SIST-TP CEN/TR 16234-3:2021

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
kSIST-TP FprCEN/TR 16234-3:2020
01-december-2020
Krovni seznam e-usposobljenosti (e-CF) - Skupno evropsko okolje za strokovnjake
na področju informacijske in komunikacijske tehnologije v vseh sektorjih - 3. del:
Metodologija
e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors - Part 3: Methodology
e-Kompetenz Rahmenwerk (e-CF) - Ein gemeinsamer europäischer Rahmen für IKT-
Fach- und Führungskräfte in allen Branchen - Teil 3: Methodik
Référentiel des e-Compétences - Référentiel européen commun pour les professionnels
des technologies de l'information et de la communication dans tous les secteurs
d'activité - Partie 3 : Méthodologie
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: FprCEN/TR 16234-3
ICS:
03.100.30 Vodenje ljudi Management of human
resources
35.020 Informacijska tehnika in Information technology (IT) in
tehnologija na splošno general
kSIST-TP FprCEN/TR 16234-3:2020 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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kSIST-TP FprCEN/TR 16234-3:2020


FINAL DRAFT
TECHNICAL REPORT
FprCEN/TR 16234-3
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE

TECHNISCHER BERICHT

October 2020
ICS 35.020 Will supersede CEN/TR 16234-3:2017
English Version

e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European
Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors - Part 3:
Methodology
Référentiel des e-Compétences - Référentiel européen e-Kompetenz Rahmenwerk (e-CF) - Ein gemeinsamer
commun pour les professionnels des technologies de europäischer Rahmen für IKT-Fach- und
l'information et de la communication dans tous les Führungskräfte in allen Branchen - Teil 3: Methodik
secteurs d'activité - Partie 3 : Méthodologie


This draft Technical Report is submitted to CEN members for Vote. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC
428.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.

Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a Technical Report. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a Technical Report.


EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2020 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. FprCEN/TR 16234-3:2020 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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Content Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Executive overview . 7
5 Essentials of the EN 16234-1 (e-Competence Framework - e-CF): Four dimensions and
the transversal aspects . 8
5.1 Dimension 1: Five e-Competence areas – structured from organisational perspective . 12
5.2 Dimension 2: e-Competences – individual abilities meet organisational needs . 15
5.3 Dimension 3: Five work proficiency levels – degrees of being capable in a dynamic and
changing world . 17
5.3.1 The proficiency level definition . 18
5.3.2 Relationship to learning levels and the European Qualification Framework (EQF) . 20
5.3.3 Suitable proficiency level for each competence . 21
5.4 Dimension 4: Knowledge and Skills – the bridge to education and training . 23
5.5 Transversal aspects: The relationship between dimensions and transversal statements 25
5.6 The e-CF as EN 16234 – normative and informative . 27
6 The e-CF in the European ICT professionalism landscape: Professional concept and the
CWA 16458 (European ICT Professional Role Profiles). 28
7 Relationships and interfaces between the e-CF and other frameworks . 31
7.1 Establishing relationships and creating interfaces: the general approach . 32
7.2 Overview of e-CF interfaces created with other frameworks . 35
8 e-CF creation and maintenance: a combination of sound methodology and expert
contribution . 36
8.1 Creation of the e-CF: The competence concept . 38
8.2 Creation of the e-CF: The level concept . 38
9 Transferring framework generic methods to competence framework construction in
other sectors . 40
Annex A (informative) Maintenance of the e-CF: Essentials from the update process . 42
Bibliography . 44
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European foreword
This document (FprCEN/TR 16234-3:2020) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 428 “ICT
Professionalism and Digital Competences”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This document is currently submitted to the Vote on TR.
This document will supersede CEN/TR 16234-3:2016.
In comparison with the previous edition, the following technical modifications have been made:
• revision of the entire document in the light of the EN 16234-1:2019, latest ICT Professionalism
developments, in Europe and globally, relating to this standard and further multi-stakeholder sector
feedback;
• the underpinning methodology of the standard has been maintained and complemented by a new
element, named Transversal Aspects (TA);
• the main driver for the presentation of this document is the requirement to explain modifications made
to the EN 16234-1 (e-CF), to meet a contemporary environment, whilst maintaining continuity with
earlier versions.
This European standard is made up of four parts:
• EN 16234-1 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT Professionals
in all sectors - Part 1: Framework. It provides the e-Competence Framework (e-CF) published as a
European standard - EN.
• CEN/TR 16234-2 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors - Part 2: User Guide. It provides the e-CF User guide published as a CEN
Technical Report (TR).
• CEN/TR 16234-3 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors - Part 3: Methodology. It provides the e-CF Methodology published as a CEN
Technical Report (TR).
• CEN/TR 16234-4 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors - Part 4: Case Studies. It provides a series of Case Studies illustrating e-CF
practical use from multiple ICT sector perspectives published as a CEN Technical Report (TR).
Part 1 is fully standalone, and part 2, 3 and 4 rely on part 1.

