SFIA and the ISM

1

• SFIA and the ISM
• Kate Edwin-Scott,
• Business Development Unit

2
What is the Industry Structure Model (ISM)?

• Definitive set of performance, training and
  development standards for the IT industry
• A matrix of levels and functions
• Role based
• Windows software enabling users to combine
  standard generic roles into individual jobs
• 77 functions comprising 311 roles

3
Milestones

• Release 1 (July 1986)
• 77 jobs, matrix of 7 streams and 9 levels
• Release 2 (May 1991)
• Same format, expanded to 213 jobs in 14 streams
• European Informatics Skills Structure (1992)
• Release 3 (Feb 1996)
• Role based, windows software
• Incremental updates
• April 1997, December 1999 February 2002
• 1300 copies of ISM 3 sold to date

4
Content

• Generic level and function descriptions
• Background
• educational, previous experience and prior
  knowledge and skills
• Tasks
• Knowledge and skills required to become
  proficient in the role
• - Behavioural, technical and other
• Training requirements
• Professional development activities
• Appropriate qualifications
• - Professional, vocational and vendor

5
Links with SFIA

• In 1996, the Alliance of Information Systems
  Skills (AISS) was set up to develop a standard
  for skills measurement and reporting
• A new structure (NISSF) and later renamed SFIA
  was developed by a working party, including the
  BCS
• All ISM functions were mapped to the new
  framework
• BCS gave permission for the ISM function
  descriptions to be incorporated

6
Product Feature Comparison

• SFIA ISM
• 6 Categories 8 Function Groupings
• 17 Sub categories -
• 7 Levels 9 Levels
• 57 Skills 77 Functions
• 182 Descriptors (skills at a level) 311 Roles
  (functions at a level)
• Background
• Tasks
• Knowledge Skills
• Training Requirements
• Professional Development Activities
• Qualifications

7
Decision to align

• SFIA is becoming increasingly accepted as the
  industry standard
• ISM is perceived as a competitor
• Alignment will remove confusion
• SFIA will form the basis of a value added product
  - SFIA
• BCS promotion of SFIA as the standard

8
The future

• SFIA will be the cornerstone of The British
  Computer Societys professional development
  products and services