The preparation of SFIA version 4 has been carried out with the aim of making sure that SFIA remains relevant to the needs of organisations employing IT professionals. It is part of an evolution that balances stability with the need to keep up with the times.

During the period from May 2008 until September 2008 interested groups met, produced reports and submitted them to the Foundation. In addition, there was a lengthy period of consultation when comments were gathered on SFIA's online consultation forum. All of these contributions were analysed and used as constructively as possible. Unsurprisingly, not all comment was consistent, but strong efforts were made to produce the best solution.

Proposed amendments were put on the website for further comment before being reviewed and edited for publication. Thanks are due to all those who have taken time to record their comments. Some have spent a considerable amount of time doing this.

It should always be remembered that SFIA describes individual professional skills, not jobs, not roles, not people. The comments received have been processed with that guiding thought in mind.

So all skill descriptions have been reviewed, many have been improved, and the result is SFIA version 4. It is still the familiar SFIA but it has clear improvements in certain areas.

Headlines

• Strategic content has been strengthened by recognition of Enterprise architecture and by inclusion of more skills in information management
• IT governance is now recognised
• Greater clarity now exists between the authoring of textual information and the processes leading to its publication
• The wording of the generic descriptions of level has been improved
• Sections relating to service management are more closely in line with itSMF terminology
• There are many improvements to detailed wording.