The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Specialist advice TECH

Providing authoritative, professional advice and direction in a specialist area.

Revision notes

Updates for SFIA 9

  • Theme(s) influencing the updates for this skill: Making SFIA easier to consume (enhance readability/guidance/descriptions).
  • Guidance updated to aid understanding and application of this skill
  • Content and/or readability changes have been made to levels 4, 5, and 6.
  • You can move to SFIA 9 when you are ready - SFIA 8 skill descriptions will still be available to use.
  • Previous SFIA assessments or skills mapping are not impacted by this change.

Guidance notes

This skill entails developing and using specialist knowledge to offer authoritative advice and direction, distinct from general guidance or troubleshooting.

Professional advice is the provision of expert, objective and evidence-based recommendations, guidance and solutions to address specific challenges or opportunities, drawing upon the advisor's in-depth knowledge, skills and experience. 

Expertise may cover a particular aspect of information or communications technology, digital practices, methodologies, or application areas and can extend to applying knowledge from other disciplines, such as legal, finance, public relations, ethics or human resources, to technology-related topics.

Activities include, but are not limited to:

  • research and analysis to stay current with the latest developments in the specialist area
  • providing subject matter expert advice and recommendations based on thorough understanding of the subject
  • collaborating with other specialists to ensure comprehensive and cohesive advice
  • clearly communicating complex information to non-experts
  • creating guidelines, standards and recommended practices related to the specialist area
  • providing mentorship and guidance to support the development of specialist knowledge within the organisation.

Understanding the responsibility levels of this skill

Where lower levels are not defined...
  • Specific tasks and responsibilities are not defined because the skill requires a higher level of autonomy, influence, and complexity in decision-making than is typically expected at these levels. You can use the essence statements to understand the generic responsibilities associated with these levels.
Where higher levels are not defined...
  • Responsibilities and accountabilities are not defined because these higher levels involve strategic leadership and broader organisational influence that goes beyond the scope of this specific skill. See the essence statements.

Developing skills and demonstrating responsibilities related to this skill

The defined levels show the incremental progression in skills and responsibilities.

Where lower levels are not defined...

You can develop your knowledge and support others who do have responsibility in this area by:

  • Learning key concepts and principles related to this skill and its impact on your role
  • Performing related skills (see the related SFIA skills)
  • Supporting others who are performing higher level tasks and activities
Where higher levels are not defined...
  • You can progress by developing related skills which are better suited to higher levels of organisational leadership.

Show/hide extra descriptions and levels.

Levels of responsibility for this skill

4 5 6

Specialist advice: Level 4

Level 4 - Enable: Essence of the level: Performs diverse complex activities, supports and guides others, delegates tasks when appropriate, works autonomously under general direction, and contributes expertise to deliver team objectives.

Provides detailed and specific advice to support the organisation's planning and operations, typically related to the immediate area of responsibility.

Actively maintains recognised expert level knowledge in one or more identifiable specialisms.

Recognises and identifies the boundaries of their own specialist knowledge.

Where appropriate, collaborates with other specialists to ensure advice given is professionally sound and appropriate to the organisation's needs.

Specialist advice: Level 5

Level 5 - Ensure, advise: Essence of the level: Provides authoritative guidance in their field and works under broad direction. Accountable for delivering significant work outcomes, from analysis through execution to evaluation.

Provides professional advice that informs operational leadership and influences the translation of strategy into operations in their specialist area.

Oversees the provision of specialist advice by others. Consolidates expertise from multiple sources, including third-party experts, to provide coherent and professionally sound advice to further organisational objectives.

Supports and promotes the development and sharing of specialist knowledge within the organisation.

Specialist advice: Level 6

Level 6 - Initiate, influence: Essence of the level: Has significant organisational influence, makes high-level decisions, shapes policies, demonstrates leadership, promotes organisational collaboration, and accepts accountability in key areas.

Leads and promotes the development and application of specialist knowledge across the organisation, delivering professional advice that shapes direction and high-level decisions.

Maintains a network of recognised experts (inside and/or outside the organisation) who can deliver expert advice in relevant areas.

Actively influences professional development planning across a significant part of the organisation to further the development of appropriate expertise and provision of high-quality professional advice.

Keywords
Small change