Solution architect

You can:

• identify relevant information that can inform your architectural work, such as strategies, roadmaps, policies and technical trends
• understand how your work supports the team in enabling change​

You can:

• show an awareness of different ways of creating architecture representations for a limited audience, including technical and non-technical stakeholders
• gather and explain information to be used in architecture representations

You can:

• show an awareness of government commercial processes
• show an awareness of legal and compliance rules

You can:

• understand technical governance
• participate in the assurance of a service

You can:

• understand how the needs of the team and the product vary across the stages of the product life cycle

You can:

• recommend decisions and describe the reasoning behind them
• identify and articulate technical disputes between direct peers and local stakeholders

You can:

• show an awareness of the strategic context of your work and why it is important
• support strategic planning

You can:

• support identifying, analysing, capturing and validating business and user requirements
• work under supervision to manage requirements and support their prioritisation, within a defined scope
• provide distinct task-based outputs for parts of the project as directed, using a predetermined requirements management life cycle

You can:

• describe the purpose and application of strategy, standards, patterns, policies, roadmaps and vision statements

You can:

• assist as part of a team in the design of components of larger systems

You can:

• show an awareness of a range of tools and techniques for test automation
• demonstrate some technical attributes

You can:

• identify relevant information that can inform your architectural work, such as strategies, roadmaps, policies and technical trends
• understand how your work supports the team in enabling change​

You can:

• listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders
• create and use different architecture representations to communicate effectively, achieving agreement with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• provide support in discussions about architectural topics within a multidisciplinary team

You can:

• show an awareness of government commercial processes
• show an awareness of legal and compliance rules

You can:

• understand technical governance
• participate in the assurance of a service

You can:

• understand how the needs of the team and the product vary across the stages of the product life cycle

You can:

• recommend decisions and describe the reasoning behind them
• identify and articulate technical disputes between direct peers and local stakeholders

You can:

• show an awareness of the strategic context of your work and why it is important
• support strategic planning

You can:

• support identifying, analysing, capturing and validating business and user requirements
• work under supervision to manage requirements and support their prioritisation, within a defined scope
• provide distinct task-based outputs for parts of the project as directed, using a predetermined requirements management life cycle

You can:

• describe the purpose and application of strategy, standards, patterns, policies, roadmaps and vision statements

You can:

• translate logical designs into physical designs
• produce detailed designs
• effectively document all work using required standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate
• design systems characterised by managed levels of risk, manageable business and technical complexity, and meaningful impact
• work with well understood technology and identify appropriate patterns

You can:

• use a range of technologies for testing
• use one type of tool to write test scripts
• use technologies to design and execute test cases under guidance

You can:

• align your work with the work being done by other architects and technical professionals
• track emerging issues, strategies, roadmaps, patterns and technologies over time to assess opportunities and risks to your work
• identify how other teams contribute to delivering outcomes through change

You can:

• lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• communicate with senior stakeholders across your organisation
• adapt your message and communication techniques to your audience
• advocate on behalf of a team to other stakeholders
• manage stakeholder expectations effectively

You can:

• understand commercial processes and the appropriate internal contacts within a government department
• understand different sourcing strategies and when to apply them

You can:

• understand how governance works and what governance is required
• take responsibility for the assurance of a service and know what risks need to be managed

You can:

• recognise when to move from one stage of a product life cycle to another
• ensure the team is working towards the appropriate service standards for the relevant phase
• manage the delivery of products and services at different phases

You can:

• make decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity, and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase
• resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, considering all views and opinions

You can:

• work within a strategic context and communicate how activities meet strategic goals

You can:

• identify, analyse, challenge and validate business and user requirements
• work under limited supervision to co-ordinate and review the prioritisation of requirements
• use appropriate requirements management life cycle methods to complete tasks and outputs related to the project

You can:

• apply strategy, using and challenging patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements
• provide guidance

You can:

• design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity
• select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively
• review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology

You can:

