Title:Ministerial Administrator

Group:

Reports to:Manager, Ministerial Support

Employment Status:Collective Employment Agreement

Location:National Office, Wellington

Direct Reports:Nil

Delegations:Nil

Date:

The Ministry / The Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki (MVCOT)works to advance the wellbeing and positive long-term outcomes of children and young people. We support families and whānau to provide a safe, stable and loving home for their children. We protect children and young people who are not having their needs met at home and address the impact of any harm they have experienced. The Ministry prevents and responds to offending by young people and addresses the rights and interests of victims of offending. We support care-experienced young people to successfully transition to adulthood.
We develop strategic partnerships with others, particularly iwi and Māori organisations, to help realise this vision. We ensure a common approach with our partners to understanding the return on investment from our activities.
The Ministry’s core outcomes are:
  • All children and young people are in loving families and communities where they can be safe, strong, connected, and able to flourish
  • Improved outcomes for all children, especially Māori tamariki and rangatahi.

Our guiding principles / In everything we do, the wellbeing and bestinterests of children are paramount. The voices of children and young people underpin the design and operation of our services. We seek to strengthen the relationships between children and young people and their families, whānau, hapu and iwi, and we respect children’s sense of belonging and identity. We recognise the importance of whakapapa and whanaungatanga to the mana and wellbeing of tamariki Māori.
Purpose of role / This role is responsible for providing high quality and efficient administrativesupport for the delivery of responses to Official Information Act requests, CE and Ministerial correspondence. The key focus of this role is to ensure the processes that support the Ministerial Support team are efficient and organised.
Key accountabilities / Ensure that the Ministerial Support administrative processes are carried out:
  • Inbox management
  • Log incoming correspondence and requests
  • Maintain records and workflow processes
  • Maintain agreed processes for the team’s deliverables
  • Explore ways to improve these processes
  • Extract regular reports from the records management system
  • Prepare standard correspondence for OIA transfers and notifications

Appointee Specification

Knowledge and experience

/
  • Experienced in providing administrative assistant services at a senior level
  • Sound knowledge of general administrative functions and procedures
  • Proven successful experience in maintaining and improving office systems
  • Understanding of Official Information Act and Ministerial correspondence processes

Skills and behaviours / The incumbent needs to demonstrate:
  • Calm professional demeanour
  • Demonstrated ability and skills in design, layout and publishing of training materials
  • A sense of urgency and purpose
  • Excellent communications and interpersonal skills
  • Demonstrated ability to efficiently deliver accurate work on time
  • Ability to show professional presentation at all times
  • Ability to perform under pressure and meet tight deadlines
  • Ability to recognise work patterns and trends and utilise these in planning
  • Effective organisation, planning and time management skills
  • Excellent keyboard skills and knowledge of desktop computer applications including Word, Excel, and email
  • Skilled in general administration functions.

Key functional relationships / Internal
  • Ministerial Support team and manager
  • Other MVCOT managers and staff.

External
  • Ministerial Support’s equivalent team in the Ministry of Social Development
  • Minister’s office
  • Other government agencies.

Health and safety

/ Employees accept their responsibility to take all practicable steps to ensure their own safety and wellbeing while at work, and ensuring that no action or inaction on their part endangers themselves or others.
Personal commitments / Demonstrated evidence of ability to commit to the following principles:
  • MVCOT’S vision, mission and goals
  • Treaty of Waitangi
  • Working with clients and colleagues in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner
  • Equal employment opportunities.

Essential competencies / Descriptors
1. Client Focus
The desire and willingness to understand and meet or exceed client expectations. Clients are those groups or individuals, internal or external, who use MVCOT’s services. /
  • Develops understanding of who does what and is able to refer client appropriately
  • Maintains clear communication with clients regarding mutual expectations and monitors client satisfaction
  • Acts on client feedback to change and improve service
  • Corrects problems promptly and maintains a positive and professional approach at all times
  • Adopts a “can do” attitude.

2. Communication
The ability to clearly convey thoughts and ideas effectively. This may include listening, interpreting, formulating and delivering: verbal, non-verbal, written, and/or electronic messages. /
  • Communicates clearly, concisely, confidently, courteously, calmly and tactfully
  • Shares information in an open and honest way
  • Demonstrates basic written and oral skills, including telephone skills and ability to use email
  • Takes clear and accurate messages
  • Records/inputs information accurately and collates information appropriately
  • Chooses the most appropriate medium (writing, face-to-face, etc.) and most appropriate language (level of formality/style) to get the message across
  • Is prepared to say what needs to be said, tactfully
  • Listens actively and responds to others
  • Paraphrases information to check understanding before drawing conclusions
  • Drafts full, clear and concise letters and reports
  • Draws together a variety of ideas into a single, coherent paper, structuring information to help others understand the key points of the message.

