The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Learning and development LADV

Continuously acquiring new knowledge and skills to enhance personal and organisational performance.

SFIA 9 is in development

  • SFIA 9 planned for publication October 2024
  • This is subject to change before publication.

Guidance notes

Learning and professional development in SFIA represents a progression from personal skill enhancement to shaping organisational learning culture. It involves:

  • acquiring and applying new knowledge
  • identifying and addressing skill gaps
  • sharing learnings with colleagues
  • driving personal and team development
  • promoting knowledge application for strategic goals
  • inspiring a learning culture aligned with business objectives.

Effective learning and professional development encompass formal education, experiential learning, self-directed study and the ability to critically assess and apply new information. It also involves maintaining awareness of emerging practices and industry trends, and aligning learning initiatives with strategic business objectives.

As professionals advance, their approach to learning and development evolves from focusing on personal skill enhancement to driving team and organisational development. Over time, they move from applying new knowledge to leading efforts that shape a culture of learning, aligning development initiatives with strategic goals. At senior levels, professionals not only inspire a learning culture but also ensure that the organisation has the necessary skills and capabilities to navigate industry changes and take advantage of opportunities.

Level 1 - Follow

  • Applies newly acquired knowledge to develop  skills for their role. Contributes to identifying own development opportunities. 

Level 2 - Assist

  • Absorbs and applies new information to tasks.
  • Recognises personal skills and knowledge gaps and seeks learning opportunities to address them. 

Level 3 - Apply

  • Absorbs and applies new information effectively with the ability to share learnings with colleagues.
  • Takes the initiative in identifying and negotiating their own appropriate development opportunities. 

Level 4 - Enable

  • Rapidly absorbs and critically assesses new information and applies it effectively.
  • Maintains an understanding of emerging practices and their application and takes responsibility for driving own and team members’ development opportunities. 

Level 5 - Ensure, advise

  • Uses their skills and knowledge to help establish the standards that others in the organisation will apply.
  • Takes the initiative to develop a wider breadth of knowledge across industry and/or business and identify and manage development opportunities in area of responsibility.

Level 6 - Initiate, influence

  • Promotes the application of knowledge to support strategic imperatives.
  • Actively develops their strategic and technical leadership skills and leads the development of skills in their area of accountability.

Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise

  • Inspires a learning culture to align with business objectives.   
  • Maintains strategic insight into contemporary and emerging industry landscapes. 
  • Ensures the organisation develops and mobilises the full range of required skills and capabilities.