Skills A to Z

Learn about the skills and ascending skill levels (awareness, working, practitioner, expert) in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

Accessibility

Accessibility involves ensuring your service can be used by as many people as possible, including those with impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities and deafness.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand accessibility and that users have different accessibility needs help fix accessibility issues under the direction of others
Working	You can: understand users have different accessibility needs build user interfaces that meet accessibility standards and fix accessibility issues under the direction of others
Practitioner	You can: build user interfaces that meet a predefined set of standards champion accessibility to internal stakeholders offer design feedback to mitigate the risk of failing accessibility testing offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use when accessibility testing
Expert	You can: show a strong understanding of accessibility and be an advocate for users with accessibility needs build user interfaces that meet a predefined set of standards champion accessibility to internal and external stakeholders offer design solutions to mitigate the risk of failing accessibility testing recommend the best tools and methods to use when accessibility testing

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Adapting to delivery methodologies

Adapting to delivery methodologies involves contributing to discussions on the appropriate delivery methodology to use, and adapting your approach based on the delivery methodology of the team.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the differences between delivery methodologies, such as scrum or kanban explain how your approach would change based on the delivery methodology explain why iteration is important explain how roles in a multidisciplinary team work together to support delivery
Working	You can: explain how products and services are delivered through different methodologies follow an appropriate approach to complete your work within the delivery methodology used by your team adapt how you work and the work you produce based on your team's delivery methodology to ensure you deliver value adapt how you work with other roles in a multidisciplinary team in line with the delivery methodology
Practitioner	You can: determine the approach for your role within the team's delivery methodology define and agree the scope of delivery for your role within a multidisciplinary team negotiate and agree delivery priorities with the team and relevant stakeholders clearly communicate the value of iterative delivery and realising benefits early
Expert	You can: set and iterate standards for working within different delivery methodologies actively promote collaboration and agreement to ensure the team delivers value at the right time experiment with new and innovative ways of working to enhance delivery outcomes research new and evolving delivery methodologies and identify how your role would work within them

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst
• Service owner

Agile and Lean practices

Agile and Lean practices involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the basic principles of Agile and Lean methodology discuss ways to apply Agile and Lean principles in a multi-disciplinary team explain why iteration is important
Working	You can: demonstrate experience in applying Agile principles in practice provide a clear, open and transparent framework in which teams can deliver show an awareness of Agile tools and are starting to use them intelligently visualise and make visible the work of the team
Practitioner	You can: compare and select the most appropriate delivery methods and processes recognise, reflect and adapt when something does not work, encouraging experimentation use a blended approach depending on the context help teams to measure, evaluate and visualise outcomes encourage reflective practice to improve ways of working
Expert	You can: coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean good practices create and tailor the right approach for a team, challenging, evaluating and iterating the approach through the life cycle experiment with new and innovative ways of working to improve delivery across the organisation act as a recognised expert and advocate for Agile and Lean approaches

Roles that require this skill

• Agile coach
• Delivery manager
• Product manager
• Programme delivery manager

Agile research practices

Agile delivery involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary digital team
Working	You can: understand and explain the benefits and limitations of agile working design and conduct your research so the findings can be embedded into an agile workflow understand and work with the different roles in a multidisciplinary digital team to plan and do user research
Practitioner	You can: advocate for agile working adapt how you design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team
Expert	You can: advocate for agile working at the organisational level and with senior stakeholders help organisations adopt agile research practices set standards and expectations of how research insights should be delivered to support delivery by agile teams coach and guide other user researchers to adopt agile ways of working

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

Agile working

Agile delivery involves encouraging teams to build incrementally, test and iterate their work based on regular feedback and other useful data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of Agile methodology and the ways to apply the principles in practice take an open-minded approach explain why iteration is important iterate quickly
Working	You can: demonstrate experience working in Agile, and an awareness of Agile tools and how to use them advise colleagues on how and why Agile methods are used and provide a clear, open and transparent framework in which teams can deliver adapt and reflect and be resilient see outside of the process
Practitioner	You can: identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes help the team to decide the best approach help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and adhere to agreed minimum viable product (MVP), priorities and scope
Expert	You can: coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this through the life of a project think of new and innovative ways of working to achieve the right outcomes act as a recognised expert and advocate for the approaches, continuously reflecting and challenging the team

Roles that require this skill

• Content strategist
• Digital portfolio manager
• Technical writer

Analysis

Analysis involves examining, interpreting and analysing data to help make informed decisions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: apply the approach to real problems and consider all relevant information apply appropriate rigour to ensure a full solution is designed and achieves the business outcome
Practitioner	You can: monitor the analysis of a technical solution and ensure analysis is reused for similar problem sets review solutions and identify areas for change drive the collection of information that is used and analysed feed back on policy and requirements
Expert	You can: provide direction and lead on change regarding factors that feed into analysis monitor changes in the technical environment and assess whether risks are still at acceptable levels or whether previous decisions need to be revisited direct and influence others on best practice and policy

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

Analysis and insight

Analysis and insight involves examining, interpreting and analysing data to help make informed decisions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: understand and work with colleagues to apply core techniques for analysis and insight present clear insights that colleagues can understand and use
Practitioner	You can: understand and help teams to apply a range of techniques to analyse data and provide insight be proactive and present compelling findings that inform wider decisions apply innovative approaches to resolve problems
Expert	You can: understand, teach and supervise a wide range of analysis techniques help organisations create and learn from strategic insights apply innovative approaches to resolve problems

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst

Analysis and synthesis

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of the need for careful analysis of research data to produce clear findings
Working	You can: understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use
Practitioner	You can: understand and help teams to apply a range of methods to analyse research data and synthesise findings effectively engage sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis advise on the choice and application of techniques, and can critique colleagues’ findings to assure best practice
Expert	You can: help an organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

Analysis and synthesis for data and AI ethics

Analysis and synthesis for data and AI ethics involves using evidence from different sources to create clear findings and support ethical data and artificial intelligence practices.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how to collate, analyse and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data and information describe how to produce clear findings from simple data and analysis explain why it’s important to involve others in analysis and synthesis explain basic ethical considerations when analysing data
Working	You can: collate, analyse and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data and information, with support turn simple data into clear findings involve others in analysis and synthesis to increase consensus and challenge assumptions, with support help define project outcomes and ethical considerations
Practitioner	You can: use the most appropriate methods to collate, analyse and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data and information quickly draw out the most relevant information from a range of complex sources involve others in analysis and synthesis to increase consensus and challenge assumptions help teams integrate ethical diagnostics and assessments
Expert	You can: turn data into clear findings that inform organisational decision-making help an organisation continually assure and improve their practices to generate clear and valuable data and AI ethics findings, for example through setting standards build capacity in analysis and synthesis across the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Applied empathy and inclusivity

Applied empathy and inclusivity involves including everyone to incorporate disparate views and requirements, whether developing products and services or internal policies.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how empathy and inclusivity can be incorporated into organisational documentation describe some simple consequences of technology systems on stakeholders explain why it’s important to use insights on social issues and discrimination to help inform your work
Working	You can: support the incorporation of views from underrepresented groups into product and policy work identify some consequences of technology systems on a range of stakeholders collect and use simple insights on social issues or types of bias and discrimination different groups can face to inform your work
Practitioner	You can: incorporate a wide variety of views from underrepresented groups into product and policy work identify consequences of technology systems on a diverse range of stakeholders collect and use complex insights on social issues, types of bias or discrimination faced by different groups to inform your team’s work
Expert	You can: use in-depth consulting and outreach strategies to influence organisational plans and goals lead others in determining the consequences of technology systems on a diverse range of stakeholders set best practice and direction on collecting and using insights on social issues, types of bias and discrimination different groups can face

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices

Applied mathematics and statistics involves applying analytical methods including exploratory data analysis, visualisation and statistical testing to help make accurate recommendations.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an understanding of the benefits of applied mathematics and statistics, and can use this knowledge to carry out data science tasks carry out general analysis techniques for data inspection, exploration and visualisation interpret statistical output effectively and accurately show an awareness of different performance and accuracy metrics for statistical assessment and validation
Working	You can: apply analytical methods including exploratory data analysis and statistical testing to a specific data set, to reach accurate and reliable conclusions understand and use different performance and accuracy metrics for model validation in data science projects, hypothesis testing and information retrieval compare selected applied mathematics and statistical methods and identify their differences access and use the statistical and scientific tools available within the organisation
Practitioner	You can: apply designated quantitative techniques such as time series analysis, optimisation and simulation to create and embed appropriate models for analysis and prediction provide guidance on matching data sources with relevant applied mathematics and statistical techniques to meet analysis goals apply appropriate statistical techniques to available data to discover new relations and offer insight into research problems, helping to improve organisational processes and support decision making access and use the statistical tools available within the organisation
Expert	You can: identify opportunities to develop statistical insight, reports and models to support organisational objectives, while collaborating across the organisation effectively critique statistical analyses use a variety of data analytics techniques (such as data mining and prescriptive and predictive analytics) for complex data analysis through the whole data life cycle use model outputs to produce evidence and help design services and policies understand a broad range of statistical tools, particularly those deployed within the organisation, and can use these appropriately and help others to use them

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist
• Machine learning engineer

Applied social sciences

Applied social sciences involves using an understanding of the social sciences to evaluate and challenge assumptions made in relevant projects.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain concepts from social science, such as anthropology, economics, sociology, philosophy, psychology or race theory explain how some social science theories can be applied to inform data and AI projects, products and policies
Working	You can: apply social science theories to inform data and AI projects, products and policies, with support evaluate and challenge assumptions made in data science projects, with support work effectively with stakeholders in applied social sciences, such as academics and external researchers
Practitioner	You can: describe emerging or complex theories and concepts in social sciences apply social science theories to inform data and AI projects, products and policies evaluate and challenge assumptions made in data science projects work with academics and external researchers lead work with stakeholders in applied social sciences, such as academics and external researchers
Expert	You can: apply various social science theories to the strategic oversight of data and AI projects, products and policies identify and use best practice for applying social sciences in data ethics work with academics and external researchers to publish research on applied digital ethics

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Applying statistical and analytical tools and techniques

Applying statistical and analytical techniques involves using and evaluating methods to answer research questions and make data-informed recommendations.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: support the development of statistical and analytical insights and reports under supervision explain the benefits of basic statistical and analytical techniques explain the value of quality assurance and best practices in developing statistical and analytical outputs
Working	You can: contribute to the development of statistical and analytical insights and reports apply appropriate statistical and analytical techniques under supervision to answer research questions and organisational needs follow and apply quality assurance standards respond to stakeholder questions about analytical and statistical techniques
Practitioner	You can: lead the development of valuable statistical insights and reports identify and apply a range of statistical and analytical techniques and tools, and support others in applying them quality assure statistical techniques and analytical outputs across a team engage with stakeholders and share statistical and analytical techniques to increase understanding and trust
Expert	You can: identify opportunities to develop statistical insights and reports that support organisational objectives develop and guide others in a range of statistical and analytical techniques and tools oversee the quality assurance of statistical techniques and analytical outputs, continually improving and innovating practices use statistical and analytical outputs to influence stakeholders across the organisation and beyond

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Applying user-centred insights

Applying user-centred insights involves understanding all user needs and the problems that need to be solved, and applying insights to make decisions that meet these needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the difference between user needs and what a user wants explain the purpose of user stories explain why applying user-centred insights is important explain how you approach understanding user needs
Working	You can: identify and engage users and stakeholders to identify user needs and trends decide when you need more user insights and when you have enough to make a decision work with others to define the problem and research goals use quantitative and qualitative user insights to improve product or service outcomes
Practitioner	You can: use user insights to represent users in internal discussions advocate for research to be completed with all types of users of the product or service use user needs to agree the work that needs to be done and determine priorities with the team work with others to understand and recommend tools to get the appropriate user insight
Expert	You can: advocate for a range of effective research approaches across the organisation coach others in making decisions that meet user needs across a range of channels advocate for continuous use of user insights in teams use user insights to make strategic decisions to provide the best user experience

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager
• Service owner

Architect for the whole context

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: identify relevant information that can inform your architectural work, such as strategies, roadmaps, policies and technical trends understand how your work supports the team in enabling change​
Working	You can: align your work with the work being done by other architects and technical professionals track emerging issues, strategies, roadmaps, patterns and technologies over time to assess opportunities and risks to your work identify how other teams contribute to delivering outcomes through change
Practitioner	You can: work to support wider organisational objectives beyond your immediate goals​ track emerging internal and external issues over time that could affect the work of teams across the organisation take action to solve or mitigate problems by influencing colleagues across the organisation
Expert	You can: assess how trends in society and industry practices might impact the organisation work with people outside of your organisation to inform policies, strategies and standards anticipate changes to policy and build resilience through your architectural work coach others in identifying important trends

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Architecture communication

Communication involves conveying information using the most effective medium and language for the audience.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of different ways of creating architecture representations for a limited audience, including technical and non-technical stakeholders gather and explain information to be used in architecture representations
Working	You can: listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders create and use different architecture representations to communicate effectively, achieving agreement with technical and non-technical stakeholders provide support in discussions about architectural topics within a multidisciplinary team
Practitioner	You can: lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders communicate with senior stakeholders across your organisation adapt your message and communication techniques to your audience advocate on behalf of a team to other stakeholders manage stakeholder expectations effectively
Expert	You can: communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, and across organisations, using architecture communication techniques​ mediate between people in difficult architectural discussions gain support from business and technical stakeholders for architectural initiatives with high levels of risk, impact and complexity coach and support others in architecture communication

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Asset and configuration management

Asset and configuration management involves managing the life cycle of IT assets, such as hardware, software, intellectual property, licences and warranties, the configuration of components, and the relationships between them. Consideration is given to the usage, disposal, compliance, inventory, sustainability, cost optimisation and protection of the IT asset portfolio.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: track, log and correct information to protect assets and components
Working	You can: maintain secure configuration and accurate information control IT assets in one or more areas verify the location and state of IT assets
Practitioner	You can: manage configuration items and related information manage service compliance and risk
Expert	You can: manage configuration management for the organisation, ensuring value for the business and adherence to company policies ensure that changes to assets are recorded and controlled appropriately advocate organisational commitment to asset control

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Availability and capacity management

Availability and capacity management involves ensuring services are available with as little downtime or disruption as possible, and that we have sufficient resources to support emerging business needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain availability and capacity management processes
Working	You can: manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and key performance indicators (KPIs)
Practitioner	You can: ensure the correct implementation of availability and capacity management standards and procedures identify capacity issues and implement the required changes initiate remedial action
Expert	You can: lead policy and strategy for service and capacity management lead the identification and implementation of required changes

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• Problem manager
• Service transition manager
• Software developer

Business analysis (IT operations)

Business analysis involves understanding the business needs and translating those requirements into solutions through detailed analysis and feedback.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: investigate problems and opportunities in existing processes, and contribute to recommending solutions
Working	You can: investigate problems and opportunities in existing processes, and contribute to recommending solutions work with stakeholders to identify objectives and potential benefits
Practitioner	You can: lead investigative work into problems and opportunities in existing processes lead the collection of information and creation of recommendations for improvements absorb large amounts of conflicting information and use it to produce solutions
Expert	You can: direct business analysis, including the collection of information and evidence and the identification of problems and opportunities ensure that recommendations fit with strategic business objectives communicate recommendations persuasively to important stakeholders identify the simplest of a variety of approaches

Roles that require this skill

• Business relationship manager
• IT service manager

Business and user acceptance testing

Business and user acceptance involves using appropriate tools and techniques to verify that a product or service meets documented and agreed business and user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe how to create business scenarios to validate that business and user needs are met explain the stages, types and purpose of testing, and the tools and techniques used
Working	You can: work with others to ensure appropriate test coverage, data and scenarios, in line with acceptance criteria document and triage defects, and their risks, so they can be traced and resolved work with others to review test outcomes to validate that business and user needs are met
Practitioner	You can: advise others how to ensure appropriate test coverage, data and scenarios, in line with acceptance criteria analyse business risk and impacts of defects so that appropriate action can be taken to enable business acceptance provide assurance on the suitability, business readiness and viability of delivered solutions
Expert	You can: set standards and strategies for business and user acceptance testing advise senior stakeholders on testing and continuity risks, quality gates and assurance approaches

