1. SFIA conference 2009
Managing IT Skills
Chris Hewertson, COLT Telecom

2. Brief background on COLT Telecom
COLT is a leading European provider of business communications. COLT
specialises in providing data, voice and managed services to major businesses,
SMEs and wholesale customers.
COLT operates a 13-country, 25,000km network that includes metropolitan area
networks in 34 major European cities with direct fibre connections into 16,000
j p
buildings and 19 COLT data centres.
The COLT IT function is made up of 420 permanent employees, 60% offshore in
India, with the remainder mainly UK based.
Activities include: Project delivery, systems implementation and rollout,
application support and IT operations
1

3. Why did we chose SFIAplus?
Industry
y
framework Pedigree
Faster start up
More time to focus
‘Off the on people
Depth
s e
shelf’
2

4. What was our approach?
Placed
onus on
employees
Continued Inclusive, by
momentum choice &
action
Train
Keep
managers
p
simple
to support
3

5. How has using SFIAplus helped us?
Reducing
Managing
vendor
careers and
resource
expectations
costs
Skill Supporting
alignment our
across functional
geographies goals
Benefits
4

6. Supporting our functional goals
Framework Individual and team
Proof Points
and processes development plans
BCS Career “One Team” 6 Monthly
Development Individual
Consistent
Framework Talent Review
t ti
expectations,
management and
All roles aligned processes Individual &
with SFIA Plus
ith Pl Team plans
Aspirations
PDPs aligned with
PDPs, Active
A ti
SFIAplus BCS Professional performance
Development management
accreditation in
BCS Chartered IT 2010
Professional High Potential
Status for Best place to work development
Individuals in IT award! programme
5

7. Other benefits
Helped clarify
existing role
definitions
Supports
competency
Helped identify
p y
based
missing roles
interview
planning
Other
benefits
6

8. How have we aligned SFIAplus to COLT role and levels?
SFIA Skill - Project Management - Level 6:
Takes full responsibility for the definition, documentation and
successful completion of complex projects (typically greater Aligns to COLT Role – Project
than 12 months, with significant business, political, or high- Management
M t
profile impact, and high-risk dependencies), ensuring that
realistic project, quality, change control and risk management COLT Level - MS1
processes are maintained. Monitors and controls resources,
revenue and capital costs against the project budget and
manages expectations of all project stakeholders.
stakeholders
Strategy
Ensure
Enable
Initiate
Follow
Assist
IT Project Management
Apply
Applicable SFIA
SFIA v4
S2
S1
S2
S1
Levels
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
EX
EX
EX
EX
PT
PT
PT
PT
M
M
M
M
Skill Code 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ––––– Programme Management ––––– ––––– Project management ––––––
Programme management
g g PGMG 6 6 7 6
Project management PRMG 7 4 5 6
Change implementation planning and manaCIPM 6 6
Requirements definition and management REQM 4 5
Programme and project support office PROF
Number of SFIA skills per role: 0 0 2 2 3 0 0 1 1 3 0 0
Average role level: 5.0 5.5 6.7 4.0 5.0 6.0
No SFIA-based role but COLT skills exist (x): x x x
Mapping SFIA
levels to COLT Skill gaps and
SFIA Levels
L l
SFIA Skills levels capability level
7

9. What have we learned
Don’t rely on the Extensions to
tool but on the support technical
content specialism needed
Don’t Assign
underestimate governance
commitment board and
needed project manager
Wisdom
8

10. What are our future plans
Align with Align with
new new HR
competency Management
framework system
D
Developl Share
technical knowledge
skills
kill across C lt
Colt
9