Collaboration COLL
Working effectively with others, sharing resources and coordinating efforts to achieve shared objectives.
SFIA 9 is in development
- SFIA 9 planned for publication October 2024
- This is subject to change before publication.
Guidance notes
Collaboration in SFIA represents a progression from basic team interaction to strategic partnerships and stakeholder management. It involves:
- working cooperatively within immediate teams
- sharing information and resources effectively
- coordinating efforts to achieve common goals
- facilitating cross-functional teamwork
- building influential relationships across the organisation
- establishing and managing strategic partnerships.
Effective collaboration encompasses communication, perspective-taking, and the ability to align diverse viewpoints towards common objectives. It also involves creating an environment that encourages knowledge sharing and collective problem-solving.
As professionals advance, their collaborative skills evolve from supporting team goals to shaping organisational culture, driving innovation, and enhancing the organisation's ability to navigate complex challenges. At higher levels, collaboration extends to influencing industry-wide cooperation and partnerships.
Level 1 - Follow
- Works mostly on their own tasks and interacts with their immediate team only. Develops an understanding of how their work supports others.
Level 2 - Assist
- Understands the need to collaborate with their team and considers user/customer needs.
Level 3 - Apply
- Understands and collaborates on the analysis of user/customer needs and represents this in their work.
Level 4 - Enable
- Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who share common objectives.
- Engages with and contributes to the work of cross-functional teams to ensure that user/customer needs are being met throughout the deliverable/scope of work.
Level 5 - Ensure, advise
- Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives.
- Ensures collaborative ways of working throughout all stages of work to meet user/customer needs.
- Builds effective relationships across the organisation and with customers, suppliers and partners.
Level 6 - Initiate, influence
- Leads collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders across competing objectives within the organisation.
- Builds strong, influential connections with key internal and external contacts at senior management/technical leader level
Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise
- Drives collaboration, engaging with leadership stakeholders ensuring alignment to corporate vision and strategy.
- Builds strong, influential relationships with customers, partners and industry leaders.