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SFIA 3: changes in detail

The categories and subcategories are simply aids to navigation within the document. They are not intended to define roles or jobs; these would normally contains skills from more than one part of the framework.

Version 3 identifies six categories, as follows:

Strategy and planning (category title unchanged from SFIA version 2)
Development (category title changed from ‘Development and Implementation’)
Business change (new category)
Service provision (category title changed from ‘Service delivery’)
Procurement and management support (category title changed from ‘Management and administration’)
Ancillary skills (new category title, to include skills which are deemed to be associated with IT, but not mainstream)

There are also some changes in subcategories and in the positioning of skills within the subcategories.

The following sections list the skills in their categories and subcategories. There is commentary to indicate the nature of any change that has been made.

Strategy and planning (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Information strategy	Information management	IRMG	Subcategory has been renamed, so that it is not the same as the skill name. Skill definition enhanced to place more emphasis on Information management. Task definitions clarified and made more specific. Two new levels (4 & 5). Levels 4–7.
Advice and guidance	Consultancy	CNSL	No change to skill definition. Minor changes to level definitions. Level 4 removed, as it is felt that true Consultancy is not possible at this level. Levels 5–7.
Advice and guidance	Technical specialism	TECH	No significant change. Levels 5–7.
Business/ IS strategy and planning	Research	RSCH	New skill, Levels 3–6.
	Innovation	INOV	New skill, acknowledging strong feeling, from a number of sources, that there is specialist skill in the creative application of IT to improve businesses, or create new ‘e-businesses’. Level 6.
	Business process improvement	BPRE	No significant change. Levels 5–7. New level 7.
	Strategic application of information systems	STPL	Name changed to avoid clash with category title. Otherwise no significant change. Levels 5–7. New level 7.
	Business risk management	BURM	No significant change. Levels 5–6.
	Information security	SCTY	New skill. Levels 3–6.
	Information assurance	INAS	New skill. Related to, but different from Information security. Includes ‘protection from attack’, etc. Levels 3–6.
Technical strategy and planning	Systems architecture	ARCH	An important skill. Description expanded and improved. Now encompasses what was originally termed ‘Technical authority’. Levels 5–6. New level 5.
	Emerging technology monitoring	EMRG	No significant change. Levels 5–6.
	Continuity management	COPL	Minor changes to wording. This skill has been renamed to be consistent with ITIL terminology. Levels 4–5.
	Software development process improvement	SPIM	New skill for SFIA, though it is a well-established discipline, and important to software developers. Levels 5–7.
	Network planning	NTPL	Minimal change in wording. Levels 5–6.
	Methods and tools	METL	Unchanged. Levels 4–6.

Development (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Systems development	Systems development management	DLMG	No significant change. Levels 5–7. New level 5.
	Data analysis	DTAN	No change to skill definition, but expansion of task definitions. Levels 2–5.
	Systems design	DESN	Clarification and expansion. Levels 2–6.
	Network design	NTDS	New skill, based on BCS SFIAplus content. Levels 5–6.
	Database design	DBDS	Task descriptions improved. Levels 2–6.
	Programming/software development	PROG	No change to skill definition. Task definitions improved. Levels 2–5.
	Safety engineering	SFEN	New skill, based on BCS SFIAplus content. (There is extensive documentation of safety engineering competencies published by IEE. It was determined that we should acknowledge this topic, but not try to duplicate this material). Levels 3–6.
	Web site specialism	WBSP	New skill, based on BCS SFIAplus content. Some debate over whether this is really a separate skill. However, there is a demand for it, so it was included. Levels 2–5.
	Systems testing	TEST	No change to skill definition. Task definitions improved. Levels 2–6.
Human factors	Systems ergonomics	HCEV	Skill definition revised. Task definitions clarified. Levels 3–6.
	Content creation	DOCM	Renamed from ‘Media creation’ which was a misleading title. Skill definition unchanged. Tasks expanded, and rewritten. Levels 2–6.
	Non-functional needs analysis	UNAN	New skill, based on input from BHCIG (British Human Computer Interface Group). Originally named ‘User needs analysis’, but it was felt that this is misleading, as it is only concerned with non-functional needs. Levels 3–5.
	Usability evaluation	USEV	New skill, based on input from BHCIG (British Human Computer Interface Group). Levels 2–5.
	Human factors integration	HFIN	New skill, based on input from BHCIG (British Human Computer Interface Group). Levels 5–7.
Installation and integration	Systems integration	SINT	No change to skill definition. Lower level tasks expanded and clarified. Levels 2–6. New level 6.
	Porting/software integration	PORT	New skill, based on BCS SFIAplus content. Levels 3–6.
	Systems installation/decommissioning	HSIN	No change to skill definition. Lower level tasks expanded and clarified. Levels 1–5.

