Ways to use SFIA

SFIA and skills management

SFIA provides a resource to support skills and competencies management. Adopting SFIA provides clarity in identifying and deploying the required skills within an organisation and throughout the supply chain.

SFIA provides a common language throughout the skills management cycle. This improves communication and understanding for all involved e.g. line management, HR and employees. By using SFIA, organisations can achieve a consistent and integrated skills and people management system.

Complete resource strategy and skills management

SFIA is used for measuring current capability and identifying requirements, including planning for future demand, using the same capability criteria used throughout the skills management processes.

Organisations achieve consistency in sourcing and deployment, through the use of easy to understand definitions of skills and levels. This reduces risks and potential costs from incorrect placement of personnel.

Using the same language for understanding the capability of the workforce and for professional development planning provides a structure and focus for skills development.

Using the same language and a structure for their development, consistency can be achieved in sourcing and job assignment, professional development planning and understanding the capability of the workforce.

This cycle view does not imply a starting point for the use of SFIA. The initial use of SFIA may be to address a specific issue or opportunity, e.g. employee satisfaction or skills development. The issue may affect only one team or project or maybe part of something broader like a new operating model for an entire technology function. Regardless of the starting point, the use of SFIA can be extended to other parts of the cycle, as, and when, required.

From an organisational perspective, one logical starting point might be knowing that a new resource needs to be recruited.