i

Task Knowledge Skill (TKS) Statements 

Authoring Guide for Workforce 

Frameworks

Working Draft

April 13, 2021

INCLUDES UPDATES AS OF 7-22-2021; SEE PAGE I 
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Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 WHAT ARE TASK, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILL (TKS) STATEMENTS? 2

3 HOW TO DRAFT TASK, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILL (TKS) STATEMENTS 2

3.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES 3

3.2 CREATING TASK STATEMENTS 3

3.2.1 Begin with the Activity Being Executed 3

3.2.2 Be Directed Toward the Achievement of Organizational Objectives 4

3.2.3 Include Only One Task in a Single Statement 4

3.3 CREATING KNOWLEDGE STATEMENTS 5

3.3.1 Begin with “Knowledge of” Followed by a Concept 5

3.3.2 Be Limited to One Concept in a Single Statement 5

3.4 FRAMING SKILL STATEMENTS 6

3.4.1 Begin with “Skill in” Followed by a Verb 6

3.4.2 Represent Observable Actions 6

3.4.3 Include Only One Skill in a Single Statement 7

4 CONCLUSION 7

5 FOR MORE INFORMATION 7

Errata

The below table identifies changes that have been incorporated into the TKS Authoring Guide 

working draft. Errata updates may include corrections, clarifications, or other minor changes in 

the publication that are either editorial or substantive in nature. 

Date Type Revision Page

7/22/2021 Editorial Updated Page Numbers so that main 

content starts on Page 1

Throughout

7/22/2021 Editorial Added numbering to headings for easier 

navigability. 

Throughout

7/22/2021 Editorial Updated Table of Contents i

7/22/2021 Editorial Added page break to separate Table of 

Contents and Errata from body content 

i

7/22/2021 Editorial Added Errata table i

7/22/2021 Editorial 3: Changed “To” to Uppercase in the 

Heading

2
Date Type Revision Page

7/22/2021 Editorial 3.2.3: Delete the following content: 

For example:

• Knowledge Statement 1: “Knowledge 

that a data element is the smallest 

named item of information that 

conveys meaningful information.”

• Knowledge Statement 2: “Knowledge 

that data elements exist in both 

physical and digital form.”

4
Working Draft April 13, 2021

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1 Introduction

This guide is intended to support the creation of Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements in 

workforce frameworks.1 As a common, consistent lexicon, a workforce framework improves 

communication about how to identify, recruit, develop, and retain talent. When applied, a 

workforce framework model describes and shares information about a defined area of work 

(e.g., cybersecurity or privacy), expressed via core building blocks: Task statements that define 

the work to be done and Knowledge and Skill statements that describe what a learner—

including students, job seekers, and employees—must possess to perform that work. A 

workforce framework offers benefits to: 

Employers: A consistent workforce framework model enables the establishment of 

regular processes—from hiring to training and assessment—for multiple fields and roles 

in the organization. Multiple frameworks may be applied to represent the various types 

of work that is needed to support the organization. 

Education and Training Providers: Workforce frameworks provide direct information 

about what a workforce needs to know in order to successfully complete defined tasks, 

as well as share information about the knowledge and skills necessary to complete 

those tasks. Having a standard model across multiple frameworks enables a consistent 

way to develop learning across fields and helps in the development of credentials such 

as degrees, certificates, certifications, badges, and other verification techniques to 

consistently describe learner capabilities across fields and in roles that may pull from 

multiple domains.

Learners: Workforce frameworks provide a common lexicon to describe work roles or 

competencies. By standardizing this language, workforce frameworks can help students 

who are interested in learning about a particular career, people looking for a new job or 

to change job roles, and workers who are looking to demonstrate or increase their 

competencies. 

Finally, consistent use of a workforce framework’s TKS statement as building blocks enables 

communication at a peer level, sector level, state level, national level, or international level. 

This communication can drive innovative solutions to common challenges, lower barriers to 

entry for new organizations and individuals, and facilitate workforce mobility. 

