Core Components of [Variable1]

Core Technical Competencies : Core Technical Competencies focus on the craft of building, maintaining, and improving technology itself . This dimension is about the engineer's ability to design modular architectures, write clean and secure code, connect systems reliably, structure data effectively, test thoroughly, and document clearly. Service Orientation : Service Orientation focuses on the delivery of technology as a service to the organization . It emphasizes reliability, responsiveness, workflow design, operational efficiency, cross-team collaboration, and the ability to support employees and business partners effectively. Knowledge Transfer : Knowledge Transfer focuses on how IT professionals spread understanding, build organizational capability, and reduce dependency on individuals . It's about making the organization smarter and more self-sufficient by sharing expertise, documenting clearly, teaching others, and ensuring continuity of knowledge. Strategic Alignment : Strategic Alignment focuses on how IT decisions, architectures, and investments advance the organization's long-term goals and key initiatives . It's about ensuring that technology choices, enterprise architecture, modernization efforts, and operational strategies directly support business priorities, reduce risk, and deliver measurable value. IT Resources : IT Resources focuses on how an IT organization positions, allocates, and adapts its people, tools, systems, and capacity to meet evolving business and technical needs . It's about ensuring the right resources are available at the right time--whether that means reallocating staff, scaling infrastructure, adjusting budgets, or shifting priorities to maximize operational impact. IT Controls : IT Controls focuses on the frameworks, safeguards, and evaluation mechanisms that ensure systems operate securely, reliably, and in compliance with governance requirements . It emphasizes designing internal controls, monitoring system performance, using data-driven insights to assess risk, and maintaining the stability and resilience of critical systems. Risk Management : Risk Management focuses on how an IT organization identifies, evaluates, and responds to risks across systems, processes, and operations . It emphasizes assessing severity levels, selecting appropriate response strategies, monitoring risk indicators, and using structured checklists to ensure vulnerabilities are caught early and IT controls are comprehensive. Vendor Review : Vendor Review focuses specifically on the risks, performance, and compliance of third-party providers. It emphasizes conducting vendor-specific risk assessments, holding onboarding and performance-review meetings, ensuring vendors meet security and regulatory requirements, and maintaining strong oversight through established vendor-management tools and processes . Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance : Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance focuses on the rigor of selecting, testing, and approving new software or systems before they enter the environment . It emphasizes structured evaluation against requirements, architectural fit, security and compliance standards, cost models, vendor maturity, and operational readiness. Data Model : Data Model focuses on defining, validating, and securing agreement on how data is structured, interpreted, and used across the organization . It emphasizes engaging stakeholders, aligning on requirements, building consensus around data architecture decisions, and ensuring the model supports both operational and strategic goals. Data Controls : Data Controls focus on the technical safeguards and enforcement mechanisms that ensure data is handled securely, consistently, and in compliance with governance and regulatory requirements . This includes access controls, authentication, retention and archival mechanisms, disposal policies, and the technical controls needed to demonstrate compliance. Data Governance : Data Governance focuses on the rules, roles, and operating model that define how data is owned, classified, protected, and managed across the organization . It emphasizes stewardship, accountability, regulatory compliance, and the strategic structures that guide how data flows, how it is used, and who is responsible for its quality and protection. Data Integration : Data Integration focuses on the technical execution of combining data from multiple systems so applications, analytics, and business processes have consistent, high-quality information . It emphasizes harmonizing data from diverse sources, defining integration architectures and standards, troubleshooting complex data flows, and enabling enterprise insights through reliable pipelines.

How can I improve employees use of [Variable1]?

Clarify purpose and connect technology to goals. A manager can help employees understand why specific tools or systems matter by linking them directly to business outcomes. When people see how IT supports their success, they use it more effectively and creatively. Provide structured learning and accessible resources. Managers should create onboarding guides, short tutorials, and reusable playbooks that demystify complex systems. This ensures employees can learn independently and build confidence in using IT tools. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing. By fostering open communication between technical and non-technical staff, managers help spread expertise across teams. Regular discussions and shared documentation reduce silos and improve problem-solving speed. Model continuous improvement and innovation. Managers who evaluate new tools, gather user feedback, and refine workflows show that IT is a living system, not a static one. This mindset helps employees stay adaptable and proactive in leveraging technology for better results.

HR-Survey > Competency Model

Information Technology - Competency

Definition: Information Technology is the organizational capability that designs, operates, and improves the technical ecosystem by applying core technical competencies, secure engineering practices, analytical problem‑solving, and disciplined data and systems management. It delivers service‑oriented, customer‑focused support through clear communication, effective triage and resolution, strong knowledge‑transfer practices, and well‑maintained service‑desk operations that ensure users receive timely, high‑quality assistance. It ensures that technology decisions, architectures, resources, acquisitions, vendor relationships, and risk‑management activities are strategically aligned with organizational priorities, governance requirements, and long‑term business outcomes. It maintains operational excellence through robust controls, data governance, integration and modeling discipline, continuous improvement, trend and issue analysis, and technical leadership that guides teams toward scalable, compliant, and future‑ready solutions.

