Off-topic: What skills are needed for documentation creators?

[mark barratt <markb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am working on a project which involves classifying and enumerating the
skills needed within - and supporting - the IT function in companies and
other organisations.

One of the supporting functions is 'documentation'. The function is divided
into a number of skill levels - from new entrant at one end to
postgraduate/management at the other.

This covers technical authoring from maintenance of existing materials to
directing the creation of user-help materials for large corporations. 

The first draft of this section takes a very limited view of what creating
documentation involves. It ignores skills such as research, design and
specialist writing skills.

I will try to correct this as the information base evolves, but would like
some help - I have never been more than a tourist or specialist consultant
on IT documentation projects. Has anyone been involved in
classifying/describing the skills needed for 'best practice' document
creation - particularly within or supporting an IT function?

I'd be very grateful for examples of models/schemas/taxonomies which you
know or use (maybe off-air to me), together with comments, wishes, desires,
etc (maybe to the list).

This is worth doing - the project will create standards which may be widely
used both within the IT industry and by large companies and government when
they hire, assess and develop people.

I will feed back to the list.

Thanks


____________
Mark Barratt
Text Matters                                   
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