Skill Matrix Audit
Dimension: Direction · Type: Stage
A six-column matrix for auditing your skills against your target career path. The operational artefact for the Inventory dimension of the 5i Framework.
Introduced by Erin Bowser (IOM) at the Make Career Moves with the 5i Framework session of the UN Inter-Agency Career Week 2026, on 7 May 2026. Erin presented the matrix as the operational artefact for the Inventory dimension of the 5i Framework. The worksheet itself is published as the Career Tips Thursday Session 46 worksheet.
The framework
A row-per-skill matrix that produces a development plan in one sitting. Six columns: skill name, current level (1 to 5), target level (1 to 5), in-demand for your target field (yes or no), action steps, resources needed, timeline.
When to use it
- During the Inventory dimension of the 5i Framework, when you have moved from values clarification to skill assessment.
- After a skills self-audit, to operationalise the Evolve bucket into specific development plans.
- When preparing for a deliberate career transition and you need to convert a vague sense of “skills I should develop” into a concrete plan.
- As an annual exercise to keep your development pointed at the skills the market actually rewards.
What you need
- A clear sense of your target career direction (a role, a level, a sector, a function). Without this, the target-level and in-demand columns produce nothing useful.
- 60 to 90 minutes for the first pass.
- Performance evaluations across multiple cycles, if available, to ground the current-level ratings in evidence.
- Optional: conversations with people in your target field, to validate which skills are actually in demand there.
The matrix
The matrix has one row per skill and six columns. Aim for 5 to 10 skills in your first pass; more produces a cluttered plan.
| Skill | Current level (1-5) | Target level (1-5) | In-demand skill (Yes/No) | Action steps | Resources needed | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Column 1. Skill
The skill or competency name. Specific, not generic. Not “communication” but “stakeholder negotiation at ministerial level”. Not “data” but “Power BI dashboard design with sex-disaggregated indicators”.
Column 2. Current level (1 to 5)
A self-assessed rating of where you are today.
- 1, no experience. You have never done this.
- 2, beginner. You can do it with significant support and supervision.
- 3, competent. You can do it independently in standard situations.
- 4, advanced. You can do it well in complex or non-standard situations.
- 5, expert. Others come to you for advice on this; you can teach it.
Be honest. Self-rated 4s and 5s are common; they are usually 3s.
Column 3. Target level (1 to 5)
What level you need to reach to be credible in your target role. Not aspiration; what the role actually demands.
If you do not know the target level, the answer is upstream: have the conversation with someone in the target role to find out. The matrix becomes useful only once the target levels are real.
Column 4. In-demand (Yes/No)
Is this skill currently rewarded in your target field? Sources: vacancy notices for similar roles, LinkedIn data on skills associated with target titles, conversations with hiring managers, sector reports.
A skill where Current and Target are both 5 but In-demand is No is not a development priority; it is a maintenance commitment. A skill where Target is higher than Current and In-demand is Yes is a priority.
Column 5. Action steps
What you will do to close the gap from Current to Target. Specific, time-bounded actions. Not “improve M&E skills” but “complete the LinkedIn Learning M&E specialisation track and apply the patterns to two real work problems”.
Pair with the 3 E’s of Development so the action steps span all three dimensions: Experience, Exposure, Education.
Column 6. Resources needed
What you need to take the action steps. A budget for a course, a few hours of weekly time, a mentor, a project assignment, manager approval for a stretch task. Naming resources surfaces dependencies; missing resources are the most common reason matrices stall.
Column 7. Timeline
When the development will happen. Specific. Not “this year”; “by end of Q2” or “12 weeks from today”. Pair with the Evaluate cadence from your SMARTEER Goals so the matrix has built-in checkpoints.
Steps
- Decide on your target direction first. The matrix is direction-conditional. Without a target role or function, the columns produce nothing useful.
- List 5 to 10 skills. Drawn from the JD of your target role, from your performance evaluations, from your skills self-audit, and from conversations with people in the target field.