Organizational Skills

Business Acumen
Strategic Focus
Strategic Insight
Entrepreneurship
Company
Organizational Fluency
Fiscal Management
Continuous Improvement
Information Technology
Planning
Regulatory/Compliance
Vision
Global Perspective

What is Information Technology?
Core Components of Information Technology
Why is Information Technology important?
How can I improve employees use of Information Technology?
Questions to include on your survey.

360-Feedback Assessments Measuring Information Technology:
Survey 1 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 2 (4-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 3 (5-point scale; Competency Comments)
Survey 4 (5-point scale; radio buttons)
Survey 5 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 6 (4-point scale; words)
Survey 7 (5-point scale; competency comments; N/A)
Survey 8 (3-point scale; Agree/Disagree words; N/A)
Survey 9 (3-point scale; Strength/Development; N/A)
Survey 10 (Comment boxes only)
Survey 11 (Single rating per competency)
Survey 12 (Slide-bar scale)
Survey 13 (4-point scale; numbers; floating anchors)
Survey 14 (4-point scale; N/A)

Self-Comments: Do you have to complete a self-assessment or performance appraisal? If so, the
self-comments here may help.

What is Information Technology?

Information Technology is the organizational capability that builds, integrates, and maintains the technical ecosystem by applying strong core technical competencies--designing scalable architectures, connecting applications and data sources reliably, and creating data structures and flows that support both operational needs and analytics. It delivers high-quality, service-oriented operations by designing efficient workflows, implementing productivity-enhancing protocols, and ensuring reliable, user-centered IT services that meet organizational goals. IT also strengthens long-term capability through knowledge transfer, creating onboarding paths, reusable playbooks, and shared documentation that help teams work independently and solve recurring issues without escalation.

Information Technology ensures that technology decisions, architectures, and investments are strategically aligned with organizational priorities by analyzing operational strategies, identifying risks and gaps, and adjusting departmental plans to support key initiatives. It manages and allocates IT resources to maximize return on effort and investment, anticipating changing needs and aligning capacity with evolving business demands. IT also maintains operational integrity through IT controls and risk management, building data-driven control frameworks, validating compliance with governance standards, conducting periodic reviews of systems and integrations, and implementing effective risk-response strategies that protect the organization from emerging threats.

Information Technology sustains enterprise reliability and insight through vendor review, acquisition evaluation, and strong data practices--including data modeling, data controls, data governance, and data integration that ensure systems are scalable, secure, compliant, and interoperable. It drives excellence through analytical problem solving, technical leadership, and continuous improvement, diagnosing complex issues, evaluating new tools and patterns, and identifying opportunities to reduce incidents and improve stability. IT also ensures high-quality service execution through issues and trends analysis, troubleshooting and triage, resolution and closure, knowledgebase contributions, clear communication, customer-focused support, service desk operations, and the cultivation of trusted expertise that strengthens relationships across the organization and advances enterprise goals.

Core Components of Information Technology

Core Technical Competencies: Core Technical Competencies focus on the craft of building, maintaining, and improving technology itself. This dimension is about the engineer's ability to design modular architectures, write clean and secure code, connect systems reliably, structure data effectively, test thoroughly, and document clearly.
Service Orientation: Service Orientation focuses on the delivery of technology as a service to the organization. It emphasizes reliability, responsiveness, workflow design, operational efficiency, cross-team collaboration, and the ability to support employees and business partners effectively.
Knowledge Transfer: Knowledge Transfer focuses on how IT professionals spread understanding, build organizational capability, and reduce dependency on individuals. It's about making the organization smarter and more self-sufficient by sharing expertise, documenting clearly, teaching others, and ensuring continuity of knowledge.
Strategic Alignment: Strategic Alignment focuses on how IT decisions, architectures, and investments advance the organization's long-term goals and key initiatives. It's about ensuring that technology choices, enterprise architecture, modernization efforts, and operational strategies directly support business priorities, reduce risk, and deliver measurable value.
IT Resources: IT Resources focuses on how an IT organization positions, allocates, and adapts its people, tools, systems, and capacity to meet evolving business and technical needs. It's about ensuring the right resources are available at the right time--whether that means reallocating staff, scaling infrastructure, adjusting budgets, or shifting priorities to maximize operational impact.
IT Controls: IT Controls focuses on the frameworks, safeguards, and evaluation mechanisms that ensure systems operate securely, reliably, and in compliance with governance requirements. It emphasizes designing internal controls, monitoring system performance, using data-driven insights to assess risk, and maintaining the stability and resilience of critical systems.
Risk Management: Risk Management focuses on how an IT organization identifies, evaluates, and responds to risks across systems, processes, and operations. It emphasizes assessing severity levels, selecting appropriate response strategies, monitoring risk indicators, and using structured checklists to ensure vulnerabilities are caught early and IT controls are comprehensive.
Vendor Review: Vendor Review focuses specifically on the risks, performance, and compliance of third-party providers. It emphasizes conducting vendor-specific risk assessments, holding onboarding and performance-review meetings, ensuring vendors meet security and regulatory requirements, and maintaining strong oversight through established vendor-management tools and processes.
Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance: Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance focuses on the rigor of selecting, testing, and approving new software or systems before they enter the environment. It emphasizes structured evaluation against requirements, architectural fit, security and compliance standards, cost models, vendor maturity, and operational readiness.
Data Model: Data Model focuses on defining, validating, and securing agreement on how data is structured, interpreted, and used across the organization. It emphasizes engaging stakeholders, aligning on requirements, building consensus around data architecture decisions, and ensuring the model supports both operational and strategic goals.
Data Controls: Data Controls focus on the technical safeguards and enforcement mechanisms that ensure data is handled securely, consistently, and in compliance with governance and regulatory requirements. This includes access controls, authentication, retention and archival mechanisms, disposal policies, and the technical controls needed to demonstrate compliance.
Data Governance: Data Governance focuses on the rules, roles, and operating model that define how data is owned, classified, protected, and managed across the organization. It emphasizes stewardship, accountability, regulatory compliance, and the strategic structures that guide how data flows, how it is used, and who is responsible for its quality and protection.
Data Integration: Data Integration focuses on the technical execution of combining data from multiple systems so applications, analytics, and business processes have consistent, high-quality information. It emphasizes harmonizing data from diverse sources, defining integration architectures and standards, troubleshooting complex data flows, and enabling enterprise insights through reliable pipelines.