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Introduction
EN 16234 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework for ICT Professionals in all
sectors was established as a tool to support mutual understanding and provide transparency of language
through the articulation of competences required and deployed by Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) professionals.
To support users and guide developers of applications to EN 16234, the following narrative provides an
overview of the underpinning philosophy and principles adopted during the standard’s construction and
maintenance. Understanding these guiding principles is equally vital for applying the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) in
multiple environments concerned with ICT professionalism.
The Guiding Principles:
This standard is an enabler; it is designed to be a tool to empower users, not to restrict them. This
standard provides a structure and content for application by many types of users from organizations in the
private and public sector, ICT user or ICT supply organisations, educational institutions including higher
education and private certification providers, social partners and individuals. In this broad application
context, this standard is designed to support common understanding, not to mandate the use of each and
every word used within it.
This standard expresses ICT competence using the following definition: ‘Competence is a demonstrated
ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving observable results’. This holistic concept
directly relates to workplace activities and incorporates complex human attitudes and resultant behaviours.
Behaviour and attitude are important influences that facilitate successful knowledge and skills application.
Within each competence, embedded attitudes are reflected in behaviour and enable the successful
integration of knowledge and skills.
Competence is a durable concept and although technology, jobs, marketing terminology and promotional
concepts within the ICT environment change rapidly, this standard remains durable requiring maintenance
approximately every three years to maintain relevance.
A competence can be a component of a job role, but it cannot be used as a substitute for similarly
named job titles, for example; the competence, E.2. ‘Project and Portfolio Management’ does not represent
the complete content of a ‘Project Manager’s’ job role. Competences can be aggregated, as required, to
represent the essential content of a job role or profile. On the other hand, one single competence may be
assigned to a number of different job profiles.
Competence is not to be confused with process or technology concepts such as, ‘Cloud Computing’ or
‘Big Data’. These descriptions represent evolving technologies and in the context of this standard, they may
be integrated as knowledge and skills examples in Dimension 4.
This standard does not attempt to cover every possible competence deployed by an ICT professional
nor are the included competences necessarily unique to ICT. This standard articulates competences
associated with ICT professional roles including some that may be found in other professions but are very
important in an ICT context; examples include, C.4. ‘Problem Management’ or E.3. ‘Risk Management’.
However, to maintain an ICT focus, this standard avoids generic competences such as ‘Communications’ or
‘General Management’. Although very applicable these generic competences are comprehensively
articulated in other structures. Selecting competences for inclusion within this standard is therefore a
pragmatic rather than an exhaustive process. The selection was based on engagement with a broad cross-
section of stakeholders who prioritize competence inclusion based upon industry knowledge and
experience.
This standard is structured across four dimensions. e-Competences in Dimensions 1 and 2 are presented
from the organizational perspective as opposed to an individual’s perspective. Dimension 3 defines e-
Competence levels and relates to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), it is a bridge between
organizational and individual competences. Dimension 4 provides examples of knowledge and skills to the
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e-Competences in Dimension 2, they are not intended to be exhaustive but for inspiration and orientation
only.
This latest version of the standard incorporates a new element, transversal aspects; it recognizes the
relevance of a number of cross-cutting aspects that are important and provide additional generic ICT related
descriptors for successful application of e-CF competences in a workplace context. Examples of transversal
aspects identified for context-specific and flexible application within this standard are Accessibility, Ethics
and Security.
This standard has a sector specific relationship to the EQF; competence levels within this standard
provide a consistent and rational relationship to levels defined within the EQF. The relativity between EQF
learning levels and the e-competence work proficiency levels of this standard has been systematically
developed to enable consistent interpretation of the EQF in the ICT workplace environment. It should be
noted that an exact equivalency is not possible due to the different purposes and contexts of EQF and e-CF,
but relevant relationship information is provided.
Continuity of this standard is imperative; following maintenance updates it is essential that users are
provided with a simple upgrade path. Users of this standard invest considerable time and resources to align
processes or procedures with it. Organisations deploying these downstream activities are reliant upon this
standard and need to be confident of the continued sustainability of their processes. Updates of this
standard need to recognize this requirement and provide for continuity, enabling use of the existing version
of the standard until it is convenient to upgrade to the latest version.
This standard is neutral; it does not follow the specific interests of a few major influencers, it is developed
and maintained through an EU-wide balanced multi-stakeholder agreement process, under the umbrella of
the European Committee for Standardization. This standard is a key component of the European Digital
Agenda for ICT Professionalism; it is designed for use by any organization or individual engaged in ICT
Human Resource planning and competence development.

