The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Skills

Description of all SFIA 6 skills

Performance management

The optimisation of performance of people, including determination of capabilities, integration into teams, allocation of tasks, direction, support, guidance, motivation, and management of performance.

Resourcing

The overall resource management of the workforce to enable effective operation of the organisation. Provision of advice on any aspect of acquiring resources, including employees, consultants and contractors.

Professional development

The facilitation of the professional development of individuals, including initiation, monitoring, review and validation of learning and development plans in line with organisational or business requirements. The counselling of participants in all relevant aspects of their continual professional development. The identification of appropriate learning/development resources. Liaison with internal and external training providers. The evaluation of the benefits of continual professional development activities."

Quality management

The application of techniques for monitoring and improvement of quality to any aspect of a function or process. The achievement of, and maintenance of compliance to, national and international standards, as appropriate, and to internal policies, including those relating to sustainability and security.

Quality assurance

The process of ensuring that the agreed quality standards within an organisation are adhered to and that best practice is promulgated throughout the organisation.

Conformance review

The independent assessment of the conformity of any activity, process, deliverable, product or service to the criteria of specified standards, best practice, or other documented requirements. May relate to, for example, asset management, network security tools, firewalls and internet security, sustainability, real-time systems, application design and specific certifications.

Safety assessment

The assessment of safety-related software systems to determine compliance with standards and required levels of safety integrity. This involves making professional judgements on software engineering approaches, including the suitability of design, testing, and validation and verification methods, as well as the identification and evaluation of risks and the means by which they can be reduced. The establishment, maintenance and management of an assessment framework and practices.

Digital forensics

The collection, processing, preserving, analysing, and presenting of computer-related evidence in support of security vulnerability mitigation and/or criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or law enforcement investigations.

Sourcing

The provision of policy, internal standards and advice on the procurement or commissioning of externally supplied and internally developed products and services. The provision of commercial governance, conformance to legislation and assurance of information security. The implementation of compliant procurement processes, taking full account of the issues and imperatives of both the commissioning and supplier sides. The identification and management of suppliers to ensure successful delivery of products and services required by the business.

Relationship management

The identification, analysis, management and monitoring of relationships with and between stakeholders. (Stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organisations who may affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by decisions, activities and outcomes related to products, services or changes to products and services). The clarification of mutual needs and commitments through consultation and consideration of impacts. For example, the coordination of all promotional activities to one or more clients to achieve satisfaction for the client and an acceptable return for the supplier; assistance to the client to ensure that maximum benefit is gained from products and services supplied.

Customer service support

The management and operation of one or more customer service or service desk functions. Acting as a point of contact to support service users and customers reporting issues, requesting information, access, or other services.

Digital marketing

Integration of digital marketing with traditional print/broadcast methods, to support the research, analysis and stimulation of potential or existing markets for products and services, both to provide a sound basis for business development and to generate a satisfactory flow of sales enquiries. The management and development of strategies, campaigns and day-to-day marketing activity delivered through web and other appropriate digital channels and technologies.

Selling

The identification of sales prospects and their qualification, the development of customer interest and the preparation (including managing the bid process), execution and monitoring of the sale of any product or service into an external or internal market.

Sales support

The provision of technical advice and assistance to the sales force, sales agents, reseller/distributor staff and existing or prospective customers, either in support of customer development or sales activity or in fulfilment of sales obligations.

Product management

The active management of a product or service throughout its lifecycle (inception through to retirement) in order to address a market opportunity /customer need and generate the greatest possible value for the business.