G-Cloud 14

Rate card template

Framework reference: RM1557.14

Skills For the Information Age (SFIA) Definitions and rate card

Standard rate card

Strategy and architecture	Change and transformation	Development and implementation	Delivery and operation	People and skills	Relationships and engagement
Follow	£458	£458	£458	£458	£458	£458
Assist	£572	£572	£572	£572	£572	£572
Apply	£743	£743	£743	£743	£743	£743
Enable	£862	£862	£862	£862	£862	£862
Ensure, advise	£1,060	£1,060	£1,060	£1,060	£1,060	£1,060
Initiate, influence	£1,260	£1,260	£1,260	£1,260	£1,260	£1,260
Set strategy, inspire, mobilise	£1,455	£1,455	£1,455	£1,455	£1,455	£1,455

Standards for consultancy day rate cards

Consultant’s working day: 8 hours exclusive of travel and lunch

Working week: Monday to Friday excluding national holidays

Office hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday

Travel, mileage subsistence: Included in day rate within M25. Payable at department’s standard travel and subsistence rates outside M25

Mileage: As for travel, mileage subsistence

Professional indemnity insurance: included in day rate

Level definitions

Autonomy	Influence	Complexity	Business skills	Knowledge
Follow	Works under close direction. Uses little discretion in attending to enquiries. Is expected to seek guidance in unexpected situations.	Minimal Influence. May work alone or interact with immediate colleagues.	Performs routine activities in a structured environment. Requires assistance in resolving unexpected problems. Participates in the generation of new ideas.	• Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with immediate colleagues. • Uses basic systems and tools, applications and processes. • Demonstrates an organised approach to work. Has basic digital skills to learn and use applications and tools for their role. • Learning and professional development — contributes to identifying own development opportunities. • Security, privacy and ethics — understands and complies with organisational standards.	Has a basic generic knowledge appropriate to area of work. Applies newly acquired knowledge to develop new skills.
Assist	Works under routine direction. Uses limited discretion in resolving issues or enquiries. Determines when to seek guidance in unexpected situations. Plans own work within short time horizons.	Interacts with and may influence immediate colleagues. May have some external contact with customers, suppliers and partners. Aware of need to collaborate with team and represent users/customer needs..	Performs a range of work activities in varied environments. May contribute to routine issue resolution. May apply creative thinking or suggest new ways to approach a task.	• Has sufficient oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with colleagues and internal users/ customers. • Understands and uses appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes. • Demonstrates a rational and organised approach to work. • Has sufficient digital skills for their role. • Learning and professional development — identifies and negotiates own development opportunities. • Security, privacy and ethics — is fully aware of organisational standards. Uses appropriate working practices in own work.	Has gained a basic domain knowledge. Demonstrates application of essential generic knowledge typically found in industry bodies of knowledge. Absorbs new information when it is presented systematically and applies it effectively
Apply	Works under general direction. Receives specific direction, accepts guidance and has work reviewed at agreed milestones. Uses discretion in identifying and responding to complex issues related to own assignments. Determines when issues should be escalated to a higher level. Plans and monitors own work (and that of others where applicable) competently within limited deadlines.	Interacts with and influences colleagues. May oversee others or make decisions which impact routine work assigned to individuals or stages of projects. Has working level contact with customers, suppliers and partners. Understands and collaborates on the analysis of user/customer needs and represents this in their work. Contributes fully to the work of teams by appreciating how own role relates to other roles.	Performs a range of work, sometimes complex and nonroutine, in a variety of environments. Applies a methodical approach to routine and moderately complex issue definition and resolution. Applies and contributes to creative thinking or finds new ways to complete tasks.	• Demonstrates effective oral and written communication skills when engaging on issues with colleagues, users/ customers, suppliers and partners. • Understands and effectively applies appropriate methods, tools, applications and processes. • Demonstrates judgement and a systematic approach to work. • Effectively applies digital skills and explores these capabilities for their role. • Learning and professional development — takes the initiative to develop own knowledge and skills by identifying and negotiating appropriate development opportunities. • Security, privacy and ethics — demonstrates appropriate working practices and knowledge in non-routine work. Appreciates how own role and others support appropriate working practices.	Has sound generic, domain and specialist knowledge necessary to perform effectively in the organisation typically gained from recognised bodies of knowledge and organisational information. Has an appreciation of the wider business context. Demonstrates effective application and the ability to impart knowledge found in industry bodies of knowledge. Absorbs new information and applies it effectively
