Performance Centered Design (PCD) Competition 2000

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

INTRODUCTION:

Here's your chance to show your stuff and gain recognition for yourself, your organization, and/or your business sponsor. The competition will showcase creative software designs that best represent the principles of electronic performance support and performance centered systems.  Winning entries will be published on the web where they will serve as design models for new and experienced EPSS/PCD advocates.

Now in its fourth year, this competition is jointly sponsored by the:

• Performance Support Leadership Council (PSLC), 
• Bill Communication's Performance Support 2000 Conference, 
• EPSScentral.com

DEADLINES:

• Preliminary submission deadline is July 24th.
• Following initial review by the panel of judges, finalists may be asked to submit further documentation by August 24th. 
• Winners will be notified by September 10th.
• At Performance Support 2000 (September 24th - 28th, 2000, Denver, Colorado - http://www.performancesupport.com), a session will be devoted to presenting the awards, discussing and demonstrating the entries.  Winners are expected to attend to demonstrate their systems and respond to questions.

COSTS:

• $100 non-refundable entry fee must accompany your initial submission.  Checks should be made out to the “PSS Group.” 
• You are responsible for the costs of preparing your entry and submitting it on computer storage media (e.g., 100 meg ZIP disks or CD-ROMs) in sufficient quantities for four judges and the contest administrator – 5 copies total. 
• Should your entry win an award, you are responsible for all costs associated with attending the conference, awards presentation, and demonstration session at Performance Support 2000 in Denver.

ELIGIBILITY:

Your entry must describe either a particular component or feature of an operational electronic performance support system, or an entire operational EPSS.  Note the word "operational" - please, no design concepts that have not been at least piloted in an operational setting.

The competition is open to businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions.  Vendors are welcome to submit their work but are strongly encouraged to do so in partnership with their clients.

SUBMISSION FORMAT:

Your submission should include the following information.

1. Entry/Entrant: Information to include title of the entry, submitting organization(s), and contact information.  Logos are fine if small but organization names should also be present in plain text.

2. Purpose: A brief overview description of the EPSS and the business performance issue it is meant to address.

3. Solution: A detailed description of the overall design and/or specific components.  Text should explain how the system supports user performance.  (For example, does it reduce the amount of business knowledge the user requires before they can perform the function and if so how does it do this?) Static screen shots should clearly referenced from the text description.  A “Screen cam” may be submitted to better illustrate the system’s operation, however, please be sensitive to file size: we recommend a screen cam file no larger than 2 meg, zipped.  This should allow about 3 to 5 minutes of runtime.

4. Judging Criteria: Descriptions of how your submission illustrates the judging criteria detailed below.  Screen shots may be applicable here as well.

5. Prior State: A description of the processes and/or system(s) that were previously used to perform the function that your software now supports.  If a system was used to perform this function, please consider including a screen shot of it.

6. User Profile: A profile of typical users; their skills, education level, job experience and business knowledge.  Did this profile change as a result of implementing the EPSS?

7. Results: A summary of any performance improvement data you may have collected.  For example, this might include information about reductions in errors, training time, or the time it takes to perform specific tasks.

Please use this HTML submission template. If you receive an award, your submission will be posted on the web. 

Follow the submission outline exactly so that the judges may fairly compare the entries point-by-point.  Avoid marketing hype – it will detract from your entry.  As Sargent Friday would have said on Dragnet, “Just the facts.”  For your convenience, here is a . 

PERMISSION TO PUBLISH:

Entering the competition constitutes permission to publish your submission on the web and share it at the Performance Support 2000 conference. Please signify your understanding and acceptance of this requirement by completing, signing, and submitting the publication release form.  HTML Document |  MS Word Document

JUDGING CRITERIA: 

Judges will be evaluating your entry based on the following criteria.  Naturally, not all successful performance centered designs will, or need, demonstrate these criteria equally.  While you should do your best to simplify the judging by describing how your entry addresses each criterion, please don’t misrepresent or skew your system’s attributes in order to try and make them fit.

1. Supports performers through best practice processes.

Synthesizes best practice behavior from multiple outstanding performers and incorporates best business practices or desired business practices that are not currently in place (as identified by business management).  Automates when possible and appropriate.  Stimulates performers through language, sequencing and other cues that prompt or enable what to do when (based on stored data, information, and performer input).  Creates deliverables using best practice form, content, language and style. 

