May 2024 - SFIA 9 consultation update

Estimated reading time - 3 min.

Contents

• New search box on the the A-Z page
• SFIA - a framework for cloud-computing skills 
• Testing skills for SFIA 9
• Marketing skills for SFIA 9
• A reminder of the dates for SFIA 9 beta publication

New search box on the the A-Z page

The A-Z list is very popular, with only the home page receiving more visitors. However, with numerous skills (and more to be added with SFIA  9), scrolling down to find your desired skill can be time-consuming, especially if you are unsure of the skill name.

To address this, we have added a search box that allows you to search for a skill title, skill code, or any keyword. This keyword search will typically return several suggestions for you to select from.

• SFIA 8 A-Z skills search and filter
• SFIA 9 beta A-Z skills search and filter

SFIA - a framework for cloud-computing skills 

In March, we published a web page dedicated to the Cloud-related skills in SFIA, titled "SFIA - A Framework for Cloud-Computing Skills."

As part of the SFIA 9 consultation, we have been reviewing the SFIA skills applicable to cloud computing. For the SFIA 9 beta, we have:

Updated the following skills:

• IT infrastructure
• System software
• Network support
• Network design
• Database administration
• Software configuration
• Storage management
• Systems design
• Hardware design
• Software design
• Systems integration and build
• Continuity management
• Capacity management

Introduced prototypes for finance-related skills to support FinOps and various working practices such as service design:

• Financial analysis
• Cost management
• Budgeting and forecasting

Proposed splitting the SFIA skill Release and deployment into 2 SFIA 9 skills

• Release management
• Deployment

Testing skills for SFIA 9

There is widespread coverage of testing skills and responsibilities in SFIA. In addition to Testing (TEST), there are other specialist skills, e.g. Penetration testing (PENT) and also more than 30 SFIA skills that include testing tasks and responsibilities.

We have been reviewing the core testing skills for SFIA 9 in order to ensure the SFIA framework aligns with contemporary working practices, roles, career paths, and soft skills required for the testing profession. Please get in touch if you can contribute to this review.

Marketing skills for SFIA  9

There has been a SFIA skill for Marketing since the earliest days of SFIA. We have some interest in expanding the coverage of SFIA to include a range of skills associated with the marketing profession.  Please get in touch if you can contribute to this review.

SFIA 9 change log

• the change log is a key part of the beta release
• this summarises the latest view of what will be in SFIA 9
• please browse the log and bookmark the page for future reference

A reminder of the dates for SFIA 9 beta publication

• we are aiming to publish the beta version of SFIA 9 for review in week commencing July 1st
• this provides an early version of SFIA 9 that contains most of the major features, but is not yet complete or fully reviewed
• we are making this publicly available to SFIA users for testing and feedback
• the beta will be focused on the content of the framework - published on the website
• at this stage the supporting documentation will be basic in nature - just enough to help testing and feedback
• the beta will be published in the English language only

What to look out for in the beta release

• making the levels of responsibility, behaviours and workplace skills in SFIA easy to consume with improved readability
• updating of SFIA skills (new or revised) to reflect industry developments, contemporary working practices and feedback on SFIA 8
• restructuring some SFIA skills to provide greater flexibility in their use e.g. for skills assessments, mapping skills to roles/jobs
  • e.g. Information management, Financial management, Testing, Release and deployment, Security operations
• expansion of SFIA in related digital disciplines
• more support for entry level employees
• positioning SFIA 9 for artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI /ML)
  • recognising that the industry is in an intermediate position - we won't be predicting the future but we begin to identify
    • the SFIA skills needed for developing and operating systems that use AI/ML 
    • how generative AI can augment human performance of SFIA skills
• Evolution not revolution – SFIA has a long heritage of use and a very large world-wide base of day to day users (more than  50,000 users visit the website each month). We always aim to make the new versions of SFIA recognisable and easy to use. 

Webinars for SFIA 9 beta publication

• we are planning a number of webinars to support publication 
• we will provide a summary of what’s in the beta and how you can use it, help test it and provide feedback

Completing the beta publication

• this part of the project is very busy
• effort over the coming weeks will focus on...
  • completing tasks where we know what we need to do
  • making decisions where we have a number of options
• at this stage of the project we have a number of volunteers and interested parties reviewing, providing input and finalising content
• for some skills and themes, we come across a number of competing options in how the SFIA framework can model the skills required
  • our aim is for a flexible design which doesn’t favour a particular methodology but enables most organisations and industry professionals to make use of the framework

Peter Leather

SFIA Updates Manager & SFIA 9 Project Manager