Enable	Works under general direction within a clear framework of accountability. Exercises substantial personal responsibility and autonomy. Uses substantial discretion in identifying and responding to complex issues and assignments as they relate to the deliverable/scope of work. Escalates when issues fall outside their framework of accountability. Plans, schedules and monitors work to meet given objectives and processes to time and quality targets.	Influences customers, suppliers and partners at account level. Makes decisions which influence the success of projects and team objectives. May have some responsibility for the work of others and for the allocation of resources. Engages with and contributes to the work of cross-functional teams to ensure that customers and user needs are being met throughout the deliverable/scope of work. Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who share common objectives. Participates in external activities related to own specialism.	Work includes a broad range of complex technical or professional activities, in a variety of contexts. Investigates, defines and resolves complex issues. Applies, facilitates and develops creative thinking concepts or finds innovative ways to approach a deliverable	• Communicates fluently, orally and in writing, and can present complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences when engaging with colleagues, users/customers, suppliers and partners. • Selects appropriately from, and assesses the impact of change to applicable standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to own specialism. • Demonstrates an awareness of risk and takes an analytical approach to work • Maximises the capabilities of applications for their role and evaluates and supports the use of new technologies and digital tools. • Contributes specialist expertise to requirements definition in support of proposals. • Shares knowledge and experience in own specialism to help others. • Learning and professional development — maintains an awareness of developing practices and their application and takes responsibility for driving own development. Takes the initiative in identifying and negotiating their own and supporting team members’ appropriate development opportunities. Contributes to the development of others. • Security, privacy and ethics — fully understands the importance and application to own work and the operation of the organisation. Engages or works with specialists as necessary	Has a thorough understanding of recognised generic industry bodies of knowledge and specialist bodies of knowledge as necessary. Has gained a thorough knowledge of the domain of the organisation. Is able to apply the knowledge effectively in unfamiliar situations and actively maintains own knowledge and shares with others. Rapidly absorbs and critically assesses new information and applies it effectively
Ensure, advise	Works under broad direction. Work is often self-initiated. Is fully responsible for meeting allocated technical and/or group objectives. Analyses, designs, plans, executes and evaluates work to time, cost and quality targets. Establishes milestones and has a significant role in the assignment of tasks and/or responsibilities.	Influences organisation, customers, suppliers, partners and peers on the contribution of own specialism. Makes decisions which impact the success of assigned work, i.e. results, deadlines and budget. Has significant influence over the allocation and management of resources appropriate to given assignments. Leads on user/customer and group collaboration throughout all stages of work. Ensures users’ needs are met consistently through each work stage. Builds appropriate and effective business relationships across the organisation and with customers, suppliers and partners. Creates and supports collaborative ways of working across group/area of responsibility. Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives.	Implements and executes policies aligned to strategic plans. Performs an extensive range and variety of complex technical and/or professional work activities. Undertakes work which requires the application of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable range of contexts. Engages and coordinates with subject matter experts to resolve complex issues as they relate to customer/organisational requirements. Understands the relationships between own specialism and customer/organisational requirements.	• Demonstrates leadership in operational management. • Analyses requirements and advises on scope and options for continual operational improvement. • Assesses and evaluates risk. • Takes all requirements into account when making proposals. • Shares own knowledge and experience and encourages learning and growth. • Advises on available standards, methods, tools, applications and processes relevant to group specialism(s) and can make appropriate choices from alternatives. • Understands and evaluates the organisational impact of new technologies and digital services. • Creatively applies innovative thinking and design practices in identifying solutions that will deliver value for the benefit of the customer/stakeholder. • Clearly demonstrates impactful communication skills (oral, written and presentation) in both formal and informal settings, articulating complex ideas to broad audiences. • Learning and professional development — takes initiative to advance own skills and identify and manage development opportunities in area of responsibility. • Security, privacy and ethics — proactively contributes to the implementation of appropriate working practices and culture.	Is fully familiar with recognised industry bodies of knowledge both generic and specific, and knowledge of the business, suppliers, partners, competitors and clients. Develops a wider breadth of knowledge across the industry or business. Applies knowledge to help to define the standards which others will apply
