The SFIA framework

Map SFIA (Skills Framework for the Information Age) global skills and competency framework for the digital world with projects and positions that I have undertaken through my professional career.

The context for SFIA

Experience

Gaining experience is not a linear path. By applying knowledge and skills in a workplace setting, experience is gained and as people develop their experience in this way, they also build their knowledge and skills and develop their behaviours

Knowledge

Knowledge is a critical component of competence. The design of SFIA emphasises that knowledge is required to demonstrate any skill effectively. To be competent and effective in any role an individual will need a mix of generic, specialist and domain knowledge.

Generic knowledge represents what someone might reasonably be expected to know before any special knowledge is needed for a particular domain or specialism.
Domain knowledge relates to the industry or business domain that the organization operates in .
Specialist knowledge is specific and detailed for a particular specialism or role.
Technologies, products, methods, approaches, legislation, services, processes are all examples of where professionals working in the industry are required to have knowledge.
Knowledge can be obtained in different ways such as from formal training courses, on-the-job training, web-based research, networking, conferences or simply by working with, and mentored by, experienced practitioners.
Knowledge may be recognized by formal qualifications or certifications and an increasing number of university courses, training courses, events and other mechanisms for gaining knowledge, have been mapped to SFIA to ensure they align with the required professional skills.

Behavioural Factors

Behaviours are an essential component of capability and form part of the overall SFIA Framework.

They can have a variety of names - such as behavioural competencies, social skills, employability skills or soft skills.
The SFIA Framework uses the term behavioural factors.
These are also called transferable or functional skills

A detailed explanation of the SFIA behavioural factors is available in an associated document: Glossary of behavioural factors within the 7 levels of responsibility.

Analytic Thinking Being analytical gives you a major edge in IT, where you’re expected to find logical solutions to problems frequently. Analytical abilities allow you to diagnose technology issues and fix them.
Communication you’ll need to be able to communicate well with your supervisors and colleagues to help them solve technology issues and better harness the power of their tech tools. You’ll need to work well on teams and communicate your ideas well with coworkers.
Collaboration
Creativity In fact, one of the major requirements in today’s IT jobs is the ability to use technology creatively to fulfill a particular business need or create a solution that helps the company move forward.
Critical Thinking
Decision Making
Delegate responsibilities|ESCO
Execution Performance
Influence
Integrity
Initiative
Leadership
Organization Being organized makes you more efficient and productive at work. Many IT careers are dynamic, giving you the opportunity to jump around to several different projects and tasks. Multitasking can be an important skill – but only if you can properly organize yourself. The ability to keep track of things such as your schedule and daily tasks is essential and so, too, is being able to chunk and prioritize your daily responsibilities efficiently.
Planning
Problem Solving
Project Management As an IT professional, chances are, you’ll be juggling multiple projects and responsibilities, and being able to meet deadlines and hit benchmarks is critical. Good project management involves the ability to make professional plans, set and reach goals, and work with colleagues to resolve project issues
Perseverance The best IT professionals are willing to tinker around persistently with a particular technology to find solutions to challenges even when everyone else has given up. You have to be able to persevere as new information and new challenges are thrown your way.
Resourcefulness Part of being resourceful in IT involves being able to find technology, software and products that enhance your own productivity and the productivity of others. You don’t have to always have the answer – you just need to know how to find it.
Security, Privacy and Ethics
Strategic mindset able to drive product strategy that achieves substantial customer value and business outcomes; able to make trade-off decisions considering what’s desirable, viable, and technically feasible.
Team Working

ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations)

What is ESCO

What is ESCO? | Esco

ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) is the European multilingual classification of Skills, Competences and Occupations.

ESCO works as a dictionary, describing, identifying and classifying professional occupations and skills relevant for the EU labour market and education and training. Those concepts and the relationships between them can be understood by electronic systems, which allows different online platforms to use ESCO for services like matching jobseekers to jobs on the basis of their skills, suggesting trainings to people who want to reskill or upskill etc.

ESCO provides descriptions of 3008 occupations and 13.890 skills linked to these occupations, translated into 28 languages (all official EU languages plus Icelandic, Norwegian, Ukrainian, and Arabic).

The aim of ESCO is to support job mobility across Europe and therefore a more integrated and efficient labour market, by offering a “common language” on occupations and skills that can be used by different stakeholders on employment and education and training topics.

Two pillar structure of ESCO

Two pillar structure of ESCO | Esco

SFIA Professional Skills

SFIA Levels of responsibility

Level 7: Set strategy, inspire, mobilize
Level 6: Initiate, influence
Level 5: Ensure, advise
Level 4: Enable
Level 3: Apply
Level 2: Assist
Level 1: Follow

Development and implementation

Systems development

Data and analytics

User experience

Content management

Computational science

Delivery and operation

Technology management

Service management

Security services

IT Management Skills

The following skills collectively fall under the umbrella of “IT Governance and Management.” It encompasses the methodologies, practices, and processes that ensure effective and efficient use of IT resources, alignment with business goals, and the overall success of IT initiatives.

