MB, I admit my initial experience was with the initial introduction. We had two Admin branch transferees and two ex-SNCO. One SNCO quickly made sqn ldr.
The Admin branch officers exhibited little keeness to learn the trade. A horsey, knitting circle was the prefered option rather than head in the books of which there were many.
One upbraided her 1st RO that he had not given her any jobs to get her teeth into. His response was that much work was available and she could have used her initiative and sought work herself.
The ex-SNCO re-wrote the crash-disaster plan from first principles as a self-generated work.
More recently I asked a question that had been common knowledge 10 years ago and wanted confirmation that the system was still in use. None of the Ops Os had every heard of it. The SOpsO, to give her her due, researched the question and found the answer. The procedure still exisited but it was no longer done on station. That is where breadth of experience comes in.
I agree with the Staneval type approach. Does the OpsO have the spatial awareness of nearby airfields? Nearby could be 2000 miles or more away for the ST and AT force. What is their met awareness? Can theyt anticipate conditions leading to early deterioration of visibility before the forecaster calls them? And so on.