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Business architecture

Business architecture involves using industry standards to develop integrated views of an organisation that help implement organisational strategy and solve complex problems.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of business architecture frameworks, principles and techniques support the application of frameworks to business change in an organisation, under guidance
Working	You can: help support the adoption of business architecture clearly communicate business architecture frameworks, principles, and techniques support the production of a multidimensional view of your organisation assess the impact of strategies on the organisation, highlighting risks and issues
Practitioner	You can: apply and develop business architecture frameworks, principles and techniques in your organisation advise and guide the organisation to inform the implementation of its strategy share the value of business architecture with the organisation produce clear multidimensional views of your organisation to support decision making
Expert	You can: simplify complex business architecture frameworks into clear actions develop business architecture maturity in your organisation, such as through a community of practice lead or guide others in using best practice for business architecture, such as industry standards identify strategic misalignment within the organisation and make recommendations for improvement

Roles that require this skill

• Business architect

Business modelling

Business modelling involves visualising, analysing and communicating current and future business situations and how business components influence each other.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how models and diagrams can be used to represent the organisation, processes, relationships, information and interactions, and how they add value support the creation of visual representations of business workflows, processes and structures explain how other roles use the models you create to support their work
Working	You can: select appropriate business modelling techniques to support analysis, decision making and stakeholder understanding elicit appropriate information to create effective business models create models and diagrams that represent the organisation, processes, relationships, information and interactions use existing and new models to ensure alignment to the organisation’s goals
Practitioner	You can: guide the selection and use of business modelling techniques to ensure consistency define and share good practices for eliciting appropriate information to create effective models create models and diagrams that represent complex and large-scale situations, aligning with and informing architecture artefacts use business modelling outcomes to support strategic decision making
Expert	You can: set standards for business modelling, including for the elicitation of appropriate information assess the effectiveness of modelling techniques to enable continuous improvement coach others in business modelling, leading the creation of models when appropriate use business modelling outcomes to anticipate and influence decision making and strategy development

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Business process improvement

Business process improvement involves creating appropriate artefacts and analysing, modifying and testing existing and new processes to make them more efficient.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: contribute to the analysis and evaluation of business processes to identify problems and opportunities contribute to the design and implementation of business process improvements contribute to business process testing and usability evaluation
Working	You can: analyse and evaluate business processes to identify problems and opportunities design, prioritise and facilitate the implementation of business process improvements, with some support validate improvements to business processes through testing
Practitioner	You can: lead process analysis and evaluation to define business performance problems and opportunities lead analysis and evaluation to design, test, implement and assess business process improvements manage the design, execution and assessment of business process tests and usability evaluations
Expert	You can: lead the identification of large-scale opportunities to deliver business performance improvements set the direction for analysis, design and evaluation of business process improvements, including methods, tools and standards set the direction for design, execution and assessment of business process tests and usability evaluations coach others in designing, testing, implementing and assessing business process improvements

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Capability building for digital, data and technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• guide the organisation to ensure it has the specialist digital, data and technology skills it needs
• develop organisational processes and ways of working so that digital and data roles you support can thrive
• continuously improve and optimise the organisational environment

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• prioritising capability needs that will have the most impact
• negotiating for longer-term investment in people by articulating the risks and benefits of different staffing strategies
• advocating for good practice in ways of working and supporting people to adopt this practice
• growing digital and data communities

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer
• Chief digital and information officer
• Chief information security officer
• Chief technology officer

Change management

Change management involves managing changes to services, organisations, suppliers or configuration items, and the associated documentation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: implement change requests apply change control procedures under supervision
Working	You can: analyse and assess the impact of change document change requests action changes from change requests
Practitioner	You can: manage high impact, complex change requests ensure that release policies, procedures and processes are applied
Expert	You can: implement new and current change management processes support change management, actively improving and optimising processes

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• Problem manager
• Service transition manager

Change, benefits and adoption analysis

Change, benefits and adoption analysis involves assessing how change can be enabled within the organisation, determining expected benefits and creating the conditions required for adoption.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the change and benefits life cycles describe common types of benefit, disbenefit, impact and risk to change explain the value of impact assessments describe some ways to capture assumptions, dependencies and measures
Working	You can: assess how proposed changes affect roles, processes, policies, data, systems and customer or user experience support the definition of measurable outcomes, measures and indicators work with the business and other professions to support business readiness
Practitioner	You can: lead benefits and impact analysis for initiatives, including identifying trade-offs, quantitative and qualitative benefits, and business readiness indicators ensure change impacts and benefits are translated into clear operating actions, ownership and measures work across the business and with other professions to define and guide adoption and business readiness activities
Expert	You can: influence strategic decisions by challenging whether proposed change is likely to deliver real and evidenced value work with the business and other professions to influence approaches for change adoption, business readiness and benefits management position business analysis as a discipline that improves business readiness, adoption and outcomes

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Changing security culture

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• put in place continuous cyber and information security awareness and education programs, for example, training for specific groups
• use a range of methods to assess whether people’s security behaviour is improving
• compare the maturity of security awareness and culture in your organisation against others across government to determine effective improvements

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• incentivising the right behaviours across the whole organisation so that everyone knows how they contribute to security
• persuading senior leadership to represent a campaign personally
• communicating insights from previous incidents to ensure they are learned from

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Coaching in an agile environment

Coaching in an agile environment involves helping people, teams and organisations to improve outcomes, develop skills and increase autonomy, through reflection, learning and systems awareness.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the purpose of coaching and how it differs from mentoring or managing explain basic coaching principles such as listening, questioning and reflection recognise when coaching may be helpful in an agile environment explain the importance of trust, psychological safety and ethics in coaching
Working	You can: facilitate simple coaching conversations with individuals or within agile teams help others reflect on problems and consider options adapt your approach using guidance and seek feedback to improve your coaching practice
Practitioner	You can: coach individuals, agile teams and groups to improve delivery, collaboration and decision‑making use coaching techniques such as listening, questioning and feedback to help others generate their own solutions balance coaching practice with organisational governance and delivery constraints model inclusive behaviours, psychological safety and continuous learning
Expert	You can: coach senior leaders and leadership teams to improve organisational effectiveness apply systemic coaching to influence culture, leadership and ways of working identify and address systemic barriers to agile delivery and decision-making align coaching with strategy, priorities and public value outcomes role-model ethical, inclusive and reflective coaching at scale

Roles that require this skill

• Agile coach

Coding and scripting

Coding and scripting involves designing, writing and iterating code and scripts from prototype to production.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe different scripting tools and software that are available and currently in use
Working	You can: interact with, read and write code carry out baseline repair activities
Practitioner	This skill level is currently not defined.
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer

Commercial management

Commercial management involves exploring commercial opportunities whilst complying with the regulations on how we conduct and manage both internal and third party relationships.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: act as the point of contact for contracted suppliers understand appropriate internal contacts and processes within a government department understand how and when third parties should be brought into digital, data and technology projects
Practitioner	You can: take responsibility for complex relationships with contracted suppliers identify appropriate contractual frameworks and identify appropriate suppliers negotiate with contracted suppliers get good value out of contracts and suppliers
Expert	You can: act as the escalation point and resolve large or high risk commercial management issues coach others in appropriate commercial management

Roles that require this skill

• Delivery manager
• Programme delivery manager

Commercial perspective

Commercial management involves exploring commercial opportunities whilst complying with the regulations on how we conduct and manage both internal and third party relationships.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of government commercial processes show an awareness of legal and compliance rules
Working	You can: understand commercial processes and the appropriate internal contacts within a government department understand different sourcing strategies and when to apply them
Practitioner	You can: identify appropriate contractual frameworks and approaches identify, evaluate and select appropriate suppliers
Expert	You can: coach others in appropriate commercial, vendor and legal issues

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect

Communicating analysis and insight

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why it's important to clearly communicate findings from analysis explain some methods for effectively communicating findings from analysis
Working	You can: choose the appropriate medium to communicate findings shape and share communications relevant to the audience present analysis and visualisations in clear ways to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, with support give tactical recommendations based on your analysis and insight to inform decision making
Practitioner	You can: turn complex data into compelling, clear and actionable stories share data communication skills with the team and across government present analysis and visualisations in clear ways to communicate complex messages communicate negative and positive information to stakeholders give tactical and strategic recommendations
Expert	You can: communicate relevant, compelling stories using the most appropriate medium make complex recommendations at a tactical and strategic level

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager
• Digital evaluator
• Digital portfolio manager
• Performance analyst

Communicating between the technical and non-technical

Communicating between the technical and non-technical involves conveying information using the most effective medium and language for the audience.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why it's important to communicate technical concepts in non-technical language explain the types of communication that can be used with internal and external stakeholders, and their impact
Working	You can: communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics be an advocate for the team externally manage differing stakeholder perspectives
Practitioner	You can: listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and manage their expectations manage active and reactive communication support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders
Expert	You can: mediate between people and strengthen relationships, adopting the appropriate communication method with stakeholders at all levels manage stakeholder expectations and moderate difficult discussions about high risk and complex topics, even within constrained timescales speak on behalf of, and represent the community to, large audiences inside and outside the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data analyst
• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist
• Data architect
• Data engineer
• Data governance manager
• Delivery manager
• Machine learning engineer
• Programme delivery manager
• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Communicating data

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness that data needs to be aligned to the needs of the end user create basic visuals and presentations
Working	You can: understand the appropriate media to communicate findings shape communications for the audience
Practitioner	You can: turn complex data into clear and well understood solutions, which can be acted upon share data communication skills with the team and organisation understand and communicate different options, taking into account risks and uncertainties
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Data architect

Communicating information

Communication involves conveying information using the most effective medium and language for the audience.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: listen to the needs of design and business stakeholders and interpret information take part in discussions within a multidisciplinary team
Working	You can: listen to the needs of design and business stakeholders and interpret information take part in discussions within a multidisciplinary team be an advocate for the team externally, and can manage differing perspectives shape and share communications relevant to the audience
Practitioner	You can: work collaboratively in a group and build relationships with others identify issues through Agile 'health checks' and work with others to address them manage stakeholder expectations be flexible and capable of proactive and reactive communication host or moderate difficult discussions within the team or with senior stakeholders
Expert	You can: mediate between people and mend relationships, communicating with stakeholders at all levels manage stakeholder expectations and host or moderate discussions about high risk and complexity, even within constrained timescales speak on behalf of and represent the community to large audiences inside and outside of government

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist
• Business architect
• Frontend developer

Communication (security architect)

Communication involves conveying information using the most effective medium and language for the audience.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	This skill level is currently not defined.
Practitioner	You can: demonstrate a deep understanding of security concepts and can apply them to a technical level effectively translate and accurately communicate security and risk implications to technical and non-technical stakeholders successfully respond to challenges manage stakeholder expectations and be flexible, adapting to stakeholder reactions to reach consensus
Expert	You can: demonstrate expert understanding of security concepts and can apply them to a technical level, at the highest levels of risk complexity effectively translate and accurately communicate security and risk implications at the most senior levels across technical and non-technical stakeholders successfully respond to challenges manage stakeholder expectations across high risk and complexity or under constrained timescales

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

Community collaboration

Collaboration in the Government Digital and Data profession typically involves working in a multidisciplinary project team, and contributing to working groups and wider professional communities. It requires a broad understanding of the technologies, principles and perspectives of related professions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand the work of others and the importance of team dynamics, collaboration and feedback
Working	You can: contribute to the work of others motivate and empower teams create the right environment for teams to work in, and can identify the best team makeup depending on the situation recognise and deal with issues
Practitioner	You can: work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others adapt feedback to ensure it’s effective and lasting use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses
Expert	You can: solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution, while also building and growing the community

Roles that require this skill

• Agile coach
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• Enterprise architect
• Frontend developer
• Incident manager
• Problem manager
• Programme delivery manager
• Service transition manager
• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Consultancy

Consultancy involves providing specialist advice to address stakeholder and business needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an understanding of the need for consulting in your role, and its purpose work under guidance to identify what advice, guidance and recommendations might be appropriate, usually by referring to previous work by others show an understanding of how to frame problems that need to be solved
Working	You can: provide advice, guidance and recommendations based on your specialist knowledge and experience propose methodologies to follow and approaches to implementation frame problems so they can easily be understood, and troubleshoot where required, to support the business in operating more effectively
Practitioner	You can: provide advice and recommendations to stakeholders based on your significant specialist knowledge and experience lead the definition of guidance and inform how the organisation approaches delivery or uses digital and data skills more effectively
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist
• Agile coach
• Business architect

Content management and architecture

Content management and architecture involves using and developing processes, systems and standards to enable effective, sustainable and reusable content.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain a typical content life cycle explain the value of organising and categorising information in content design and some ways to do this describe the importance of metadata (such as content type, publication date or ownership information) for managing content
Working	You can: document information that enables effective content life cycle management, for example metadata organise complex information to support understanding and navigation using existing standards and systems for structure and hierarchy use tools to manage and publish content, for example content management systems
Practitioner	You can: establish workflows for designing and publishing content as part of an end-to-end content life cycle develop ways to organise and categorise information help design ways for content to be effectively reused in different channels and contexts
Expert	You can: direct the approach to content management to ensure content is regularly reviewed and evaluated by publishing or service teams identify opportunities to improve content workflows, efficiency and scalability define and manage relationships between content in complex systems

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer

Context, problem and option analysis

Context, problem and option analysis involves holistically investigating the context for a piece of work to define the problem or opportunity, understand root causes, identify high level business and user needs and shape the work to address those needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the analysis techniques you could use to help understand the context, problem and options to meet business and user needs explain the importance of understanding that internal and external factors influence the organisation contribute to identifying and assessing multiple options and formulating recommendations, under supervision
Working	You can: plan and use the most appropriate analysis techniques to understand the context, the problem and root causes communicate how your work supports and aligns to strategic contexts and goals define problem statements and develop and evaluate multiple options formulate recommendations, considering feasibility, benefits and impact
Practitioner	You can: lead the approach to understanding the context, the problem and root causes set goals for a piece of work that aligns to the organisation's strategic context lead the approach to developing and evaluating multiple options, sharing and advocating for recommendations to gain support
Expert	You can: advise on approaches to options analysis, feasibility and impact assessments to ensure best practice is followed ensure all streams of work align to the organisation's strategic context and goals advise on how the organisation can use business analysis skills to add value guide tactical decision making and influence strategic plans in a changing environment

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Continual service improvement

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of developing process efficiency and common ways in which processes are optimised support specific activities to improve development processes spot or identify obvious deficiencies
Working	You can: identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance, and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions
Practitioner	You can: analyse current processes, and identify and implement opportunities to optimise them lead and develop a team of experts to deliver service improvements help to evaluate and establish requirements for the implementation of changes by setting policy and standards
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Continuity management

Continuity management involves clearly defining processes and remediation plans to ensure the availability of systems and services in the event of unplanned downtime.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the basic principles of IT standard continuity management processes and procedures
Working	You can: manage the runbooks and the processes around service continuity test the runbooks to ensure that service availability is maintained
Practitioner	This skill level is currently not defined.
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• Incident manager
• Problem manager
• Service transition manager

Creating value for money

Creating value for money involves making the right choices for the right reasons, balancing return on investment and value for the user and the organisation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: clearly describe the value of your work determine or estimate the benefits your work is expected to deliver identify opportunities for reuse, saving time and money
Working	You can: estimate the value of each item on your roadmap compare effort to value when deciding priorities decide when it's appropriate to reuse something, and when it's not decide how and when to escalate risk in achieving value discuss estimates with stakeholders to validate understanding analyse the benefit of investment against anticipated outcomes
Practitioner	You can: advocate for user needs, ensuring user value is balanced against cost and value for the organisation determine the benefit of a product and persuade others it's the right product to use write or contribute to business cases communicate business-value propositions help others make value-based decisions, influencing the direction of development
Expert	You can: develop and own a business case and iterate it throughout the life cycle coach others on identifying benefits whilst balancing user and business needs communicate the delivery of incremental value build the case for an organisational approach to value through product strategy coach and empower teams to take a value for money approach

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager

Customer service management

Customer service management involves managing customer service functions, such as responding to issue reports, information and access requests.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain customer service management processes provide customer service management support under supervision
Working	You can: resolve user requests to a minimum of the agreed service level agreement empathise with the end user use customer-focused metrics to achieve the desired outcome
Practitioner	You can: resolve user requests, maintaining a high level of customer service deal with complex complaints use empathy to understand and meet customer needs
Expert	You can: translate lessons learnt into continual service improvement oversee the full range of customer service functions, including reviewing customer service satisfaction investigate which processes can be automated and the ways to automate them

Roles that require this skill

• Service desk manager

Cyber incident management

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• implement cyber incident management processes that reflect the level of risk accepted by the organisation
• ensure the organisation is prepared for and can effectively respond to incidents
• determine the impact of critical incidents on the organisation’s technology
• lead the response to critical incidents that affect the whole organisation

