This document discusses measuring, managing, and deploying IT skills. It notes that capturing skills makes managerial and financial sense as it allows managers to know staff capabilities and helps with targeted development, and reduces reliance on buying external IT skills. Skills data can inform how best to deploy staff based on expertise or development needs. Identifying skills gaps through specific data allows for more informed decision making compared to anecdotal evidence. Business benefits include robust reporting on skills, identifying common training needs, and meaningful resourcing based on the full picture of skills. User benefits include identifying immediate learning needs, using a common IT language, having all skills recognized, and opportunities for flexible resourcing and personal development.

1. Measuring, managing &
deploying IT skills
SFIA Foundation conference case study
Nick Caldwell
DWP IT

2. DWP IT
Why capture skills?
Makes managerial sense Basic responsibility of managers to know what your staff are
capable of. Helps with targeted development.
Staff feel invested in.
Softer people issues often overlooked in IT environment
focussed on delivery.
Makes financial sense Less reliance on buying in IT skills
Right people, Skills data informs how best to deploy staff, based on expertise
right place or development need.
Meaningful resourcing.
Specific raw data to Reduces reliance on anecdotal evidence of e.g. skills shortage
inform decision making
Identifies the capability Reporting against the spread of skills. Illustrates how well-
gaps equipped the business is for present & future.

3. DWP IT
Business benefits
Robust & relevant • Single tool to capture IT skills pulls it all together replacing a
reporting cottage industry of spreadsheets.
• Locate expertise & weakness.
Target common training Capture the spread of expertise across a range of skills or an
needs (individual, team or entire skills framework to determine knowledge gaps. Arrange
organisation) group learning and realise potential savings by identifying
common learning requirements across teams or larger business
areas. Reduce £.
Resourcing based on the Meaningful resourcing should be based on skills (right person,
full picture right place), aptitude & availability. Know where your experts
are, not just which staff are in post.
Grow your own….informed Define key roles and the constituent skills.
succession planning Identify the shortfalls in expertise at all levels in all skills.
Retain expertise Identify and invest in employee development; promote from
within; nurture your own skills base.

4. DWP IT
User benefits – what’s in it for me?
Identify immediate Assessing against core SFIA skills may identify skills gaps. These
learning needs are rarely well documented. Inform immediate training needs and
development planning. When skills gaps are identified users are
offered potential solutions which may help to bridge those gaps.
Common IT language SFIA – recognised industry standard skills definitions for IT
environment.
Record ALL your skills Have your expertise recognised and put to best use. Typically,
staff do not relish being defined just by their current job. It is
possible to build a skills inventory which includes current role
(core) skills but extends to all useful/recent skills ‘in the locker’.
‘Be in it to win it’ Some DWP business areas use IT skills assessment to underpin
flexible resourcing. This depends to a large degree on robust
skills information so the right people are given the appropriate
opportunities.
Generate a skill summary Summary output to inform personal development & performance
discussions.
Plan your next move Compare current skill set with that required for any
planned/preferred role.

5. DWP IT
Questions ?
Nick Caldwell
01925 845563
07920 813526
Nick.caldwell@dwp.gsi.gov.uk