“SFIA? What’s that? Never heard of it!” 🤔
That’s the reaction I get 99% of the time in France whenever I mention the SFIA framework.
Because yes, in France, SFIA remains something of a UFO.
While our Anglo-Saxon colleagues have been using it for over twenty years to manage digital skills, here it’s still tucked away in some obscure corner of the web, hidden behind a mysterious acronym and a slightly intimidating PDF.
And yet, SFIA (pronounced “sfee-ah”) might just be the missing link between HR and business, between job descriptions and real-world capabilities.
So, let’s shed some light on this framework that deserves to be much better known.
🔍 What exactly is SFIA?
The Skills Framework for the Information Age isn’t just another Excel sheet full of technical jargon.
It’s an international framework that helps map out skills, assess proficiency levels, and develop talent in a structured, targeted way.
Where many frameworks stop at listing roles (“Project Manager,” “IT Architect,” “Data Consultant”), SFIA goes further: it focuses on what people can actually do, and more importantly, to what level.
It describes more than 120 digital and IT skills, each associated with seven levels of responsibility, from entry-level contributors to visionary strategists.
In other words, SFIA is to skills management what GPS is to navigation: it doesn’t just tell you where you are, it shows you how to get to where you want to go.
SFIA vs CIGREF: Two Complementary Visions
In France, when people talk about job frameworks, CIGREF usually takes the spotlight.
And rightly so, it’s well-established and defines 38 IT role families along with their key missions, like an enhanced organizational chart for the IT department.
But where CIGREF stops, SFIA takes over.
The first describes roles and responsibilities (“the what”), while the second describes skills and mastery levels (“the how” and “to what extent”).
Put simply:
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CIGREF tells you what needs to be done,
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SFIA tells you how to do it well and how far you can progress.
Having one without the other is like having a map without a compass, you know where you want to go, but not how to get there.
Why SFIA Changes Everything
We use SFIA because it truly transforms the way we talk about skills.
By integrating it into our programs, we’ve seen how this framework creates a common language between technical teams, HR, and business leaders.
With SFIA, vague discussions like “what does a good cybersecurity level even mean?” disappear.
It brings clarity, consistency, and, above all, shared understanding.
It also helps to:
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Strengthen collaboration between HR and business teams,
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Build development paths aligned with strategic priorities,
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Optimize internal talent management,
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And anticipate market and technology shifts.
In short, SFIA turns skills management from an annual HR exercise into a genuine driver of sustainable transformation.
What Does It Look Like in Practice?
Imagine being able to clearly answer these key questions:
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What skills really exist within your organization?
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At what level is each employee operating?
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How can you build personalized development paths?
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And above all — how can you align all of this with your future needs?
SFIA provides tangible, actionable answers to these questions.
It’s not a theoretical tool, it’s a compass for managing skills at scale.
🤝 Want to See Things More Clearly?
If you too want to structure your skills, accelerate your transformation, and give real meaning to career development, maybe it’s time to explore this framework that, quietly but surely, is changing the game.
