SFIA - does anyone use it?

**DaveB** · 16 March 2016, 08:14

Originally posted by cojak View Post

I've got a LI connection to a bigwig in this and I was just wondering if anyone is guided by it when they train or are aware if their clients use it?

I've never bothered with it myself as I think it's a self-important piece of puffery, but I'm curious.

Lots of public sector bodies use it to baseline job descriptions and competencies. It's was part of the Government ICT Capability strategy.

**cojak** · 16 March 2016, 08:21

Right, so HR use it. That figures..

**DaveB** · 16 March 2016, 08:27

I believe anyone bidding for training work in the PS is expected to show how their courses match up with the SFIA categories. Buzzword Bingo as far as I can tell. Like agents filtering for keywords in CV's.

**northernladuk** · 16 March 2016, 10:34

Originally posted by DaveB View Post

Lots of public sector bodies use it to baseline job descriptions and competencies. It's was part of the Government ICT Capability strategy.

I've only ever seen it quoted in role specs a few times in the last year. One was public sector at a DD/Senior Operations level role I think and quoted the SFIA levels required. I've also seen a role requesting certain requirements where there didn't appear to be anything about it being public sector.

You can see how it fits in to organisations that use competency based and other theory type approaches.

I loved all the competency based stuff and frameworks as a permie so I got all the bumpf out and was going to have a good look in to it but I found my CV and a bit of chat could evidence most of it so it's fallen off my radar for now. Obviously not as interested anymore.

No one asks about by Belbin Team Role any more

**DaveB** · 16 March 2016, 10:37

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

I've only ever seen it quoted in role specs a few times in the last year. One was public sector at a DD/Senior Operations level role I think and quoted the SFIA levels required. I've also seen a role requesting certain requirements where there didn't appear to be anything about it being public sector.

You can see how it fits in to organisations that use competency based and other theory type approaches.

I loved all the competency based stuff and frameworks as a permie so I got all the bumpf out and was going to have a good look in to it but I found my CV and a bit of chat could evidence most of it so it's fallen off my radar for now. Obviously not as interested anymore.

No one asks about by Belbin Team Role any more

It's generally used internally to develop training and development plans and identify skills gaps, rather than for advertising vacancies. Client A are currently doing a round of this asking permies to score themselves against the framework competencies for their business areas.

**northernladuk** · 16 March 2016, 10:44

Originally posted by DaveB View Post

It's generally used internally to develop training and development plans and identify skills gaps, rather than for advertising vacancies. Client A are currently doing a round of this asking permies to score themselves against the framework competencies for their business areas.

Yep...

There are some stats for gigs mentioning it on IT Jobs Watch. Obviously these scrapes have to be taken with a pinch of salt but I'd be quite surprised if agents used SFIA in adverts if they were just harvesting CV's so this maybe a little more accurate than your average dev role.

https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/contracts/uk/sfia.do

All that said I'm not so sure this was the angle the OP was going for....

SFIA - does anyone use it?