Why is Information Technology important?

Information Technology is important because it is the foundation that enables every modern organization to function, adapt, and compete. It builds and maintains the systems that power operations--applications, data flows, integrations, and infrastructure--ensuring reliability, scalability, and security. IT connects technical capability with organizational purpose, aligning resources, architectures, and investments with strategic goals. Through strong technical competencies, disciplined controls, and effective risk management, IT protects the organization's data, systems, and reputation while enabling innovation and efficiency across every department.

Equally important, Information Technology strengthens organizational learning and collaboration. By transferring knowledge, improving workflows, and fostering continuous improvement, IT helps teams work smarter and more independently. It delivers high-quality, customer-focused service, communicates clearly, and builds trust between technical teams and business leaders. In essence, IT is not just a support function--it is the engine of organizational capability, driving reliability, insight, and transformation that allow companies to grow, evolve, and succeed in a digital world.

How can I improve employees use of Information Technology?

Clarify purpose and connect technology to goals. A manager can help employees understand why specific tools or systems matter by linking them directly to business outcomes. When people see how IT supports their success, they use it more effectively and creatively.
Provide structured learning and accessible resources. Managers should create onboarding guides, short tutorials, and reusable playbooks that demystify complex systems. This ensures employees can learn independently and build confidence in using IT tools.
Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing. By fostering open communication between technical and non-technical staff, managers help spread expertise across teams. Regular discussions and shared documentation reduce silos and improve problem-solving speed.
Model continuous improvement and innovation. Managers who evaluate new tools, gather user feedback, and refine workflows show that IT is a living system, not a static one. This mindset helps employees stay adaptable and proactive in leveraging technology for better results.

What questions could be included on a 360-degree survey that measure Information Technology?

The questionnaire items below will measure Information Technology. These questions are grouped into different facets of information technology. When creating a 360-degree or other performance assessment, try to select one or two items from each group.

Questions to include on your survey.

Core Technical Competencies

Core Technical Competencies center on the hands-on technical mastery required to build, integrate, secure, and maintain systems. This dimension includes designing data structures and schemas, writing clean and efficient code, applying architectural patterns, connecting applications and APIs reliably, and executing unit, integration, and acceptance tests to ensure performance and stability. It also encompasses secure coding practices, understanding system interoperability, producing clear technical documentation, and even repairing departmental equipment when needed. In essence, Core Technical Competencies describe the technical precision, depth of knowledge, and engineering skill that enable IT teams to create robust, scalable, and well-structured technology solutions.

Knows how to develop and execute unit, integration, and acceptance tests to ensure reliability and performance.
Designs data structures, schemas, and flows that support application logic and analytics.
Writes clean, efficient, well-structured code using appropriate languages, frameworks, and tools.
Creates modular, scalable, and maintainable system designs applying architectural patterns appropriately.
Connects applications, APIs, and data sources reliably.
Is skilled at applying secure coding practices, threat modeling, and vulnerability mitigation throughout the application lifecycle.
Understands the dependencies and interoperability of different software tools.
Produces clear technical documentation, diagrams, and handoff materials.
Knows how to repair the equipment in our department.
Knowledgeable about the software and equipment we use.

Service Orientation

Service Orientation focuses on how IT delivers technology as a service to the organization--its responsiveness, reliability, operational excellence, and contribution to overall productivity. This dimension emphasizes delivering high-quality IT services, responding promptly to employee inquiries, improving workflows, automating processes, and implementing operational methods that strengthen service delivery. It reflects a commitment to efficiency, user support, and organizational performance, ensuring that IT services consistently meet business needs and advance key priorities. Service Orientation is about the quality and effectiveness of IT service delivery, not the technical construction of systems themselves.

