SFIA
SFIA acts as a force for consistency around IT skills development. Improve communication between IT staff, management and HR. Learn about SFIA below.
What is SFIA?
As IT becomes more complex and pervasive there is an ever-growing need to clearly define, recruit and grow skilled resources. SFIA (the Skills Framework for the Information Age) provides a language that is the foundation for consistent, unambiguous and clear definitions of IT-based skills.
Whether recruiting through agencies or the press, using contractors or outsourcing, never has there been a greater need for simplicity and consistency in skills development. SFIA provides the common language that integrates with an organization’s way of working to improve capability and resource planning, resource deployment and performance management. It also:
- Gives recognizable descriptions of the professional skills needed by IT people.
- Contains a set of consistent levels of attainment.
- Clearly distinguishes professional skills from technical knowledge.
- Integrates flexibly with an organization’s existing ways of working.
- Is available free of charge from The SFIA Foundation, a non-profit organization.
- Is maintained and updated through a process of open consultation by the IT industry, for the IT industry.
Where did SFIA come from?
SFIA was established in July 2003 as a framework for IT professionals to match the skills of their workforce to the requirements of the business.
It is a logical, two-dimensional skills framework defined by areas of work on one axis and levels of responsibility on the other. It is a proven, effective resource that benefits businesses by facilitating all aspects of capability management in corporate and educational environments.
The past 10 years has seen SFIA establish itself as the world’s most popular definition of IT skills, easily accessible to:
- ICT practitioners and users.
- Employers.
- Education and training providers.
- Governments.
Who is SFIA for?
SFIA has achieved worldwide recognition and use.
It reflects the views of informed professionals. It is based on practical management considerations. It is compatible with different ways of working. It is the product of the collaboration of many individuals and groups working in IT, people with real experience in managing and developing IT skills.
As a result SFIA answers a need experienced by all IT managers.
What online resources are available for SFIA?
You may browse SFIA online. There you can see:
- 96 professional IT skills, each with an overall definition with clarification at the levels at which the skill is recognized.
- Introductory material.
- Generic definitions of the 7 standard levels of attainment.
You can also download SFIA publications such as:
- The SFIA Framework reference guide.
- Working with SFIA.
- Summary chart.
- Skills reminder card.
- The SFIA Framework as a spreadsheet.
SFIA is available free of charge to companies and individuals who use it purely as an internal management resource. Payment is only required from individuals and companies who commercially promote SFIA.
Click here for more information.