Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
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Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

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Levels of Complexity

Levels of complexity are a tool that measures the skills needed to perform a task. Example tasks for workers in a specific job are assigned levels ranging from 1 (basic task) to 4 or 5 (advanced task).

Complexity levels were developed to address the differences in skill needs between occupations (see Example 1). A task’s complexity rating also changes depending on the context (see Example 2).

Example 1

A bricklayer and a travel counsellor both need the essential skill of writing to do their jobs effectively. However, the type of writing and the complexity differs for each job:

  • Typically, bricklayers require a level 2 in writing as their job involves simple tasks (such as writing estimate sheets to give details on the cost of materials or labour, and filling out forms like incident reports).
  • Travel counsellors typically require a level 3 in writing as they use a more complex writing style (to write documents such as magazine articles and promotional materials to advertise tours and highlight special events).

In this example, the complexity level for writing is higher for the travel counsellor because the rating scale considers the following elements of writing:

  • length
  • purpose
  • style
  • structure
  • content

Travel counsellors use more descriptive and complex vocabulary, making their required writing levels more advanced.

Example 2

A children’s librarian hosts storytime by reading books aloud to small and large groups of children to capture their attention and entertain them. In this case, the librarian is performing at a complexity level 1 for oral communication due to the narrow range of subject matter and the familiar subject – reading from a book rather than improvising.

If the librarian was invited to present to thousands of her colleagues at a UNICEF convention on children’s literature, she would be performing at a level 4 for oral communication. This presentation would be much more complex and would involve extensive preparation. Also, such a situation would be more threatening due to the large audience and high professional risk.

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Date Modified:
2011-08-17