Drives high-quality IT services that strengthen organizational performance and advance key priorities.
Responds to employee questions and inquiries in a timely manner.
Delivers high quality IT services for the organization.
Implements improved operational methods and system-support protocols that increase efficiency and strengthen service delivery.
Effectively develops new IT workflows and automated protocols that reduce manual effort and increase productivity.
Delivers reliable, high-quality IT services that support the organization's needs and goals.
Designs and rolls out enhanced IT work practices and protocols that drive ongoing efficiency and productivity gains.
Improves IT workflows and operational protocols that enhance team efficiency and overall productivity.
Is effective in maintaining the equipment in my department.
Works effectively with business partners, UX designers, QA, infrastructure, and data teams.

Knowledge Transfer

Knowledge Transfer is about building organizational capability by spreading understanding. It focuses on how IT professionals document critical system knowledge, mentor staff, create onboarding materials, develop reusable playbooks, and facilitate cross-team learning. The behaviors in this dimension strengthen continuity, reduce dependency on single experts, and ensure teams can operate independently. Knowledge Transfer is fundamentally about teaching, documenting, and sharing--making sure people across the organization understand systems, workflows, architectural decisions, and lessons learned so the whole IT function becomes smarter and more resilient.

Ensures that critical system knowledge (such as configurations, integrations, and architectural decisions) is documented and accessible so the team is never dependent on a single expert.
Actively shares knowledge to help the organization work smarter and more independently.
Creates onboarding materials and structured learning paths that help new IT staff quickly understand systems, workflows, and organizational standards.
Offers IT training seminars that are relevant and informative.
Creates reusable playbooks, templates, and technical guides that help teams solve recurring issues without needing escalation.
Encourages team members to contribute to shared documentation repositories and recognizes those who improve clarity, accuracy, or completeness.
Facilitates cross-team learning sessions where engineers, analysts, and support staff share insights, tools, and lessons learned from recent projects or incidents.
Delivers high-quality IT services and ensures strong knowledge transfer to support organizational learning and long-term capability.
Regularly mentors staff by walking them through complex incidents, explaining decisions, and ensuring they can independently handle similar situations in the future.
Delivers high-quality IT services and fosters continuous learning through structured knowledge-transfer and information-sharing practices.
Delivers reliable IT services and maintains clear documentation and knowledge-sharing practices that strengthen organizational understanding and continuity.

Strategic Alignment

Strategic Alignment is about ensuring technology decisions support the organization's long-term direction. It focuses on enterprise architecture strategies, modernization roadmaps, aligning systems with governance requirements, and guiding technology choices based on business value. The behaviors in this dimension ensure IT is positioned to meet organizational needs, strengthen key initiatives, and deliver increased value. Strategic Alignment is fundamentally about connecting technology to strategy--making sure IT investments, platforms, and decisions directly advance business priorities and future goals.

Creates an enterprise architecture strategy and roadmap that guides long-term technology planning and investment decisions.
Develops a comprehensive enterprise architecture strategy that aligns technology, systems, and processes with organizational goals.
Creates an enterprise architecture strategy that ensures IT systems, standards, and platforms are aligned with organizational priorities and governance requirements.
Assess department strategies and recommend adjustments to strengthen implementation of key initiatives.
Assesses the operational strategies that support the successful execution of important initiatives.
Is strategically positioned to meet the needs of the organization.
Delivers increased value to the organization.
Deploys tech in ways that directly enable and strengthen core business objectives.
Guides technology decisions by what delivers the greatest value to the business.
Analyzes operational strategies to identify risks, gaps, and improvements needed to ensure successful implementation of key initiatives.
Develops an enterprise architecture strategy that guides modernization efforts and ensures scalable, future-ready technology solutions.
Ensures key initiatives can be implemented effectively.

IT Resources

IT Resources focuses on how IT capacity is positioned, allocated, and adjusted to meet evolving business and technical needs. It is about ensuring the right people, tools, systems, and capabilities are available at the right time--and realigning them as priorities shift. The behaviors in this dimension emphasize anticipating future needs, maximizing return on effort and investment, and continually evaluating whether resources are deployed in the most impactful way. IT Resources is about optimizing and aligning organizational capability so the business can operate effectively and adapt quickly.

Ensures IT resources are aligned to meet evolving needs and priorities.
Strategically aligns IT resources to drive business priorities and outcomes.
Continually evaluates and adjusts IT resources to stay aligned with changing operational needs.
Assigns resources to achieve the strongest return on effort and investment.
Anticipates changing needs and proactively aligns IT resources to meet them.
Uses resources in ways that deliver the greatest operational impact.
Adjusts IT resources to keep pace with evolving business and technical requirements.
Ensures resources and capabilities are positioned to support the organization's evolving demands.

IT Controls

IT Controls focuses on how IT systems are governed, protected, and validated. It emphasizes designing internal controls, monitoring system performance, reviewing logs and configurations, ensuring compliance with governance and regulatory requirements, and maintaining the stability and resilience of critical systems. The behaviors here reflect structured oversight, data-driven evaluation, and continuous assessment of whether controls are functioning as intended. In essence, IT Controls is about ensuring systems remain secure, compliant, predictable, and trustworthy through disciplined control frameworks and monitoring practices.

