About SFIA 9

SFIA 9 was released in October 2024. In New Zealand and Australia, SFIA 9 was launched with a regional event organised by members of the SFIA Design Authority and SFIA Council. Recordings of the launch event and many of the "SFIA week" events can be found through the links on the SFIA Foundation website:

• Australia and New Zealand Launch Event Programme
• Australia and New Zealand SFIA Week - All Events
• Australia and New Zealand SFIA 9 Launch - Speaker Profiles
• Australia and New Zealand SFIA 9 Launch - Sponsors
• Global SFIA 9 Launch

SFIA 9 represents another significant, but incremental, update to SFIA. SFIA 9 now contains 147 skills (up from 121 in SFIA 8), and 672 unique skill-level descriptions (up from 495 in SFIA 8).

SFIA 9 expands on the behavioural factors highlighted in SFIA 8 and updates the generic attributes behind the levels of responsibility from the 5 core attributes, into:

• Attributes (the Autonomy, Influence, Complexity generic attributes)
• Knowledge (the Knowledge generic attribute)
• Business Skills / Behavioural Factors (12 new attributes that can collective be thought of as the "business skills" or "behavioural factors" - some may refer to these as "soft skills")

SFIA 9 also expands the depth of SFIA content available in several domains, and in keeping with previous versions the skills for cybersecurity have been enhanced again. These changes come from a combination of user change-requests, and also from deeper collaboration with global and various national industry bodies.

Alongside SFIA 9 the SFIA Foundation continues to release additional support materials, including new and updated SFIA views, mapping to other industry frameworks, and usage guidance.

Highlights

Themes

Entry Level Skills

SFIA 9 skills a large increase in the number of skills available at entry levels. 99 of the 147 skills are now described at SFIA Level 2 or SFIA Level 1.

Artificial Intelligence

In addition to the new skill Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Ethics (AIDE), updates were made to Machine Learning (MLNG), and a broader consideration of how to include AI and stay up-to-date with AI related skills forms part of the SFIA Foundation's outlook. The skills for developing and training AI systems exist with SFIA and can be used in that context, however a number of requests for user-level AI skills were made during consultation. It should be noted SFIA is a framework for professional skills - whilst this will have some overlap with user skills, skills for users of AI are not part of the framework.

Cloud Computing

Many of the operational and design skills have been updated to reflect the pervasive use of cloud, but without precluding them from being used for on-premises and other non-cloud environments.

Cybersecurity

The domain continues to see updates, with strong input from industry/professional bodies collaborating with the SFIA Foundation. New skills have been added including Identity and Access Management (IAMT), Cybercrime Investigation (CRIM), and Offensive Cyber Operations (OCOP), and of course existing skills such as Security Operations (SCAD) have been refreshed.

Data and Analytic

This domain continues to see updates to reflect the types of skills used. In addition to the new Data Analytics (DAAN) skill several of the existing skills received updates, including some key update to Data Management (DATM) and Data Science (DATS).

Financial and Value Management

A significant expansion in this area with new skills added for Cost Management (COMG), Budgeting and Forecasting (BUDF) and Financial Analysis (FIAN), with Financial Management (FMIT) being updated to create space for these new skills.

Procurement

Skills in the procurement domain have refreshed for SFIA 9 and a new skill Bid/Proposal Management (BIDM) introduced.

Marketing

The single marketing skill in SFIA has been expanded into several new skills with the old skill remaining as Marketing Management (MKTG). Some of the marketing components of skills like Product Management (PROD) will now be found in this subcategory.

Testing

The single Testing (TEST) skill that has existed in SFIA for a long time has been split into Functional Testing (TEST), Non-Functional Testing (NFTS), and Process Testing (PRTS).

Information and Records Management

Records management activity has been split out of Information Management (IRMG) into a new skill Records Management (RMGT) with a new Analytical Classification and Coding (ANCC) being added. In addition the personal data protection skill which was introduced in SFIA 8 has been updated to a broader skill Information and Data Compliance (PEDP).

Skill Changes

• 26 new skills
• no skills retired
• 10 skills renamed
• 5 skills restructured or split
• 60 skill levels added across 53 skills
  • 52 skills have at least 1 new lower level description
  • 3 skills have 1 new higher level description
• 3 skill levels removed (all of which are moved to a new skill)

SFIA Structure

Some minor changes to the default "framework view" (the traditional category / subcategory structure) were made for SFIA 9 including reorganising some of the skills.

List of skill changes

The expandable sections below list the major changes to the SFIA skills. Many smaller changes and clarifications across the framework have been applied but are not listed here unless they are of substance or particular note.

Documentation updates

Documentation

Official SFIA 9 Documentations from the SFIA Foundation is available for download for registered users on their website. We strongly encourage all users of SFIA to register on the SFIA Foundation website to access resources and stay up-to-date with SFIA.

Summary Chart (PDF)

The A3 summary chart has been updated. With 147 skills and expanding content for the Levels of Responsibility this is no longer an A3 chart, although it can be printed on A3. With the arrival of new Essence of the Level statements in SFIA 9 each of the 7 levels is handily summarised along with the table of skills one a single page.

Reference Guide (PDF)

This is the 'SFIA Standard'. The document contains full descriptions of the SFIA skills and the SFIA levels of responsibilities including the generic attributes that define SFIA levels.

The reference guide has been refreshed and retains the style adopted in SFIA 8 of a single skill per page spread. 

About SFIA (PDF)

This guide provides the overview of the SFIA Skills and Competency Framework and how it can be used.

Other Materials

Registered users can also download the SFIA skills and generic attributes in Excel format which can be useful for those looking to include SFIA content in their tool or product (including internal tools).

The SFIA Foundation continues to publish an increasing range of user guides, mappings, and other materials, not tied to a specific version of SFIA.

Other Updates

Readability Improvements

Readability improvements

The structure of SFIA skills has update to provide a short description and then more substantive guidance notes.

Throughout the skill descriptions and levels of responsibility sentence structures have been shortened and re-ordered to enhance readability, and where possible to ensure the most essential aspects are described first.

ISO/IEC Standards and Assessments

Although not new for SFIA 9, SFIA explicitly recognises the difference between acquiring knowledge, applying knowledge with skill, and demonstrating competency in real-world scenarios. SFIA has long been used in this way without clear guidance (largely relying on the quality of the assessor's process, or the certification body in the case of schemes like Chartered IT Professional), but we now have specific guidance that can be applied to the assessment of knowledge, skill, and competency. This guidance is in line with international standards relating the certification of professionals and operating certification schemes (ISO/IEC 24773-1:2019 and ISO/IEC 17024:2012).

Guidance on conducting SFIA assessments from the SFIA Foundation has been updated in line with this, and an accredited assessment scheme has now been established with a handful of approved assessment partners operating around the world, including Digital Skills Agency based in New Zealand.