- Rate honestly. Current level first, target level second. Resist the temptation to inflate Current.
- Mark In-demand for each. Use external evidence (vacancy notices, conversations) rather than your own assumption.
- Prioritise. Cross out the rows where Current is at or above Target, or where In-demand is No. The remaining rows are your development priorities.
- For each priority row, fill in Action steps, Resources, Timeline.
- Pick one or two to start. Not all five. The matrix surfaces priorities; the discipline of doing fewer things well is what produces results.
- Re-run the matrix every six to twelve months. Skills move; demand shifts; targets evolve.
Worked example
A programme officer with eight years of experience targets a P-4 senior programme officer role in food security with M&E focus. Her matrix:
| Skill | Current | Target | In-demand | Action steps | Resources | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programme management | 4 | 4 | Yes | Maintain via current portfolio | None | Ongoing |
| Donor reporting | 4 | 4 | Yes | Maintain | None | Ongoing |
| Stakeholder negotiation | 3 | 4 | Yes | Lead one new partnership negotiation in Q2; debrief with mentor | Mentor’s time | 6 months |
| Results-based M&E | 2 | 4 | Yes | Coursera M&E specialisation; co-design the framework for the next country project; volunteer for the agency’s evaluation working group | 4 hrs/week, $300 budget, manager sign-off for working group | 12 months |
| Power BI dashboard design | 1 | 3 | Yes | LinkedIn Learning Power BI track; apply on next quarterly partner report | 2 hrs/week | 6 months |
| Spanish (working) | 3 | 3 | Yes | Maintain | None | Ongoing |
| Strategic facilitation | 3 | 4 | Partially | Skip for now (lower priority) | n/a | n/a |
| Budget management | 2 | 3 | Yes | Shadow the finance officer on next quarterly cycle | Manager approval | 3 months |
Priority rows after pruning: Stakeholder negotiation, Results-based M&E, Power BI, Budget management. She picks two to start (M&E and Power BI), commits time for both, and revisits the matrix in six months.
The matrix took about 75 minutes to fill in honestly. The development plan is now concrete, prioritised, and time-bound.
Pitfalls
- Building the matrix without a target direction. The Target Level and In-demand columns require a clear destination. Without one, the matrix produces a list of skills with arbitrary ratings.
- Inflating Current Levels. Common, especially under interview-prep pressure. Cross-check ratings against performance evaluations and feedback you have received. Self-rated 4s and 5s should be visible to others.
- Treating self-assessed In-demand as evidence. Use external sources: vacancy notices, conversations with people in target roles, sector data. Your sense of what is in demand is often a year behind the market.
- Filling in 15 skills. More skills means less prioritisation. Five to ten is plenty; you will pick two to act on anyway.
- No Action steps column. A matrix with ratings but no actions is decoration. The Action column is the load-bearing one.
- Ignoring resources. A development plan with no resource estimate stalls when the resource gap shows up unexpectedly. Surface the dependencies up front.
- Treating the matrix as static. Skills move; demand shifts; your target may change. Re-run every six to twelve months.
When not to use it
When you have not done the upstream work of the 5i Framework Identify dimension. The matrix assumes you know what direction you are pointed at; if you do not, the matrix produces premature precision.
When the change you want is not skill-based (a culture change, a different team, a different pace of work). The matrix is a skill-development tool; for non-skill changes, use Career Mapping.
When you are at a very early career stage with limited evidence of skill levels. The matrix needs a track record to rate against. Earlier in a career, exploration matters more than auditing.
How I use it
Personal note pending. Davide to fill.
Related frameworks
- 5i Framework, the umbrella framework where the matrix sits as the Inventory dimension’s operational artefact.
- Strengths Profile, the complementary lens that adds energy and use dimensions on top of skill ratings.
- SMARTEER Goals, the way to formalise one matrix row into a sustained development goal.
- Career Mapping, the upstream gap analysis that names the target direction.
Notes compiled by Davide Piga. Last updated 2026-05-09.