Align your roles to SFIA
Guidance for how to align the roles in your agency to the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) using some exemplar role descriptions.
Exemplar role descriptions
The exemplar roles provided here will give you an idea of how to align your roles to SFIA. This is not a full list of roles, but will help you with some of the core digital roles.
The exemplar roles below are based on the following criteria:
- Critical roles — digital leaders or the highly specialised must-have roles in high demand.
- Common roles — because most agencies employ people in these types of roles, aligning these with SFIA would have a proportionately greater impact on the capability of the digital workforce.
- Change roles — that support modernisations as government priority is modernising government digital services. These roles typically support business transformation.
- Service design roles — that focus on serving New Zealanders.
Roles and jobs are different. A role refers to the specific function or part an employee plays within a job or agency and often encompasses a broader set of responsibilities, for example Enterprise Architect. A job is a specific instance of a role which has a title and specific responsibilities within an agency, for example, Enterprise Architect at the Ministry of Social Development.
You’ll also see examples from the Australian Public Service roles for comparison.
Apply SIFA to core digital roles
Below are examples of 8 core digital role descriptions showing how they can align with SFIA. There are 2 common sections in role descriptions that are useful to focus on.
- Roles and responsibilities — that are specific to the role and agency context. This section usually includes the purpose of the role and specific tasks or programmes of work.
- Person specification / skills and capabilities — what the successful candidate brings to the role, their skills, knowledge, behaviours and experience. This section is a good fit for SFIA. (Also described in role descriptions as ‘your success profile’ and ‘technical/functional competencies’).
SFIA is structured around 7 levels of responsibility, ranging from Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 7 (the highest). Each level represents increasing expertise and responsibility in professional roles. These levels offer a common language to describe role responsibilities across various professional disciplines. You’ll see them reflected in the following role descriptions.
1. Digital leader — Criteria: critical, change
Roles and responsibilities
The Chief Digital Officer (CDO) provides strategic leadership and direction for the definition, design, delivery and deployment of technology and information as enablers across the Ministry.
The incumbent is accountable for the digital strategy, and the end-to-end processes for design, architecture and delivery of digital capabilities that enable organisation performance and influence. This includes playing a key role in assisting the Ministry to leverage digital capabilities to transform into a data and insights led organisation.
A particular focus for the CDO is the development and implementation of a digital strategy that guides and prioritises digital investment so that it accelerates business value and performance across the Ministry. Its purpose is to enable continuous organisational change through innovative ICT product solutions and services and, to reduce corporate risk and facilitate the opportunity for more efficient delivery of Ministry priorities.
The incumbent will be proactive in keeping themselves up to date with emerging technologies through their internal and external networks and research. They will develop the thought leadership to establish the longer term digital, data and technology vision, sourcing strategies and service roadmaps for the Ministry that aligns with the all-of-government digital strategy.
Skills and capabilities
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks.
This is the best section to add relevant SFIA skills.
- A clear, deliberate and visionary leadership style to support the transformation of the organisation.
- Understanding and supporting the relationship between iwi / Māori and government.
- A deep and strong understanding of the public service system and how government operates, and the challenges and opportunities presented by that.
- Sophisticated collaboration skills to achieve impact by influencing others to engage support, establish priorities and deliver results.
IT Governance (GOVN) Level 7
- Directs the definition, implementation and monitoring of the governance framework to meet organisational obligations under regulation, law, or contracts.
- Provides leadership, direction and oversight for governance activities. Integrates risk management into frameworks, aligning with strategic objectives and risk appetite.
- Secures resources required to execute activities to achieve the organisation’s governance goals with effective transparency.
- Provides assurance to stakeholders that the organisation can deliver its obligations with an agreed balance of benefits, opportunities, costs and risks.
2. Systems Analyst — Criterion: common
Roles and responsibilities
What will you be doing?
- Demonstrates technical competency in area of specialisation.
- Understands Enterprise standards and able to apply these in a consistent manner that enforces an integrated application and data model across all of the Ministry.
- Assists in fostering a culture that enables the Ministry to be an organisation that is connected, focused on results, delivers on our obligations to Māori, is lean and agile and is prepared to take informed risks.
- Ensure staff have a strong customer focus.
- Streamline systems and processes.
- Contribute to capability and capacity.
- Behaviour is a critical component that will require cultural and mind-set changes.