Has designed internal controls with appropriate tracking measures.
Builds data-driven frameworks for evaluating IT controls and system performance using logs, metrics, and monitoring insights.
Has built effective frameworks for evaluating internal controls and systems.
Has created systematic approaches for assessing the effectiveness of IT controls and the health, stability, and resilience of critical systems.
Regularly reviews access permissions, system configurations, and audit logs to ensure controls remain effective and compliant with policy.
Collaborates with security, compliance, and audit teams to validate that technical controls align with organizational governance frameworks and external regulatory standards.
Establishes structured frameworks for evaluating IT controls and ensuring systems meet governance, security, and compliance requirements.
Implements automated monitoring and alerting mechanisms that detect control failures or deviations from expected system behavior.
Ensures that all control procedures (such as change management, backup validation, and incident logging) are consistently followed and fully documented.
Conducts periodic control-effectiveness assessments and updates control designs when systems, risks, or regulatory requirements change.

Risk Management

Risk Management focuses on identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks across the entire IT environment. It is broad, enterprise-wide, and centered on understanding exposure wherever it may arise--systems, integrations, architectures, upgrades, processes, or operations. The behaviors in this dimension emphasize structured risk-assessment methods (such as severity scoring and standardized checklists), maintaining a prioritized risk register, developing and implementing mitigation strategies, and collaborating with security, compliance, and infrastructure teams to ensure risks are addressed effectively. Risk Management is fundamentally about the organization's overall risk posture--continuously scanning for vulnerabilities, evaluating their impact, and reducing exposure through disciplined, repeatable practices.

Maintains a prioritized risk register that tracks exposures, owners, mitigation plans, and timelines to ensure accountability and follow-through.
Leverages standardized risk-management checklists to ensure IT controls are comprehensive, consistent, and aligned with organizational requirements.
Able to identify and implement appropriate risk responses.
Develops appropriate risk response strategies.
Collaborates with security, compliance, and infrastructure teams to validate that risk-mitigation actions are implemented correctly and remain effective over time.
Evaluates the risk impact of proposed changes, upgrades, or new technologies and adjusts implementation plans to minimize disruption or vulnerability.
Conducts periodic reviews of system architectures, integrations, and configurations to identify emerging risks before they impact operations.
Implements effective risk monitoring measures and responsibilities.
Knows how to conduct risk severity level assessments.
Uses risk-management checklists to proactively identify vulnerabilities and implement the IT controls needed to reduce exposure.

Vendor Review

Vendor Review focuses on evaluating and overseeing third-party providers specifically. It is narrower and operational, emphasizing vendor-specific risk assessments, onboarding and performance-review meetings, compliance checks, and ongoing monitoring of vendor reliability. The behaviors here include reviewing vendor performance, clarifying expectations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and using vendor-management tools to maintain strong oversight. Vendor Review is fundamentally about managing external partners--holding vendors accountable, ensuring they meet security and operational standards, and protecting the organization from third-party risks rather than enterprise-wide risks.

Evaluates vendor-related risks on an ongoing basis to ensure security, compliance, and operational reliability.
Facilitates routine vendor briefings and oversight meetings to ensure alignment and compliance.
Uses effective vendor-management tools and adhere to established compliance requirements.
Conducts regular vendor onboarding and performance-review meetings.
Conducts regular risk assessments as part of our vendor management and third-party oversight processes.
Holds regular meetings with vendors to review performance, clarify expectations, and address risks.
Leverages robust vendor-management systems and ensure full compliance with organizational and regulatory standards.

Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance

Acquisition Evaluation and Acceptance focuses on rigorously assessing new software before it enters the environment. This dimension emphasizes evaluating functional fit, architectural alignment, security and compliance requirements, total cost of ownership, vendor maturity, and implementation risks. It includes defining acceptance criteria, conducting structured testing, validating integrations and data flows, documenting defects, coordinating remediation, and making informed go/no-go decisions. The core idea is pre-deployment assurance--ensuring that any new technology is reliable, secure, compliant, and operationally ready before the organization commits to it.

Conducts thorough acquisition evaluations and acceptance testing to ensure software solutions meet business, technical, and compliance requirements.
Validates that integrations, data flows, and system performance meet operational standards.
Evaluates software options against functional requirements, technical standards, and long-term architectural fit.
Ensures proposed software aligns with security, compliance, and data-governance requirements.
Leads the evaluation, testing, and approval of new software to ensure quality, fit, and readiness for organizational use.
Analyzes total cost of software ownership, licensing models, and implementation risks before recommending acquisition.
Documents defects, coordinates remediation with vendors, and ensures issues are resolved before final approval.
Knows how to assess vendor capabilities, product maturity, and support models to determine suitability for organizational needs.
Defines acceptance criteria and testing protocols to verify that the software meets required specifications.

Data Model

Data Model focuses on designing and aligning the conceptual and structural blueprint for how data is organized and used across the organization. This dimension emphasizes stakeholder engagement, consensus building, standardizing schemas and definitions, translating business processes into data entities and relationships, maintaining versioned documentation, and ensuring the model supports scalability, integration, and long-term evolution. The core idea is shared data architecture--creating a unified, accurate representation of data structures and flows that everyone understands and agrees on, so systems interoperate cleanly and the organization can make consistent, reliable use of its data.