This publication is meant to be used as a guide in the creation of new workforce framework TKS 

statements as well as for those who are in the process of reviewing existing statements.

1 This guide was developed using the NIST Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework), Special 

Publication 800-181, Revision 1 structure as a model for how a workforce framework is defined. It is the result of a 

collaborative effort with the NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) and Privacy Engineering 

Program (PEP).
2

2 What Are Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) Statements?

TKS statements are the core building blocks of a 

workforce framework model. This building block 

approach encourages interoperability and flexibility in 

how a workforce framework can be used and applied. 

Using this model across multiple workforce 

frameworks provides extensibility and scalability—

enabling multiple frameworks, for instance, to 

reference the same statements when pertinent to 

more than one field of work. 

Every organization executes common tasks as well as some context-unique tasks. A workforce 

framework provides organizations a way to describe their work through Task statements. 

Similarly, a workforce framework provides a way to describe learners via Knowledge and Skill 

statements. The workforce framework further associates Task statements with the Knowledge 

and Skill statements a learner needs to complete the task. At their core, the statements can be 

defined as:

● Task statements: Describe the work to be 

done; they represent a collection of associated 

concepts and actions defined by Knowledge 

and Skill statements.

● Knowledge statements: Describe a retrievable 

set of concepts within a learner’s memory—

that is, what a learner knows.

● Skill statements: Describe what the learner can 

do.

As noted in the introduction, a workforce framework 

can be used by learners, employers, and training and 

education providers. Suggestions on how to 

implement the TKS building blocks to support each 

audience’s goals are typically included in the 

workforce framework but are out of the scope of this 

guide. See the “Applying TKS Statements” sidebar for more information on some common 

applications. 

3 How To Draft Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) Statements

The sections below identify general principles that apply to each of the TKS building blocks, 

followed by specific guidelines for drafting each individual type of statement.

Applying TKS Statements

A workforce framework building block 

approach enables agility, flexibility, 

interoperability, and modularity. The 

statements can be used in a variety of 

ways, including for:

● Competencies

● Work Roles

● Teams

They can be applied to assist in learner 

and workforce assessment, in recruiting 

and hiring processes, and in learning 

and professional development. For 

more, see the NICE Framework as an 

example.

TKS Definitions 

• Task: An activity that is directed 

toward the achievement of 

organizational objectives.

• Knowledge: A retrievable set of 

concepts within memory.

• Skill: The capacity to perform an 

observable action.
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3.1 General Principles

TKS statements are governed by the following general principles: 

● Flexible: The statements can be applied or combined in 

various ways to address different local circumstances and 

needs. 

● Consistent: The statements are drafted following common 

guidelines outlined in the sections below to ensure that 

they align with other statements in the building block 

category and can be used in a uniform manner. 

● Clear: The statements are easy to read and understand, 

and not overly complex or lacking clarity. 

● Affirmative: The statements are structured in an 

affirmative (i.e., grammatically positive) form to assist with 

the design and evaluation of performance metrics and 

goals and to minimize issues with language translation for organizations that work with 

multi-lingual teams. This is in contrast to grammatically negative statements that use 

language such as “do not” or “avoid.”

● Discrete: The statements should not include more than one (compound) idea (see the 

following sections for more examples of this principle).

3.2 Creating Task Statements

Task statements describe the work to be done. The Knowledge and Skill statements associated 

with each task can then be used to provide a learner with more detailed insight into what is 

needed to complete the tasks.

Tasks are defined as activities directed toward the achievement of organizational objectives, 

although the statements themselves do not contain the task objective. This approach supports 

clearly defined Tasks that can be readily understood. Task statements should:

3.2.1 Begin with the Activity Being Executed 

Task statements start with a verb that defines how to execute the task.

EXAMPLES 

Correct Task Statement: Identify organizational privacy compliance obligations.

Incorrect Task Statement: Ensure that organizational privacy compliance obligations are 

identified.

Rationale: Starting a Task statement with the verb “ensure” transforms it from a task to an 

organizational objective. In addition, the verb “ensure” may create confusion around 

whether the task is categorically necessary to fulfill and introduces vagueness in how to 

determine responsibility for actually performing the task. 

