Identifying Individual Competencies

 

The skills framework for the information age sfia EU provides a resource to support skills and competencies management. When adopted, SFIA gives clarity in identifying and deploying the required skills inside an organization.

 

It provides a common language throughout the skills management cycle. With it, communications and understanding for all involved (line management, HR and employees) is improved.

 

With SFIA, organizations can achieve a consistent and integrated skills and people management system.

 

Resource strategy / skills management

 

SFIA is used in measuring the current capability and can identify requirements. This includes the planning for future demand using the same criteria in the skills management processes.

 

With the use of easy-to-understand definition of skills and levels, the organization can achieve consistency in sourcing and deployment. The exercise reduces risks and potential costs from incorrect placement of personnel.

 

With the use of the same language in understanding the capability of the workforce, the provision for a structure and focus for skills development is achieved.

 

Consistency is also achieved in sourcing and job assignment, professional development planning and the capability of the workforce with the use of the same language.

 

SFIA use

 

The initial use of SFIA is to address specific issue or opportunity (employee satisfaction or skills development). This 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 organizational perspective, one logical starting point might know that a new resource needs to be recruited.

 

Designing and planning

 

The skills framework for the information age sfia EU can be used to design and validate proposed organizational designs and target operating models. The use of SFIA provides quick cross-check and effective bottom-up review of the scope of the positions in the organization design.

 

The levels of responsibility of the skills framework for the information age sfia EU help optimize spans of control and the number of organizational levels. A significant enabler of organizational agility is the generic, SFIA- based, profiles.

 

Change

 

They allow operating models and organization designs to flex and change without needing to be re-written. The framework, however, does not assume specific operating models or organization structures.

 

It is equally effective in enabling agile, collaborative, working practices as it is for functional, hierarchical or process-driven models.

 

Job descriptions / role profiles

 

The most common use of SFIA in organizations includes SFIA-based role profiles, job descriptions and skills profiles. As it is, context is crucial to understand the organization’s needs.

 

This is in contrast to rather simply use the skills in an isolated manner to form a single job description or role profile. The specific mix will be different from one organization to another.

 

Job descriptions / role profiles

 

Their uses include supporting the complete skills management cycle, provide clarity to enable productivity and performance, and reduce business risk by increasing the chances of recruiting individuals with the required skills at the right level.

 

This is positive for both the organization and the individual and reduces the costs especially if the individual does not have the right set of skills to do the job effectively.