Business change (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Business change management	Business analysis	ANAL	Expansion and clarification of wording. Levels 3–6.
	Programme management	PGMG	Expansion and improvement of definitions, to clarify the central role of programme management in implementing complex business change. Levels 6–7.
	Project management	PRMG	Improvement and expansion of wording. Levels 4–7. New level 4.
	Business process testing	BPTS	A new skill concerning the planning, design, management, execution and reporting of business process tests and usability evaluations. Levels 4–6.
	Change implementation planning and management	CIPM	This is a new skill, contributed by the e-Gov unit, which emphasises the business perspective on integration of IT capabilities. Levels 5–6.
	Organisation design and implementation	ORDI	Also a new skill, contributed by the e-Gov unit, which focuses on the context in which the IT capabilities will be deployed. Levels 5–6.
	Benefits management	BENM	A new skill which formalises the follow-through from completion of project/programme deliverables to the achievement of beneficial business change, as defined in the business case. Levels 5–6.
Relationship management	Stakeholder relationship management	RLMT	A new skill, which recognises the importance of the relationship between all stakeholders, during business change. Levels 5–6.

Service provision (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Infrastructure	Configuration management	CFMG	No significant change. Levels 3–6.
	Change management	CHMG	Name amended to bring into line with ITIL. Moved to this sub-category, from Technical strategy and planning. Levels 3–6.
	Capacity management	CPMG	Minor improvements to wording. Levels 4–6.
	Systems software	SYSP	New skill, recognising specialist technical expertise required in managing system software. Levels 3–5.
	Security administration	SCAD	Minor improvements to wording. Levels 3–6. New level 6.
	Radio frequency engineering	RFEN	New skill, recognising the evolving role of ‘wireless’ technology. Levels 2–6.
	Availability management	AVMT	New skill describing the overall control and management of services and their availability. Levels 4–6.
	Financial management for IT	FMIT	New skill describing the overall financial management, control and stewardship of the IT assets and resources. Levels 4–6.
Operation	Data protection	DPRO	New skill, recognising knowledge required to comply with legislation. Levels 5–6.
	Application support	ASUP	No significant changes. Name changed from ‘Application & system support’. Levels 2–5.
	Management and operations	COPS	SFIA2 elements ICT Operations and ICT management merged. Levels 1–7.
	Network control and operation	NTOP	Expansion and improvement. Levels 3–6. New levels 3–4.
	Database administration	DBAD	Expansion and improvement. Levels 2–5.
	Service level management	SLMO	Merge of Service delivery management and Service level control, to provide more coherent function. Levels 2–7.
User support	Network support	NTAS	Name changed from Network administration & support. Levels 2–5.
	Problem management	PBMG	New skill. Levels 4–5.
	Service desk and incident management	USUP	New skill, derived from SFIA2 User support. Levels 1–5.

Procurement and management support (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Supply management	Contract management	–	Merged with information on Contract monitoring, to form Supplier relationship management (below).
	Procurement	PROC	No change. Levels 5–6.
	Supplier relationship management	SURE	Created from Contract management with additional information on contract monitoring and commercial management. Levels 3–7.
Quality	Quality management	QUMG	No significant change. Levels 5–7.
	Quality assurance	QUAS	No change. Levels 3–6.
	Quality standards	QUST	New skill. Levels 2–5.
	Compliance audit	COMP	Renamed from Compliance. New level 7. Levels 3-7.
	Safety assessment	SFAS	New skill. Extensive documentation on this published by IEE. Levels 5–6.
Resource management	Project office	PROF	No change. Levels 2–5.
	Asset management	ASMG	Expansion/improvement of level descriptions. Levels 5–6.
	Information System coordination	ISCO	Clarification of wording. Levels 6–7.
	Client services management	CSMG	New skill. Levels 5–6.
	Professional development	PDSV	New skill. Levels 5–6.
	Resourcing	RESC	New skill. Levels 5–6.

Ancillary skills (category)

Sub-category	Skill	Code	Change
Education and training	Education and training management	ETMG	Wording improved & merged with Development & training from SFIA2. Levels 5–6.
	Training materials creation and maintenance	TMCR	Wording improved. New level 5. Levels 3–5.
	Education and training delivery	ETDL	Small amendments to wording. Levels 3–5.
Sales and marketing	Account management	ACMG	No change. Levels 5–6.
	Marketing	MKTG	No change. Levels 3–6.
	Selling	SALE	No change. Levels 4–6.
	Sales support	SSUP	No change. Levels 1–6.