APPENDIX J

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to the questions new OFAs most often ask about the role, the work, and getting started.

1.I do not have a technical background. Can I still succeed as an OFA 1?
2.Yes.
3.This curriculum assumes no prior technical background.
4.The most important early skills - clear communication, careful note-taking, and asking good questions - do not require a technical degree.
5.How long should I expect to spend at OFA 1 before moving to OFA 2?
6.This varies by individual and by how much real assignment volume is available, but most learners spend several months building the OFA 1 behaviors to a reliable standard before a supervisor recommends progression.
7.What if my team does not use all the tools mentioned in this curriculum?
8.The specific tools listed are representative examples, not requirements.
9.Focus on the underlying skill (documenting requirements, tracking action items) rather than the specific tool name; the skill transfers even if your team uses a different product.

1.What do I do if a stakeholder gets frustrated when I ask follow-up questions?
2.Briefly explain why you are asking - for example, "I want to make sure what gets built actually solves the problem" - which usually resolves the frustration, since most stakeholders want the same outcome you do.
3.What if two stakeholders tell me different things about the same requirement?
4.Document both statements accurately, flag the conflict explicitly rather than picking one, and raise it to your mentor or supervisor rather than resolving it unilaterally.

1.How do I know when documentation is "good enough"?
2.A useful test is whether a colleague who was not in the room could act on it correctly without asking you a follow-up question.
3.If yes, it is likely good enough for this level.
4.Who decides where documentation should be stored?
5.This is typically already established by your team; ask your mentor rather than choosing a new location, since consistency in storage location is part of what makes documentation findable.

1.What if I am not sure whether something I found during testing is actually a defect?
2.Record what you observed and what you expected, and flag it as uncertain rather than deciding on your own; a senior teammate can confirm whether it counts as a defect.
3.How do I know when to escalate versus handle something myself?
4.If you are not fully confident in your assessment, or if resolving it would require touching a system you are not authorized to change, escalate.
5.Escalating is not a failure; it is the expected behavior described in Modules 7 and 9.

1.Am I allowed to use AI tools for my OFA work?
2.Yes, within the guardrails described in each module's AI-Assisted Work section and in Appendix G.
3.Most importantly·never enter confidential data into an unapproved tool, and always verify AI-generated output against the real source before using it.
4.I do not know SQL. Is that a problem for OFA 1?
5.No.
6.This curriculum expects an OFA 1 to read and interpret simple queries and results with support, not to write queries independently.
7.Appendix F is a starting reference if you want to build this skill further.

1.Do I need an industry certification to progress from OFA 1 to OFA 2?
2.No.
3.Certification, described in Appendix D, is optional and supplementary.
4.Progression is based on demonstrated behaviors and a supervisor's confirmation, not external credentials.
5.What comes after OFA 1?
6.OFA 2 - Developing Stewardship, described in its own companion curriculum, which this curriculum is designed to prepare a learner for.