SFIA Project management PRMG

This page provides deep dive guidance and additional material to help individuals and organisations use and apply this SFIA skill effectively. It supplements the SFIA reference material.

SFIA skill definition

SFIA v6 definition of Project management

The management of projects, typically (but not exclusively) involving the development and implementation of business processes to meet identified business needs, acquiring and utilising the necessary resources and skills, within agreed parameters of cost, timescales, and quality.

Discussion points

This is a management skill and starts at SFIA level 4. Below level 4: work on projects should be aligned to other SFIA skills or to administrative skills which are not covered in SFIA. See associated skills below
The skill is usually over used and applied to more people/jobs descriptions than it should. The SFIA Project management responsibilities describe end to end project management. It is not for people/roles who “work on projects” or “use some project management techniques” to help plan and manage their own work or work for their teams. These are adequately covered by SFIA's generic responsibilities e.g.
- SFIA level 4 generic business skills includes the following “Plans, schedules and monitors work to meet time and quality targets.”
- SFIA level 5 generic autonomy skills include the following “ Is fully responsible for meeting allocated technical and/or project/supervisory objectives. Establishes milestones and has a significant role in the assignment of tasks and/or responsibilities.”
- SFIA level 5 generic business skills includes the following “ Analyses, designs, plans, executes and evaluates work to time, cost and quality targets.”
A combined analysis using RACI and identified Work Outputs reveals the real skill requirements.
Project management is one of a number of skills where the different levels have similar responsibilities but operate at different scales of complexity and size. As such only focussing on outputs will not necessarily distinguish SFIA levels. Equally the SFIA references to “small” @ level 4, “medium-scale” @ level 5, “complex” @ level 6 projects needs to be consistent with the organisational context.

Associated Skills

If you are looking for skills relating to:

support for project management processes, tools & techniques and tracking/reporting on project progress/performance; try SFIA Portfolio, programme and project support PROF
the identification, planning and coordination of a set of related projects; try SFIA Programme management PGMG
the definition and delivery of a portfolio of programmes, projects; try SFIA Portfolio management POMG
advice, guidance and thought leadership on project methods and tools; try SFIA Methods and tools
deploying and integrating new digital capabilities into business operations; try SFIA Change implementation planning and management
delivering programmes of solution development; try SFIA Systems development management
technical management responsibility for software development; try SFIA Programming software development @ level 5

Useful Resources

Association for Project Management
IPMA the global federation of over 60 Project Management Member Associations
Project Management Institute
PRINCE2
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)
Software Extension to PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition
The Project Workout The Ultimate Handbook of Project and Programme Management

Typically found in these Career Families / Roles

Technology Leadership ¹⁾
Project and Programme Management
Solution Development
Technical Development

technology leadership, project programme management, solution development

Value Adding Work Outputs

By focussing on work outputs/work products we can move the focus from activity/knowledge to performance and provide a direct link to business results. See 6 boxes model.

Leading