Some agency job descriptions also lay out levels of responsibility, and descriptions of what responsibility looks like in practice (based on SFIA Generic Attributes, Business Skills and Behavioural Factors).
- Autonomy Level 4: Works under general direction within a clear framework of accountability. Exercises substantial personal responsibility and autonomy. Plans own work to meet given objectives and processes.
- Systems Analysts translate business requirements into technical requirements that align with relevant architectures.
Skills and capabilities section
Requirements Definition and Management (REQM)(Lv. 4)
- Defines and manages scoping, requirements definition and prioritisation activities for initiatives of medium size and complexity.
- Contributes to selecting the requirements approach.
- Facilitates input from stakeholders, provides constructive challenge and enables effective prioritisation of requirements.
- Establishes requirements baselines or backlogs, obtains appropriate agreement to requirements and ensures traceability to source.
3. ICT security specialist — Criteria: critical, common
Roles and responsibilities section
Overview of Position: The Technology Security Specialist is part of the Technology Security and Identity Practice and provides specialist and highly technical advice on matter relating to technology security to the Ministry’s technical and delivery teams, business stakeholders and vendors.
Specific responsibilities can be made explicit, such as:
- Responsible for ensuring that solutions are designed with appropriate controls in accordance with the Ministry’s technology security and identity strategy, architecture, policies and standards.
- Develops, maintains and implements technology security standards, frameworks, guidance and other guardrails to support secure by design practices, and the technology security and identity strategic direction.
Cyber Advisors provide ICT security advice and assistance to government, including policy creation, project advice and assistance and research.
Skills and capabilities section
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks.
This is the best section to add relevant SFIA skills.
Information Security (SCTY) Level 5
- Defines and operates a framework of security controls and security management strategies.
- Provides advice and guidance on security strategies to manage identified risks and ensure adoption and adherence to standards.
- Contributes to development of information security policy, standards and guidelines.
- Obtains and acts on vulnerability information and conducts security risk assessments, business impact analysis and accreditation on complex information systems. Investigates major breaches of security and recommends appropriate control improvements.
- Develops new architectures that mitigate the risks posed by new technologies and business practices.
4. Enterprise Architect — Criteria: critical, change, service design
Roles and responsibilities section
Enterprise Architect
The Enterprise Architect is a key role in enabling the Ministry to deliver on its strategic and operational outcomes. It is a major contributor in the definition of enterprise solutions for the Ministry that meet the business and sector needs, and complies with government standards, Ministry standards, technology governance and guidelines.
Key facets of the role are:
- Lead and contribute to the formation and implementation of the enterprise architecture, methodology and standards for the Ministry.
- Lead the adoption and implementation of architecture and continuous improvement frameworks.
- Inform the long-term investment planning and asset planning process.
- Ensure enterprise architecture practices advance strategic objectives.
- Keep current with global trends in ICT ensuring appropriate and current technology solutions are applied to the business.
- Work closely with the domain architecture practice to support the development of ICT products and services.
Skills and capabilities section
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks.
This is an example of what a SFIA skill description could look like for Enterprise Architect.
Enterprise and business architecture (STPL) Level 5
- Aligns an organisation’s technology strategy with its business mission, strategy and processes and documenting this using architectural models.
- Develops models and plans to drive the execution of the business strategy, taking advantage of opportunities to improve business performance.
- Contributes to creating and reviewing a systems capability strategy which meets the business’ strategic requirements.
- Determines requirements and specifies effective business processes, through improvements in technology, information or data practices, organisation, roles, procedures and equipment.
5. ICT Business Analyst — Criterion: common
Roles and responsibilities section
The purpose of this role is to ensure the integrity, efficiency, and accessibility of the Ministry’s IT systems.
The Specialist Technical Business Analyst will investigate requirements, operations, development activities, problems, in regard to effective business solutions.
Through processes and system improvements they will support ongoing operation and maintenance of IT systems by undertaking support, issue resolution and system enhancements.
They will facilitate engagement meetings with different business partners and multiple vendors.
They will face many challenges covering our extensive technology stack and learning about the business of growing and protecting New Zealand through applications.
They will also support and be a resource for portfolio agile teams as required, embracing Agile and DevOps operating models.
Business Analysts seek to understand business processes and determine business requirements for systems.
Skills and capabilities section
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks.
Business situation analysis (BUSA) Level 4
- Investigates business situations to define recommendations for improvement action.
