Communication COMM
Exchanging information, ideas, and insights to facilitate understanding and collaboration.
SFIA 9 is in development
- SFIA 9 planned for publication October 2024
- This is subject to change before publication.
Guidance notes
Communication in SFIA represents a progression from basic team interaction to complex, organisation-wide influence and external engagement. It involves:
- exchanging information and ideas clearly
adapting style to diverse audiences
articulating complex concepts
influencing decisions and strategy.
At lower levels, the focus is on clear communication within immediate teams. As responsibility increases, professionals must convey complex information to varied audiences, both technical and non-technical. At the highest levels, communication extends to shaping organisational direction and engaging with industry leaders.
Effective communication encompasses both verbal and written skills, active listening, and the ability to use various communication tools and platforms appropriately.
Level 1 - Follow
- Communicates with immediate team to understand and deliver on their assigned tasks. Observes, listens, and with encouragement, asks questions to seek information or clarify instructions.
Level 2 - Assist
- Communicates familiar information with immediate team and stakeholders directly related to their role.
- Listens to gain understanding and asks relevant questions to clarify or seek further information.
Level 3 - Apply
- Communicates with team and stakeholders inside and outside the organisation clearly explaining and presenting information.
- Contributes to a range of work-related conversations and listens to others to gain an understanding and asks probing questions relevant to their role.
Level 4 - Enable
- Communicates with both technical and non-technical audiences including team and stakeholders inside and outside the organisation.
- As required, takes the lead in explaining complex concepts to support decision making.
- Listens and asks insightful questions to identify different perspectives to clarify and confirm understanding.
Level 5 - Ensure, advise
- Communicates clearly with impact, articulating complex information and ideas to broad audiences with different viewpoints.
- Leads and encourages conversations to share ideas and build consensus on actions to be taken.
Level 6 - Initiate, influence
- Communicates with credibility at all levels across the organisation to broad audiences with divergent objectives.
- Explains complex information and ideas clearly, influencing the strategic direction.
- Promotes information sharing across the organisation.
Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise
- Communicates to audiences at all levels within own organisation and engages with industry.
- Presents compelling arguments and ideas authoritatively and convincingly to achieve business objectives.