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1 Scope
This document supports the methodology grounding for the development, implementation and
maintenance of EN 16234 (all parts) e-Competence Framework (e-CF) - A common European Framework
for ICT Professionals in all sectors which provides a common reference of 41 ICT professional competences
as required and applied at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professional work
environment, using a common language for competences, skills, knowledge and proficiency levels that can
be understood across Europe.
This document supports methodological understanding of the e-CF by all parties interested and supports
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) stakeholders dealing with ICT Professional competences
from multiple perspectives, in particular:
— ICT service, demand and supply organisations;
— ICT professionals, managers and human resource (HR) departments;
— educational institutions, learning program and certification providers of all types including Vocational
and Educational Training (VET), Higher Education (HE) and Continuous Professional Development
(CPD);
— social partners (trade unions and employer associations);
— professional associations, accreditation, validation and assessment bodies;
— market analysts and policy makers;
— other organisations and stakeholders in public and private sectors across Europe;
and it seeks to particularly satisfy the needs of stakeholders from competence frameworks construction and
research environment.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16234-1:2019, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) — A common European Framework for ICT Professionals
in all sectors — Part 1: Framework
CEN/TR 16234-2, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) — A common European Framework for ICT Professionals
in all sectors — Part 3: User Guide
CEN/TR 16234-4, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) — A common European Framework for ICT Professionals
in all sectors — Part 4: Case Studies
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document the terms and definitions given in EN 16234-1 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
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4 Executive overview
The aim of this document is to describe the methodology underpinning the development, implementation
and maintenance of the EN 16234-1 (e-CF).
The objective of the EN 16234-1 is to provide a common, shared, European tool to support ICT organisations
and educational institutions in the recruitment, assessment, competence needs analysis, learning
programme development and career path design and development. It also aims to support policy makers to
define policies related to digital skills development by education and in the workplace. As European
stakeholders are the target audience for the EN 16234-1, the active involvement of multiple experts and
stakeholders from this community provide an essential ingredient in making and keeping the e-CF,
published as EN 16234-1, fit for purpose.
At the outset four base criteria for e-CF development were considered. Founded upon informed European
stakeholder engagement, the following were considered:
1) a framework structure of four dimensions;
2) definitions of competence, knowledge, skill and attitude;
3) derivation from ICT business processes;
4) a relationship between the e-CF and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), in particular
between respective levels.
The outcomes were as follows:
• e-CF structure in four dimensions. The structure of existing frameworks was analysed and evaluated;
final agreement was made for a four-dimensional approach. The structure is constructed from
competence areas (dimension 1) and competences (dimension 2), as distinct from job roles. The
competence-based approach offers more flexibility and facilitates local customisation. Levels from 1 to
5, form dimension 3 and are assigned to each competence as appropriate. The number of the levels
assigned to each competence varies, dependent upon the nature and complexity of the competence.
Knowledge and skills examples form dimension 4 and provide brief, non-exhaustive samples associated
with each competence.
• Definitions of competence, skills, knowledge and attitude. Applying a consistent approach to ICT
stakeholder competence requirements, the definitions focus on organisational rather than individual
competences. However, individual competences can be identified within dimension 3 of the e-CF where
proficiency levels are defined and incorporate personal autonomy and behaviour. It can be said that
Dimension 3 provides a bridge between organisational and individual competence. The e-CF level table
provides a definition for each performance level and if required can be used as a basis for establishing
level relationships other relevant frameworks.
• Business Processes. From the outset European stakeholders agreed to use, as a reference, a general
ICT process schema, compliant with many models provided by ICT certification institutions (e.g. Exin,
Cobit). The model presents five process phases, Plan, Build, Run, Enable and Manage, where Enable and
Manage are cross-cutting themes. This initial reference to processes, provided the basis for dimension
1 of the framework. It was established as an entry point and navigation aid to access competence
descriptors and it is still relevant today within agile process models, including the devOps lifecycle.
• Levels. To provide a logical relationship to the EQF, some EQF indicators were extrapolated; “context
complexity”, “autonomy” and “behaviour” to help formulate e-CF level differentiators. These indicators
reflect organisational perspectives on competence. However, the EQF also incorporates further criteria
including “responsibility”, but this element was omitted to avoid confusion with organisational
accountability, which is not relevant to the definition of competence (e-CF competence is independent
of hierarchical structures). The e-CF, as a competence framework, defines proficiency levels from an
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organisational perspective but it shares some level criteria with the EQF, as an education framework.
This positions the e-CF to offer a consistent link between competence and learning levels.
Further development of the e-CF has provided an additional key component to the original structure:
