POSITION DESCRIPTION
Position: Manager Information Development
Location: National Office
Business Unit: Insights MSD
Group: People Capability and Resources
Reporting to: General Manager
Issue Date: March 2017
Delegated Authority: Human Resources / Financial
Staff Responsibility: Yes
Our Role
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is the lead agency for the social sector. We help the Government to set priorities across the sector, co-ordinate the actions of other social sector agencies and track changes in the social wellbeing of New Zealanders.
The Ministry provides policy advice, and delivers social services and assistance to children and young people, working age people, older people, and families, whānau and communities. We work directly with New Zealanders of all ages to improve their social wellbeing.
We serve over a million people, working out of more than 250 centres around the country. It is likely that every New Zealander will come into contact with the Ministry at some point in their life.
Our work, together with our social sector partners, is essential to achieving a sustainable and prosperous future, where all New Zealanders are able to take responsibility for themselves, be successful in their lives and participate in their communities.
Our Purpose
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent.
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake.
Our Principles
MSD people: All own what we all do | Take responsibility for what we do | Understand our role in the big picture, who can help us and who we can help | Navigate through ambiguity and the opportunity it brings to create better ways of doing things | Act with integrity, courage and transparency | Celebrate our achievements and those of our clients
Position Description Approved By:
______Deputy Chief Executive, People Capability and Resources
Date: ……/……/……
Group:
The Insights and Investment group combines the Ministry’s insights and analytics, strategy, Chief Policy Advisors and actuarial functions. The main role of this group is to help decide and manage our social investment portfolio to deliver the best value for New Zealand. We need to focus on the right things, delivered in the right way. We need to be confident that we are generating results and using learning to make adjustments in what we do.
Insights MSD:
Insights MSD isa group within Insights and Investment,that is focussed on helping the Ministry invest in the rights areas to support New Zealanders, by generating insights and helping translate them into action. Insights MSD:
· curates the Ministry’s data, so that MSD and others in the system have relevant, accurate, accessible data
· produces high value insights and tools to support a range of strategic and operational decisions and focus areas, so that decision-making on strategy, investment, policy, service design and operations is informed by relevant and robust evidence and analysis
· advises on what mix of interventions is likely to work best for whom and where the priorities lie, so that investments across the system are aligned, targeted and designed in a way that will make the biggest difference
· advises groups in the Ministry on the value, development and use of insights
· partners with groups inside and outside the Ministry to deliver joint outcomes
Purpose of the Position:This Manager Information Development is responsible for data stewardship, ensuring safe and leading practice around information sharing, privacy, ethics and access; co-ordination of the development and maintenance of business rules; research access coordination; investigating the value of creating National Minimum datasets and providing advice on data quality. This position will also act as Insights MSD primary interface with IT.
They will also be responsible for ensuring the ongoing capacity and capability of their unit to deliver on the immediate and ongoing requirements of the work programme. This will be accomplished through the management of all available resources, relationships with counterparts in other agencies on behalf of Insights MSD, and systems and processes necessary to ensure the effective management and the quality of their areas of work.
In addition to providing technical leadership, this position would manage the team responsible for managing Insights MSD and the wider Ministry’s data requirements across all of the Ministry’s operational systems. They will also be responsible for ensuring the ongoing capacity and capability of their unit to deliver on the immediate and ongoing requirements of the work programme.
Working Relationships
Internal:
· The Manager will report directly to the General Manager. They will have responsibility for Lead/ Senior/Analysts within the Unit.
· Deputy Chief Executive, People, Capability and Resources
· Other DCEs and senior managers within the Ministry
· Managers and staff in the service lines
· Managers and staff throughout the Ministry
External:
· The Ministers’ Offices
· Representatives of social sector agencies and government departments
· Local government and community groups
· International government agencies and organisations
· Members of the public
Key Accountabilities:
Key Result Area / AccountabilitiesLeadership / · Provides leadership to the unit.
