S NTS
Forum which is held four times a year, and the annual RSSB NTS conference
(see http://www.rssb.co.uk/improving-industry-performance/human-
factors/human-factors-courses/non-technical-skills-course/non-technical-
skills-good-practice-forums for details).
 Creating a support network within your organisation, using your champions
to continually seek feedback and improvements to your programme.
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8 Concluding comments
We hope this guide has given you some insights, new thoughts or re-
invigoration to your NTS programme. While there are a number of different
aspects to NTS integration, we hope that this guide has shown you how these
can be broken down into more manageable chunks and how important each
aspect is for getting NTS fully integrated.
NTS integration requires people to be interested, engaged and motivated to
take part, especially where change is required. To help your integration
programme be sustainable, more likely to succeed and more likely to return on
investment remember to:
 Pick a good team, have a plan and sell the benefits of integration.
 Gather information on and set expectations at the planning stage to clarify
the direction of the programme, expected timescales to effect change,
what benefits to expect and the roles that different levels of the
organisation will need to play.
 Identify the right NTS and integrate these into your competence standards,
selection, training and assessment processes.
 Actively communicate, train and develop NTS across front line roles and
managerial levels within your business to create consistent levels of
understanding throughout your business.
 Measure NTS for different roles and managerial levels and provide on-going
support and coaching.
 Regularly monitor and measure the programme, communicate success and
set new objectives to maintain momentum.
 Take part in the RSSB's activities to promote continuous improvement and
learning. Use the online resources available through RSSB
(www.sparkrail.org) or other resources to keep your programme up to date.
The RSSB Human Factors team is here to support you in your NTS
development and integration and we're happy to discuss any aspect of this
with you. Please contact the RSSB either by email: enquirydesk@rssb.co.uk or
telephone: 020 3142 5400.
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9 Bibliography
Bydorf, P. (1998). Human factors and crew resource management: An example
of successfully applying the experience from CRM programmes in the aviation
world to the maritime world. As cited in Health and Safety Executive (2003)
Factoring the human into safety: Translating research into practice. Crew
resource management training for offshore operations.
Cooper, S., Endacott, R., & Cant, R. (2010). Measuring non-technical skills in
medical emergency care: a review of assessment measures. Open Access
Emergency Medicine, (2), 7–16.
Crichton, M. & Flin, R. (2004). Identifying and training non-technical skills of
nuclear emergency response teams. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 31(12), 1317–
1330.
Crichton, M. T., Lauche, K., & Flin, R. (2005). Incident Command Skills in the
Management of an Oil Industry Drilling Incident: a Case Study. Journal of
Contingencies and Crisis Management, 13(3), 116–128.
Flin, R. (2004). Identifying and training non-technical skills for teams in acute
medicine. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 13.
Flin, R., & Martin, L. (2001). Behavioral Markers for Crew Resource
Management: A Review of Current Practice. The International Journal of
Aviation Psychology, 11(1), 95–118.
Flin, R., O’Connor, P., & Crichton, M. (2008). Safety at the Sharp End: A Guide
to Non-Technical Skills. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Kirkpatrick, D. & Kirkpatrick, L. (2006). Evaluating training programs: The four
levels (3rd edition). Berrett-Koehler Publishers inc, California.
Klampfer, B., Walsh, C., Quinn, M., Hayward, B., & Pelecanos, S. (2007). The
national rail resource management (RRM) project. Launch presentation,
Sydney.
Predmore, S. (1999). Managing safe behaviour on the ramp: Delta Airlines’
Experience. Presentation at CRM/TRP & Ramp Safety conference, London.
Morgan, C., Olson, L. E., Kyte, T. B., Roop, S., & Carlisle, T. D. (2006). Railroad
Crew Resource Management (CRM): Survey of Teams in the Railroad
Operating Environment and Identification of Available CRM Training
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Methods. Report produced by Texas Transportation Institute for the U.S.
Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration.
Office of Rail Regulation (2007). Developing and Maintaining Staff
Competence. London: ORR.
Phillips, J. (2003). Return on investment in training and improvement
programmes (2nd edition). Woburn MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Reader, T., Flin, R., Lauche, K., & Cuthbertson, B. H. (2006). Non-technical skills
in the intensive care unit. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 96(5), 551–9.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed
in Today’s Workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453–465.
Ross, A. J., Hospital, S. T., Anderson, J. E., Ross, A. J. R., Anderson, J. E. A., & Flin,
J. R. F. (2012). Non-Technical Skills (NTS) for Enhancing Patient Safety :
Achievements and Future Directions, (November).
Queensland Rail (2011). Rail Resource Management Evaluation Report.
Roop, S. S., Morgan, C. A., Kyte, T. B., Arthur, Jr., W., Villado, A. J., & Beneigh, T.
(2007). Rail crew resource management (CRM): The business case for CRM
training in the railroad industry. Report produced by Texas Transportation
Institute for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad
Administration.
RSSB (2001). Training as an investment: final report.
RSSB (2006) and RSSB (2009). T441 the effect of adult learning styles on the
use of technology based training.
RSSB (2008) Understanding human factors. A guide for the railway industry.
RSSB (2009). An analysis of formal inquiries and investigations to identify
human factors issues: Human factors review of railway incidents.
RSSB (2009). Review of driver training programmes in Great British railways:
Cross-industry leading practice research.
RSSB (2011). T718 Review of GB driver training and development of leading
practice models for the industry. Phase 3: Summary Report.
RSSB (2011). T762 Training as an investment Good Practice Toolkit
RSSB (2012). Non-technical skills required in the train driver role: skills,
behavioural markers and guidance notes (v2.0).
RSSB (2013) RS100 good practice guide on competence development
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RSSB (2015) RS800 Managing drivers on routes undergoing significant
change RSSB
RSSB (2016) Supporting a fair culture - creating appropriate plans after
incidents (T1068)
Shepherd, C. (2011). The new learning architect. Onlignmnet.
University of Aberdeen. (2012). The Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons
(NOTSS) System Handbook v1.
Yule, S., Rowley, D., Flin, R., Maran, N., Youngson, G., Duncan, J., & Paterson-
Brown, S. (2009). Experience matters: comparing novice and expert ratings of
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RSSB
Floor 4, The Helicon enquirydesk@rssb.co.uk
1 South Place
London http://www.rssb.co.uk
EC2M 2RB