Has created a data model that supports the team's operating and strategic goals.
Ensures data definitions, schemas, and naming conventions are standardized across applications to prevent ambiguity and improve interoperability.
Engages key business and technical stakeholders to validate and support the data model.
Maintains versioned data-model documentation and communicates changes so downstream systems and teams can adapt without disruption.
Translates complex business processes into clear data entities, relationships, and flows that technical teams can implement consistently.
Collaborates with architects and engineers to validate that the data model supports scalability, integration needs, and long-term system evolution.
Evaluates how proposed system changes, new applications, or integrations will impact existing data structures and adjusts the model to maintain coherence and accuracy.
Secures stakeholder alignment on data requirements and system design decisions.
Obtains stakeholder commitment for the data architecture and its intended use.
Has built stakeholder consensus around data requirements and IT design decisions to ensure successful implementation.

Data Controls

Data Controls focuses on the technical enforcement mechanisms that keep data secure, compliant, and properly handled. This dimension is about implementing encryption, access controls, retention and archival mechanisms, backup validation, and other safeguards that ensure data is protected according to policy and regulatory requirements. It emphasizes monitoring workflows for violations, auditing permissions, validating failover processes, and maintaining the technical documentation needed to prove compliance. In essence, Data Controls is the hands-on, technical execution of data-protection requirements--making sure systems actually enforce the rules.

Maintains the technical controls and documentation needed to demonstrate compliance with data governance and regulatory standards.
Implements and maintains the technical safeguards required to uphold data governance standards.
Maintains and implements technical controls to enforce the data governance policies.
Monitors data-handling workflows for policy violations and coordinates corrective actions to maintain compliance with governance and regulatory requirements.
Validates that backup, recovery, and failover processes meet organizational data-protection standards and are tested on a defined schedule.
Manages access controls, authentication, and system protections to ensure compliance with data governance policies.
Implements encryption, tokenization, and other data-protection mechanisms.
Regularly audits data access patterns and system permissions to ensure only authorized users can view, modify, or transmit sensitive information.
Implements the technical mechanisms that enforce data retention, archival, and disposal policies.

Data Governance

Data Governance focuses on the organizational framework that defines the rules themselves. It establishes data ownership, stewardship roles, classification standards, and the operating model that explains where data comes from, how it flows, and how it should be used. This dimension is strategic and structural: it ensures the organization has clear policies, definitions, and accountability structures that guide data handling. In essence, Data Governance is the policy and operating model, while Data Controls is the technical implementation that enforces those policies.

Defines clear data ownership and stewardship roles to support accountability, quality, and consistent decision-making.
Follows a defined data operating model that clarifies data sources, ownership, flows, and business use.
Ensures data is classified, protected, and handled according to organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
Maintains a data operating model that maps where data originates, how it moves through systems, and how it supports business processes.
Uses a structured data operating model that specifies how data is captured, managed, and applied across the organization.
Effectively leads the data governance program.
Operates under a clear data operating model that outlines data inputs, stewardship roles, and intended business uses.
Provides leadership, strategic direction, and ensures data governance policies are developed and implemented.

Data Integration

Data Integration focuses on bringing data together across systems so the organization can operate on consistent, high-quality information. It emphasizes consolidating and harmonizing data from diverse sources, ensuring integrations work reliably, and enabling applications, analytics, and strategic decision-making. This dimension also includes providing technical direction--defining architectures, standards, and best practices that support scalable, interoperable system design. In essence, Data Integration is about building the pipelines, connections, and architectural patterns that allow data to flow cleanly and consistently across platforms.

Integrates data from a variety of sources for applications and strategic insight.
Integrates data from multiple systems to support applications, analytics, and strategic decision-making.
Consolidates and harmonizes data from diverse sources to enable reliable applications and enterprise insights.
Manages data integration across platforms to ensure consistent, high-quality information for operational and strategic use.
Provides technical direction by defining architectures, standards, and best practices that guide system design and implementation.
Coaches teams in advanced technical concepts, helping them troubleshoot complex issues and strengthen long-term technical capability.

Analytical and Problem Solving

Analytical and Problem Solving focuses on diagnosing issues, improving system performance, and translating business needs into technical solutions. It emphasizes structured root-cause analysis, identifying risks early, improving scalability and efficiency, applying SDLC or Agile practices, and collaborating across teams to resolve incidents. This dimension is about technical reasoning and solution design--understanding how systems behave, why problems occur, and how to fix or optimize them. While Data Integration deals with connecting systems and data, Analytical and Problem Solving deals with understanding and improving the systems themselves.

Diagnoses complex issues using structured methods--identifying root causes and long-term fixes.
Knows how to applies SDLC or Agile practices consistently from design through deployment.
Analyzes system behavior and improves speed, scalability, and resource efficiency.
Translates business needs into clear, actionable technical requirements.
Identifies technical, operational, and security risks early and proposes mitigation strategies.
Works with cross-functional teams (network, apps, security) to resolve incidents.

