Skills Framework for the Information Age
This site has been live since early May, and has seen a steady increase in activity.
We have been consolidating the suggestions, reviews and other material which have been received, and posting proposed changes here. Compromise is needed in some cases, where we have received differing views.
The site will continue to be open for new comments, which will be reviewed and processed until the end of September 2008. At that stage, it will be necessary to freeze the content of SFIA version 4, in order to make the necessary preparations for launch at the SFIA conference, on 4 December.
Many thanks to all who have contributed. There is still time to raise any issues (on these, or any other aspect of SFIA) should you wish to do so.
In the meantime, please have a look at the proposed changes that have been posted so far. These include:
Strategic application of information systems has been modified, and renamed as Enterprise architecture.
The definition of Information Management has been updated.
Systems Architecture has been modified and renamed as Solutions architecture.
There was a perceived overlap between WBSP (Website specialism) and DOCM (Content creation). This has been resolved by renaming WBSP as Information publishing, which is concerned only with the creation and publishing of content, and renaming DOCM as Information content process management, which is concerned with the management of the supporting processes.
Business analysis and Testing have been updated.
Proposed New Skills include
- Problem solving and creative thinking
- Requirements definition and management
- Business modelling
- Portfolio management
Minor changes have been made to Data Analysis
Minor changes have been made to the "Levels of responsibility" Descriptions
Other changes:
Compliance review (formerly Compliance audit)
Education & training management
Information security risk management (formerly Infomation security)
Management & operations
Service desk & incident management
Supplier relationship management
Technical specialism
Training materials creation & maintenance
If you are new to SFIA, you may want to read the information here about the origins of SFIA, the objectives of the update and details of how you can get involved. But if you just want to get going, here are the essentials.
- Anyone can browse the site looking at the existing content and the comments that others have left. Draft new content will also be added as we go through the consultation, which is due to conclude at the end of September.
- If you want to leave comments yourself then you must first register. This is a simple process which just gives us some basic information about yourself and enables us to see who is saying what. To register, please go to New user?
You can leave specific comments on the relevant pages of the site. To leave a general comment, please scroll down to the bottom of the multi-coloured Overview matrix below.
If you experience any problems using this site, please contact the Editor, Mike Chad at: mike.chad@btconnect.com
SFIA 3: Overview matrix
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Category |
Subcategory |
Skill |
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Strategy & planning |
Information strategy |
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Advice and guidance |
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Business/IS strategy and planning |
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Technical strategy and planning |
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Development |
Systems development |
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Human factors |
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Installation and integration |
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Business change |
Business change management |
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Relationship management |
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Service provision | ||
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Infrastructure |
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Operation |
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User support |
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Procurement & management support |
Supply management |
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Quality management |
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Resource management |
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Ancillary skills |
Education and training |
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| Sales and marketing | ||
URIs
Competency, skill or role?
With SFIA/4 we need to be clearer about what industry expects the output from universities at each level to be capable of. (NB this is completely decoupled from the issue of coping with practitioners who do not have formal qualificaitons)
For example one could aim for (after induction) an HND to be ready for work at level 1, an hons graduate at level 2 and an MSc at level 3. But would this be in only one competency or across a portfolio. Would BCS want SFIA-matching to be part of the degree accreditation process?
Commenting on groups of related skills
Comments on related skills
SFIA Framework - Evidence Base / consistency
Strategy and planning
Where is Architecture and Design?
I believe that this construct (Architecture and Design) is not properly represented in SFIA3.
To address this, I would call for a new category or sub-category specifically to position architecture and design skills in the framework.
Qualifications
Also, I think it would help (save duplication of effort) if there was a more detailed mapping between qualifications and the individual parts of a task. E.g. if someone has qualification X, that covers 10 out of the 15 skills, so you only need to assess them on the other 5.
"Skill" terminology
Governance
Management
expansion of SFIA
People Management
People Management
Skill combinations
Note: This really relates to combinations of skills to create Role Profiles. This has not been part of SFIA in the past. Should we include some "sample role descriptions suitable for small IT departments".
Updating of SFIA
SFIA Framework - Evidence Base / consistency
Engineering / Systems Design
I believe there is an opportunity to a) update Architecture with these Design roles and b) create something appropriate pugging the Hardware design gap or alternatively create a new group called something like Systems Engineering and Design where the non Development roles would typically reside?
Consistency between different skill sets
Consistency between different skill sets
Thanks, Editor
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