Framework structure suggestions
A number of suggestions from the SFIA 10 consultation focused on the underlying architecture of the framework. How it is organised, how skills are sized, and how they fit together. These ranged from targeted refinements to broader questions about SFIA’s long‑term structure.
What the consultation surfaced
Participants raised both focused and fundamental points about the structure of SFIA:
- Some suggestions addressed specific aspects of the framework, such as the case for identical level coverage across skills or refinements to the category structure .
- Others explored deeper architectural questions, including whether SFIA could evolve towards a federated model with a stable core and domain‑specific plug‑ins, and whether the seven‑level structure remains the right foundation for the framework .
These inputs reflect a broad interest in how SFIA can remain coherent, scalable and easy to navigate as it continues to grow.
How we will take these suggestions forward
We will work through these suggestions as part of the development of SFIA 10 .
- Some ideas may lead to changes in the framework itself .
- Others may be explored through different means — for example, how SFIA is consumed by skills platforms or integrated with adjacent tools and systems .
- And some may not be the right direction when tested against SFIA’s design principles and the need for clarity, usability and long‑term stability .
In all cases, we will be transparent about what we conclude and why, and will report back through this site as our thinking develops .
Related suggestions raised at SFIA 10 workshops.
Disclaimer: These suggestions reflect the personal views of individual workshop attendees. They are provided substantially verbatim and do not represent the official position or endorsement of the SFIA Foundation.
- As the framework grows, consider a "SFIA Core" supplemented by domain-specific plug-ins (Health, IoT, Engineering and so on), with the Core continuing on a three-year cycle and plug-ins updated in between
- Standardise the level of proficiency across all skills, for example levels 1 to 5, to make integration into skills platforms easier
- Review whether the 1 to 7 level structure itself should be reconsidered, recognising this would be a substantial shift but acknowledging that the existing structure can be difficult for prospective users to understand
- Provide skill descriptors across all levels, rather than pointing users to the generic Levels of Responsibility where skill-specific content is absent
- Review whether SFIA's categories and sub-categories should be more focused, as they can feel wide-ranging