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• helping the incident management team build relationships with senior leaders
• leading simulation exercises with the board so they understand their role in incident response processes and the implications of potential incidents
• assessing what to communicate to the board, ministers or the whole organisation, and when to do it

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Cyber risk management

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• maintain a clear understanding of the cyber and information security risks across the whole organisation
• develop and implement risk assessment processes
• oversee the assessment of the organisation's partners and supply chain for potential threats or vulnerabilities

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• building a culture where teams have awareness of, and take responsibility for, risks and mitigating them
• advising programme owners and people running IT services about risks in a way that enables them to act on that advice
• communicating with senior leaders in a way that enables them to make decisions about accepting or mitigating risk

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Cyber security governance

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• develop an effective cyber and information security governance framework that is integrated with overall organisational governance
• prioritise issues affecting the organisation’s ability to meet security policies and follow standards
• lead a continuous review process to ensure governance meets changing regulations, legislation and best practices
• mitigate risks caused by unavoidable exceptions to the governance framework

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• escalating risks to the highest level in the organisation when governance issues do not have defined owners
• persuading others to use their financial resources for changes needed to comply with the framework
• helping stakeholders be aware of the risks that are caused when an exception is agreed

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Data analysis and synthesis

Analysis and insight involves examining, interpreting and analysing data to help make informed decisions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: interpret data to find key insights
Working	You can: undertake data profiling and source system analysis present clear insights to colleagues to support the end use of the data
Practitioner	You can: understand and help teams to apply a range of techniques for data profiling source system analysis from a complex single source bring multiple data sources together in a conformed model for analysis
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data architect
• Data engineer

Data and AI ethics communication

Data and AI ethics communication involves clearly explaining how data and artificial intelligence systems work and communicating their ethical implications to different audiences.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe some methods of communicating ethical considerations around data and AI
Working	You can: clearly explain how simple technology and data products and services are built support communication with data science experts on ethical issues related to their work support data scientists and engineers in implementing data and AI ethics, under guidance
Practitioner	You can: clearly explain how complex technology and data products are built clearly communicate appropriate ethical considerations related to data and AI systems, such as bias and responsible governance, to other disciplines support data scientists and engineers to implement data and AI ethics effectively
Expert	You can: clearly explain technical data and AI ethics issues with stakeholders at all levels, and from any discipline effectively answer challenging questions on how complex technology and data products are built guide others in how to effectively communicate complex data and AI ethical considerations

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Data and AI ethics product management

Data and AI ethics product management involves creating, improving and promoting tools that help organisations put ethical principles into practice.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe some data and AI ethics tools that can be used by organisations describe some product management principles and approaches relevant to data and AI ethics explain the importance of being able to quickly adapt to new ways of working
Working	You can: support the development of data and AI ethics tools use product management principles and approaches, with support contribute to defining deliverables and evaluating products support the promotion of products
Practitioner	You can: develop data and AI ethics tools that translate theoretical principles into practice use appropriate product management principles and approaches for data and AI ethics tools capture and translate user needs into deliverables implement feedback gathering, evaluation mechanisms and product promotion
Expert	You can: define and create organisation-wide data ethics and AI tools guide others in using the most effective product management principles and approaches for data and AI ethics capture and translate complex user needs into deliverables provide direction on feedback gathering, evaluation mechanisms and product promotion

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Data architecture

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• identify and document where your organisation's data comes from and how it is shared
• assess current data systems in the organisation and the technology they use
• determine the data architecture the organisation needs to achieve organisational objectives

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• building relationships with parts of the organisation that protect access to data
• working with all areas of the organisation to ensure the data architecture works for everyone and any change is accepted
• relating data architecture to strategic objectives or important user needs to gain investment

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer

Data compliance and security

Data compliance and security involves ensuring data handling practices at all stages of the data life cycle meet legal, regulatory, technical, ethical and organisation requirements to protect the data, data subjects and organisation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain data classification and security controls explain what a data life cycle is identify UK legislation for data handling identify internal procedures, policies and technologies relevant to secure data handling
Working	You can: use official data classification when authoring documents apply internal procedures, policies and technologies to ensure secure data handling identify and address ethical considerations when working with data address data compliance issues using internal processes
Practitioner	You can: consistently apply data ethics, legislation, internal procedures, policies and technologies to ensure secure data handling help ensure your team remain compliant by identifying and addressing current and potential data compliance and ethical issues guide and support others in addressing data compliance issues
Expert	You can: advise senior stakeholders on data security, ethical or procedural risks improve organisational awareness of data compliance and procedures lead, guide and mentor teams in implementing secure data practices and maintaining compliance

Roles that require this skill

• Data engineer

Data development process

Data development process involves implementing data pipelines, products, services or platforms while ensuring they are secure, scalable, sustainable, reliable and meeting required standards.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: monitor the operation of data solutions such as data pipelines and services identify and fix simple issues in data solutions
Working	You can: implement simple data solutions such as data pipelines, following established approaches and standards create repeatable, reliable and reusable data solutions
Practitioner	You can: lead the implementation of complex or large-scale data solutions apply appropriate technology and techniques to ensure data solutions are secure and scalable identify and implement continuous improvement to the operation and performance of data solutions
Expert	You can: establish cross-organisational data solutions that include all aspects of the data development life cycle define and promote good practices for creating repeatable, reliable and reusable data solutions

Roles that require this skill

• Data engineer

Data engineering

Data engineering involves ensuring the correct systems are available to enable the collection, analysis and extrapolation of data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why you need engineering support to design and provide products for the organisation explain why you need to cleanse and prepare data for use in data science products explain different architectures, including cloud and on-premise, and data manipulation and transformation tools
Working	You can: identify the appropriate engineering support to design and provide products for the organisation recognise the processes and tools for cleansing and preparing data, and put reusable processes and checks in place use different architectures, including cloud and on-premise use data manipulation and transformation tools
Practitioner	You can: work with data engineers and data scientists to design and provide products for the organisation
Expert	You can: help to identify the data engineering requirements for any data science product, while working with data engineers and data scientists to design and deliver those products into the organisation effectively understand the need to cleanse and prepare data before including it in data science products and can put reusable processes and checks in place understand a broad range of architectures, including cloud and on-premise, and data manipulation and transformation tools deployed within the organisation, and can use these tools appropriately and help others use them

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist

Data ethics and privacy

Data ethics and privacy involves using data and emerging data techniques in compliance with ethical and legal obligations.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of using data ethics and privacy in your work identify appropriate channels to discuss ethical issues, with support
Working	You can: apply fundamental principles of data ethics and privacy in your work under supervision share data ethics and privacy risks through appropriate channels
Practitioner	You can: work with stakeholders to identify and address ethical and privacy concerns demonstrate and communicate how data ethical issues fit into the wider organisational context research developments in data ethics and privacy to improve compliance and processes assess and constructively challenge proposed data ethics policies
Expert	You can: oversee compliance with data ethics standards and legislation across the organisation develop, manage and continuously improve an ethical framework within your area develop a data ethics culture, influencing others to act on it ensure data ethics is applied appropriately when formulating, implementing and evaluating organisational policies and programmes

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst
• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist
• Data governance manager
• Data scientist
• Digital evaluator
• Machine learning engineer

Data governance

Data governance involves the set of standards, processes and policies that ensures your data is consistent and reliable throughout the data life cycle.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of data governance theory, standard methodology and the practical considerations develop an end-to-end data governance framework (the processes, operational policies and standards needed to support data management) work effectively with technical teams and other stakeholders to implement a data governance framework, and make recommendations to ensure compliance
Practitioner	You can: implement and monitor data governance using standard methodology throughout the data life cycle, within a large organisation meet the requirement for relevant data governance accreditation take responsibility for specific parts of a data governance framework within the organisation
Expert	You can: define the data governance strategy for the organisation, and connect it with the wider organisational strategy design, implement and monitor data governance within a large organisation, throughout the data life cycle set the strategy for applying end-to-end data governance frameworks, processes, operational policies, standards, compliance and assurance engage and work effectively with technical leaders and senior stakeholders to implement data governance and ensure compliance

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager

Data governance (data architect)

Data governance involves the set of standards, processes and policies that ensures your data is consistent and reliable throughout the data life cycle.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: understand what data governance is required take responsibility for the assurance of data solutions and make recommendations to ensure compliance
Practitioner	You can: evolve and define data governance take responsibility for supporting and collaborating around wider governance assure and integrate data services to meet the needs of multiple business services work proactively to ensure the organisation designs architecture that considers data
Expert	You can: ensure data governance supports changes to the organisational strategy align data governance with wider governance (for example, budget) assure corporate services by understanding important risks and providing mitigation through assurance mechanisms

Roles that require this skill

• Data architect

Data governance leadership

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• review the organisation’s roles, responsibilities, policies, standards and attitudes to data
• decide the work needed to improve data governance, taking into account effort, reward and risk
• guide decision making on the most appropriate methods of implementing governance
• put in place data governance processes that ensure compliance and minimise risk

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• working with senior stakeholders to agree the level of risk the organisation is willing to tolerate
• getting senior stakeholders to prioritise improving data governance despite competing or changing priorities
• building stakeholders' confidence in new owners of data assets, for example, through training plans

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer

Data innovation

Data innovation involves understanding unfamiliar or emerging technologies, assessing their relevance and applying them effectively, or using existing technologies in new ways, to deliver value from data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: develop a basic understanding of an unfamiliar or emerging technology, or a familiar technology in a new data context, with guidance share what you learn with colleagues, including how it could help deliver more value from data
Working	You can: experiment with unfamiliar and emerging technologies, or familiar technologies in new data contexts, with guidance share what you learn with the team, explaining potential benefits, risks, and practical considerations identify opportunities to apply technology to improve data processes or outcomes in an operational setting or the wider organisation
Practitioner	You can: test and evaluate the feasibility of unfamiliar and emerging technologies, or familiar technologies in new data contexts share what you learn with the organisation, explaining potential benefits, risks, and practical considerations recommend, design and implement innovative data solutions based on organisation objectives, user needs, and operational constraints
Expert	You can: advocate for adoption of unfamiliar and emerging technologies, or familiar technologies in new data contexts, ensuring organisation objectives, user needs, and operational constraints inform decisions develop organisational capability in data innovation through leadership anticipate future technology changes and advise how to take advantage of them to realise value from data

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data architect
• Data engineer
• Data governance manager

Data integration design

Data integration design involves designing systems, APIs and data models to enable secure and efficient interoperability across services.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: identify interoperability requirements between services and systems explain tools and techniques used to exchange data between systems and services
Working	You can: design simple data exchange or integration solutions using established patterns or modelling techniques include security features in your data integration designs
Practitioner	You can: select the most appropriate techniques for different integration scenarios evaluate and lead the implementation of integration using varied approaches that ensure security, efficiency and compliance
Expert	You can: establish cross-organisational data integration standards and design patterns guide teams in designing secure and interoperable systems and services

Roles that require this skill

• Data engineer

Data life cycle

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: understand and apply data governance over a data life cycle, ensuring best practice at each phase
Practitioner	You can: understand and apply data governance structures and principles over a data life cycle, ensuring best practice at each phase demonstrate knowledge of data governance industry standards design and implement continuous improvements to optimise data governance over a data life cycle work with internal and external stakeholders to build organisational capacity and capability in data governance
Expert	You can: take responsibility for data governance structures and principles, and ensure that they’re defined and applied with best practice throughout a data life cycle direct continuous improvements to optimise data governance over a data life cycle

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager

Data literacy improvement

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: raise awareness of the need for data literacy within the organisation support data literacy training and development by enabling data consumers to understand what they can and cannot do with data
Practitioner	You can: recommend data literacy as a valuable skill across all levels of the organisation identify employee training courses and other opportunities to improve the organisation’s data literacy skills and data-driven culture
Expert	You can: take responsibility for improving the organisation’s data literacy encourage a data-driven culture within the organisation by strengthening data literacy skills among all employees persuade senior decision-makers that data literacy is a vital part of a data-driven culture, enabling effective decision-making at all levels

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager

Data management

Data management involves the application of data governance policies, including the tools, procedures and methods that manage data access, sharing, dissemination and protection.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of data governance policies explain how data management tools, procedures and methods relate to a specific project
Working	You can: follow organisational data governance, including policies on data access, sharing, dissemination and protection participate in or deliver data management across services or products use appropriate data management tools, procedures and methods with some support
Practitioner	You can: advocate for effective data governance and data management policies and guidelines within your team and across your organisation monitor and improve data management practices in your team help define, develop and support the use of data management tools, procedures and methods in compliance with data governance policies
Expert	You can: champion and lead data management and governance processes within your team and across your organisation define and lead on the implementation of data management responsibilities define data management tools and develop training requirements to implement data governance processes effectively enable continuous improvement of data management practices and compliance with data governance policies

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst
• Data governance manager

Data maturity

Data maturity involves measuring how set up your organisation is to make the best use of its data.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain some of the different data maturity levels
Working	You can: explain the different data maturity models available measure data maturity and implement best practices describe the benefits of potential improvements
Practitioner	You can: lead the implementation of data best practices communicate opportunities to improve data maturity lead on monitoring and improving areas of data maturity
Expert	You can: oversee the implementation of the organisation’s data maturity model work with senior stakeholders to provide data assurance report assessment findings to boards or committees communicate data maturity improvement plans

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager

Data modelling

Data modelling involves producing visual representations of information systems to communicate the relationship between different data types.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: explain the concepts and principles of data modelling produce, maintain and update relevant data models for an organisation’s specific needs reverse-engineer data models from a live system
Practitioner	You can: produce relevant data models across multiple subject areas explain which models to use for which purpose understand industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards, and when to apply them compare and align different data models
Expert	You can: understand the concepts and principles of data modelling and can produce relevant data models work across government and industry, recognising opportunities for the reuse and alignment of data models in different organisations design the method to categorise data models within an organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Data architect
• Data engineer

Data modelling, cleansing and enrichment

Data modelling involves producing visual representations of information systems to communicate the relationship between different data types.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of different data models and tools, and understand when they could be used show an awareness of industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards
Working	You can: produce data models and understand where to use different types of data models understand different tools and can compare different data models reverse-engineer a data model from a live system understand industry-recognised data modelling patterns and standards
Practitioner	You can: build and review complex data models, ensuring adherence to standards use data integration tools and languages to integrate and store data, and advise teams on best practice ensure data for analysis meets data quality standards and is interoperable with other data sets, enabling reuse work with other data professionals to improve modelling and integration patterns and standards
Expert	You can: understand different ways to model data to maximise its use and value ensure data is modelled appropriately, and modelling standards exist and are complied with understand a number of data integration tools and patterns, and ensure your teams have the support and training needed to use the most appropriate methods build relationships with other senior data professionals (in fields such as data architecture, data engineering and data science) to share best practice and continually improve data modelling and integration processes and standards

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer

Data preparation and linkage

Data preparation and linkage involves cleansing, modelling, transforming and assuring the quality of data so that it is usable and reproducible.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of data models and their uses identify appropriate channels in your organisation to learn about data modelling and quality standards identify data quality issues and provide possible solutions to resolve them prepare and cleanse data under supervision, contributing to making it fit for purpose
Working	You can: support the planning of a data model based on appropriate data sources help ensure new and existing data models and pipelines can be reused or reproduced identify and resolve data quality issues prepare and cleanse data, ensuring it is fit for purpose
Practitioner	You can: plan the framework of an analytical data model based on appropriate data sources support the implementation of data models using appropriate tools and systems ensure your team understands the importance of data quality and modelling
Expert	You can: develop analytical data models using a deep understanding of data sources ensure data models are implemented using tools and systems that align with modelling standards set data quality standards in the organisation or beyond, and ensure stakeholders understand their importance mentor others in data quality and modelling

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Data risk management

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• put in place processes that identify and document risks across the organisation and embed them into wider governance processes
• make plans to deal with issues caused by different types of risks
• use risk assessments to monitor data quality and compliance and whether risks are decreasing

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• getting owners of data assets to take responsibility for risks
• helping people use risk assessment results to make decisions instead of relying on opinion
• creating an environment where risk standards, policies and processes are valued
• encouraging the organisation to use and share data whilst ensuring data is appropriately protected