Agile Methodologies: This involves a set of principles for software development that prioritizes flexibility and collaboration. It’s about iterative development, adapting to change, and delivering small, functional pieces of a project regularly.
IT Service Management (ITSM): Focuses on the design, delivery, management, and improvement of IT services. It ensures that IT services align with the needs of the business and are delivered effectively and efficiently.
IT Project Management: The practice of planning, organizing, and overseeing IT projects. It involves defining project goals, creating schedules, managing resources, and ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget.
IT Cloud Services: Involves the delivery of computing services—such as storage, processing power, and software—over the internet. Common examples include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks to minimize negative impacts on IT projects or operations. This involves creating strategies to manage and mitigate potential issues.
Full Cycle Software Development: Encompasses the entire process of software development, from initial concept and design through coding and testing to deployment and maintenance.
Low Code/No Code Software Development
Business Process Modeling: Involves creating visual representations of business processes to understand, analyze, and improve them. It helps organizations streamline operations and increase efficiency.
Data Modeling: Designing and organizing data structures to represent information and ensure data accuracy, consistency, and efficiency. It’s crucial for database design and management.
Development/Security Operations (DevSecOps): Integrates security practices into the DevOps (Development and Operations) process. It aims to ensure that security is prioritized throughout the software development lifecycle.
Analytics: Involves interpreting and analyzing data to gain insights and inform decision-making. This can include data visualization, statistical analysis, and predictive modeling.
Information Security Management
Enterprise Architecture
AI Applications and Risks
International Standards

These skills collectively contribute to a well-rounded IT professional who can navigate the complexities of modern technology and contribute to the success of IT projects and operations.

Sectors

Sports
Retail
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Energy and Utilities Sector
Maritime Industry
Agriculture
Education
Technology

Working Areas - Industry Themes

artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)
applied computing and computational science
digital transformation
digital skills for users
data science and analytics
internet of things
information and communications technology
information management
learning and education
software engineering
user centered design

Systems

Information management systems
- Enterprise Knowledge graphs
- Taxonomies
- Semantic search
- ERP (Enterprise resource planning)
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
- Project Management
- Inventory Management
- Personal Information Management / Note taking Applications
- Collaborative Knowledge Bases
- Content Management Systems
- Automation and Management of Services
BI Tools
- QlikView - QlikSense
- Sisense
- Tableau
- Microsoft Power BI

Roles

Q: What would you think is the best role as a succession to a many years experienced senior software engineer ? A: Well, that really depends on the individual’s goals and interests. They could transition into a tech lead or managerial role, where they guide and mentor others. Alternatively, they might delve into specialized areas like architecture, security, artificial intelligence

Identify your transferable skills: As a senior software engineer, you already have a strong technical background. Identify the skills that can be transferred to these roles:

IT Instructor/Trainer
The role involves a combination of technical expertise, effective communication, and a passion for facilitating learning and professional growth. Plays a pivotal role in empowering individuals with the expertise and know-how essential for thriving in the ever-evolving landscape of Information Technology.

Specialized areas
- Architect
  - Software Architect: Focus on designing and structuring software systems. You’ll be responsible for making high-level decisions on the technical aspects of the project.
  - Cloud Architect: Specialize in designing and implementing scalable and secure cloud infrastructure.
  - AI Solution Architect:
    - Design end-to-end AI solutions for specific applications.
    - Collaborate with clients and stakeholders to understand requirements.
    - Oversee the implementation and integration of AI systems.
  - Principal Solution Architect: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand and analyze how people, processes, and technology interact within current and future workflows. Develop Microservices and API-based architectures, with deep knowledge of software solutions, tools, technologies, data acquisition, integration, web services
- Engineer
  - Software Quality Engineer: Design, develop, and execute automated test scripts to ensure the quality and reliability of software products. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand testing requirements and provide efficient testing solutions
  - Senior Software Engineer: Build high-quality, clean, scalable and reusable code by enforcing best practices around software engineering architecture and processes
  - Senior Staff Database Engineer: Define policies and establish standards for modeling, structuring, naming, describing, securing, and. formatting data. Develop conceptual, logical, and physical data models with associated metadata including data lineage and technical data definitions
  - Staff Performance Engineer: Evaluating on-going project and production system from performance perspective, early feedback and opportunity to work with the teams to fix the issue.
Managerial roles
- Manager
  - Technical Product Manager: Combine technical knowledge with strategic thinking to guide the development of a product.
  - Product Manager: Lead the development and launch of a product, balancing technical requirements with business goals.
  - Program Manager: Oversee multiple projects, ensuring they align with the overall business strategy.
- Business Analyst: This role often involves a mix of technical and business acumen, making it a good fit for someone with a solid software engineering background. It can be an excellent way to contribute to the overall success of a business while leveraging your technical expertise.
  - Requirements Analysis: Work closely with stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into clear, actionable requirements for the development team.
  - Process Improvement: Identify opportunities for improving business processes, workflows, and systems.
  - Data Analysis: Analyze data to provide insights that can inform strategic business decisions.
  - Communication: Bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams, ensuring effective communication and understanding.
  - Project Management: Play a role in project planning and management, ensuring that projects align with business objectives.

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