The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Business skills

All levels 1 to 7

Level 1 - Follow

  • Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with immediate colleagues.
  • Uses basic systems and tools, applications and processes.
  • Demonstrates an organised approach to work. Has basic digital skills to learn and use applications and tools for their role.
  • Learning and professional development —  contributes to identifying own development opportunities.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — understands and complies with organisational standards.

Level 2 - Assist

  • Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with colleagues and internal users/customers.
  • Understands and uses appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes.
  • Demonstrates a rational and organised approach to work.
  • Has sufficient digital skills for their role.
  • Learning and professional development — identifies and negotiates own development opportunities.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — is fully aware of organisational standards. Uses appropriate working practices in own work.

Level 3 - Apply

  • Demonstrates effective oral and written communication skills when engaging on issues with colleagues, users/customers, suppliers and partners.
  • Understands and effectively applies appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes.
  • Demonstrates judgement and a systematic approach to work.
  • Effectively applies digital skills and explores these capabilities for their role.
  • Learning and professional development —  takes the initiative to develop own knowledge and skills by identifying and negotiating appropriate development opportunities.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — demonstrates appropriate working practices and knowledge in non-routine work. Appreciates how own role and others support appropriate working practices.

Level 4 - Enable

  • Communicates fluently, orally and in writing, and can present complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences when engaging with colleagues, users/customers, suppliers and partners.
  • Selects appropriately from, and assesses the impact of change to applicable standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to own specialism.
  • Demonstrates an awareness of risk and takes an analytical approach to work.
  • Maximises the capabilities of applications for their role and evaluates and supports the use of new technologies and digital tools.
  • Contributes specialist expertise to requirements definition in support of proposals.
  • Shares knowledge and experience in own specialism to help others.
  • Learning and professional development —  maintains an awareness of developing practices and their application and takes responsibility for driving own development. Takes the initiative in identifying and negotiating their own and supporting team members' appropriate development opportunities. Contributes to the development of others.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — fully understands the importance and application to own work and the operation of the organisation. Engages or works with specialists as necessary.

Level 5 - Ensure, advise

  • Demonstrates leadership in operational management.
  • Analyses requirements and advises on scope and options for continual operational improvement.
  • Assesses and evaluates risk.
  • Takes all requirements into account when making proposals.
  • Shares own knowledge and experience and encourages learning and growth.
  • Advises on available standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to group specialism(s) and can make appropriate choices from alternatives.
  • Understands and evaluates the organisational impact of new technologies and digital services.
  • Creatively applies innovative thinking and design practices in identifying solutions that will deliver value for the benefit of the customer/stakeholder.
  • Clearly demonstrates impactful communication skills (oral, written and presentation) in both formal and informal settings, articulating complex ideas to broad audiences.
  • Learning and professional development —  takes initiative to advance own skills and identify and manage development opportunities in area of responsibility.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — proactively contributes to the implementation of appropriate working practices and culture.

Level 6 - Initiate, influence

  • Demonstrates leadership in organisational management.
  • Understands and communicates industry developments, and the role and impact of technology.
  • Manages and mitigates organisational risk.
  • Balances the requirements of proposals with the broader needs of the organisation.
  • Promotes a learning and growth culture in their area of accountability.
  • Leads on compliance with relevant legislation and the need for services, products and working practices to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities.
  • Identifies and endorses opportunities to adopt new technologies and digital services.
  • Creatively applies a wide range of innovative and/or management principles to realise business benefits aligned to the organisational strategy.
  • Communicates authoritatively at all levels across the organisation to both technical and non-technical audiences articulating business objectives.
  • Learning and professional development —  takes the initiative to advance own skills and leads the development of skills required in their area of accountability.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — takes a leading role in promoting and ensuring appropriate working practices and culture throughout own area of accountability and collectively in the organisation.

Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise

  • Has a full range of strategic management and leadership skills.
  • Communicates the potential impact of emerging practices and technologies on organisations and individuals and assesses the risks of using or not using such practices and technologies.
  • Establishes governance to address business risk.
  • Ensures proposals align with the strategic direction of the organisation.
  • Fosters a learning and growth culture across the organisation.
  • Assess the impact of legislation and actively promotes compliance and inclusivity.
  • Advances the knowledge and/or exploitation of technology within one or more organisations.
  • Champions creativity and innovation in driving strategy development to enable business opportunities.
  • Communicates persuasively and convincingly across own organisation, industry and government to audiences at all levels.
  • Learning and professional development —  ensures that the organisation develops and mobilises the full range of required skills and capabilities.
  • Security, privacy and ethics — provides clear direction and strategic leadership for the implementation of working practices and culture throughout the organisation.