Task

An activity that is directed 

toward the achievement of 

organizational objectives.

Task Statements

• Begin with the activity being 

executed

• Are directed toward the 

achievement of 

organizational objectives

• Include only one task in a 

single statement
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3.2.2 Be Directed Toward the Achievement of Organizational Objectives 

Task statements should be associated with one or more organizational objectives, indicating 

why a task exists at the organization. However, the statements themselves do not contain the 

objective, as these may vary based on mission drivers and organizational needs. 

EXAMPLES

Correct Task Statement: Conduct interactive training exercises.

Incorrect Task Statement: Conduct interactive training exercises to create an effective 

learning environment.

Rationale: Here, the objective is to create an effective learning environment. However, 

organizational objectives should not be included in a Task statement in order to give 

organizations the flexibility to apply the task to meet their specific needs. In addition, if a 

Task statement includes an organizational objective, an organization may interpret that 

objective as the sole reason to conduct the task. In this example, for instance, an interactive 

training exercise could serve numerous purposes, only one of which may be to create an 

effective learning environment. 

3.2.3 Include Only One Task in a Single Statement 

By clearly defining the work, Task statements offer more utility than vague, overly complex, or 

overloaded tasks that can make it difficult or time-consuming for organizations to determine 

how to execute them. Additionally, clearly defined statements minimize conflicting 

interpretations of the work within an organization’s workforce or with external service 

providers who may need to collaborate with the organization to execute the task.

EXAMPLES

Correct Task Statement: Identify organizational data elements.

Incorrect Task Statement: Identify, classify, or document organizational data elements in 

physical or digital form.

Rationale: As written, the incorrect Task statement contains multiple activities (i.e., identify, 

classify, document) that should be broken down into three discrete Task statements, one 

for each activity:

● Identify organizational data elements.

● Classify organizational data elements.

● Document organizational data elements.

Note that the correctly written Task statement can then be associated with Skill and 

Knowledge statements to provide additional guidance or help define key aspects of the 

work to be done.
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3.3 Creating Knowledge Statements

Knowledge statements describe a retrievable set of concepts 

within a learner’s memory—that is, what a learner knows—as 

compared to Skill statements, which represent what a learner 

can do. The Knowledge statement may represent knowledge 

across a continuum, from general to specific. A Knowledge 

statement representing general knowledge can provide 

organizations with flexibility to interpret and apply the concept 

to their unique contexts. A Knowledge statement representing 

specific knowledge can provide guidance to organizations that 

may lack institutional expertise or experience with particular 

topics. 

A single Knowledge statement may be used to complete many different Tasks; likewise, 

multiple Knowledge statements may be associated with a single Task. Knowledge statements 

should:

3.3.1 Begin with “Knowledge of” Followed by a Concept 

Beginning the statement in this way makes it immediately recognizable as a Knowledge 

statement and adds clarity.

EXAMPLES

Correct Knowledge Statement: Knowledge of vulnerability information dissemination 

sources (e.g., vendor alerts, government advisories, product literature errata, and sector 

bulletins).

Incorrect Knowledge Statement: Vulnerability information dissemination sources (e.g., 

vendor alerts, government advisories, product literature errata, and sector bulletins).

Rationale: Including the “Knowledge of” phrase distinguishes the statement from being a 

task or skill statement. 

3.3.2 Be Limited to One Concept in a Single Statement 

An individual Knowledge statement should not merge two knowledge concepts. Limiting the 

statement to one concept keeps it concise, understandable, and flexible, as well as more easily 

supports training and assessment goals.

EXAMPLES

Correct Knowledge Statements:

● Knowledge of computer programming principles.

● Knowledge of software debugging principles.

Knowledge

A retrievable set of concepts 

within memory.

Knowledge Statements

• Begin with “Knowledge of” 

followed by a concept

• Are limited to one concept 

in a single statement
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Incorrect Knowledge Statement: Knowledge of computer programming and software 

debugging principles.

