Ensys Consulting

Innovative technology for innovative businesses

SFIA FAQ's

1. What is SFIA?
2. Which skills are assessed by SFIA?
3. Where did SFIA originate?
4. How can the results of assessment be used?
5. Is SFIA relevant to my industry?
6. What version is currently in use?
7. Is there a simple way to implement SFIA?
8. How is SFIA distributed?
9. Where can I discuss SFIA?

 

1. What is SFIA?

It is a practical, framework to describe and measure the ICT staff skills. It is methodology which is now a global standard for assessing IT skills and is written in easy to understand language.

SFIA is logical two-dimensional framework, consisting of 90 skills over seven levels of responsibility

 

2. Which skills are assessed by SFIA?

SFIA focuses on a comprehensive range of ICT professional skills.

The skills are aligned with varying levels of responsibility, starting from the lowest (1 – "Follow") level which requires minimum responsibility and independency to the highest (7 – "Set strategy, inspire, mobilise"), which is appropriate for senior managerial positions.

Each skill at each level has a detailed description in easy-to-understand language.

 

3. Where did SFIA originate?

SFIA was developed in London over 10 years ago. More than 80 Government and business organizations took part in developing this framework. Nowadays it has been translated into Spanish, Japanese and some other languages and has over 17,000 subscribers from more than 90 countries including the USA and Europe, India, Japan and more.

SFIA is being increasingly adopted in Australia and is already being used by many organizations including the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments, Westpac and Queensland Rail.

 

4. How can the results of assessment be used?

From the organization point of view, information derived from SIFA can be used to:

• Allocate the right person to the right position according to his/her skills;
• Plan recruitment, training and succession strategies;
• Reduce the costs of personnel training;
• Create clear and consistent job titles and descriptions;
• Improve the consistency of roles and remuneration across the organisation;
• Decrease staff turnover;
• Enhance professionalism and efficiency of the IT function.

 

5. Is it relevant to my industry?

One of the core benefits of SFIA is that it can be used in any industry where there is an ICT employee. SFIA is flexible and adaptable to the needs of all organisations.

 

6. What version is currently in use?

SFIA is constantly being reviewed and updated, to meet changes in the ICT industry. Version 4G was released in 2010 including four new skills focussed on the development and delivery of sustainable IT solutions.

The simple interface allows key attachments to be uploaded to provide evidence, for example certificates. The program also automatically alerts the manager that a recent assessment is being completed and waiting for approval.

 

7. Is there a simple way to implement SFIA?

Ensys Consulting offers a web-based solution to its clients to streamline the implementation of SFIA and its ongoing management within your organisation. This proven technology is currently in use in major corporations around the world and is highly flexible and can be integrated with all the major technologies, including Oracle and SAP. It has a high degree of customisation to meet the varying resource management needs of different organisations.

The solution can be build into your intranet or hosted externally. Specific features and job descriptions are fully customizable. Additionally, the software can be branded in your own company colours and logos.

 

8. How is SFIA distributed?

SFIA is freely available and is owned and distributed through the SFIA Foundation. Ensys Consulting is a SFIA Accredited Partner and SFIA Training partner and provides a range of SFIA services: SFIA consulting: tailored advice to assist with implementation and integration of SFIA in your business;

• SFIA workshops: presentation of the benefits of SFIA and self-assessment of the employees;
• SFIA technology: web-based solution to assess and train professionals;
• SFIA training: a range of training courses including the official Understanding SFIA course which leads to accreditation as a SFIA consultant.

 

9. Where can I discuss SFIA?

We are collaborating with the industry and SFIA users and regularly update our website and our SFIA Australian blog with the latest news and information on SFIA. We also host a SFIA Australia discussion group on LinkedIn.

 

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