IT Professionals' Levels and their Descriptions (29/04/2002)

Experienced Practitioner/Supervisor

• Works to agreed objectives. Has full responsibility for quality of work performed, either as a manager or as a technical specialist.
• Uses experience to make informed decisions on selection and execution of all technical approaches across a wide field, either in a management or advisory capacity.
• Performs work which requires the application of a significant range of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts.
• Demonstrates leadership skills on a regular basis. Demonstrates effective communication both orally and in writing, with subordinates, colleagues, clients and customers at all levels, both formally and informally.
• Demonstrates a good understanding of the relationship of own specialisation or area of responsibility to the employing organisation as a whole and takes customer requirements fully into account when making proposals and/or carrying out work.
• Takes initiative to ensure technical skills and specialisations are kept up to date in link with the industry developments.

Specialist Practitioner/Manager (Limited Scope)

• Has full responsibility for defined areas of activity, either as a manager, IS specialist or consultant.
• Has a significant medium to long term effect on an area of the IS work of the employing organisation. Influences policy formation relevant to own area(s) of expertise.
• Performs a broad and challenging variety of work, some unpredictable and non-routine, which requires the creative application of a wide range of technical and/or management principles.
• Provides leadership in a wide variety of technical areas and situations. Demonstrates effective communication, both orally and in writing, with subordinates, colleagues, clients and customers including producing major reports, preparing, organising and delivering presentations using appropriate tools and techniques, and taking a leadership role in meetings and discussions.
• Shows a mature understanding of the relationship of own specialisation and/or project responsibilities to the employing organisation as a whole. Is able to propose technical solutions within the scope of own expertise which fully take into account the needs of all those who will come into contact with the operational products.
• Shows initiative and makes time available to ensure general technical competencies and specialisations are kept up to date in line with industry developments.

Senior Specialist/Manager (Extended Scope)

• Has full professional responsibility, either as a functional manager, IS specialist or senior consultant, and is held fully accountable for all decisions taken.
• Has a substantial impact on the profitability or operating efficiency of the employing organisation(s). Has a significant influence on policy formation.
• Performs work which is mainly non-routine and often includes strategic decision making and/or the large-scale development of resources.
• Demonstrates competence in key areas of management and leadership expertise including communication, staff direction and motivation, financial planning and control, quality management, risk analysis and the achievement of targets.
• Demonstrates an extensive knowledge of IS and its exploitation in both own and other organisations.
• Takes initiative to keep both own and subordinates skills up to date and maintain awareness of developments in the IS industry.

Senior Manager/Director/Consultant

• Has authority and responsibility for significant areas of IS work, typically as an IS director, senior manager or principal consultant. Is held fully accountable for own decisions and actions, and those of subordinates.
• Has a critical influence on the success of the employing organisation(s). Is responsible for policy formation.
• Performs work which is largely non-routine and is concerned, typically, with the formulation of strategy and policy, the effective deployment of extensive IS resources, the exploitation of IS within one or more organisations and/or the advancement of IS knowledge.
• Exhibits strategic management and leadership skills at the highest levels and in a wide variety of contexts. Is able to understand, explain and present complex technical ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences at all levels up to the highest in a persuasive and convincing manner. Is able to analyse and explain the risks involved in using, or not using, IS solutions to business or organisational problems.
• Exhibits a broad and deep IS knowledge coupled with equivalent knowledge of the activities of those businesses and other organisations that use and exploit IS. Is able to understand and communicate the potential impact of emerging technologies on organisations and individuals who use (or may come to use) IS products and services.
• Takes initiative to keep both own and subordinates skills up to date and to maintain awareness of developments in own area of expertise and contribute at the highest level to developments in the IS industry.

Effective 29/04/2002