Technical Leadership Competency

Technical Leadership Competency focuses on setting direction, building capability, and governing how technical work is executed. It emphasizes defining architectures, coding standards, and best practices; designing and streamlining IT policies and processes; assessing tools and platforms for long-term value; and ensuring development practices align with security, governance, and regulatory requirements. This competency also includes coaching developers, reviewing code, breaking work into manageable increments, and prioritizing effectively. Technical Leadership Competency is about providing structured technical guidance and organizational stewardship--leading the team, shaping the technical environment, and making strategic decisions that strengthen departmental performance.

Designs and implements effective IT policies, processes, and procedures that strengthen departmental performance and impact.
Assesses tools, frameworks, and platforms for suitability, cost, and long-term value.
Coaches developers, reviews code, and builds team capability.
Identifies strategic initiatives for the department.
Creates streamlined IT policies and processes that enhance overall efficiency and overall effectiveness.
Ensures development practices align with security, data governance, and regulatory requirements.
Breaks work into manageable increments; estimates effort and prioritizes effectively.
Review the IT Department performance over the past year to determine best strategies for moving forward.
Defines architectures, coding standards, and best practices for the team.
Relies on risk-management checklists to guide the development of IT controls that maintain system stability and reduce operational risk.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

Innovation and Continuous Improvement focuses on identifying opportunities to evolve systems, workflows, and practices over time. It emphasizes staying current with industry trends, evaluating new tools and patterns, proposing enhancements to architecture or processes, incorporating user feedback, and participating in post-incident reviews to drive corrective action. This competency is fundamentally about iterative enhancement and forward-looking improvement--spotting inefficiencies, reducing incident volume, improving stability, and advocating for changes that make the technology environment more effective, usable, and resilient.

Identifies opportunities to reduce incident volume and improve stability.
Identify inefficiencies and propose enhancements to workflows, tools, or architecture.
Evaluates new tools, frameworks, and patterns for potential adoption.
Stay current with industry trends, languages, and best practices.
Incorporates user feedback, usability principles, and accessibility standards.
Participates in post-incident reviews and contributes to action items.
Advocates for architectural or process changes that reduce risk.

Issues and Trends Analysis

Issues and Trends Analysis focuses on understanding patterns, underlying causes, and systemic behaviors across incidents. It is retrospective, analytical, and data-driven. This dimension emphasizes structured root-cause analysis, distinguishing symptoms from true drivers, reviewing incident data for recurring issues, validating findings with experts, and monitoring logs and metrics for anomalies. The goal is to uncover why problems happen, what patterns they form, and what long-term corrective actions or resources are needed. Issues and Trends Analysis is fundamentally about seeing the bigger picture--identifying systemic weaknesses and preventing future incidents through deep analysis and structured investigation.

Conducts root-cause analysis of issues and coordinate the necessary technical actions, resources, and teams to implement effective solutions.
Reviews incident data to identify systemic issues.
Analyzes incidents to trace issues to their true technical root cause and defined the corrective actions, resources, and owners needed to resolve them.
Investigates underlying causes of recurring or high-impact incidents.
Records incidents with complete, clear, and accurate details.
Monitors logs, alerts, and performance metrics for anomalies.
Conducts structured root-cause analysis of technical incidents to identify underlying issues and determine the appropriate remediation steps and resources.
Uses structured RCA techniques (5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, fault trees).
Applies correct categories, priorities, and service levels to service requests.
Validates findings with technical experts and stakeholders.
Ensures tickets are traceable and auditable.
Distinguishes between symptoms and true root causes.

Troubleshoot/Triage/Prioritize

Troubleshoot/Triage/Prioritize focuses on real-time incident response and service restoration. It is immediate, action-oriented, and centered on isolating issues quickly. This dimension emphasizes assessing severity, gathering logs and error details, performing initial diagnostics, applying troubleshooting methods, escalating appropriately, routing issues to the right teams, and implementing temporary workarounds to restore service. The goal is to stabilize the environment and minimize disruption. Troubleshoot/Triage/Prioritize is fundamentally about acting quickly and decisively in the moment--restoring functionality, narrowing down likely causes, and ensuring incidents are handled in the right order with the right urgency.

Assess incident severity based on business impact and urgency.
Troubleshoots issues to get to the root cause of the problem.
Applies structured troubleshooting methods to isolate issues.
Routes issues to the correct support tier or resolver group.
Escalate high-impact incidents immediately and appropriately.
Provide temporary workarounds when possible.
Uses diagnostic tools, logs, and known-error databases to identify likely causes.
Leads or facilitates bridge calls for major incidents.
Performs initial diagnostics to narrow down issues.
Implements temporary workarounds when needed to restore service quickly.
Gathers logs, screenshots, and error messages.

Resolution and Closure

Resolution and Closure focuses on finishing the work of an incident completely and correctly. It emphasizes confirming service restoration with the user, ensuring no follow-up actions remain, validating that dependent systems work properly, replacing temporary workarounds with permanent fixes, and communicating final resolution details clearly. This competency is about closing tickets with confidence--making sure the issue is truly resolved, documented, and understood by the user. It reflects thoroughness, accuracy, and accountability at the end of the incident lifecycle, ensuring nothing is left unresolved and no one has to re-diagnose the same problem later.