Rationale: A Task may or may not depend on the knowledge of both of these principles. 

However, treating them as distinct knowledge concepts provides organizations with more 

flexibility; they can be added as separate requirements or grouped together or in 

combination with other statements as needed.

3.4 Framing Skill Statements

Skill statements describe what the learner can do—as opposed to 

Knowledge statements, which describe what a learner knows. The 

skills described in a skill statement can range from simple to 

complex skills. At times the skill may be very simple and 

straightforward, whereas other skills may represent complex, 

potentially multi-step processes. A single Skill statement may be 

used to complete more than one Task. Likewise, multiple Skill 

statements may be needed to complete a single Task. Skill 

statements should:

3.4.1 Begin with “Skill in” Followed by a Verb 

Beginning the statement in this way makes it immediately recognizable as a Skill statement and 

adds clarity, while the verb defines what action to take.

EXAMPLES

Correct Skill Statement: Skill in preparing test and evaluation reports.

Incorrect Skill Statements:

● Skill in test and evaluation reports.

● Preparing test and evaluation reports.

Rationale: In the first incorrect example above, the statement starts with “Skill in” but omits 

the verb that indicates the action to be taken, introducing confusion—there may be 

multiple skills associated with test and evaluation reports (e.g., creating, conducting, 

assessing). While the second incorrect statement includes the verb “Preparing,” by 

excluding “Skill in” at the start it renders the statement less recognizable as a Skill 

statement and, further, transforms what should be a skill into a task. 

3.4.2 Represent Observable Actions 

Skill statements represent actions that are observable as opposed to the Knowledge 

statements, which are conceptual. This can assist in evaluation.

EXAMPLES

Correct Skill Statement: Skill in applying security controls.

Skill

The capacity to perform an 

observable action.

Skill Statements

• Begin with “Skill in” 

followed by a verb

• Represent observable 

actions

• Include only one skill in a 

single statement
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Incorrect Skill Statement: Skill in structured analysis principles and methods.

Rationale: The incorrect example shown here is actually a Knowledge statement—it is 

something you may want a learner to know but cannot actually witness them knowing 

(though it could be assessed). The correct example is something that could be observed to 

determine if the person has the skill. It’s like asking someone to do a math problem; it might 

be something they know the answer to by rote, but they should also be able to show you 

the work of how they came to that conclusion. If they cannot, then they may not be skilled 

in applying that knowledge to other situations. 

3.4.3 Include Only One Skill in a Single Statement 

A Skill statement defines a single skill; for tasks that require multiple skills to be completed, 

multiple skill statements can be grouped. By limiting the statement to a single skill, the 

statement becomes more concise and clearer, as well as more flexible—in that it can be used 

on its own or in combination with any variety of other Skill or Knowledge statements.

EXAMPLES

Correct Skill Statements:

● Skill in designing countermeasures to identified security risks.

● Skill in designing multi-level security or cross domain solutions.

Incorrect Skill Statement: Skill in designing countermeasures to identified security risks and 

in designing multi-level security or cross-domain solutions.

Rationale: The incorrect statement here merges together two skills that, though they may 

be used together, are themselves distinct and could also be applied separately. While one 

organization may have one person who is responsible for both skills, it may be that a 

(typically larger) organization may have different staff to perform these and thereby 

separating the work adds flexibility to define work roles in different work environments. 

4 Conclusion

This Authoring Guide provides a model to support the creation of TKS statements in workforce 

frameworks. The principles and rules outlined above may be applied to the initial creation of 

TKS statements or in the review of existing TKS statements. Newly created TKS statements can 

be added to an existing framework (e.g., when creating new Work Roles).

NIST welcomes and encourages feedback on this Authoring Guide. It is intended to be a “living” 

document and may undergo future revisions as needed based on stakeholder needs and other 

relevant factors. Feedback may be sent to: NICEFramework@nist.gov

5 For More Information
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• More information on the NICE Framework can be found here:

https://www.nist.gov/nice/framework

• More information on the Privacy Framework can be found here: 

https://www.nist.gov/privacy-framework