Skills directory A–Z

Search for or browse the skills in SFIA 8.

The new version of SFIA is now live. View the SFIA 9 A to Z skills list here.

Title	Skill code	Description
Acceptance testing	BPTS	Validating systems, products, business processes or services to determine whether the acceptance criteria have been satisfied.
Animation development	ADEV	Designing and developing animated and interactive systems such as games and simulations.
Application support	ASUP	Delivering management, technical and administrative services to support and maintain live applications.
Asset management	ASMG	Managing the full life cycle of assets from acquisition, operation, maintenance to disposal.
Audit	AUDT	Delivering independent, risk-based assessments of the effectiveness of processes, the controls, and the compliance environment of an organisation.
Availability management	AVMT	Ensuring that services deliver agreed levels of availability to meet the current and future needs of the business.
Benefits management	BENM	Forecasting, planning and monitoring the emergence and effective realisation of anticipated benefits from projects and programmes.
Business administration	ADMN	Managing and performing administrative services and tasks to enable individuals, teams and organisations to succeed in their objectives.
Business intelligence	BINT	Developing, producing and delivering regular and one-off management information to provide insights and aid decision-making.
Business modelling	BSMO	Producing abstract or distilled representations of real-world, business or gaming situations.
Business process improvement	BPRE	Creating new and potentially disruptive approaches to performing business activities.
Business situation analysis	BUSA	Investigating business situations to define recommendations for improvement action.
Capacity management	CPMG	Ensuring that service components have the capacity and performance to meet current and planned business needs.
Certification scheme operation	CSOP	Designing, developing and operating certification schemes, accreditations and credentials, including digital credentials or badges.
Change control	CHMG	Assessing risks associated with proposed changes and ensuring changes to products, services or systems are controlled and coordinated.
Competency assessment	LEDA	Assessing knowledge, skills, competency and behaviours by any means, whether formal or informal, against frameworks such as SFIA.
Configuration management	CFMG	Planning, identifying, controlling, accounting for and auditing of configuration items (CIs) and their interrelationships.
Consultancy	CNSL	Providing advice and recommendations, based on expertise and experience, to address client needs.
Content authoring	INCA	Planning, designing and creating textual information, supported where necessary by graphical content.
Content publishing	ICPM	Managing and continually improving the processes that collect, assemble and publish content.
Continuity management	COPL	Developing, implementing and testing a business continuity framework.
Contract management	ITCM	Managing and controlling the operation of formal contracts for the supply of products and services.
Customer service support	CSMG	Managing and operating customer service or service desk functions.
Data engineering	DENG	Designing, building, operationalising, securing and monitoring data pipelines and data stores.
Data management	DATM	Developing and implementing plans, policies, and practices that control, protect and optimise the value of data assets.
Data modelling and design	DTAN	Developing models and diagrams to represent and communicate data requirements and data assets.
Data science	DATS	Applying mathematics, statistics, data mining and predictive modelling techniques to gain insights, predict behaviours and generate value from data.
Data visualisation	VISL	Facilitating understanding of data by displaying concepts, ideas, and facts using graphical representations.
Database administration	DBAD	Installing, configuring, monitoring, maintaining and improving the performance of databases and data stores.
Database design	DBDS	Specifying, designing and maintaining mechanisms for storing and accessing data.
Demand management	DEMM	Analysing and proactively managing business demand for new services or modifications to existing service features or volumes.
Digital forensics	DGFS	Recovering and investigating material found in digital devices.
Emerging technology monitoring	EMRG	Identifying and assessing new and emerging technologies, products, services, methods and techniques.
Employee experience	EEXP	Enhancing employee engagement and ways of working, empowering employees and supporting their health and wellbeing.
Enterprise and business architecture	STPL	Aligning an organisation's technology strategy with its business mission, strategy, and processes and documenting this using architectural models.
Facilities management	DCMA	Planning, designing and managing the buildings, space and facilities which, collectively, make up the IT estate.
Feasibility assessment	FEAS	Defining, evaluating and describing business change options for financial, technical and business feasibility, and strategic alignment.
Financial management	FMIT	Supporting the effective use and control of financial resources.
Governance	GOVN	Defining and operating a framework for making decisions, managing stakeholder relationships, and identifying legitimate authority.