Initiate, influence	Has defined authority and accountability for actions and decisions within a significant area of work, including technical, financial and quality aspects. Establishes organisational objectives and assigns responsibilities.	Influences policy and strategy formation. Initiates influential relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers and partners at senior management level, including industry leaders. Leads on collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders across competing objectives within the organisation. Makes decisions which impact the achievement of organisational objectives and financial performance.	Contributes to the development and implementation of policy and strategy. Performs highly complex work activities covering technical, financial and quality aspects. Has deep expertise in own specialism(s) and an understanding of its impact on the broader business and wider customer/ organisation.	• Demonstrates leadership in organisational management. • Understands and communicates industry developments, and the role and impact of technology. • Manages and mitigates organisational risk. • Balances the requirements of proposals with the broader needs of the organisation. • Promotes a learning and growth culture in their area of accountability. • Leads on compliance with relevant legislation and the need for services, products and working practices to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities. • Identifies and endorses opportunities to adopt new technologies and digital services. • Creatively applies a wide range of innovative and/or management principles to realise business benefits aligned to the organisational strategy. • Communicates authoritatively at all levels across the organisation to both technical and non-technical audiences articulating business objectives. • Learning and professional development — takes the initiative to advance own skills and leads the development of skills required in their area of accountability. • Security, privacy and ethics — takes a leading role in promoting and ensuring appropriate working practices and culture throughout own area of accountability and collectively in the organisation.	Has developed business knowledge of the activities and practices of own organisation and those of suppliers, partners, competitors and clients. Promotes the application of generic and specific bodies of knowledge in own organisation. Develops executive leadership skills and broadens and deepens their industry or business knowledge.
Set Strategy, inspire, mobilise	At the highest organisational level, has authority over all aspects of a significant area of work, including policy formation and application. Is fully accountable for actions taken and decisions made, both by self and others to whom responsibilities have been assigned.	Inspires the organisation, and influences developments within the industry at the highest levels. Makes decisions critical to organisational success. Develops long-term strategic relationships with customers, partners, industry leaders and government. Collaborates with leadership stakeholders ensuring alignment to corporate vision and strategy.	Applies the highest level of leadership to the formulation and implementation of strategy. Performs extensive strategic leadership in delivering business value through vision, governance and executive management. Has a deep understanding of the industry and the implications of emerging technologies for the wider business environment.	• Has a full range of strategic management and leadership skills. • Communicates the potential impact of emerging practices and technologies on organisations and individuals and assesses the risks of using or not using such practices and technologies. • Establishes governance to address business risk. • Ensures proposals align with the strategic direction of the organisation. • Fosters a learning and growth culture across the organisation. • Assess the impact of legislation and actively promotes compliance and inclusivity. • Advances the knowledge and/or exploitation of technology within one or more organisations. • Champions creativity and innovation in driving strategy development to enable business opportunities. • Communicates persuasively and convincingly across own organisation, industry and government to audiences at all levels. • Learning and professional development — ensures that the organisation develops and mobilises the full range of required skills and capabilities. • Security, privacy and ethics — provides clear direction and strategic leadership for the implementation of working practices and culture throughout the organisation.	Has established a broad and deep business knowledge including the activities and practices of own organisation and a broad knowledge of those of suppliers, partners, competitors and clients. Fosters a culture to encourage the strategic application of generic and specific bodies of knowledge within their own area of influence.