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer

Data science innovation

Data science involves examining data through statistical analysis and data mining, to identify patterns and uncover insights that can inform decision-making.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: adopt an inquisitive and curious approach to data be receptive to learning about data science and its techniques be unafraid to ask questions and discover what there is to learn
Working	You can: adopt an inquisitive and curious approach to data seek out and research new data science techniques to support learning ask questions to improve your knowledge and learn about data science norms see possibilities for improvements and innovation
Practitioner	You can: demonstrate practical knowledge of data science tools and techniques develop data science solutions that maximise insight identify opportunities for how data science can improve data practices
Expert	You can: be a leader in the data science space demonstrate in-depth knowledge of data science tools and techniques, which you can use to solve problems creatively and to create opportunities for your team act as a coach, inspiring curiosity and creativity in others demonstrate in-depth knowledge of your chosen profession and keep up to date with changes in the industry challenge the status quo and always look for ways to improve data science

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist
• Machine learning engineer

Data standards

Data standards involve established practices to make it easier and more effective to share and use data across government.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: use data policies, processes and standards effectively work with subject matter experts to develop standards, policies and guidance to protect data monitor compliance with policies and standards in a team and take action if needed analyse the impact if a standard is breached
Practitioner	You can: create data standards for different subjects and ensure senior leaders understand them work with subject matter experts across the organisation to introduce data standards best practice monitor compliance with policies and standards in the organisation make recommendations about how the organisation should resolve breaches of standards
Expert	You can: create data standards for the organisation advocate for, and oversee compliance with, data policies and standards decide where standards need to be set across the organisation, and how to set them in the wider context of government

Roles that require this skill

• Data architect
• Data governance manager

Data visualisation

Data visualisation involves translating business requirements into accessible data visualisations that communicate data, such as tables, charts and graphs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: develop and use an appropriate data visualisation under supervision to tell a meaningful story that is relevant to set goals explain the value of sharing a story effectively explain why it's important to develop inclusive, accessible data visualisations that recognise different user needs
Working	You can: use the most appropriate data visualisation to tell a focussed story that is relevant to the team's goals develop inclusive, accessible data visualisations that recognise different user needs work with others in a multidisciplinary team to ensure a visualisation provides the information they need
Practitioner	You can: use a range of data visualisations to simplify a complex story adapt a story to the needs of multidisciplinary stakeholders advise and support others in developing inclusive, accessible data visualisations that recognise different user needs suggest improvements to data visualisation processes and standards to increase efficiency and quality
Expert	You can: translate business requirements into goals for data visualisations set and advocate for new standards and practices in inclusive, accessible data visualisation identify data visualisation capability gaps and implement appropriate training promote the value and adoption of data visualisations across the organisation strategically support stakeholders in understanding and using a story

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Defining and managing business needs, user needs and requirements

Defining and managing business needs, user needs and requirements involves eliciting, analysing and validating and communicating needs effectively through appropriate actionable artefacts.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: support the elicitation, analysis, validation and prioritisation of business and user needs support the definition of functional and non-functional requirements artefacts, such as problem statements, epics, features, user stories and acceptance criteria, to communicate business and user needs
Working	You can: elicit, analyse, challenge and validate business and user needs, addressing conflicts define artefacts, such as problem statements, epics, features, user stories, acceptance criteria and non-functional requirements, to communicate business and user needs manage artefacts and ensure traceability in line with a defined approach facilitate the prioritisation of needs with minimal supervision
Practitioner	You can: lead the elicitation, analysis and validation of complex or large-scale business and user needs, negotiating and addressing conflicts define and assure artefacts, such as problem statements, epics, features, user stories, acceptance criteria and non-functional requirements, to communicate business and user needs lead and define the approach to manage artefacts and ensure traceability facilitate the prioritisation of needs, aligning to strategic goals
Expert	You can: set standards for defining and managing complex or large-scale business and user needs use business and user needs to ensure proposed solutions align with organisational strategy provide guidance and recommendations to ensure needs are traceable and managed influence the prioritisation of needs, enabling tactical solutions and long-term strategic decision making

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Delivering business impact

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an understanding of the organisation and the benefits of data science develop data science products as part of a team create basic visuals and presentations to communicate data science effectively show knowledge of data and analysis and can discuss how to align them to meet user needs
Working	You can: show an understanding of the organisation and the benefits of data science collaborate to help identify user needs and develop and deliver data science products communicate effectively and present analysis and visualisations tailored to your audience
Practitioner	You can: lead and support your organisation area by using data science to create change identify opportunities to develop data science products to support organisational objectives, while collaborating across the organisation to fulfil goals show an understanding of the role of user research, and can design and manage processes to gather and establish user needs communicate relevant and compelling stories effectively and present analysis and data visualisations clearly to get across complex messages work with colleagues to implement scalable data science products, and to understand maintenance requirements
Expert	You can: champion the role of data science within the organisation understand and champion user research, and can design and manage processes to gather and establish user needs identify and create opportunities to develop and deliver data science products to support organisational objectives, while collaborating across the organisation to fulfil meaningful goals take responsibility for delivering scalable data science products into the organisation, and establishing maintenance support

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist

Delivering business impact through data

Delivering business impact through data involves identifying the priorities of the organisation, recognising the contribution of data and making decisions with data to ensure you deliver business impact.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why it's important to understand the organisation's priorities contribute to the development of data products to deliver business impact explain how to align data and analysis to meet business requirements
Working	You can: explain how your work aligns to the organisation's priorities and delivers business impact work with others to help identify business requirements identify the data needed to address business requirements develop and deliver data products that align to organisational priorities and enable decision making, with some support when required
Practitioner	You can: lead and support others in using data to deliver business impact define and communicate the scope of the business impact you deliver so the value is clear identify opportunities to develop data products that deliver business impact develop and deliver scalable data products that align to organisational priorities and enable decision making
Expert	You can: champion the role of data across the organisation strategically communicate the business impact of data across the organisation lead others in delivering, and identifying opportunities to deliver, scalable data products that align to organisational objectives partner with others, including other professions, to decide when to pivot to deliver business impact

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Design communication

Design communication involves using a variety of techniques to effectively explain and document design decisions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of clearly communicating and justifying design decisions to others describe some methods for explaining design decisions
Working	You can: clearly explain problems and design ideas to others clearly explain design decisions to others using appropriate tools and methods
Practitioner	You can: clearly explain complex problems and ideas to teams or stakeholders clearly document and communicate design decisions, related risks and any unresolved issues
Expert	You can: communicate design strategy across organisational boundaries coach others in how to effectively communicate design develop or introduce more effective methods of communicating design and working in the open

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Designing and executing tests

Designing and executing tests involves applying appropriate test types and techniques to create and run tests that align to user needs and requirements.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: contribute to deciding the most appropriate test types and techniques to use follow guidance to design, build and maintain simple tests that align to user needs and requirements execute simple tests with support explain the value of automation within testing
Working	You can: set up suitable environments with some support select appropriate test types and techniques with some support design, build, maintain and execute tests that align to user needs and requirements conduct exploratory testing research and try new test types and techniques
Practitioner	You can: set up suitable environments influence and guide the use of appropriate test types and techniques to mitigate risk early lead others in designing, building, maintaining and executing tests that align to user needs and requirements contribute to developing and implementing standards for designing and executing tests improve test types and techniques through a structured process.
Expert	You can: set standards and influence organisational decisions for test types, techniques, design and execution coach others in test types, techniques, design and execution advocate for continuous improvement and refinement of test types and techniques make strategic decisions on new or improved test types and techniques used in your area

Roles that require this skill

• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Designing for everyone

Designing for everyone involves ensuring content and services are inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of making government content and services inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable, and the value of standards and regulations explain different access needs that users can have, and ways to meet them describe potential barriers, biases and assumptions that may exclude or harm users
Working	You can: design and deliver inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable content or services that meet the needs of all users, working with others ensure your design work meets appropriate standards and guidance, for example accessibility regulations, with support
Practitioner	You can: advise teams on how to design inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable content or services design and deliver ethical content or services that consider the personal and social context of users ensure your design work meets appropriate standards, for example accessibility regulations
Expert	You can: improve the practice of inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable design in multiple teams or across your organisation against measurable criteria help others understand and mitigate potential barriers, biases and assumptions that may exclude or harm users

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Designing secure systems

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: design and review system architectures through the application of patterns and principles
Practitioner	You can: design and review system architectures through the development of patterns and principles
Expert	You can: lead design and review solutions to complex problems with system architectures by defining and challenging patterns and principles create precedents and set direction

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

Designing strategically

Designing strategically involves influencing and aligning design work to your organisation’s strategic objectives, and contributing to or embedding design patterns and practices across your organisation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of aligning to the strategy of an organisation describe how your design work aligns to the wider goals and vision of your team explain the value of using patterns and components when designing content and services
Working	You can: align your design work to both the goals and vision of your team and the strategic objectives of your organisation identify potential risks and use design to mitigate them identify opportunities and use design to take advantage of them contribute to the development of design patterns and components
Practitioner	You can: develop a strategy defining the purpose, impact and stages of your work to design content or services, aligning it with wider goals use risks, opportunities and constraints in technology, systems and policy to shape your design work identify and create new design patterns and components
Expert	You can: work with leaders to ensure that design is part of developing organisational strategy, and involved early enough in policy, technology and delivery processes to inform effective decision making enable use of patterns and components across the organisation help teams align their work to the goals and vision of their organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Designing together

Designing together involves identifying who to include in the design process and working with them effectively.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain different techniques for bringing together perspectives from multiple people to inform a design explain the importance of constructive feedback in the design process
Working	You can: effectively plan and run a design session with your team, users or stakeholders identify and engage the right people throughout the design process give and receive constructive design feedback
Practitioner	You can: advise others how to effectively plan and run design sessions with a team, users or stakeholders adapt a design session to ensure you achieve a useful outcome build consensus around a design approach, for example by challenging assumptions work across team or profession boundaries, for example with policy teams
Expert	You can: effectively plan and run design sessions that include senior leaders or stakeholders coach other designers in how to involve stakeholders of any level in the design process develop or introduce more effective ways to design together help teams connect and work across organisational boundaries

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Developing code for analysis

Developing code for analysis involves designing, implementing and improving analytical approaches, manually or via an interface.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of coding for analysis explain the value of maintaining analytical approach documentation design an analytical approach with support, for example, writing simple code
Working	You can: design the analytical approach and the code needed to address simple research questions explain the importance of testing code review and improve analytical approaches under supervision, including code produce analytical approach documentation that describes the code you wrote
Practitioner	You can: design and implement the analytical approach, including code, using appropriate standards and tests lead collaboration to review and improve analytical approaches, including shared code guide others in producing analytical approach documentation, identifying improvements
Expert	You can: oversee and promote the implementation of coding standards and practices on existing and new analytical outcomes, products and services contribute to coding standards across the organisation ensure reproducibility of code and code documentation across the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Developing data science capability

Training and capability improvement involves identifying and advocating ways to develop the skills, knowledge and performance of individuals or organisations.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of various sources of training and self-directed learning for data science create a CPD (continuous professional development) plan with support from your manager demonstrate a basic understanding of key data science techniques, such as machine learning, and how they can be used
Working	You can: manage your CPD (continuous professional development) and can link your learning to objectives and organisational goals confidently talk about the benefits of data science approaches to existing and potential customers demonstrate a good understanding of key data science techniques, such as machine learning, and you can use them to build data science solutions, including reports, models and dashboards
Practitioner	You can: manage your CPD (continuous professional development) and can link your learning to objectives and organisational goals support data science capability building across the team and wider organisation confidently talk about the benefits of data science approaches to existing and potential customers demonstrate a good understanding of a range of data science techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, and you can use them to build data science solutions, including reports, models and dashboards
Expert	You can: act as a leader or technical specialist, providing detailed support and guidance within the organisation and helping colleagues to develop skills set the direction of CPD (continuous professional development) within your team keep up to date with new developments in data science and can match those to opportunities in your organisation talk confidently about the benefits of data science approaches to existing and potential customers demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a wide range of data science techniques, such as machine learning and natural language processing, and detailed knowledge of at least one specialism use these techniques to build data science solutions, including reports, models and dashboards

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist

Development process optimisation

Process optimisation involves ensuring your processes are accurately defined and capture the most efficient way to complete a task by monitoring modified procedures.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of developing process efficiency and the common ways in which processes are optimised support specific activities to improve development processes identify obvious deficiencies
Working	You can: work under guidance to identify process optimisation opportunities contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions
Practitioner	You can: analyse current processes identify and implement opportunities to optimise processes lead and develop a team of experts to deliver service improvements help to evaluate and establish requirements for the implementation of changes by setting policy and standards
Expert	You can: set the strategy and manage resource allocation for solution development programmes work with client functions to establish business requirements and identify, propose, initiate and lead these programmes

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Software developer

Digital and data systems analysis

Digital and data systems analysis involves structured examination of digital and data technologies and infrastructures to understand them enough to enable effective decision making.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: support the analysis of functionality that systems deliver and need to deliver support the creation of system and data models and documentation work with others in a multidisciplinary team to support the identification of gaps in functionality and user experience
Working	You can: identify and analyse the functionality that systems deliver or need to deliver create system and data models and documentation with minimal supervision work with others in a multidisciplinary team to identify gaps in functionality and user experience, and their impact
Practitioner	You can: lead the analysis of functionality that systems deliver or need to deliver create, and support others in the creation of, system and data models and documentation assess the effect of system changes and share them with relevant stakeholders determine when and how you and your team work with others to identify gaps in functionality and user experience, and their impact
Expert	You can: set the direction for the analysis of systems to align to business capabilities and strategy set the direction for analysing and communicating system changes and the effect of change on stakeholders work with other technical specialists to set and iterate standards for system and data modelling and documentation

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

Enabling and informing risk-based decisions

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: work with risk owners to advise and give feedback advise on risk impact and whether it's within risk tolerance describe different risk methodologies and how these are applied, as well as the proportionality of risk
Practitioner	You can: work with higher impact or more complex risks, advising on the impact and whether it's within risk tolerance apply different risk methodologies in proportion to the risk
Expert	You can: act as a point of escalation be trusted by senior risk owners as an expert in security apply risk methodologies at the most complex levels of risk

Roles that require this skill

• Data governance manager
• Security architect

Ensuring resilience of digital, data and technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• be accountable for digital, data and technology resilience across the organisation
• advocate for the appropriate level of investment to support organisational resilience
• ensure that risks, including cyber security, privacy and compliance risks, are addressed by governance, operational processes, delivery practices and the strategic selection of suppliers

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• directing the digital, data and technology environment so the organisation can safely and securely harness innovative practices and emerging technologies
• working with the board to agree acceptable levels of information and cyber security risk, controls and mitigation strategies
• working with senior leaders to ensure that digital, data and technology is operating within organisational and external security governance frameworks

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Enterprise architecture

Enterprise architecture involves analysing how to achieve an organisation's objectives by designing and aligning its IT applications and technologies.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how to turn an organisation's goals into clear objectives explain how an architecture that defines technology, people, process and other elements can be used to achieve the organisation’s objectives
Working	You can: turn an organisation's goals into clear objectives, with limited direction design an architecture that defines the technology, people, process and other elements needed to achieve organisation objectives, with support
Practitioner	You can: design an architecture that defines the technology, people, process and other elements needed to achieve organisation objectives work with others across the organisation to ensure your design is used to achieve the organisation’s objectives
Expert	You can: lead others designing architectures defining the technology, people, process and other elements needed to achieve organisation objectives work with others beyond the organisation to influence organisational structures, technology, people and processes to achieve objectives ensure organisation-wide changes align with the architectural strategy

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect

Evaluation delivery

Evaluation delivery involves using data collection and analytical techniques to evaluate a digital product or service across the development cycle.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain when to use some evaluation techniques such as process evaluation, impact evaluation, ‘theory of change’, experimentation and economic evaluation describe some methods for collecting quantitative and qualitative data describe some analytical approaches, including descriptive and inferential analysis
Working	You can: evaluate interventions with support using techniques including process evaluation, impact evaluation, ‘theory of change’, experimentation and economic evaluation collect quantitative and qualitative data with support analyse and interpret data you have collected and data from other sources with support use some analytical approaches, including descriptive and inferential analysis
Practitioner	You can: evaluate digital services using some appropriate techniques including process evaluation, impact evaluation, ‘theory of change’, experimentation and economic evaluation collect quantitative and qualitative data analyse and interpret data you have collected and data from other sources use a wide range of analytical approaches, including descriptive and inferential analysis.
Expert	You can: provide guidance on evaluation techniques for digital services to evaluators assure the evaluation work of digital evaluator teams define best practice and methodologies for evaluation and ensure they are shared across teams coach people across the organisation to use appropriate evaluation techniques