- Investigates business situations where there is some complexity and ambiguity.
- Adopts holistic view to identify and analyse problems and opportunities.
- Contributes to the selection of the approach and techniques to be used for business situation analysis.
- Conducts root cause analysis and identifies recommendations for improvements.
- Engages and collaborates with operational stakeholders.
6. Developer / Programmer Criterion: common
Roles and responsibilities section
The Developer provides software development within a highly integrated environment. They work with a range of business and technical teams to design, build and deploy software. They work on legacy and contemporary software throughout the entire development lifecycle. They work within established practices and protocols in an enterprise environment.
Software Engineers write and test code, optimise software for speed and capability, evaluate and test new software, design and maintain software systems under limited supervision.
Skills and capabilities section
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks.
Software configuration (PORT) Level 3
- Designs and deploys software product configurations into software environments or platforms.
- Assists in designing, verifying, documenting, amending and refactoring moderately complex software configurations for deployment.
- Applies agreed standards and tools, to achieve a well-engineered result.
- Collaborates in reviews of work with others as appropriate.
This section could also include extra qualifications important for the role.
- Tertiary qualification in Computer Science or Information Technology (or equivalent professional experience)
- Understanding of enterprise level software development practices (large complex environment), including the use of source control repositories, peer review practices, and change and release processes.
- Knowledge of contemporary software development methods and best practice processes for the appropriate operating systems, for example Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- Understanding of technology solutions within complex business environments.
- Capability using current business systems modelling tools.
- Familiar with working in an Agile / Scaled Agile work environment.
- Familiar with DevOps practices and iterative development.
- Appreciation of automated testing and working with continuous integration and continuous deployment.
7. ICT Project Manager — Criteria: common, change
Roles and responsibilities section
Key elements of this role include:
- Managing the develop of the business case.
- Building and leading a team of professionals to ensure delivery of project outcomes and benefits.
- Managing project budget, risks and issues within delegated tolerances, and escalating risks and issues when they exceed delegated tolerances.
- Preparing timely and accurate reports on project progress to relevant stakeholders.
- Building positive, collaborative and proactive relationships with a wide variety of people to become a trusted advisor and leader.
ICT project managers analyse information needs and specify technologies to meet those needs. They formulate and direct ICT strategies, policies and plans, directing and selecting resources and setting priorities between system developments, maintenance and operations.
Skills and capabilities section
This section focuses on the type of person the agency is looking for to fill the role and is where most agencies reference their skills frameworks. This is the best place to incorporate relevant SFIA skills.
Project management (PRMG) Level 5
- Takes full responsibility for the definition, approach, facilitation and satisfactory completion of medium-scale projects.
- Provides effective leadership to the project team, adopting suitable project management methods and tools. Manages change control processes and assesses risks, ensuring projects align with governance frameworks and business priorities.
- Communicates regularly with stakeholders, ensuring project deliverables meet agreed standards, budgets and timelines. Ensures project and product quality reviews occur on schedule and according to procedure.
- Proactively monitors performance metrics, implementing preventive and corrective actions as needed.
8. Experience Designer (UX/UI) — Criterion: common
Roles and responsibilities section
The UX Designer’s primary focus is to bring a user-centred approach to the design and development of our digital products and services to ensure they meet user needs. Working in a multi-disciplinary delivery team environment, the UX designer translates user needs into digital design solutions that are underpinned by best practice design techniques and New Zealand Government Web Standards.
Interaction Designers research, design and test the scenarios, interaction patterns and interface systems that make up an interaction with a service. They make decisions based on the evidence of user needs in pursuit of the best service. They prototype and test products / services. They create user journey maps and assist with and participate in user research. They collaborate and manage stakeholders.
Some agency job descriptions also lay out levels of responsibility, and descriptions of what responsibility looks like in practice (based on SFIA Generic Attributes, Business Skills and Behavioural Factors).
Skills and capabilities section
For a User Designer position, a SFIA skill like this could be included.
User Experience Design (HCEV) (Lv. 4)
- Selects appropriate tools, methods and design patterns to design user interactions with and experiences of a product, system or service.
- Translates concepts into outputs and prototypes for user feedback and evaluation.
- Evaluates alternative design options and recommends designs taking into account performance, security, usability and accessibility requirements.
- Considers and integrates appropriate visual design and branding elements in user experience designs.