· Clarifies roles and responsibilities for delivery of the work programme and ensures in conjunction with the General Manager the effective and efficient allocation and use of resources to achieve the Ministry’s priorities.
Strategic Management / · Participates in and supports process of strategic management, including planning, within Insights.
· Initiates, develops and implements strategy that will contribute to the strategic development of Insights and the Ministry as a whole.
Finance and Resource Management / · Ensuring the unit complies with the financial management systems and delegations of the Ministry and the Public Finance Act.
· Exercises financial and human resource delegations appropriately.
· Establishes monitors and reports on budget expenditure.
· Complies with all financial, ethical and other requirements in accordance with the Ministry’s policies and the standards expected of public servants.
Technical Knowledge, Analysis and Reporting / · Up to date industry knowledge and experience in a range of fit for purpose technologies and methodologies.
· Undertakes regular environmental scanning and analysis of emerging technologies and methodologies.
· Provides high quality, balanced analysis and advice on a range of specialist issues and/or on issues of the highest complexity within specified timeframes without significant assistance.
· Creates or seeks out new systems or methods that will demonstrate best practice and be a better, more efficient, cost effective way of doing things.
· Challenges conventional ways of thinking and assumptions and to generate innovative ideas that gain widespread support.
· Sets and achieves high standards of quality and accuracy
· Translates complex information into a form that is readily understood by non-technical clients.
Staff Management / · Develops a plan to build the capability of staff to meet current and future goals, and to deliver on the immediate and ongoing requirements of the Unit’s work programme.
· Implements induction and development programmes for new staff, and ensure new graduates receive appropriate guidance, development and coaching to progress to analyst status.
· Implements performance management and assessment for staff within the required timeframes.
· Manages day-to-day staffing and human resource issues as required.
Relationship Management / · Manages relationships in support of the Unit’s role and contribution to the work of Insights MSD and the Ministry.
· Develops and maintains networks and relationships with relevant practitioners in New Zealand and off shore.
· Develops and maintains relationships across the Ministry.
· Acts in a manner which is consultative, non-territorial and collegial.
· Gains consensus by taking into account a variety of views and perspectives, and shaping those views into a coherent position which is acceptable to others.
Work Programme / · Ensures that the role of the unit is clear in respect of its contribution to the overall work programme of the group.
· Completes all duties and responsibilities in accordance with their Performance and Development Agreement and as outlined in the Group Work Programme.
Health and Safety / · Ensure health and safety procedures, policies and practices are implemented, followed and understood by all staff.
· Complete Health and Safety scheduler tasks within specified timeframes and ensures evidence appropriately filed in the site health and safety folder
Technical/Professional Knowledge and Experience
· Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent operational experience.· Comprehensive technical knowledge of the Ministry’s systems and data including experience in data integration and reporting.
· An established track record of successfully delivering output that meets client needs from research/evaluation or analysis work, particularly in the area of social services.
· Experience in the leadership of staff and the ability to monitor, review and improve the Unit’s expertise and capability.
· An excellent ability to motivate, direct, and sustain team working
· An excellent ability to work in a fluid environment, work with ambiguity, and deliver high quality outcomes to deadlines and budgets
· A good understanding of the policy development process, and of parliamentary processes and the workings of legislation.
· A good understanding of policy implementation and the issues likely to impact on it.
· Ability to provide high quality, balanced analysis and advice on a range of specialist issues and/or on issues of the highest complexity within specified timeframes without significant assistance.
· Ability to promote and lead change.
Attributes/Success Factors
· Strong partnership builder
· Leadership
· Exercises sound judgement and political nous
· Highly effective communication skills
· Flexible, adaptable and pragmatic
· Strong client focus
· Business acumen
· Welcomes and values diversity, and contributes to an inclusive working environment where differences are acknowledged and respected
Other Requirements
· Willing to travel to fulfil job requirements
Manager Information Development / 2