Roles that require this skill

• Digital evaluator

Evaluation planning and strategy

Evaluation planning and strategy involves working with stakeholders to develop plans for monitoring and evaluating products and services, and gaining support for effective evaluation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe how you might work with a stakeholder to understand what they need to evaluate and why describe a process for translating stakeholder needs into potential research questions and evaluation approaches describe some methods for monitoring and evaluating a product or service
Working	You can: work with stakeholders to understand their needs translate stakeholder needs into potential research questions and evaluation approaches present options for monitoring and evaluation of products and services influence decisions on evaluation plans with support
Practitioner	You can: influence stakeholders to secure resources for an evaluation project identify evaluation and evidence needs ensure plans for monitoring and evaluation of products and services are appropriate and proportionate consider wider policy and practical constraints that affect evaluation strategy agree the evaluation approach with diverse stakeholders
Expert	You can: influence the organisation’s senior stakeholders to secure resources for evaluation projects provide guidance on the evaluation strategy for a group of digital products and services ensure evaluation plans are delivered effectively and meet quality standards coach teams on how to create evaluation and plans and strategies

Roles that require this skill

• Digital evaluator

Evidence-based design

Evidence-based design involves defining hypotheses and using qualitative evidence (such as insights from user research) and quantitative evidence (such as web analytics and management information) to inform design decisions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how quantitative and qualitative evidence inform user-centred design frame your ideas as design hypotheses to be tested identify common sources and types of data that inform user-centred design, such as web analytics and user interviews
Working	You can: work with researchers and analysts to draw together, analyse and clearly explain commonly available evidence relevant to users or a service, for example, web analytics data use evidence to inform, develop and test a design idea, with support
Practitioner	You can: independently find, analyse and synthesise evidence from trusted sources work collaboratively with researchers, analysts and other specialists to design appropriate research and analyse the results help your team use design hypotheses effectively use complex research and data to develop and test design ideas
Expert	You can: embed a practice of hypothesis-driven design in a team guide the organisation in how to use evidence to improve content or services analyse, synthesise and use evidence to improve the way the organisation works ensure user insights are shared with and used by the wider organisation and across government

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Financial decision making for technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• assess the full financial implication of a technology buying decision
• advise on the appropriate funding of shared technologies so that the cost is shared now and in future
• guide decision making on appropriate approaches for buying technology, services and human resources so that technology investments achieve organisational goals

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• explaining financial implications of purchasing technology, particularly where the full lifetime cost is unpredictable
• prioritising spending by balancing immediate problems with future uncertainties
• gaining support for your recommendations by explaining your decisions to finance, risk, and commercial colleagues at board level

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief technology officer

Financial management

Financial management involves planning, organising and monitoring financial resources.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand the financial impact of the work you do and how cost and budgets are created
Working	You can: balance cost versus value consider the impact of user needs report on financial delivery monitor cost and budget understand how and when to escalate issues
Practitioner	You can: negotiate, influence or set budgets in complex environments write or input into business cases and can communicate business-value propositions
Expert	You can: influence or create complex budgets across an organisation, programme or product view manage the budget you are given and make it work

Roles that require this skill

• Delivery manager
• Programme delivery manager

Financial management for digital, data and technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• own, manage and optimise budgets across digital, data and technology
• secure appropriate investment to deliver organisational strategy and priorities
• negotiate investments in shared technologies across the organisation and across government

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• prioritising competing demands for investment in people, infrastructure and innovation across digital, data and technology to maximise value
• identifying risk to critical services and influencing stakeholders to increase investment to ensure they are maintained
• balancing short-term tactical gains with longer-term strategies to ensure value now and in the future

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Financial ownership

Financial ownership involves securing funding and prioritising how it is spent to ensure quality and value for money.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain what is important when deciding how to allocate money explain what is important to include in a business case, and why it is important explain the value of supplier relationships in relation to financial ownership
Working	You can: contribute to a business case that provides sustainable funding communicate how you make a decision, balancing quality outcomes and value for money support conversations on how money is allocated support relationships with suppliers identify financial and commercial risk, with support
Practitioner	You can: develop a business case that provides sustainable funding recommend how money is allocated across competing priorities support the management of contracts develop and grow relationships with suppliers to increase quality and good value outcomes identify financial and commercial risk and escalate it when required
Expert	You can: ensure a business case is in place that provides sustainable funding identify measurable benefits that represent good value for money allocate money and make spending decisions across competing priorities enhance and own relationships with suppliers to increase quality and deliver good value outcomes act as an escalation point and work with stakeholders to manage financial and commercial risk

Roles that require this skill

• Service owner

Governance and assurance

Governance and assurance involves ensuring appropriate and proportionate governance and assurance is in place to support delivery.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why governance and assurance is important follow governance and assurance processes, under supervision
Working	You can: explain how governance and assurance works follow appropriate governance and assurance processes contribute to deciding what governance and assurance is required for a product or service
Practitioner	You can: develop appropriate governance and assurance processes identify and recommend improvements to governance and assurance processes support others in following or applying governance and assurance processes
Expert	You can: ensure appropriate and proportionate governance and assurance is in place and is continuously improved, aligned to organisational and government needs guide teams through governance and assurance processes, such as service assessments, to ensure standards are met share the team's governance and assurance processes so stakeholders trust them to deliver value in a sustainable way

Roles that require this skill

• Digital portfolio manager
• Network architect
• Service owner

Governance and assurance (accessibility)

Governance and assurance involves defining and ensuring adherence to an organisation's quality control and compliance processes.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: analyse and provide feedback on governance and project documents, and on governance boards, according to a predefined framework, assessing them against accessibility standards
Practitioner	You can: challenge teams, make full use of existing arrangements and build strong relationships to reduce or remove risk associated with not meeting accessibility standards
Expert	You can: analyse governance and assurance systems and add appropriate measures to ensure accessibility is built into all project, programme and change activity

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist

Incident management

Incident management involves coordinating the response to incident reports, ensuring effective prioritisation, investigation and resolution.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: identify and register incidents, gathering the required information and allocating it to the appropriate channel
Working	You can: diagnose and prioritise incidents, investigate their causes and find resolutions
Practitioner	You can: lead the investigation and resolution of incidents
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• Problem manager
• Service transition manager

Inclusive research

Inclusion involves including everyone to incorporate disparate views and requirements, whether developing products and services or internal policies.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: demonstrate some awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone
Working	You can: understand the diversity of users of government services and the need to make services usable and accessible for everyone work with colleagues to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities
Practitioner	You can: help teams understand the diversity of users of government services effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users
Expert	You can: help organisations understand the diversity of users of government services guide organisations to adopt inclusive practices and apply what they learn to design and deliver accessible services that work for all users

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

Information security

Information security involves maintaining the security, confidentiality and integrity of information.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain information security and the security controls available to protect solutions and services
Working	You can: use information security practices and available security controls to contribute to protecting solutions and services
Practitioner	You can: design solutions and services with security controls included, specifically engineered to mitigate security threats
Expert	You can: design, review and quality assure solutions and services, ensuring that they are specifically engineered to mitigate security threats lead others in using appropriate information security practices

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Infrastructure engineer
• Software developer

Innovation in digital, data and technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• detect and analyse early trends in society, technology, data or cyber security that could be important for your organisation
• advise the organisation on the implications of societal changes, new technologies and uses of data, such as ethical, security or legal implications
• support teams to identify and implement innovation that responds to and scales with a continually changing landscape
• introduce technologies and methods that address shared problems

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• building trust and credibility with stakeholders by demonstrating the relevance of new technologies or methods to address organisational challenges
• helping people at all levels of your organisation understand the potential benefits and risks of changes
• persuading other leaders to support and invest in innovation

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer
• Chief digital and information officer
• Chief information security officer
• Chief technology officer

IT infrastructure

IT infrastructure involves ensuring systems and processes are available, adaptable, reliable and secure.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: support infrastructure solutions and services, and other computer, storage, networking, physical infrastructure, software, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and open source packages and solutions support virtual and cloud computing, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS)
Working	You can: build, configure, administer and support infrastructure solutions and services, for example, networking and physical infrastructure, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, open source packages and solutions, or virtual and cloud computing
Practitioner	You can: design and implement infrastructure solutions and services, for example, networking and physical infrastructure, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, open source packages and solutions, or virtual and cloud computing
Expert	You can: lead teams and departments in the design, implementation, administration and support of infrastructure solutions and services

Roles that require this skill

• Infrastructure engineer
• Network architect

IT service reporting

IT service reporting involves analysing data to understand how an IT product or service has performed against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: collate data from data repositories and provide basic reporting explain what a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is and why it is important
Working	You can: produce relevant reports in an appropriate format and agreed timeframe work with stakeholders to discuss any changes in the reporting processes interpret a data set and communicate this to others
Practitioner	You can: use data analytics skills to make decisions that enhance business performance
Expert	You can: use prediction methodologies to produce and maintain a holistic view of important trends across multiple processes.

Roles that require this skill

• End user computing engineer
• IT service manager
• Service desk manager

Iterative design

Iterative design involves continuously testing hypotheses, using techniques such as creating prototypes (for example sketching journey flows, drafting content, mocking up screens, or building realistic journeys in code).

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the basics of iterative ways of working used in design, such as agile explain how iteration supports user-centred design describe ways to test design ideas at different levels of detail and realism, and when to use them
Working	You can: apply iterative design principles and techniques and agile methodologies to your work create material to test ideas and hypotheses at an appropriate fidelity, for example mockups or drafts iterate and improve a design based on successive rounds of research use and iterate design patterns and components
Practitioner	You can: help other designers apply iterative design principles and agile methodologies to their work and create materials to test their ideas adapt designs effectively to changes in requirements, priorities or user needs help your team to define a minimum viable product (MVP) and determine what to prioritise for iteration
Expert	You can: embed the practice of iterative design and agile working in teams or wider organisation guide designers in creating materials to test complex ideas at any fidelity help teams adapt quickly to changes in requirements, priorities or user needs iterate delivery processes or team structures to help teams work effectively

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Leadership and guidance

Leadership and guidance involves providing effective leadership and management through team motivation, decision making, risk management, mediation and professional development

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show commitment to agreed good practice for the team, teaching new starters and challenging substandard work by peers recommend decisions and describe the reasoning behind them identify and articulate technical disputes between direct peers and local stakeholders show an understanding of the importance of team dynamics, collaboration and feedback
Working	You can: contribute to best practice guidelines understand the sustainability and consequences of your decisions and can make decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, taking into account all views and opinions
Practitioner	You can: make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase build consensus between services or independent stakeholders identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them engage in varying types of feedback, choosing the right type at the appropriate time and ensuring the discussion and decision stick bring people together to form a motivated team and help create the right environment for a team to work in facilitate the best team makeup depending on the situation
Expert	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on the strategy for the whole organisation, marrying business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist

Leadership and guidance (frontend developer)

Leadership and guidance involves providing effective leadership and management through team motivation, decision making, risk management, mediation and professional development

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: follow agreed good practice for the team show an awareness of the importance of team dynamics and collaboration understand the importance of feedback
Working	You can: understand the impact of decisions make decisions characterised by different levels of risk and complexity resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, taking into account all views and opinions
Practitioner	You can: make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity, and can recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase contribute to best practice guidelines
Expert	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on the strategy for the whole organisation, marrying business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent stakeholders solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Leading design

Leading design involves supporting designers, coordinating design work and improving design maturity in your organisation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the role of user-centred design in an organisation describe typical leadership responsibilities in design identify leaders in your organisation that designers need to work with
Working	You can: lead and coordinate design work in your team, with support communicate the value of user-centred design to your team or others in your organisation support other designers work with digital and data leaders in your organisation, when needed
Practitioner	You can: lead and coordinate design work for a team advocate for user-centred design with leaders outside of digital and data create an inclusive, productive environment for designers to work in mentor and coach other designers iterate and improve design processes within your team
Expert	You can: set a vision for and lead design across multiple teams or a whole organisation work effectively with senior leaders across your organisation or wider public sector support a culture of learning and experimentation in your organisation iterate and measurably improve design maturity within your organisation and its partners

Roles that require this skill

• Content designer
• Graphic designer
• Interaction designer
• Service designer

Leading digital products and services

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• work with all business areas to define the problems that need to be solved
• ensure roadmaps meet organisational strategic aims and that responsibility for delivery of the roadmap is shared appropriately across business areas
• decide when to manage, maintain or evolve products and services to deliver organisational outcomes and support seamless user journeys

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• partnering with senior leaders to determine how potential blockers in roadmaps will be managed
• managing expectations on what the organisation has the capacity to deliver and pushing back when needed
• directing and agreeing resource, guidance and investment to ensure opportunities for innovation are acted upon, and live products and services are continuously developed

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Leading performance and benefits

Leading performance and benefits involves using appropriate measures, metrics, data and insights to ensure the delivery of valuable outcomes and business benefits.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why it's important to manage performance and benefits describe data and metrics that are valuable in informing day-to-day service actions and decisions
Working	You can: contribute to putting measures in place to deliver valuable outcomes to users and traceable business benefits use data and metrics to inform day-to-day service actions and decisions
Practitioner	You can: put measures in place to ensure the delivery of valuable outcomes to users and traceable business benefits use data and metrics to actively monitor, manage and prioritise service delivery and inform decision making identify and share appropriate data and insights with specific stakeholders
Expert	You can: ensure appropriate measures are in place to deliver valuable outcomes to users and agreed business benefits ensure metrics are used to monitor, manage and prioritise delivery and inform decision making demonstrate the value of the service and build understanding with stakeholders by ensuring effective data and insights are shared

Roles that require this skill

• Service owner

Life cycle management

Life cycle management involves deciding what to do at different phases of the life cycle, including discovery, alpha, beta, live and retirement, and if it's the right time to move to a different phase.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain what each phase of the product or service life cycle is for explain how the needs of the product or service vary across phases of the life cycle, and how a team responds to them
Working	You can: manage the delivery of products and services that add value through different phases of the life cycle, with some support identify if the product or service should move to the next phase and, if it should, how to do this ensure the product or service is developed in line with the appropriate service standards for a phase use new information to adapt approaches to life cycle management
Practitioner	You can: work and consult with the right people at the right time to move through the life cycle and deliver value use evidence to decide when a team should continue, change direction or stop identify tools and techniques required at different phases of the life cycle guide colleagues and stakeholders through different phases of the life cycle
Expert	You can: lead and coach teams through different phases of the life cycle ensure effective support for the product or service and its users predict, prevent, mitigate and manage potential risks at different phases of the life cycle contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support

Roles that require this skill

• Delivery manager
• Product manager
• Programme delivery manager
• Service owner

Maintaining delivery momentum

Delivery management involves improving the speed and efficiency with which products and services are developed.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: actively address internal risks and issues and know when to escalate them set the team cadence and tempo, ensuring it is sustainable track, manage, escalate and communicate dependencies actively remove or minimise risks, issues or dependencies where possible understand how the risks, issues or dependencies impact the work of a team
Practitioner	You can: facilitate the delivery flow of a team, managing the pace and tempo actively address internal and external risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team
Expert	You can: optimise the delivery flow of teams actively address the most complicated risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team or no clear ownership exists identify innovative ways to unblock issues

Roles that require this skill

• Delivery manager
• Programme delivery manager

Making a process work

Process optimisation involves ensuring your processes are accurately defined and capture the most efficient way to complete a task by monitoring modified procedures.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: guide teams to focus on the output rather than the process help the team to find a process that works for them support teams in establishing a process
Practitioner	This skill level is currently not defined.
Expert	You can: identify and challenge organisational processes of increasing complexity and those processes that are unnecessarily complicated add value and can coach the organisation to inspect and adapt processes guide teams through the implementation of a new process

Roles that require this skill

• Agile coach
• Delivery manager
• Programme delivery manager

Making and guiding decisions

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: recommend decisions and describe the reasoning behind them identify and articulate technical disputes between direct peers and local stakeholders
Working	You can: make decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity, and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, considering all views and opinions
Practitioner	You can: make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity, and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase build consensus between services or independent stakeholders
Expert	You can: make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders

Roles that require this skill

• Business architect

Making architectural decisions

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the reasoning behind architectural design decisions gather information to inform decisions understand architectural governance and assurance relevant to your work
Working	You can: work with others to make architectural design decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity identify and address architectural risks relevant to your team or domain, for example, business, data, or security engage with architectural governance and assurance to effectively manage decisions and risks, with support
Practitioner	You can: make and guide architectural design decisions characterised by medium risk and complexity identify and address architectural risks that affect multiple teams or domains use architectural governance and assurance to make design decisions and manage technical risks at the appropriate level contribute to the development of architectural governance and assurance
Expert	You can: make and guide architectural design decisions characterised by high levels of risk and complexity identify and address architectural risks across the organisation or wider government lead and evolve architectural governance and assurance represent architectural governance as part of wider governance, for example, legal or commercial

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Making strategic performance-led change

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• partner with other business areas to set the metrics needed to measure progress towards organisational objectives
• monitor performance, recognising when to change direction of the organisation
• work with your partners to decide and deliver people, process and technology changes based on performance data

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• sharing performance indicators that are important for digital, data and technology with senior leaders in a way that influences metrics across the organisation
• translating performance insights into required change and negotiating with senior leaders to see this change through
• communicating performance-led insights and recommendations to the board that identify opportunities, highlight risks and show progress

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Managing a data project

Managing a data project involves understanding, planning and implementing the stages of a data project to solve a problem or design and improve a service.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand a problem statement and explain the intended outcome of a data project explain the importance of data in solving a problem explain why it's important to adapt your ways of working to deliver different project outcomes and requirements
Working	You can: contribute to defining problem statements and gathering project requirements explain the importance of different processes and stages of the data project life cycle and contribute to their planning adapt your ways of working to deliver different project outcomes and requirements
Practitioner	You can: identify and define a problem statement apply and share project management methodologies, including tools and techniques plan and implement different stages of the data project life cycle communicate progress of data projects with stakeholders adapt teams' ways of working to deliver different project outcomes and requirements
Expert	You can: advise on problem statement development, ensuring standards are met oversee and advise on the planning and implementation of the project life cycle on varied data projects share good practice in adapting teams' ways of working to deliver project outcomes lead and develop stakeholder relationships for your team's data projects

Roles that require this skill

• Data analyst

Managing decisions and risks

Managing decisions and risks involves using risk-based approaches to make decisions, resolve challenges and guide others through complexity.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is not defined.
Working	You can: identify technical disputes and describe them in ways that are relevant both to direct peers and to local stakeholders generate multiple solutions to a problem and test them work collaboratively while recommending decisions and the reasoning behind them
Practitioner	You can: work with consequential or complex risks build consensus between services or independent stakeholders lead others to make good design decisions apply different risk methodologies in proportion to the risk
Expert	You can: make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders be trusted by senior risk owners as an expert in security apply risk methodologies at the most complex levels of risk guide others in applying risk methodologies in proportion to the risk

Roles that require this skill

• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist

Managing product outcomes

Managing product outcomes involves working with teams to identify key performance indicators and developing methods to ensure that value is achieved through your product, linking to the product vision and strategic goals.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of identifying and measuring product outcomes explain the need for baseline data identify and explain the priority outcomes for your product or feature
Working	You can: work with others to define key performance indicators that assess performance, value and outcomes analyse and use trusted data to make decisions and enable continuous improvement be open about your decision making identify and explain success metrics to your stakeholders and how the product can contribute to outcomes
Practitioner	You can: lead product teams to create effective methods for measuring product outcomes advocate for data-driven decision making help others prioritise to make better choices use data to drive continuous improvement, increasing quality and user experience identify opportunities to share and connect product data
Expert	You can: use data to make prioritisation decisions for multiple or complex projects, products or services use data to influence priorities of senior stakeholders guide and challenge teams to make better use of data guide and challenge teams to demonstrate achievement of outcomes identify opportunities to share and connect product data across government

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager

Managing, reporting and resolving defects

Managing, reporting and resolving defects involves reporting progress, outcomes and issues, whilst contributing to improving defect management processes.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how to report and track defects follow a defect management process to report, communicate and maintain defects with appropriate information retest and escalate defects when needed
Working	You can: collaborate with others to create a defect management process to report, communicate and resolve defects, with support critically assess dependencies, defects and risks, with support contribute to mitigation and contingency plans clearly communicate risks and the impact of defects to stakeholders
Practitioner	You can: contribute to developing standards for defect management processes manage and escalate dependencies, defects and risks across teams contribute to mitigation and contingency plans across teams use defect patterns and trends to make recommendations on testing and quality approaches, with support manage stakeholder expectations and communications during defect resolution
Expert	You can: lead and coach others in improving test and defect management processes support others in assessing complex and challenging defects across the organisation lead and coach others in using defect patterns and trends to make tactical and strategic recommendations influence improvements to quality processes, informed by defect patterns and trends

Roles that require this skill

• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Metadata management

Metadata management involves establishing policies and processes that ensure data can be accessed across an organisation.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain what metadata is maintain the information stored in metadata repositories under the direction of others
Working	You can: use metadata repositories to complete complex tasks such as data and systems integration impact analysis maintain a metadata repository to ensure information remains accurate and up to date
Practitioner	You can: design an appropriate metadata repository suggest changes to improve current metadata repositories understand a range of tools for storing and working with metadata advise less experienced members of the team about metadata management
Expert	You can: identify how metadata repositories can support different areas of the organisation communicate the value of metadata repositories set up robust governance processes to keep repositories up to date

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data architect
• Data engineer

Methods and tools

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: follow advice to apply the most appropriate tools and techniques to support the planning, analysis, development, testing, implementation and improvement of systems and services
Working	You can: select and use the most appropriate tools and techniques to support the planning, analysis, development, testing, implementation and improvement of systems and services within a project
Practitioner	You can: build capability in methods and tools, ensuring they are adopted consistently and used effectively
Expert	You can: set direction and give others the means and authority to advise on the best methodologies and tools for the work, ensuring they are adopted consistently assess the effectiveness of different approaches (such as Agile or plan-driven) and recommend tools to support organisational collaboration and build capability

Roles that require this skill

• Business architect

Modern development standards

Modern development standards involves using the latest technologies and best practices to improve the quality of the software development process.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of using modern development standards
Working	You can: explain the most important principles of modern development standards and how they apply to your work apply modern development standards principles under guidance
Practitioner	You can: apply modern development standards and support others in applying them
Expert	You can: identify and apply modern development standards to support complex projects and programmes lead others in applying modern development standards

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Frontend developer
• Infrastructure engineer
• Software developer

Monitoring and evaluation across the product life cycle

Monitoring and evaluation across the product life cycle involves effectively integrating evaluation activities into different stages of the delivery process.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe how evaluation needs and activities vary at different phases of the product life cycle
Working	You can: ensure the team is measuring performance as appropriate for the relevant service standard phase manage the delivery of evaluation of services or products at different phases plan and look at data requirements in future phases
Practitioner	You can: apply monitoring and evaluation techniques in multiple parts of the product life cycle recommend when to move forward and when to stop work with other Agile delivery disciplines throughout the product life cycle plan and proactively engage with stakeholders at the appropriate stage of the project
Expert	You can: lead and champion best practice, and identify improvements to current approaches for monitoring and evaluation through the product life cycle identify and raise evaluation or product risks during any stage of the product life cycle coach, guide and support teams moving through the product life cycle phases

Roles that require this skill

• Digital evaluator

Operational management

Operational management involves ensuring the operational processes of a product or service are effective and robust.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the operational processes of running and maintaining a product or service fix operational issues, under supervision
Working	You can: contribute to the design of operational processes for the running and maintenance of products and services identify and share opportunities for improvements to operational processes fix operational issues, with some support
Practitioner	You can: design operational processes for throughout the service life cycle redesign and amend existing operational processes fix complex operational issues act as an escalation point for operational issues work closely with operational delivery teams
Expert	You can: ensure a scalable operating model is in place to provide a resilient, high quality service coordinate teams from operations, policy, digital and delivery to operate and iterate a service ensure teams understand the importance of efficient service operations identify and overcome operational constraints act as the escalation point for major operational issues

Roles that require this skill

• Service owner

Optimising technology and data architecture

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• ensure that technology and data architecture optimises how the organisation delivers outcomes
• oversee the development and performance of technology and data standards to support the changing landscape whilst ensuring inclusivity, security and ethical practices
• ensure interoperability in technology and data to support organisational and cross-government delivery

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• increasing the board’s understanding of the technology and data architecture needed to make use of emerging technologies in the changing digital, data and technology landscape
• providing thought leadership and building partnerships in cross-government and external networks to increase and support interoperability
• setting the agenda for reusability and sustainability in digital, data and technology

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Ownership and initiative

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of problem resolution processes pass problems on to your team
Working	You can: own an issue until a new owner has been found or the problem has been mitigated or resolved
Practitioner	You can: take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems achieve excellent user outcomes
Expert	You can: lead and embed best practice for identifying opportunities and solving problems across teams coach others to take accountability, act proactively and consistently achieve excellent outcomes

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Performance measurement

Performance measurement involves collecting and interpreting data to identify how a team, product or service is performing.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of performance measurement and business objectives
Working	You can: participate in discussions determining which performance measurements are appropriate, with guidance from more experienced colleagues demonstrate experience in turning business needs and goals into performance measures
Practitioner	You can: lead the development of performance measurement frameworks including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) demonstrate a deep understanding of business goals and can turn these into tangible performance measures
Expert	You can: oversee the development and consistency of performance measurement frameworks across multiple projects ensure that these frameworks are aligned to business needs and strategy

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst

Planning

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand the importance of planning and forecasting show an awareness of the different ways to develop a plan
Working	This skill level is currently not defined.
Practitioner	You can: understand the environment and prioritise the most important or high value tasks use data to inform planning manage complex internal and external dependencies provide delivery confidence remove blockers or impediments that affect plans and can develop a plan for difficult situations ensure that teams plan appropriately for their capacity
Expert	You can: lead a continual planning process in a very complex environment plan beyond product delivery identify dependencies in plans across services and co-ordinate delivery coach other teams as the central point of expertise

Roles that require this skill

• Delivery manager
• Digital portfolio manager
• Programme delivery manager

Problem definition and shaping

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the strategic context of your work and why it is important collect information that helps with understanding organisational problems use architectural representations produced by others, such as a problem definition statement, to support a team
Working	You can: help to frame a problem characterised by managed levels of complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created help to create options for solving problems at an appropriate level of detail
Practitioner	You can: frame a problem characterised by medium complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created produce architectural representations that enable different teams to have a shared understanding of problems throughout the life cycle describe options for solving problems so that appropriate delivery methods can be decided
Expert	You can: lead the framing of a problem characterised by high complexity, complication, or risk so that a solution can be created coach others in defining problems and describing appropriate options for solutions help others challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities when defining problems and solution options

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect

Problem management

Problem management involves anticipating and identifying problems in systems, processes or services, and ensuring appropriate solutions are implemented.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: investigate problems in systems, processes and services, with an understanding of the level of a problem, for example, strategic, tactical or operational contribute to the implementation of remedies and preventative measures
Working	You can: initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems effectively consult specialists where required determine the appropriate resolution and assist with its implementation determine preventative measures
Practitioner	You can: ensure that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems co-ordinate the team to investigate problems, implement solutions and take preventive measures
Expert	You can: anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time understand how a problem fits into the larger picture identify and describe problems, and help others to describe them build problem-solving capabilities in others

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Application operations engineer
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist
• Data architect
• Data engineer
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Product and service monitoring

Product and service monitoring involves developing a theory of change and measurement frameworks to understand effects of services on the user and the economy.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe what a ‘theory of change’ is identify some appropriate stakeholders to involve in developing a theory of change describe common issues when measuring performance indicators explain the difference between analysis of digital performance and broader monitoring of a product, for example against strategic objectives
Working	You can: develop a ‘theory of change’ for product or services through discussion with stakeholders, with support identify and present options for measuring indicators to stakeholders turn some identified theory of change indicators into measurement frameworks for a digital service support the development of a performance dashboard
Practitioner	You can: develop a ‘theory of change’ for product or services through discussion with stakeholders turn theory of change indicators into measurement frameworks for a digital service work with performance analysts to develop a performance dashboard reporting service analytics and other identified indicators
Expert	You can: get support from senior stakeholders for the need to develop theories of change provide guidance on how to develop theories of change define best practice and methodologies for measuring indicators, including economic outcomes, and communicating limitations

Roles that require this skill

• Digital evaluator

Product leadership

Product leadership involves advocating for product management, encouraging a user-focussed, product-led approach and contributing to a self-sustaining product community.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe how product management works with other roles in a multi-disciplinary team explain how user and business needs should be balanced in product development attend product management community activities
Working	You can: advocate for your product and a product-led approach seek opportunities for reuse and learning in your area protect the team, for example, from unnecessary distractions or requests to change direction consult and mediate with stakeholders participate in product management community activities
Practitioner	You can: seek opportunities for reuse and learning across your organisation represent product management in your area in conversations with senior stakeholders protect teams, for example, from unnecessary distractions and requests to change direction coach and manage others in product management lead some product management community activities and participate in cross-government communities
Expert	You can: seek opportunities for reuse and learning across government co-ordinate the product management community lead on coaching and mentoring for product management in your organisation lead some activities in cross-government communities, establishing and maintaining wider relationships across the profession represent product management in your organisation in conversations with senior stakeholders

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager

Product management

Product management involves making sure that products provide value and drive the right outcomes, whilst balancing user and business needs. This is achieved by working with other professions in your team to frame the problem and make decisions on priorities for your delivery teams.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the value of using a product management approach to provide value and drive the right outcomes
Working	You can: create and prioritise actionable goals for your teams, balancing user needs and business perspectives make or recommend an evidence-based decision using insight and data use a range of product management methods, for example, prioritisation and roadmapping work with others in multidisciplinary teams to plan and deliver high-quality product increments
Practitioner	You can: work with your team to investigate and validate what adds value now and what could add value in future create a prioritised roadmap and use it to discuss your product strategy with stakeholders address uncertainty while managing scope, ensuring critical deadlines are met and value delivered recommend a range of product management methods work in the open and share your work
Expert	You can: set the strategy and vision for your products, collaborating with others create a prioritised roadmap for your products and use it to discuss product strategy at all levels plan prioritised work across multiple teams, minimising dependencies and risks support multiple teams in delivering quality outcomes in the right way coach and mentor others in product management

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager

Programming and build (data and analytics engineering)

Programming and build (data analytics and engineering) involves working with code across the software development life cycle, following modern development standards and practices, test automation, build pipelines and repeatable deployment processes, to implement secure, maintainable software solutions.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: develop code under supervision using simple tools and languages explain the value of development standards
Working	You can: design, code, test and deploy programs or scripts following standards and good practice write readable, maintainable code use automation to improve the software development life cycle consider and adopt appropriate security measures in your solutions
Practitioner	You can: lead the design, code, testing and deployment of secure, resilient and maintainable solutions continuously improve the codebase and reliability of solutions create automation to improve the software development life cycle work with others to implement standards and good practice to ensure security, testability and maintainability of solutions
Expert	You can: set standards for programming tools and techniques select appropriate development methods for a problem advise on the application of standards and methods that ensure security, maintainability and compliance take technical responsibility for all stages of a software development project, providing technical advice and guidance to stakeholders

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data engineer

Programming and build (data science)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show a basic understanding of software development principles and can write simple scripts under supervision
Working	You can: write and test scripts and create basic models in one or more languages collaborate on shared codebases, using a variety of methodologies
Practitioner	You can: write moderate to complex programs and scripts show a good understanding of testing methodologies and how to deploy code
Expert	You can: write complex programs and scripts seek to make code open source where appropriate supervise junior analysts and set coding standards for your team understand software architecture and how to write efficient, optimised code perform user testing on products prior to launch

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist

Programming and build (frontend developer)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: design, code, test, correct and document simple user interfaces using the right standards and tools under the direction of others
Working	You can: collaborate with others to understand and review software requirements design, code, test, correct and document user interfaces using the right standards and tools under the direction of others
Practitioner	You can: collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications use the agreed specifications to build, test and document user interfaces of medium to high complexity, using the right standards and tools
Expert	You can: advise on the right way to apply standards and methods to ensure compliance provide technical advice to stakeholders and set team-based standards for programming tools and techniques collaborate with others when required to review specifications use specifications to build, test and document user interfaces of high complexity, using the appropriate standards and tools

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Programming and build (software engineering)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand the process of software development and have a basic knowledge of how services are built
Working	You can: design, code, test, correct and document simple programs or scripts under the direction of others
Practitioner	You can: collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools
Expert	You can: advise on the right way to apply standards and methods to ensure compliance maintain technical responsibility for all the stages and iterations of a software development project provide technical advice to stakeholders and set the team-based standards for programming tools and techniques

