The Full-Stack Software Developer as a System Cohesion Architect: A Definitive Competency-Based Redefinition based on the K72T004 National Standard (Sri Lanka)


Authors : Dr. W. A. Lakdimuthu Pasinda Weerasuriya; Dr. Senarath Mudiyanselage Nirodha Rupasinghe; Dr. J. H. U. S. Bhatiya Tissera; K. A. Achintha Chamara Lakshan; Dr. M. A. Tharaka Pathum Sankalpa

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 11 - November


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5hcb96xv

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yhx9awzb

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25nov808

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Abstract : The role of the Full-Stack Software Developer (FSD) is often ambiguously defined, primarily focusing on broad implementation skills across front-end and back-end development. This report addresses this definitional crisis by rigorously analyzing the Sri Lankan National Competency Standard for Full Stack Software Development (K72T004). The K72T004 standard mandates a two-tiered progression: NVQ Level 5 (Implementation Baseline) and NVQ Level 6 (Governance). Our analysis reveals that Level 6 competencies, encompassing comprehensive system integration management, holistic security ownership, and robust process governance, elevate the FSD beyond a mere generalist coder. We assert that the FSD, as defined by K72T004, functions as a System Cohesion Architect, responsible for designing and governing the integrity of data flow, security models, and quality pipelines across the entire application stack. This redefinition, grounded in a nationally recognized vocational standard, provides a clear framework for professionalization, mitigating architectural friction and aligning global industry expectations with the strategic value of an FSD possessing both deep implementation empathy and crucial architectural oversight.

References :

  1. Tertiary & Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), National competency standard for full stack software development (competency standard code: K72T004). Sri Lanka, 2024.
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The role of the Full-Stack Software Developer (FSD) is often ambiguously defined, primarily focusing on broad implementation skills across front-end and back-end development. This report addresses this definitional crisis by rigorously analyzing the Sri Lankan National Competency Standard for Full Stack Software Development (K72T004). The K72T004 standard mandates a two-tiered progression: NVQ Level 5 (Implementation Baseline) and NVQ Level 6 (Governance). Our analysis reveals that Level 6 competencies, encompassing comprehensive system integration management, holistic security ownership, and robust process governance, elevate the FSD beyond a mere generalist coder. We assert that the FSD, as defined by K72T004, functions as a System Cohesion Architect, responsible for designing and governing the integrity of data flow, security models, and quality pipelines across the entire application stack. This redefinition, grounded in a nationally recognized vocational standard, provides a clear framework for professionalization, mitigating architectural friction and aligning global industry expectations with the strategic value of an FSD possessing both deep implementation empathy and crucial architectural oversight.

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Paper Submission Last Date
30 - November - 2025

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