• Transversal Aspects (new). In the latest version the e-CF a new element has been introduced;
transversal aspects which recognize the relevance of a number of cross-cutting aspects that are
important to an ICT Professional’s performance, independent of competence area. Transversal aspects
provide additional generic descriptors contributing to the successful application of e-CF competences
in the workplace. Transversal aspects such as, accessibility, ethics and security provide the opportunity
to enhance competence descriptions through context-specific and flexible application.
The criteria applied during construction, implementation and maintenance of the e-CF to make it fit for
purpose are backed by sound academic foundations. Within this document relationships between best ICT
practice, qualification approaches and state-of-the-art competence application are explained. The original
methodology adopted for e-CF development remains relevant and was incorporated in the creation of the
latest version. The revision was predicated upon a step-by-step, bottom up approach, focused upon
stakeholders’ experience, practical e-CF implementation and dynamic ICT business related requirements.
The application of a sound methodological backbone supported by consistent definitions and e-CF founding
principles have permeated all framework updating lifecycles.
A summary of methodological success factors:
• Representation of expert views from stakeholders;
• Achievement of consensus on structural approach;
• Formalization of decisions;
• Achievement of combining framework elements into a structured result;
• Ensuring continuous improvement and stability whilst responding to an evolving environment.
From initiation, e-CF development was based on gathering informed input. It involved synthesizing trends,
structuring solutions, consensus building, raising awareness among stakeholders and finding common
views. This has led to the establishment and maintenance of a common European language for ICT
professional competence, knowledge, skills, and capability levels. When consensus was difficult, reference
to academic research and current management thinking and knowledge has offered clarification. However,
the driving force for e-CF maintenance was to keep it up-to-date and in line with latest ICT business trends
and needs, consistent and complementary to the original definitions.
5 Essentials of the EN 16234-1 (e-Competence Framework - e-CF): Four
dimensions and the transversal aspects
The EN 16234-1 (e-CF) provides a common European language for ICT workplace-related competences,
skills and proficiency levels as required and applied by organisations and professionals. In this way, all
sector stakeholders, including public and private sector and individuals, have access to a shared reference.
In particular, the e-CF supports the articulation, definition and description of:
• jobs, role profiles, recruitment offers and needs and other types of competence specifications;
• training courses, qualifications, certifications and higher education curricula;
• career paths and professional development needs;
• formal and non-formal learning paths;
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• competence gaps analysis at the individual, team or organisational level;
• education and training needs at the individual, team or organisational level;
• criteria for competence assessment and market-trend analysis, etc.;
• a shared reference to gather and present ICT professional competence need information, e.g. at national
or large corporation level.
The EN 16234-1 (e-CF) is structured across four dimensions. The dimensions reflect areas of business and
human resource planning and incorporate job and work proficiency guidelines. Additionally, transversal
aspects recognize the relevance of a number of cross-cutting aspects, for example, security or accessibility
that are important in the ICT workplace. e-CF transversal aspects apply across the entire framework.
The e-CF is a competence-based structure facilitating both flexibility and standardization. This is enabled
through a framework structured in four dimensions. These dimensions support e-CF understanding by all
stakeholders and enable connections to other frameworks (like EQF) or ICT technical models and standards
(like CMMI or DevOps):
1. The five e-Competence areas PLAN – BUILD – RUN – ENABLE – MANAGE from dimension 1, are
presented from the organizational perspective. The areas correspond to the ICT business processes that
form the core of the traditional waterfall model, Agile project or DevOps environment lifecycles.
Dimension 1 assists in the organization and navigation of e-Competences. Furthermore, it is
instrumental in HR assessment and training needs identification as well as classification of e-
Competences. It helps HR managers communicate with ICT and business managers and make coherent
decisions.
2. A set of 41 e-Competences with a generic description of each forms Dimension 2, which is also
presented from the organizational perspective. Dimension 2 provides the core building blocks of the
framework. e-Competences such as A.3 Business Plan Development or D.7 Data Science and Analytics
are generic, customizable and applicable to any industry or business sector. Within this structure, the
e-Competence descriptors refer to and represent organizational needs.
3. Dimension 3 of the e-CF provides defined proficiency levels specified individually for each e-
Competence articulated within dimension 2. Proficiency levels indicate the degree of mastery required
of an ICT professional to meet requirements in the performance of a competence. Proficiency levels
range from e-1 to e-5 and relate to EQF levels 3 to 8. Proficiency level specifications incorporate
behaviours and levels of autonomy and build a bridge between organizational and individual
competences.
4. Knowledge and skills embedded within e-Competences are explicitly expressed in Dimension 4.
They are not exhaustive but only provided for inspiration and orientation. These examples are useful
in defining specific and precise outcomes for measurement within an organization’s competence
assessment program. In addition, they offer inputs for training institutions to help in defining learning
outcomes and to design training initiatives.
5. From 2019 the e-CF incorporates transversal aspects that recognize the relevance of a number of
important cross-cutting aspects. They provide additional generic ICT related descriptors to support
application of e-CF competences i
...