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Machine learning engineer
• Software developer

Prototyping

Prototyping a service or product involves exploring, testing and sharing different concepts before committing to the final design.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain what prototyping is, and why and when to use it understand how to work in an open and collaborative environment (by pair working, for example)
Working	You can: understand when to use a specific prototyping technique or method show the value of prototyping to your team
Practitioner	You can: approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others establish design patterns and iterate them use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate
Expert	You can: use a variety of prototyping methods share best practice and coach others look at strategic service design end to end

Roles that require this skill

• Content strategist
• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Frontend developer
• Software developer
• Technical writer

Quality assurance of data and analysis

Quality assurance of data and analysis involves sorting and cleansing information so that any conclusions based on it can be made with confidence.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe some basic data issues and how to check that data and analysis look right explain the concept of data being fit for purpose, and the context of the data describe some methods for preparing data for analysis describe quality assurance processes
Working	You can: identify appropriate ways to collect, collate and prepare data decide if data and analysis is accurate and fit for purpose perform data preparation and cleansing with limited guidance undertake quality assurance processes peer-review colleagues’ outputs from data analysis to ensure quality
Practitioner	You can: set up a system to get data ready for use specify how data should be cleansed and prepared bring data together from different sources communicate the limitations of data
Expert	You can: set up tools and systems for effectively assuring data and analysis across multiple teams use appropriate approaches for verifying and validating data and analysis influence senior stakeholders over data and analysis approaches coach and mentor others in assuring data and analysis

Roles that require this skill

• Digital evaluator
• Performance analyst

Research and innovation

Keeping actively informed of industry developments to make creative and cost-effective use of emerging technologies and tools, aligned with business goals and user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: advise on developments to security properties in technology identify new technologies and design their use in a business context
Practitioner	You can: contribute to and inform developments on security properties in technology identify new technologies and design the use of these in the business context across the organisation engage with the broader security community
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

Research management, leadership and assurance

Leadership and guidance involves providing effective leadership and management through team motivation, decision making, risk management, mediation and professional development

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research
Working	You can: ensure research has a clearly defined scope and purpose get advice or support from someone more experienced when you need help to ensure research is defined before it starts build your understanding of good practice standards for user research improve your practice through reflection and feedback
Practitioner	You can: evaluate the quality of research against accepted professional standards for user research explain what good user research practice involves give constructive feedback to other user researchers to ensure work meets good practice standards
Expert	You can: establish and align user research programmes and teams to meet organisational goals synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform the organisation’s roadmap set and assure good practice user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding assure user research quality across the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

Security architecture

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• ensure the organisation’s technical architecture is appropriately resilient to cyber threats and attacks and has appropriate recovery mechanisms
• oversee the use of processes, tools, platforms and other practices needed to effectively implement secure technical architecture
• ensure your supply chain is managing cyber risk based on the level of risk your organisation accepts

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• educating senior leaders on the importance of security in the development of services and products
• deciding when exceptions to security policy and processes are allowed
• getting support for investment to ensure appropriate security in the organisation’s supply chain

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Security technology

Security technology involves understanding security architectures and identifying vulnerabilities to prevent and respond to cyber breaches.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe some security architectures explain why security technology is important
Working	You can: explain the effect of vulnerabilities on current and future designs share information on a range of systems, but may specialise in one
Practitioner	This skill level is currently not defined.
Expert	You can: explain complex system architectures identify and explain how easy or difficult it will be to exploit vulnerabilities lead and influence security technology in the security industry

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

Service focus

Service focus involves overseeing the whole service life cycle, including the design, development, deployment and operation of a service.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of different products and services
Working	You can: take inputs and establish coherent frameworks that work
Practitioner	You can: see the bigger picture by taking groups of services and investigating how to get the best of underlying services
Expert	You can: maintain focus on the entire life cycle of the service and ensure it’s at the forefront of readiness activities understand and communicate service benefits to end users ensure that service focus is championed within your team and actively recommend its adoption

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Service management framework knowledge

IT service management involves identifying, prioritising and implementing IT services, ensuring the organisation gets maximum value for money.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show you have a Level 3 service management framework qualification
Working	You can: show you have a Level 3 service management framework qualification demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
Practitioner	You can: show you have an expert certificate in the service management framework qualification
Expert	You can: show you have an expert certificate in the service management framework qualification demonstrate an industry understanding of how to implement the framework into numerous environments

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Service support

Service support involves fixing service faults and maintaining the underlying infrastructure, ensuring processes are in place to keep the service running efficiently.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: help with the investigation and fixing of service faults, completing defined activities under direction
Working	You can: help fix service faults following agreed procedures carry out maintenance tasks on service support infrastructure
Practitioner	You can: identify, locate and fix service faults
Expert	You can: identify, locate and fix complex service faults advise others on different methodologies and types of service support

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Software developer

Shaping the direction of organisational strategy through digital, data and technology

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• ensure digital, data and technology shapes the organisation’s strategy
• lead digital, data and technology thinking, processes and practices, and integrate them into organisational decision making
• ensure digital, data and technology meets user needs and enables the organisation's outcomes

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• creating partnerships across the organisation to build trust as a recognised strategic leader
• increasing understanding amongst senior leaders so that everyone shares the value of using digital, data and technology to shape the organisation’s strategy
• rooting conversations on the organisation’s strategy in user needs and challenging strategic decisions made without understanding the user's context

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief digital and information officer

Stakeholder relationship management

Stakeholder relationship management involves building trust, managing stakeholder expectations and communications, and remaining focused on user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe who your stakeholders are and the importance of managing relationships with them explain what your stakeholders find important and why
Working	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships while meeting user needs build and reach consensus with stakeholders work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions
Practitioner	You can: work with the team to develop and maintain an understanding of stakeholders work with the team to develop and implement stakeholder communications strategies identify and resolve issues, influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
Expert	You can: direct the stakeholder relationship strategy for your teams ensure stakeholder's objectives are set and support teams to meet them influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst
• Business architect
• Content strategist
• Data and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist
• Data governance manager
• Digital portfolio manager
• Product manager
• Service owner
• Technical writer
• User researcher

Stakeholder relationship management (IT operations)

Stakeholder relationship management involves managing stakeholder requirements and communications throughout a project, while remaining focused on the user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: understand who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them
Working	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships, while also meeting user needs build and reach consensus work to improve stakeholder relationships, using evidence to explain decisions made
Practitioner	You can: negotiate with and influence stakeholders, and manage relationships effectively influence decisions, deal with challenging situations and remove blockers build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders, supporting mutual needs and commitments while focusing on user needs
Expert	You can: manage long-term strategic relationships with stakeholders, identifying where new connections need to be made and existing ones nurtured direct the strategic approach for stakeholder relationships, establishing stakeholder objectives and ensuring these are clearly represented act as a point of escalation if stakeholder relationships break down or become challenging for more junior members of the team influence important senior stakeholders and arbitrate when blockers are escalated facilitate discussions across high risk and complex areas or projects under constrained timelines

Roles that require this skill

• Business relationship manager
• IT service manager

Strategic cyber security planning

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• determine the right balance between the organisation's cyber and information security capabilities, acceptable level of risk and speed of technology progress
• decide areas that need security investment
• create a security roadmap that enables the organisation to achieve its objectives

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• explaining the mutual benefits of the security strategy to a range of stakeholders and teams to bring them onboard
• advising other leaders on how to integrate security requirements in their strategies
• ensuring security is part of all the organisation's initiatives, despite competing priorities
• gaining support for investment in security from other leaders

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief information security officer

Strategic data planning

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• develop an organisational data strategy that supports the organisation’s objectives
• identify underlying causes of data challenges faced by other leaders and make strategic recommendations to resolve them
• decide what data technologies and changes are needed to better support organisational strategy

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• aligning the data strategy and organisational strategy to create shared direction and increased trust
• changing operations in the organisation to be more aware of, and driven by, data
• changing the organisation’s view of data so it is viewed as an asset, not a risk or liability

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief data officer

Strategic design and business change

Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	This skill level is currently not defined.
Practitioner	You can: demonstrate a good understanding of business issues, events and activities, and their short to long term impact support defining principles, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements effectively focus on outcomes rather than solutions help to develop, maintain or update strategy in response to feedback and findings
Expert	You can: demonstrate a strong understanding of business issues, events and activities and their short to long term impact define principles, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements effectively focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities develop, maintain or update strategy in response to feedback and findings

Roles that require this skill

• Business architect

Strategic ownership

Strategic ownership involves thinking holistically, and creating and owning an end to end plan to achieve set objectives.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how you make decisions that are aligned to the strategy of your organisation explain the importance of having a strategy
Working	You can: engage and work with users, stakeholders and others to develop a strategy and vision ensure the strategy sets out the value, benefits and outcomes needed to justify investment in the feature, product or service regularly review and iterate the strategy
Practitioner	You can: ensure that the vision and strategy deliver the intended benefits and policy intent, and use evidence to challenge this when needed work with stakeholders to get agreement on the strategic approach, build trust and adapt based on feedback proactively review and iterate the strategy based on user and organisation insights
Expert	You can: support and coach others in creating and implementing a successful long-term strategy and tactical approach that others agree with influence and persuade stakeholders to support delivery of the strategy support with strategic decision making ensure strategic alignment across the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Product manager
• Service owner

Strategic technology planning

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• determine the most appropriate technologies to achieve the organisation’s objectives
• assess the effect of changes on different parts of the organisation and its partners
• identify underlying causes of technology challenges faced by other leaders and make strategic recommendations to resolve them

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• inspiring people with your vision so they support a more effective technology strategy
• helping other leaders prioritise a strategic technical direction over immediate tactical concerns
• educating colleagues about the potential benefits of chosen technologies
• earning the trust of stakeholders who are invested in specific technologies so that they agree to change

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief technology officer

Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the strategic context of your work and why it is important support strategic planning in an administrative capacity
Working	You can: work within a strategic context and communicate how activities meet strategic goals contribute to the development of strategy and policies
Practitioner	You can: define strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working in the strategic context evaluate current strategies to ensure business requirements are being met and exceeded where possible
Expert	You can: lead the design and implementation of strategy, directing the evaluation of strategies and policies to ensure business requirements are being met

Roles that require this skill

• Business architect
• Business relationship manager
• Content strategist
• Data architect
• Data governance manager
• Digital portfolio manager
• Frontend developer
• IT service manager
• Technical writer

Strategy design

Strategy involves creating a plan to achieve a team or organisation's objectives.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain how organisational objectives link to designing strategy describe the purpose and application of strategy, standards, patterns, policies, roadmaps, vision, and mission statements
Working	You can: support the development of a strategy or vision that aligns with organisational objectives challenge requirements and assumptions, and identify opportunities to develop strategy support the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by using a roadmap or plan use architectural principles, patterns, and constraints when appropriate
Practitioner	You can: define strategies or visions across teams that align with organisational objectives direct the implementation of a strategy or vision, for example, by creating roadmaps or plans define architectural principles and patterns develop or maintain strategy in response to feedback and findings
Expert	You can: define and connect strategies or visions across the organisation or wider government enable the implementation of strategies or visions across the organisation or wider government, for example, by advocating for resources and removing blockers

Roles that require this skill

• Enterprise architect
• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Systems design

Systems design involves creating the specification and design of systems to meet defined business needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: assist as part of a team in the design of components of larger systems
Working	You can: translate logical designs into physical designs produce detailed designs effectively document all work using required standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate design systems characterised by managed levels of risk, manageable business and technical complexity, and meaningful impact work with well understood technology and identify appropriate patterns
Practitioner	You can: design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology
Expert	You can: design systems characterised by high levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity control system design practice within an enterprise or industry architecture influence industry-based models for the development of new technology applications develop effective implementation and procurement strategies, consistent with business needs ensure adherence to relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Infrastructure engineer
• Network architect
• Software developer

Systems design (frontend developer)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: assist as part of a team in the design of components of larger systems
Working	You can: translate agreed designs into working user interfaces following modern standards manage and document technical complexity to make sure work is easily maintained and reusable
Practitioner	You can: translate agreed designs into working user interfaces following modern standards manage and document technical complexity to make sure work is easily maintained and reusable work with well-understood technology and can identify appropriate patterns to make effective use of technologies’ best features
Expert	You can: design systems characterised by high levels of risk and technical complexity manage and document technical complexity to make sure work is easily maintained and reusable select the appropriate standards, methods and tools, and make sure they are applied effectively ensure others follow relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices work with well understood technology and can identify appropriate patterns to make effective use of technologies’ best features

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Systems integration

Systems integration involves identifying points of connection between different systems and processes, or opportunities to combine them, and designing how the components communicate.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the process and principles of integrating systems. describe challenges of designing, building and testing interfaces between systems
Working	You can: build and test simple interfaces between systems work on more complex integration as part of a wider team
Practitioner	You can: define the integration build co-ordinate build activities across systems understand how to undertake and support integration testing activities
Expert	You can: establish standards and procedures across a service product life cycle, including the development product life cycle, and can ensure that practitioners adhere to these manage resources to ensure that the systems integration function works effectively

Roles that require this skill

• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• Infrastructure engineer
• Machine learning engineer
• Network architect
• Software developer

Systems integration (frontend developer)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of how to build static assets from source code explain how browsers use and present static assets to the end users, and how different versions of an interface can be delivered for different browsers and devices
Working	You can: build static assets from source code and test that the resulting user interface works as expected when delivered over the internet work on integration tests and support configuration of the network part of the system as part of a wider team
Practitioner	You can: define the static assets build co-ordinate all aspects of the integration and take responsibility for the tests around the user interface configure the part of the system that uses the network and test that it works as expected
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Team dynamics and collaboration

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the importance of team dynamics, collaboration and empowering delivery teams understand the importance of feedback
Working	You can: effectively bring people together to form a motivated team help to create the right environment for a team to work in and can empower them to deliver recognise and deal with issues help create the best team makeup depending on the situation
Practitioner	You can: identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses engage in varying types of feedback, choosing the right type at the appropriate time and ensuring the discussion and decision stick accelerate the team development cycle
Expert	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on strategy for an entire organisation, joining up business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity effectively build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders solve and unblock issues within teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach an organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution

Roles that require this skill

• Agile coach
• Delivery manager

Technical design throughout the life cycle

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the purpose of creating a technical design that describes a solution explain the decisions in an existing technical design
Working	You can: create technical designs characterised by managed levels of risk, impact, and complexity provide guidance and support to teams using technical designs throughout the life cycle adapt a technical design if needed during delivery work with well-understood technology and identify appropriate patterns
Practitioner	You can: create technical designs characterised by medium risk, impact, and complexity maintain appropriate quality and architectural coherence of a technical design in response to change use feedback to optimise and refine technical designs throughout the life cycle
Expert	You can: create technical designs characterised by high risk, impact, and complexity lead and guide others in creating technical designs that achieve organisational objectives use feedback to optimise and refine standards for technical designs throughout the life cycle

Roles that require this skill

• Solution architect
• Technical architect

Technical specialism

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: assist in technical support activities and carry out agreed or routine maintenance and administration tasks
Working	You can: use management system software and tools use logical schemata to investigate problems, collect performance statistics and create reports carry out the routine configuration, installation and reconfiguration of database and related products optimise performance and forecast resource needs
Practitioner	You can: draft and maintain procedures and documentation set standards for the definition, security and integrity of objects, and ensure conformity to these standards
Expert	You can: understand the direction of future technologies deliver a model to support and maintain those future technologies and any databases that coexist in the current environment

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• End user computing engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer

Technical understanding

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of the relevant subject matter and a high level understanding of what it involves
Working	You can: understand the core technical concepts related to the role, and apply them with guidance
Practitioner	You can: show a thorough understanding of the technical concepts required for the role, and can explain how these fit into the wider technical landscape
Expert	You can: anticipate and advise on future technology changes that present opportunities for the product or programme

Roles that require this skill

• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Network architect
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager

Technical understanding (accessibility)

