Learn about the technical skills which are most relevant and important to commissioning, designing, and delivering council services.
Introduction to the framework
This framework is a shared map of the cyber, digital, data and technology (CDDaT) skills used across local government. It acts as a tool to help councils manage role changes, upskill teams, and ensure services remain sustainable as technology evolves.
How to use this framework
Whether you are planning a career, managing a team, or leading a council, this framework can help you. It helps you translate technical skills into real-world actions like recruitment, training, and strategic planning.
Leadership and strategy
Use this framework to:
- understand the CDDaT landscape to clarify the purpose of different technical functions and move conversations beyond individual job titles
- reflect on your council’s digital maturity to identify precisely where capability gaps are hindering organisational progress and investment
- communicate the strategic value of CDDaT by mapping technical capabilities directly to your council’s core mission and service objectives
- define digital leadership qualities by combining technical awareness with the strategic and political skills needed to drive service reform.
If these strategic outcomes are relevant to your work, find out more information on the leadership and strategy page.
Operations and recruitment
Use this framework to:
- update and standardise job descriptions using objective professional standards to reduce bias and recruitment friction
- improve recruitment by using clear capability descriptors to assess candidates and define the requirements for new roles
- manage external suppliers and procurement by setting measurable skill expectations and enforcing effective knowledge transfer.
If these workforce systems are relevant to your work, you can find more information on using this framework on the operations and recruitment page.
Team insights and performance management
Use this framework to:
- plan individual learning and development by grounding performance reviews in data rather than subjective opinions
- map the skills composition of your team to identify collective strengths and manage key person risks
- manage knowledge transfer between staff and contractors to ensure technical sovereignty and service resilience
If these team management use cases are relevant to your work, you can find more information to use this framework on the team insights and performance management page.
Learning and development
Use this framework to:
- explore the CDDaT landscape to understand how your skills fit into different technical domains and career paths
- guide development conversations with your manager by using an evidence-based map of your current technical proficiency
- discover targeted learning resources to bridge specific skill gaps and prepare for your next career step.
If these personal development use cases are relevant to you, you can find more information on using this framework on the learning and development page.
How the framework is structured
This framework contains 84 skills. Each skill has been defined in terms of its:
- skill family
- skill name
- skill definition
- what the skill means in a council context
- skill proficiency levels, including:
- Level 1: Awareness
- Level 2: Working
- Level 3: Practitioner
- Level 4: Expert
- links to other skills in the framework
- links to LGA strategic objectives.
Skill proficiency levels have been designed following the Government Digital and Data Profession framework. Generally, this means:
At an Awareness level, you can:
- describe the fundamentals of the skill
- demonstrate basic knowledge of some of the skill's tools and techniques.
At a Working level, you can:
- apply the skill with some support
- adopt the most appropriate tools and techniques.
At a Practitioner level, you can:
- apply the skill without support
- determine and use the most appropriate tools and techniques
- share knowledge and experience of the skill.
At an Expert level, you can:
- lead and guide a team or organisation in the skill's best practice
- teach the skill's advanced tools and techniques.
The skill names and definitions have been chosen to align with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA), as this framework is widely recognised by the CDDaT profession in the public and private sector.
This framework focuses on “technical” or specialist cyber, digital, data, and technology skills. We have not included the skills which will be needed by the wider workforce, such as digital confidence and digital literacy, but these skills are important for helping councils to realise the benefits of digitalisation.
Full framework a-z
How the framework was developed
The framework was originally created in 2023 and updated in 2024 following a consultation with local and central government. In 2026, the framework was refreshed again through a project led by PUBLIC, adding new skills, proficiency levels and guidance resources for different use cases.
This project began with a discovery phase to identify emerging requirements, followed by user research to validate the needs of different council types. This evidence was used to update the framework's skills and proficiency levels. After testing the updates with a cohort of councils, we developed practical guidance and automated tools to support daily operational use.
The project received input from a representative sample of councils across England. To ensure the framework works for the "two speeds" of local government digital maturity, the research specifically balanced the needs of small district councils with those of large unitary authorities. The framework and guidance materials received input from 22 local government CDDaT, HR, Operations, Workforce and Capability professionals across 13 councils in England.
How to propose a change to the framework
The CDDaT Capability Framework is maintained by the Local Government Association. If you have a question, or need support with using the framework, fill in our change request form.
You can also do the following.
Share your use cases
If you have used the framework in creative ways to support your council, please get in touch to share your experience with the sector. Send your use cases and case studies via our case study submission form.
Submit feedback
If you have feedback on using the framework, please complete the feedback form.
Propose a change to the framework
Anyone in the local government CDDaT profession can propose a change to the Capability Framework. This can include minor accessibility updates such as readability improvements, to major changes such as new skills added.
Change proposals are reviewed every six months by the LGA CDDaT Framework Change Panel, who will decide whether to implement the change or not. We will publish annual updates on the changes made to the Framework.
Changes must meet the following acceptance criteria:
- Reflecting cross-local government need: The CDDaT Capability Framework exclusively defines the most common Local Government Digital and Data profession skills required in a majority of local government contexts. This ensures the framework can be universally applied across government, and provide a basis for any local modifications.
- Aligning with the wider industry: The CDDaT Capability Framework reflects developments in both public-sector and the wider digital, data and technology industry. This ensures the framework remains relevant and industry-recognised.
To submit a change proposal, you will require:
- your contact details
- a summary of your proposed change, including a justification for its inclusion, and a reference to the acceptance criteria.
You can propose a change to the CDDaT Capability Framework using the change proposal form.
Join the Change Review Panel
Every six months, we convene a panel of at least three CDDAT professionals from different local authorities who can review submissions for proposed changes.
To become a member of this panel, you must:
- be currently employed by a UK Local Authority or a regional local government partnership
- demonstrate practical experience of using the CDDaT Capability Framework within your organisation, such as in recruitment, service design, or staff development
- have the ability to assess how proposed changes impact both individual career paths and wider organisational sustainability
- possess a working knowledge of broader industry standards, such as SFIA or the Government Digital and Data Profession framework
- be able to review proposals objectively, ensuring changes benefit the wider local government sector rather than a single specific council
- be able to commit to a review meeting and associated preparation every six months.
To apply to join the Change Review Panel, please fill in our application form.