Hardware design	HWDE	Specifying a hardware design model for a defined system architecture.
High-performance computing	HPCC	Using advanced computer systems and special programming techniques to solve complex computational problems.
Incident management	USUP	Coordinating responses to incident reports, minimising negative impacts and restoring service as quickly as possible.
Information assurance	INAS	Protecting against and managing risks related to the use, storage and transmission of data and information systems.
Information management	IRMG	Planning, implementing and controlling the full life cycle management of digitally organised information and records.
Information security	SCTY	Defining and operating a framework of security controls and security management strategies.
Information systems coordination	ISCO	Coordinating information and technology strategies where the adoption of a common approach would benefit the organisation.
Innovation	INOV	Identifying, prioritising, incubating and exploiting opportunities provided by information, communication and digital technologies.
Investment appraisal	INVA	Assessing the attractiveness of possible investments or projects.
IT infrastructure	ITOP	Deploying, configuring and operating IT Infrastructure.
Knowledge management	KNOW	Managing vital knowledge to create value for the organisation.
Learning and development management	ETMG	Delivering management, advisory and administrative services to support the development of knowledge, skills and competencies.
Learning delivery	ETDL	Transferring knowledge, developing skills and changing behaviours using a range of techniques, resources and media.
Learning design and development	TMCR	Designing and developing resources to transfer knowledge, develop skills and change behaviours.
Machine learning	MLNG	Developing systems that learn through experience and by the use of data.
Marketing	MKTG	Researching, analysing and stimulating potential or existing markets for products and services.
Measurement	MEAS	Developing and operating a measurement capability to support agreed organisational information needs.
Methods and tools	METL	Ensuring methods and tools are adopted and used effectively throughout the organisation.
Network design	NTDS	Designing communication networks to support strategic and operational requirements and producing network strategies, architectures, policies and related documentation.
Network support	NTAS	Providing maintenance and support services for communications networks.
Numerical analysis	NUAN	Creating, analysing, implementing, testing and improving algorithms for numerically solving mathematical problems.
Organisation design and implementation	ORDI	Planning, designing and implementing an integrated organisation structure and culture.
Organisational capability development	OCDV	Providing leadership, advice and implementation support to assess organisational capabilities and to identify, prioritise and implement improvements.
Organisational change management	CIPM	Planning, designing and implementing activities to transition the organisation and people to the required future state.
Organisational facilitation	OFCL	Supporting workgroups to implement principles and practices for effective teamwork across organisational boundaries and professional specialisms.
Penetration testing	PENT	Testing the effectiveness of security controls by emulating the tools and techniques of likely attackers.
Performance management	PEMT	Improving organisational performance by developing the performance of individuals and workgroups to meet agreed objectives with measurable results.
Personal data protection	PEDP	Implementing and operating a framework of controls and management strategies to promote compliance with personal data legislation.
Portfolio management	POMG	Developing and applying a management framework to define and deliver a portfolio of programmes, projects and/or ongoing services.
Portfolio, programme and project support	PROF	Providing support and guidance on portfolio, programme and project management processes, procedures, tools and techniques.
Problem management	PBMG	Managing the life cycle of all problems that have occurred or could occur in delivering a service.
Product management	PROD	Managing and developing products or services through their full life cycle from inception, growth, maturity, decline to retirement.
Professional development	PDSV	Facilitating the professional development of individuals in line with their career goals and organisational requirements.
Programme management	PGMG	Identifying, planning and coordinating a set of related projects and activities in support of specific business strategies and objectives.
Programming/software development	PROG	Developing software components to deliver value to stakeholders.
Project management	PRMG	Delivering agreed outcomes from projects using appropriate management techniques, collaboration, leadership and governance.
Quality assurance	QUAS	Assuring, through ongoing and periodic assessments and reviews, that the organisation’s quality objectives are being met.
Quality management	QUMG	Defining and operating a management framework of processes and working practices to deliver the organisation's quality objectives.
Radio frequency engineering	RFEN	Designing, installing and maintaining radio frequency based devices and software.
Real-time/embedded systems development	RESD	Designing and developing reliable real-time software typically within embedded systems.
Release and deployment	RELM	Applying the processes, systems and functions required to make new and changed services and features available for use.