Confirms service restoration with the user before closing the ticket.
Closes incidents only after confirming that no follow-up actions, escalations, or monitoring tasks remain outstanding, ensuring nothing is left unresolved.
Resolves common issues (password resets, access requests, basic troubleshooting).
Verifies that dependent systems, integrations, or user workflows function correctly after a fix.
Communicates final resolution details to users in clear, non-technical language, confirming they understand what was fixed and any next steps they may need to take.
Validates that temporary workarounds are replaced with permanent solutions, ensuring long-term stability rather than short-term fixes.
Identifies recurring patterns that may indicate underlying problems.
Avoids unnecessary escalations by applying known solutions.
Uses scripts, knowledge articles, and diagnostic tools to effectively address the needs of users.
Ensures every ticket includes clear resolution notes, including steps taken, tools used, and final verification results so future technicians can understand the fix without re-diagnosing the issue.

Knowledgebase Contributions

Knowledgebase Contributions focuses on capturing and sharing what was learned so the entire organization benefits. It emphasizes documenting known errors, updating troubleshooting guides, maintaining runbooks, identifying gaps in documentation, and sharing lessons learned with support teams. This competency is about building reusable organizational memory--creating clear, accessible content that helps others solve problems faster and prevents repeated incidents. While Resolution and Closure is about finishing the current issue, Knowledgebase Contributions is about strengthening future capability through structured documentation and knowledge sharing.

Ensures documentation is complete for future reference.
Updates troubleshooting guides and runbooks.
Maintains good documentation on any changes or issues.
Shares insights from user interactions to improve support materials.
Identifies gaps in documentation and suggests new articles.
Updates or flags outdated knowledge content.
Ensure lessons learned are shared with service desk and support teams.
Documents known errors and workarounds in the knowledge base.

Clear and Timely Communication

Clear and Timely Communication focuses on how information moves during an incident or change, ensuring clarity, continuity, and shared understanding across users, technical teams, and departments. It emphasizes documenting symptoms and actions, providing accurate handoffs, explaining technical concepts in accessible language, keeping users informed of timelines, and maintaining cross-department communication during major software changes. The core purpose is to keep incidents coordinated and predictable--making sure everyone involved understands what is happening, what has been done, and what comes next.

Documents actions taken, symptoms observed, and resolution steps.
Provides users with status updates and expected resolution timelines.
Ensures handoffs between shifts or teams are complete and accurate.
Communicates incident details clearly to technical teams.
Explains technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
Keeps the department informed of major changes to the software applications being used.
Maintains communication between departments.

Customer Focused Support

Customer Focused Support focuses on the quality of the user experience when interacting with IT. It emphasizes responsiveness, patience, professionalism, active listening, and providing adequate support when issues arise. This dimension includes setting realistic expectations, tracking issues through to permanent resolution, recommending long-term fixes, and working with technical teams to prioritize remediation efforts. The core purpose is to ensure users feel heard, supported, and confident that IT is committed to solving their problems--not just communicating about them.

Provides courteous, patient, and professional assistance.
Responds quickly when equipment or software breaks down.
Is quick to respond to issues.
Provides adequate support when needed.
Recommends effective long-term fixes, design changes, or process improvements.
Works with technical teams to prioritize remediation efforts.
Usually has the answers when I need help.
Tracks progress on problem tickets until permanent resolution is achieved.
Listens attentively to understand user issues and context.
Sets realistic expectations for resolution and follow-up.

Service Desk

Service Desk focuses on the operational execution of frontline IT support. It emphasizes processing standard requests quickly, following defined workflows, escalating issues appropriately, and providing complete information to higher-tier teams. The behaviors in this dimension are procedural, structured, and centered on ensuring that day-to-day IT services are delivered accurately, consistently, and on time. Service Desk is fundamentally about efficient service delivery and correct routing--making sure requests move smoothly through the support process and that escalations are handled with precision and follow-through.

Ensures timely and accurate delivery of requested services.
Quickly processes standard requests (software installs, access provisioning).
Follows defined workflows and approval processes.
Provides complete information to higher-tier teams.
Tracks escalated tickets and ensures follow-through.
Escalates issues promptly when beyond Tier 1 capability.

Expertise

Expertise focuses on credibility, trust, and relational influence within the organization. It emphasizes building strong partnerships with senior leaders, being approachable when complex issues arise, and collaborating closely with others to support organizational priorities. The behaviors here reflect depth of knowledge, sound judgment, and the interpersonal capability to guide and advise stakeholders at all levels. Expertise is fundamentally about being a trusted technical partner--someone leaders rely on for insight, alignment, and confident decision-making, rather than someone who simply executes support workflows.

Establishes credibility and strong working relationships with senior executives.
Cultivates effective, high-trust relationships with senior leadership to advance enterprise goals.
Maintains strong, trust-based partnerships with senior leaders across the organization.
Works closely with others when there is an IT issue.
Is easy to approach with a work-related problem.
Collaborates closely with senior leadership to support organizational priorities.

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