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Overview

Background
Multi-national corporations often employ a large, diverse and talented pool of highly skilled individuals. While corporations are well aware of each employee’s technical skills, it is often difficult to identify people who have regional knowledge (local language, culture, political system etc.) of specific geographic regions. Such need arises when a corporation needs to send an employee (or a team) to another geographic region, and the problem is especially acute when there is a need to respond to an emergency situation on the ground.
Innovative Technology
The Regional Proficiency Assessment Tool, or RPAT, is a product designed by the Center for the Advanced Study of Language at the University of Maryland to assess a construct called regional proficiency (RP) in personnel. It consists of:
· The RPAT Questionnaire—designed to elicit biographical information necessary to assess an individual’s RP;
· The RPAT Algorithm—uses an individual’s Questionnaire data, along with applicable language utility scores, to numerically assess his/her RP in each of 15 world regions;
· The Language Utility Resource—takes the output of the Enhanced Language Database and calculates the operational utility of a language in a number of geopolitical entities (e.g., countries, territories, 15 RPAT world regions); and
· The RPAT Software Suite—implements the Questionnaire and Algorithm, together with data storage, data management, and aggregate data viewing functions.
This software suite has been designed for and is currently in use by the U.S. Department of Defense and is available for licensing and adapting to private entities.

Applications

Selecting candidates for overseas assignments where regional knowledge is important in addition to technical skills

Shaping hiring strategy for corporation as a whole by identifying regional proficiency deficiencies

Advantages

Helps identify the right candidates for overseas assignment by assessing their knowledge of the region, including language

Helps identify regional proficiency profile of a corporation as a whole

Stage of Development

Functional software suite used by the Department of Defense.

R&D Required

May need to be adapted to other industries.

Contact Info

UM Ventures
0134 Lee Building
7809 Regents Drive
College Park, MD 20742
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (301) 405-3947 | Fax: (301) 314-9502