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Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Learn about the digital, data and technology roles in government, and the skills you need to do them.

Last updated 28 February 2025 — See all updates

Contents

How to use this framework

The name of this guidance changed on 1 December 2023. Previously its name was ‘Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Profession Capability Framework’. This change reflects the launch of the new brand for Government Digital and Data.

Anyone can use this framework to:

  • learn what the different digital and data roles do in government
  • understand what skills are needed at each role level

Professionals in Government Digital and Data can use this framework to:

  • identify skills that they can develop
  • assess their current skill levels in preparation for performance and development conversations
  • learn about the typical responsibilities and skills of their colleagues

Line managers and team leaders in government can use this framework to:

  • identify skill gaps in their teams and opportunities for development
  • inform development goals and conversations
  • forecast their organisation workforce needs, to make sure they have the right skills to achieve objectives

Hiring managers in government can use this framework to:

  • create effective and consistent job adverts
  • assess the suitability of a candidate during interview

Skills in this framework

Each role level (such as junior business analyst or senior business analyst) in this framework includes a list of required skills. Each skill is assigned one of 4 skill levels, reflecting the required proficiency: awareness, working, practitioner or expert.

As you progress from one role level to the next, the proficiency required for each skill will typically increase (other than in instances where leadership positions no longer require day-to-day use of the skill).

You can see the full list of skills and their definitions in the .

Skill level definitions
Skill level What the level means

Awareness

Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • describe the fundamentals of the skill
  • demonstrate basic knowledge of some of the skill's tools and techniques

Working

Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • apply the skill with some support
  • adopt the most appropriate tools and techniques

Practitioner

Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • apply the skill without support
  • determine and use the most appropriate tools and techniques
  • share knowledge and experience of the skill

Expert

Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels

You can:

  • lead and guide a team or organisation in the skill's best practice
  • teach the skill's advanced tools and techniques

Skills for chief digital and data roles

Chief digital and data roles (such as chief technology officer or chief data officer) do not have role levels and so their skills do not have levels. Instead, each skill lists digital and data requirements together with examples of leadership needed to be effective in a Senior Civil Service role.

Support

The Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework is maintained by the Government Digital Service.

If you have a question or need support you can:

Find out how to to the framework.

Architecture roles

Chief digital and data roles

Data roles

IT operations roles

Product and delivery roles

Quality assurance testing (QAT) roles

Software development roles

User-centred design roles

Further resources

Updates

Published 23 March 2017

Last updated 28 February 2025 + show all updates