3. Results Orientation
The ability to take personal responsibility for the delivery of results. This includes delivering required results consistently and successfully, exhibiting appropriate initiative and persistence and focusing on work that is of high quality. /
  • Is clear about own objectives
  • Achieves planned results on time and to agreed standards
  • Understands and accepts responsibility for own performance goals and productivity
  • Deals with both difficult tasks and routine aspects of job; does not procrastinate.

4. Planning and Organisation
The ability to identify objectives and develop effective action plans to achieve them. This may include using sound personal organisation disciplines, a methodical and systematic approach. /
  • Prepares day-to-day work in advance and effectively prioritises tasks
  • Completes tasks in an efficient and timely manner
  • Follows up on tasks and monitors progress against plans and timeframes
  • Adopts a neat, tidy and logical approach to work
  • Thinks ahead, identifies potential problems, and gives early warning of any difficulties
  • Keeps track of work requested and consults appropriately on plans.

5. Technical Skills & Knowledge
Demonstrates specialist or technical knowledge and skills within one’s functional area (e.g. Finance, HR, Policy, QA, etc.) /
  • Uses technical knowledge appropriately
  • Possesses the technical skills and knowledge required to effectively deal with more complex or unusual tasks or problems
  • Independently performs most work activities
  • Provides informed advice
  • Knows limits of own knowledge.

6. Relationship Management
The ability to interact with and develop effective working relationships with a wide range of people of different types and in different situations. /
  • Builds rapport easily and handles issues without alienating people
  • Makes a conscious effort to build relationships with clients, stakeholders, staff and colleagues by following through on commitments, respecting confidentiality, and demonstrating an interest in their work-related issues and activities.

7. Integrity
The ability to maintain confidences and trust, and to act in an honest, ethical and professional manner. /
  • Is honest, trustworthy and can be relied on for confidentiality
  • Takes actions that are consistent with personal values and beliefs
  • Demonstrates professionalism at all times.

8. Teamwork
The ability and willingness to work with others co-operatively and productively in order to achieve group objectives. This may include informal work groups, advisory groups or committees and project teams. /
  • Participates willingly and co-operates with others
  • Respects others and does one’s share of the work
  • Supports team decisions and is a good “team player”
  • Expresses positive expectations of others and genuinely values others’ input, ideas and points of view
  • Keeps people informed and up-to-date
  • Shares all relevant or useful information as required.

9. Information Gathering
The ability to collect and manage information relevant to an issue through a variety of methods. /
  • Identifies and locates appropriate sources of information for routine situations
  • Finds out the key facts from people involved in situations
  • Gathers pertinent information from external sources
  • Uses readily available information, or consults others who can get it.

Desirable competencies / Descriptors
10. Problem Solving & Judgement
The ability to apply an objective, logical reasoning process to a problem or work situation in order to develop a conclusion or recommendation. /
  • Breaks problems down into simple lists of tasks
  • Understands simple linkages (e.g. A leads to B). Identifies the relevant issues
  • Draws on past experience to solve the current problem.

11. Change Orientation
The ability to think about a situation, issue or process in new or varying ways and to generate new ideas. This includes the willingness to seek out and implement better ways of doing things and to embrace change. /
  • Is willing to accept that there are ways to do one’s job better and to improve the current way of working
  • Demonstrates a limited ability to suggest and contribute new ideas or improvements
  • Stays positive when change is introduced.

12. Cultural Responsiveness
The ability and desire to show cultural sensitivity, awareness and understanding of diversity. /
  • Understands and is responsive to the needs of different cultural groups in the delivery of services
  • Maintains effective relationships with MVCOT clients and employees and understands their perspectives and priorities
  • Understands the debates and practices surrounding the Treaty of Waitangi
  • Interacts appropriately with Maori taking into consideration tikanga and kawa.

13. Self Development
The ability and desire to take ownership of one’s development and to proactively pursue opportunities to learn and develop. /
  • Keeps up to date with knowledge required to perform the job.
  • Attends training or development courses when arranged.

Position Description – Administration Support Delivery 1