Accessibility involves ensuring your service can be used by as many people as possible, including those with impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities and deafness.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: demonstrate knowledge of some details of the standards and legislation, and know where to find more information demonstrate knowledge of basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and related common accessibility issues perform basic automated and manual checks on websites and documents, and can communicate findings and fixes be an advocate for the people affected by accessibility barriers within the context of your work demonstrate knowledge of using some assistive technology
Practitioner	You can: demonstrate knowledge and communicate the requirements of accessibility standards and legislation advocate appropriate technical solutions to a range of accessibility issues perform detailed audits of websites, services and documents, and document findings clearly for others to work from be an advocate for the people affected by accessibility barriers across the department provide introductory awareness and training about accessibility demonstrate confidence using one or more assistive technologies, and knowledge of others
Expert	You can: demonstrate excellent knowledge of accessibility standards and legislation, including edge cases communicate requirements to a range of stakeholders actively share a deep knowledge of how to select and use appropriate technology (such as ARIA, Accessible Rich Internet Applications) to provide an excellent experience perform detailed audits of websites, services and documents, document findings clearly, and provide solutions for others to work from understand and communicate how usability influences accessibility, and the boundary between them advocate removing barriers across all your interactions provide training on a range of accessibility issues demonstrate confidence using a range of assistive technologies

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist

Technical understanding (performance analyst)

Performance measurement involves collecting and interpreting data to identify how a team, product or service is performing.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of analytical tools and technologies, and can use some of them show an awareness of digital technology, and have an understanding of what it involves and its impact
Working	You can: show an understanding of the core technical concepts related to the role, and can apply them
Practitioner	You can: show a deep understanding of the technical concepts required for the role and understand how they fit into the wider technical landscape understand the limitations of digital technology
Expert	You can: identify opportunities to use new digital technologies to enhance analytical capability in alignment with business goals

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst

Technical understanding (user-centred design)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: demonstrate some knowledge of the technologies and roles within a digital team
Working	You can: demonstrate some knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services understand the different technical roles in a digital team
Practitioner	You can: demonstrate knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services collaborate closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Technical writer

Technology architecture

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• ensure technical architecture, including programme platforms and shared infrastructure, reflects the technical structures needed to achieve the organisation's objectives
• ensure the organisation uses and shares the appropriate technology architecture at the appropriate time
• make architectural decisions for the organisation taking into account costs, functionality, skills and other factors

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• working with different areas of the organisation to ensure the architecture works for everyone and any change is accepted
• convincing teams to exchange some autonomy for better functioning as an organisation
• overseeing decisions on technical architecture to ensure the best use of technology for the organisation

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief technology officer

Technology evaluation

Senior Civil Service

Description, including examples of leadership

You can:

• evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a wide range of significant previous, current and potential technologies
• assess if the organisation has the most appropriate technologies to achieve its goals
• quickly assess unfamiliar technology for potential use in your organisation

Examples of leadership using this skill:

• building credibility with people at all levels of your organisation by demonstrating your knowledge of different technologies
• effectively explaining benefits and risks of unfamiliar technology so that technical and non-technical stakeholders can make informed decisions
• guiding decisions on technology solutions made by stakeholders with different agendas and different levels of technical understanding

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Roles that require this skill

• Chief technology officer

Test analysis

Test analysis involves analysing information, such as requirements, user stories, designs and specifications, to identify and understand how to act on quality risks.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe quality characteristics and explain why they are important analyse information, such as user stories, prototypes, processes and designs, with support explain what might be a risk in achieving quality goals
Working	You can: work with stakeholders to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value determine what to test following an agreed approach identify and advocate for test needs, such as data, access and environments, with support analyse information to identify risks
Practitioner	You can: lead work with stakeholders across teams to determine which functional and non-functional quality characteristics add value determine if an approach needs to change based on effort and risk ensure test needs are implemented early use multiple techniques to analyse complex information to identify risks coach others in test analysis
Expert	You can: lead and guide multiple teams in test analysis, ensuring it is implemented early in the life cycle advocate for risk-based analysis to drive improvements across many teams set standards and principles for test analysis across the organisation

Roles that require this skill

• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Test and quality planning

Test and quality planning involves creating, following and adapting quality testing activities to ensure the quality of products, services and programmes.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain the value of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies explain how different delivery methodologies affect quality testing approaches, plans and strategies follow quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, with support explain how to measure the effectiveness of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies, and why it’s important
Working	You can: create or adapt quality testing approaches based on risk, with some support follow a quality testing strategy and contribute to its development contribute to continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies
Practitioner	You can: work with teams to develop and implement appropriate quality testing approaches, plans and strategies contribute to organisational quality testing strategies implement ways to capture data to drive continuous improvement of quality testing approaches, plans and strategies advocate for full team ownership of quality testing activities, encouraging early engagement
Expert	You can: create and manage multiple quality testing plans, approaches and strategies lead and guide multiple teams in adopting quality testing strategy advocate for early quality testing involvement in organisational delivery processes guide teams across an organisation in optimising quality testing approaches, plans and strategies by using appropriate data

Roles that require this skill

• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Test engineering

Test engineering involves developing test automation solutions that enable fast feedback on quality characteristics.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain why testing processes, environments and tools are important follow test engineering practices and standards, with support support the maintenance of automated tests and tools required for testing
Working	You can: use test engineering frameworks and tools to support testing activities follow test engineering practices and standards, such as source control and continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines integrate and execute tests to ensure early testing and continuous feedback create and maintain automated tests, with some support write and review coded solutions, with some support
Practitioner	You can: develop, standardise and extend reusable frameworks and tools to support a range of testing activities guide and coach others in creating and maintaining comprehensive and reliable tests that meet standards research and prepare for future testing needs, including tools, methodologies and techniques maintain and adapt continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines
Expert	You can: establish and lead test engineering practices, standards and behaviours influence and guide test engineering technology and tool choices across the organisation advocate for the adoption and use of appropriate testing solutions, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and quality objectives

Roles that require this skill

• Quality assurance test analyst
• Test engineer
• Test manager

Testing

Testing involves ensuring that requirements have been fully met by using appropriate tools and techniques to verify that a product or service works.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: correctly execute test scripts under supervision understand the role of testing and how it works
Working	You can: review requirements and specifications, and define test conditions identify issues and risks associated with work analyse and report test activities and results
Practitioner	You can: manage the planning of system and acceptance tests, co-ordinating both functional and non-functional specifications provide authoritative advice and guidance on test planning identify process improvements and contribute to the definition of best practice
Expert	You can: manage testing activities within development or integration activities manage risks and take preventative action when risks become unacceptable manage customer relations

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist
• Analytics engineer
• Application operations engineer
• End user computing engineer
• Infrastructure engineer
• Infrastructure operations engineer

Troubleshooting and problem resolution

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of different technology capabilities demonstrate basic troubleshooting capability
Working	You can: troubleshoot and identify problems across different technology capabilities
Practitioner	You can: break a problem down into its component parts to identify and diagnose root causes troubleshoot and identify problems across different technology capabilities
Expert	You can: use lateral thinking to break a problem down into its component parts to identify and diagnose root causes troubleshoot and identify problems across different technology capabilities including computing, storage, networking, physical infrastructure, software, commercial-off-the-shelf software (COTS) and open source software

Roles that require this skill

• Infrastructure engineer
• Network architect

Turning business problems into data design

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: contribute to the design of data architecture under the direction of others
Working	You can: design data architecture by dealing with specific business problems and aligning it to enterprise-wide standards and principles work within the context of well understood architecture, and identify appropriate patterns
Practitioner	You can: design data architecture that deals with problems spanning different business areas identify links between problems to devise common solutions work across multiple subject areas, or a single large or complicated subject area produce appropriate patterns
Expert	You can: design data architecture that deals with problems across the enterprise work across all organisational subject areas and internal and external programmes

Roles that require this skill

• Analytics engineer
• Data architect

Understanding analysis across the product life cycle

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the importance of performance measures, their relation to business objectives and how they vary at different stages of the product life cycle
Working	You can: understand how the needs of the team and product vary across the product life cycle ensure the team is measuring performance as appropriate for the relevant service standard phase manage the delivery of services or products at different phases plan and look at data requirements in future phases
Practitioner	You can: apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle recognise when to move forward and when to stop recognise the appropriate deliverables and engage the right people to meet them work with other Agile delivery disciplines throughout the product life cycle plan and proactively engage with stakeholders at the appropriate stage of the project identify which tools and techniques should be used at each stage
Expert	You can: develop sustainable support models identify and deal with potential risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle coach others contribute to the assessment of other teams, providing guidance and support as they move through the product life cycle phases lead and champion best practice, and identify improvements to current approaches

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst

Understanding product delivery

Product delivery involves ensuring that a product or service is developed in a timely and cost-effective way, meeting the user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: manage your contribution to tasks to fit in with the work of your wider team
Working	You can: show an awareness of the differences between delivery methods, such as Agile and waterfall, and can propose the most appropriate method to deliver each product manage your contribution to tasks to fit in with the work of your wider team
Practitioner	You can: understand the differences between delivery methods, such as Agile and waterfall, and can choose the most appropriate method to deliver each product define the minimum viable product (MVP) and support decisions about priorities work with specialists in multidisciplinary teams to smoothly deliver data science products into the organisation
Expert	You can: understand the differences between delivery methods, such as Agile and waterfall, and can set out how your team should use and adapt these methods lead a team through the different phases of the product delivery life cycle collaborate with the product manager to influence the direction of work identify and involve relevant teams to smoothly deliver data science products into the organisation, ensuring these products inform decision making ensure products are monitored, maintained and continually improved, engaging and working with others where necessary have oversight of any data science features implemented within products or services

Roles that require this skill

• Data scientist

Understanding security implications of transformation

Security management involves identifying and protecting an organisation's assets (systems, people and buildings).

Skill level	Description
Awareness	This skill level is currently not defined.
Working	You can: interpret and apply an understanding of policy and process, business architecture, and legal and political implications to assist the development of technical solutions or controls
Practitioner	You can: interpret and apply understanding across a complex area start influencing policy and process, business architecture, and legal and political implications
Expert	You can: challenge and lead changes to policy and processes to support business outcomes, business architecture, and legal and political implications

Roles that require this skill

• Security architect

User experience insight analysis

User experience insight analysis involves identifying, analysing and interpreting insights into the quality of the user's experience to ensure outcomes meet business and user needs.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain some ways to analyse user journeys, touchpoints, accessibility and common usability issues describe user insight artefacts generated by other professions and how they add value explain the importance of making data-informed decisions based on user experience findings
Working	You can: contribute to the analysis of user journeys and interactions use available quantitative and qualitative evidence to identify pain points for users identify where additional evidence is needed to understand user experience communicate how identified issues affect users and service outcomes
Practitioner	You can: synthesise insights from multiple appropriate sources of evidence to provide a holistic understanding of user experience identify patterns, root causes, and opportunities for improvement across journeys ensure user experience insights are clearly linked to requirements, priorities, and design decisions identify priorities for improving user experience, taking into consideration business and technical constraints
Expert	You can: define and promote standards for analysing and improving user experience across service advocate for user experience insights to be included in appropriate decisions about strategy, prioritisation, and investment identify systemic issues and opportunities across multiple end-to-end user journeys

Roles that require this skill

• Business analyst

User focus

User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness or understanding of user experience analysis and its principles explain the purpose of user stories and the focus on user needs
Working	You can: identify and engage with users or stakeholders to collate user needs evidence understand and define research that fits user needs use quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes
Practitioner	You can: collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user champion user research to focus on all users prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use
Expert	You can: give direction on which tools or methods to use demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user

Roles that require this skill

• Accessibility specialist
• Application operations engineer
• Business relationship manager
• Change and release manager
• Command and control centre manager
• Content strategist
• Development operations (DevOps) engineer
• End user computing engineer
• Incident manager
• Infrastructure operations engineer
• IT service manager
• Problem manager
• Service desk manager
• Service transition manager
• Software developer
• Technical writer

User focus (frontend developer)

User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an understanding of user experience analysis and its principles explain the purpose of user stories and the focus on user needs
Working	You can: collaborate effectively with user researchers and interaction designers to represent user needs internally champion user research to focus on all users prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so
Practitioner	You can: collaborate with user researchers and interaction designers to represent user needs internally explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user champion user research to focus on all users effectively prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others to do so offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use
Expert	This skill level is currently not defined.

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

User research methods

User research involves methods to identify user needs and understand how users interact with a product or service.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: explain some basic user research methods
Working	You can: plan and conduct a user research project, with support understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly effectively involve your team in research activities
Practitioner	You can: use a wide range of user research methods, and can help teams to adopt them plan user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys advise colleagues on the choice and application of research methods to assure best practice
Expert	You can: help an organisation adopt a wide range of user research methods lead a community of practice to help an organisation continually assure, improve and innovate their user research

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

User-centred analysis

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness that everything we do is focused on the user of the product or service
Working	You can: use quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes deliver analysis and information that addresses stakeholder needs and provides recommendations effectively collaborate with user researchers and other user-focused professions guide others on approaches to understand user stories
Practitioner	You can: understand the difference between user needs and desires of the user demonstrate experience in meeting user needs across a variety of channels integrate digital analytics with qualitative data, such as user surveys and user research, to develop hypotheses for testing offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use
Expert	You can: give direction on which tools or methods to use bring insight and expertise to how user needs have changed over time and ensure that they're met apply strategic thinking to the problem of how to provide the best service for the end user consider the political strategy and implications of any analyses and insights

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst

User-centred content design

User-centred content design involves focusing on user needs through an evidence-based and iterative design process, to ensure content is easy to use and understand.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: demonstrate basic but decent editorial standards show an awareness of style standards work well under supervision
Working	You can: design content to meet user needs and make complex language and processes easy to understand present the right information in the right format for what users need show robust experience in writing, editing and publishing digital content, and experience in using content management systems and content production processes to publish content write in plain language in a way that users understand, making information accessible to all understand government accessibility requirements and design content that works with common assistive technologies use data, research and evidence to review and evaluate content to make improvements consistently and effectively apply content standards and style guidelines to your work work to continuously improve content, and understand why content life cycle management is important work autonomously
Practitioner	You can: show a deep understanding of end-to-end journeys and how content is affected within these journeys identify where journey fixes or content improvements need to be made take responsibility for assuring the quality of content from more junior colleagues, and coaching and guiding them to improve ensure that content is regularly reviewed and evaluated, contributing to continuous improvements and iteration encourage a continuous improvement mindset in teams and more junior content colleagues deliver through others, and direct and critique their work
Expert	You can: direct the approach to content life cycle management to ensure content is regularly reviewed and evaluated by teams oversee teams’ work to ensure the right content is being produced to meet the needs of users demonstrate extensive experience in creating, iterating, managing and overseeing content across multiple channels encourage teams to review and evaluate the effectiveness of processes and systems, and support them to iterate for improvements be accountable for the production of high quality, user-focused content identify gaps in content design skills and capability, and can help teams to grow and develop

Roles that require this skill

• Content strategist
• Technical writer

User-centred practice and advocacy

User focus involves understanding the user needs to develop a detailed understanding of the problems that need to be solved.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe how government services and technology affect how people behave explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs
Working	You can: describe and use a range of user-centred practices advocate for the user by sharing research insights on user needs and changing user behaviour with your team
Practitioner	You can: evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user advocate for user research with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders help inexperienced teams to adopt user-centred practices identify the most important challenges and opportunities for your team's service development align research plans to address team priorities
Expert	You can: find ways to help an organisation adopt user-centred practices and appreciate the value of understanding users ensure discussions at senior levels or between organisations consider user needs and evolving user behaviour help an organisation understand the complete journey of the user and use this knowledge to improve their services

Roles that require this skill

• User researcher

Web performance optimisation

Web performance optimisation involves improving the efficiency and speed with which web pages load in a browser.

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: describe the basic principles of web performance explain why web performance is important help improve web performance under supervision
Working	You can: explain the principles of web performance explain how poor performance can negatively affect user experience help improve web performance help identify and resolve web performance issues
Practitioner	You can: identify and resolve web performance issues collect data to monitor and resolve web performance issues guide on the best web performance optimisation software and methods to use
Expert	You can: advocate for web performance optimisation best practices coach and guide others actively collect data from multiple tools to monitor and resolve web performance issues

Roles that require this skill

• Frontend developer

Working within constraints (performance analyst)

Skill level	Description
Awareness	You can: show an awareness of ethical and operational constraints
Working	You can: identify, understand, communicate and work within constraints challenge the validity of constraints ensure that standards are being met show an understanding of security and data privacy
Practitioner	You can: work with and challenge senior stakeholders prioritise and mitigate constraints and can turn them into an advantage adapt the approach according to constraints demonstrate a good knowledge of security and data privacy
Expert	You can: influence, challenge and coach others anticipate how constraints might change and know where to challenge or remove constraints demonstrate a very strong knowledge of security and data privacy describe and work within environmental constraints, finding the most appropriate solution for users

Roles that require this skill

• Performance analyst