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Minimum Viable Skillset profiles

Download the slides in PPTX

The Minimum Viable Skillsets (MVS) methodology defines essential profiles for research data professionals—individuals whose roles involve creating, collecting, or using research data, often as evidence. Each MVS profile centres on key elements of a role that supports Open Science. The MVS catalogue defines the purpose, scope, and structure of these profiles.

The MVS draw on established competences frameworks and resources defining the Open Science (OS) mission, activities, or outcomes expected of relevant roles. MVS synthesise these, profiling each role as an aid to developing new curricula, career paths and courses. A simple MVS format is proposed to articulate key skills and competences that enable researchers, professionals, and stakeholders to fulfil the OS expectations of the EOSC.

Data Steward: Minimum Viable Skills Profile

The booklet introduces the Minimum Viable Skillset (MVS) for Data Stewards, essential for implementing Open Science principles and supporting the European Open Science Cloud. The MVS outlines two role variations: "Coordinator" and "Embedded." The "Coordinator" role supports an organisation’s research domains, while the "Embedded" role operates closely with specific research teams and their domain practices. These roles may overlap depending on resources, disciplinary needs, and organizational culture.

The Data Steward booklet

Template for a Minimum Viable Skillset

The MVS template offers guidance on the structure and content of a Minimum Viable Skillset (MVS) Profile, to describe key skills and competences. It has been developed for the purpose of skills development for various roles that enable researchers, professionals, and stakeholders to practice Open Science (OS). It initially targets needs of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), and the authors welcome feedback on its potential for this and other contexts. MVS Profiles draw on established competences frameworks and resources, and are proposed as an aid to skills development, especially curricula and course design. Each MVS Profile relates the skillset for a role to the Open Science (OS) practices, activities, and outcomes that may typically be expected of the role concerned.

Hands-on Activity

Work on the steps below with others at your table.

  1. Introduce yourselves and, from the provided list of open science role profiles, each say which is closest to your own current role e.g. Data Steward? Digital Collections Curator? Early Career Researcher? RI Professional?
  2. Agree with others at your table on two roles from the same list to focus on for this activity, based on those you are familiar with
    • Role A is one whose responsibilities would normally include providing training to others,
    • Role B is any other role that Role A may be expected to provide training for.
  3. Working individually, list three ‘essential skills and competences’ for both roles A and B.
  4. Share these with others at your table, and narrow the list down to 3-5 for each role.
  5. In your group, read the Skills4EOSC profiles for roles A and B.
  6. Discuss
    • How close a match are the ‘essential skills and competences’ for each profile to your group’s list? E.g. very poor/ poor/ ok/ good/ very good?
    • Are there any skills or competences you suggest we add or change in the profiles? Please give one or two reasons for any suggestions.
  7. Share with other groups – which roles you looked at, 3 main points of your feedback on the profiles.

Summary

The catalogue of Minimum Viable Skillset (MVS) Profiles describes key skills and competences for roles that enable researchers, professionals, and stakeholders to practice Open Science (OS) with the support of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). MVS Profiles draw on available skills resources, including competence frameworks, and are proposed as an aid to developing skills through curricula and course design. Each MVS Profile relates the essential skills to the Open Science (OS) practices, activities, and outcomes that may typically be expected of the role concerned.

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