Requirements definition and management	REQM	Managing requirements through the entire delivery and operational life cycle.
Research	RSCH	Systematically creating new knowledge by data gathering, innovation, experimentation, evaluation and dissemination.
Resourcing	RESC	Acquiring, deploying and onboarding resources.
Risk management	BURM	Planning and implementing organisation-wide processes and procedures for the management of risk to the success or integrity of the enterprise.
Safety assessment	SFAS	Assessing safety-related software and hardware systems to determine compliance with standards and required levels of safety integrity.
Safety engineering	SFEN	Applying appropriate methods to assure safety during all life cycle phases of safety-related systems developments.
Sales support	SSUP	Providing advice and support to the sales force, customers and sales partners.
Scientific modelling	SCMO	Applying computer simulation and other forms of computation to solve real-world problems in scientific disciplines.
Security operations	SCAD	Delivering management, technical and administrative services to implement security controls and security management strategies.
Selling	SALE	Finding prospective customers and working with them to identify needs, influence purchase decisions and enhance future business opportunities.
Service acceptance	SEAC	Managing the process to obtain formal confirmation that service acceptance criteria have been met.
Service catalogue management	SCMG	Providing a source of consistent information about available services and products to customers and users.
Service level management	SLMO	Agreeing targets for service levels and assessing, monitoring, and managing the delivery of services against the targets.
Software configuration	PORT	Designing and deploying software product configurations into software environments or platforms.
Software design	SWDN	Specifying and designing software to meet defined requirements by following agreed design standards and principles.
Solution architecture	ARCH	Developing and communicating a multi-dimensional solution architecture to deliver agreed business outcomes.
Sourcing	SORC	Managing, or providing advice on, the procurement or commissioning of products and services.
Specialist advice	TECH	Providing authoritative advice and direction in a specialist area.
Stakeholder relationship management	RLMT	Influencing stakeholder attitudes, decisions, and actions for mutual benefit.
Storage management	STMG	Planning, implementing and optimising the technologies and processes used for data storage.
Strategic planning	ITSP	Creating and maintaining a strategy to align organisational actions, plans and resources with business objectives.
Subject formation	SUBF	Specifying, designing and developing curricula within a structured and systematic education environment.
Supplier management	SUPP	Aligning the organisation’s supplier performance objectives and activities with sourcing strategies and plans, balancing costs, efficiencies and service quality.
Sustainability	SUST	Providing advice, assistance and leadership to enable the organisation to minimise negative environmental impact.
System software	SYSP	Installing, managing, controlling, deploying and maintaining infrastructure systems software, to meet operational needs and service levels.
Systems and software life cycle engineering	SLEN	Establishing and deploying an environment for developing, continually improving, and securely operating software and systems products and services.
Systems design	DESN	Designing systems to meet specified requirements and agreed systems architectures.
Systems development management	DLMG	Planning, estimating and executing systems development work to time, budget and quality targets.
Systems installation and removal	HSIN	Installing and testing, or decommissioning and removing, systems or system components.
Systems integration and build	SINT	Planning, implementing and controlling activities to synthesise system components to create operational systems, products or services.
Teaching	TEAC	Delivering and assessing curricula in a structured and systematic education environment.
Technology service management	ITMG	Managing the provision of technology-based services to meet defined organisational needs.
Testing	TEST	Investigating products, systems and services to assess behaviour and whether this meets specified or unspecified requirements and characteristics.
Threat intelligence	THIN	Developing and sharing actionable insights on current and potential security threats to the success or integrity of an organisation.
User experience analysis	UNAN	Understanding the context of use for systems, products and services and specifying user experience requirements and design goals.
User experience design	HCEV	Producing design concepts and prototypes for user interactions with and experiences of a product, system or service.
User experience evaluation	USEV	Validating systems, products or services against user experience goals, metrics and targets.
User research	URCH	Identifying users' behaviours, needs and motivations using observational research methods.
Vulnerability assessment	VUAS	Identifying and classifying security vulnerabilities in networks, systems and applications and mitigating or eliminating their impact.
Vulnerability research	VURE	Conducting applied research to discover, evaluate and mitigate new or unknown security vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
Workforce planning	WFPL	Estimating the demand for people and skills and planning the supply needed to meet that demand.