• demonstrate a good working knowledge of different tools and techniques, and can train others
• advise others on testing techniques and frameworks
• effectively research, plan and train others within the team

You can:

• work to support wider organisational objectives beyond your immediate goals​
• track emerging internal and external issues over time that could affect the work of teams across the organisation
• take action to solve or mitigate problems by influencing colleagues across the organisation

You can:

• lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky architecture topics with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• communicate with senior stakeholders across your organisation
• adapt your message and communication techniques to your audience
• advocate on behalf of a team to other stakeholders
• manage stakeholder expectations effectively

You can:

• understand commercial processes and the appropriate internal contacts within a government department
• understand different sourcing strategies and when to apply them

You can:

• understand how governance works and what governance is required
• take responsibility for the assurance of a service and know what risks need to be managed

You can:

• apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle
• recognise when it is right to move forward and when it is right to stop
• recognise the appropriate deliverables and the right people to meet them
• work with other Agile delivery operations throughout the product life cycle
• plan and engage with the appropriate stakeholders at a particular stage in the project

You can:

• make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity, and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase
• build consensus between services or independent stakeholders

You can:

• work within a strategic context and communicate how activities meet strategic goals

You can:

• identify, analyse, challenge and validate business and user requirements
• work under limited supervision to co-ordinate and review the prioritisation of requirements
• use appropriate requirements management life cycle methods to complete tasks and outputs related to the project

You can:

• define and challenge strategies, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements
• provide proactive advice and guidance for their definition across the organisation

You can:

• design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity
• select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively
• review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology

You can:

• act as an adviser with a strategic understanding of IT trends and technologies
• write and publish papers
• demonstrate knowledge of emerging tools and techniques
• set up frameworks based on the needs of the team
• effectively work across different tools and software languages

You can:

• assess how trends in society and industry practices might impact the organisation
• work with people outside of your organisation to inform policies, strategies and standards
• anticipate changes to policy and build resilience through your architectural work
• coach others in identifying important trends

You can:

• communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, and across organisations, using architecture communication techniques​
• mediate between people in difficult architectural discussions
• gain support from business and technical stakeholders for architectural initiatives with high levels of risk, impact and complexity
• coach and support others in architecture communication

You can:

• identify appropriate contractual frameworks and approaches
• identify, evaluate and select appropriate suppliers

You can:

• evolve and define governance
• take responsibility for working with and supporting other staff in wider governance
• assure services across sets of services
• use tools such as standards, guardrails and principles to effectively govern delivery

You can:

• apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle
• recognise when it is right to move forward and when it is right to stop
• recognise the appropriate deliverables and the right people to meet them
• work with other Agile delivery operations throughout the product life cycle
• plan and engage with the appropriate stakeholders at a particular stage in the project

You can:

• make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity, and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase
• build consensus between services or independent stakeholders

You can:

• define strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working in the strategic context
• evaluate current strategies to ensure business requirements are being met and exceeded where possible

You can:

• advise on the approach to requirements management within a project or programme
• define the most appropriate requirements management life cycle methods and ensure the requirement can be traced in the design, build, test, tender and evaluation phases
• co-ordinate and review the prioritisation of requirements and engage in the negotiation of solutions to help meet programme objectives

You can:

• shape and influence government strategy
• own and be responsible for setting strategies, patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements

You can:

• design systems characterised by high levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity
• control system design practice within an enterprise or industry architecture
• influence industry-based models for the development of new technology applications
• develop effective implementation and procurement strategies, consistent with business needs
• ensure adherence to relevant technical strategies, policies, standards and practices

You can:

• act as an adviser with a strategic understanding of IT trends and technologies
• write and publish papers
• demonstrate knowledge of emerging tools and techniques
• set up frameworks based on the needs of the team
• effectively work across different tools and software languages

Commercial perspective

Governance and assurance

Making and guiding decisions

Problem definition and shaping

Governance and assurance

Making and guiding decisions

Strategy

Governance and assurance

Systems design

Requirements definition and management

Making and guiding decisions