2. Establishes, or aids in establishing, goals.

Includes explicit functions, elements, or components for the performer to select appropriate goals, presents relevant goals to the performer based on stored data/information or based on how performers have selected from among goals appropriate to the context, or re-directs performers toward only the most appropriate goals for the context.  Describes goal outcomes and delineates conditions, considerations, and/or criteria for selecting a goal.

Helps performers establish what they can do, want to do, or where to go, based on stored data/information.

3. Minimizes terminology translation or interpretation.

Uses commonly understood terminology and descriptors rather than technically correct but obscure language that requires deep understanding of the domain or an unreasonable memory burden.  If the performer interacts with others (customers, suppliers, work groups), the system facilitates use of language familiar to all, and which does not require them to interpret unfamiliar jargon.

Minimizes cognitive burden associated with interpreting terms of the content domain or software interface.

Calls a duck a duck.

4. Provides access to supporting and learning resources.

Integrates and makes visible support resources to further explain, illustrate or provide examples/non-examples about information, goals, outcomes, data, terminology, graphics, etc. that appear on the primary display.  Support resources might include things like:

• explanations

• tips

• examples/non-examples

• demonstrations

• advice

• walk-throughs (e.g. step-by-step explanation graphs, illustrations, procedures, processes, etc.)

• procedural steps

• process diagrams

• intelligent agents

• system messages (a.k.a. error messages, dialogs)

• exposition of underlying logic

These resources may be layered to accommodate performer diversity and/or to support the natural flow of work (i.e., resources are in support of criterion #5).

Support resources are represented in their most powerful form to achieve understanding, learning or task performance (e.g. a voice-narrated demonstration is more powerful than a procedural list when explaining a system interaction task; visual task models are more powerful than text descriptions; grids/tables are more powerful than text in paragraphs  Support resources are not merely collections of reference material made available to the performer, but explicitly support or enable the other PCD criteria.).  For example, support resources may appear in the interface to help the performer establish a goal or move the performer through the proper flow of work.

5.  Focuses on task(s), processes, and the natural flow of work.

Uses task models and/or sequencing to facilitate best practice work performance by performers.  Performers need not have internalized the task model and sequencing in advance to successfully perform the work.  Data input, retrieval and manipulation are presented within the task context rather than as the primary focus of the system or as items that the performer is burdened with identifying or retrieving once the task context is identified.  That is, the system can not require that the task model, data transformation, and navigation sequences be in the performer's head in advance with data-entry the only real goal of the system. 

Task sequencing is more than simply navigating through various data screens.  Task language, goals, and related resources are incorporated into the work-flows.

Reflects and/or accommodates the way work naturally occurs, thus supporting other PCD criteria (e.g., presents relevant data and tools to accomplish a goal at the proper point in the workflow).  Does not merely instruct the performer of which sequence to navigate, but facilitates proper navigation.  Passively constrains the performer to a flow or process in cases of high risk, or re-directs / suggests best alternatives when risk is low.  Generates deliverables automatically (e.g. file notes, communications, purchase orders, etc.).

6.  Stretches the PCD/EPSS paradigm.

By its forward-looking, anticipatory nature, this criterion defies concrete description.  In essence, the judges wish to be pleasantly surprised by clever design or application of performance-centered design principles in novel domains.  For instance…

It achieves profound, focused results with elegance, meaning that a great deal is accomplished by a performer who expends little effort and encounters minimal cognitive challenges as goals are established and accomplished.  (Example:  Completing a total sales transaction in one or two clicks.)

It is self-contained, with high levels of integration of all elements required for successful work performance by very experienced through very inexperienced personnel.  Appropriate constructs come to performer, regardless of competence / level of experience, without the performer having to make context- and experience-specific choices.

Changes dynamically to accommodate changes in business climate, organizational knowledge and strategy, and wisdom with a minimum of programmer intervention.  At the very least, it does not have to wait for the next release to respond to and accommodate business dynamics.

Continuously captures and incorporates task structuring, knowledge, data, tools and communications.  Represents each element in its most powerful form; e.g., highly visual, relationships are clear, language is natural.

Incorporates powerful, clever metaphors that enable many concepts, procedures, steps, and pieces of information to be assimilated and applied to the goal immediately and without confusion.  Anticipates and accommodates changing requirements of performers and business.

Surprises the performer with its richness, representation and power.  Is always self-revealing, regardless of how sophisticated the tasks it supports.  Makes life very easy for performers.

INFORMATION: 

Contact Stan Malcolm at:
860-295-9711
Stan@Performance-Vision.com