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A Good Practice Guide to

Integrating Non-Technical Skills

Dr Philippa Murphy and Paul Leach, RSSB

Non-Technical Skills (NTS) were formally introduced to the GB rail industry in

ORR is convinced that improving the non-technical skills of staff is

3 Identify non-technical skills ......................................................18

4 Integrating non-technical skills into selection....................29

7 Revise and renew NTS integration .........................................60

NTS categories Skill

Table 2 - Potential benefits of NTS

Potential benefit Example evidence

Potential benefit Example evidence

1.3 Who is this guide for?

1.5 How can this guide help you?

Know where I should start X X

2.2 Who should be in the project team?

Attending a course on NTS, such as RSSB’s NTS course (http://www.rssb.co.uk/

2.3 How do I develop my plan?

2.3.2 Where to start?

Northern Rail completed an analysis of its incidents to understand how

2.3.3 Is my organisation ready?

2.3.4 What should be in my plan?

2.4.1 Senior management commitment

2.4.1.1 Why should I do it?

2.4.2 Wider business

Grade Potential questions to answer

In addition, the following can help you to communicate effectively to the

2.4.2.3 Multiple methods

2.4.2.4 Demonstrable commitment

3.2.1 Identify your technical tasks

3.2.2 Map NTS to your technical tasks

RSSB completed a review of SPADs to highlight the main errors and

3.2.3 Review and finalise your mapping and prioritisation

3.3 How do I integrate NTS into my competence

3.3.2 What are my options?

3.3.3 Which option to choose?

4.2.2 Compare selection criteria to your NTS mapping

4.2.3 Make improvements where necessary

NTS category and Selection

NTS category and Selection

Finally, it is helpful to review your selection criteria and methods at regular

5.2.1 Identifying training needs

5.2.2 What is the current level of organisational

Develop knowledge of: At this level the training is

5.3.1 Managers setting expectations (before training)

5.3.2 The trainer's role before the course in knowing needs of

5.3.3 The manager's role after the intervention

Table 7 - Leaders’, managers’ and supervisors’ KSAs needed to support the

Knowledge, skills, attitudes Further explanation

their relevance to the role

Prepared and organised and well-structured feedback on

Knowledge, skills, attitudes Further explanation

Flexible and feedback styles to the

commitment to developing the NTS

Table 8 - In house training

Table 9 - Outsource training

5.8 How can I maintain momentum after

6.2 How do I measure an individual's NTS?

6.2.2 How do I measure non-technical skills?

Table 10 - Example opportunities for measurement

Opportunity Benefit Weakness

Opportunity Benefit Weakness

Opportunity Benefit Weakness

Figure 6: Extract of NTS self-evaluation questionnaire developed by Network Rail