Updates to generic attributes

The knowledge statements from the Business skills generic attribute have been moved to a separate, stand-alone knowledge attribute and at the same time enhanced it throughout the 7 levels.

Security has been included into the Business Skills generic attributes to reflect that, while there are specialist security skills, security is a responsibility for all.

Knowledge

What has the project done?

• Consulted with SFIA User organisations and Bodies of Knowledge
• Identified the needs relating to knowledge and the implications for SFIA’s capability model - Knowledge and skills

What’s in SFIA 7?

• SFIA has always recognised the critical importance of knowledge but hasn’t been explicit – enabling knowledge providers to better map their offerings.
• The generic attricutes state more explicitly how the industry can recognise the importance of knowledge and skills and how they are closely related.
• SFIA provides the generic – the Bodies of Knowledge and syllabuses provide the specific.
• This promotes mobility as knowledge is often easier to gain than skills.
• This enables the knowledge providers to use SFIA as a framework for their offerings.
• Moved the knowledge statements out of Business Skills into the stand alone Knowledge.
• Developed a new, enhanced SFIA capability diagram to visualise relationship between knowledge, skills, qualifications and certifications.

What’s the future roadmap?

• Support for detailed decompositions of SFIA skills e.g. discipline specific framework, National occupational standards,
• This approach allows for users to navigate from high level to detailed level - without being lost in detail. It allows the detailed models to have a position and for their expertise to find a home on the overall architecture and taxonomy of Digital, IT, Technology competencies
• The SFIA Foundation encourages this for the benefit of the global industry as a whole.
• Owners of bodies of knowledge who wish to collaborate on this work should contact the SFIA Foundation.

Cybersecurity

What has the project done?

• Discussion with a number of the global Cybersecurity related professional bodies, large employers and bodies of knowledge.
• Reviewed all the cybersecurity related change requests received via the public consultation.

What’s in SFIA 7?

• Generic responsibilities for security have been added to Business skills at all levels 1 to 7.
• Confirmation of the positioning that SFIA is an ‘umbrella’ framework for detailed descriptions of cybersecurity skills and tasks.
• Updates to Digital forensics (DGFS), Penetration testing (PENT).

What’s the future roadmap?

• Links to Cybersecurity bodies of knowledge.
• Owners of bodies of knowledge who wish to collaborate on this work should contact the SFIA Foundation.