JOB DESCRIPTION REPORTS TO\: Senior Project Manager/ Delivery Manager RESPONSIBLE FOR\: Developing and delivering solutions for the Unified Customer Experience Workstream within the EdIS Programme and responsible for the delivery of key milestones within the Workstream plan. This generic job description is intended to provide an outline of the level of duties that the postholder will be expected to undertake across several functional areas within the EdIS Programme. Although the postholder may be assigned to a specific functional area on appointment in view of the nature of work the postholder may be required to undertake duties in other functional areas to cover peak periods of work or vacancies. This job description will be subject to review considering changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time JOB PURPOSE Planning and delivery of work within a workstream of the overall project plan. Successful capture and documentation of information required for the design and implementation of the new system. Working in a small team within a project workstream and delivering key stages along the critical path. The Development and Support Officer will be responsible for monitoring and escalating the RAIDD (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies and Decisions) profile of their work programme within the strand. Background The Education Authority (EA) is responsible to the Department of Education (DE) for ensuring that world-class education services are available to meet the needs of children and young people and for support for the provision of efficient and effective youth services. Since its establishment, the Education Authority has delivered change at an incredible pace. As part of this change process, the EdIS (Education information solutions Service) Programme has been established and seeks to appoint a number of supporting roles to facilitate procurement and implementation of new services that are delivered as part of: the existing EN (NI) contract, that is coming to an end; existing EA services that strategically align and compliment the services delivered by EN (NI); and, Additional scope items to meet evolving requirements, such as child safeguarding and provision to nurseries. The Education Directorate will be responsible for the leadership, management and development of all activity relating to the EdIS Programme. The delivery of the EdIS Programme is a cross directorate deliverable, delivering ICT services to schools to support school improvement and educational outcomes for Children and Young People. The EdIS Programme will work with relevant officials across the Department of Education to ensure management of the budget continues to reflect business case approvals and is delivered on time. Future Challenges and Opportunities The work we do impacts the lives of tens of thousands of children, young people and their families every day. The services we provide are essential in supporting, encouraging and facilitating learning within our communities to develop generations of young people who are equipped to succeed in life and work in the modern world. As a public sector organisation, we must continue to deliver these vital services in a challenging environment of increasing financial pressure and under intense public scrutiny. The EA in all its activities will endeavor to support the Programme for Government to improve educational outcomes; reduce educational inequality; improve the quality of education and the skills profile of the population. The EA also recognises the fundamental role it has in other NI Executive priorities such as the economy and the wider success of Northern Ireland. These are exciting and challenging times for EA as we continue the process of transformation and seek fundamentally to transform education administration for the benefit of future generations of children and young people. As a result, The Education Directorate seek to recruit a Senior Business Analyst role within the Unified Customer Experience Workstream to support procurement and delivery of the EDIS Programme. The Unified Customer Experience Workstream aims to deliver a seamless customer experience built around Parents, Schools and EA staff activities which includes the following key EA services Admissions, Free School Meals and Benefits, Pupil Support Services, SEND and Transport. The workstream also aims to digitalise online payments, cashless canteen solutions and the community use of schools. The SBA will have a key role in successfully achieving the desired outcomes of the Unified Customer Experience workstream to deliver a high quality user focused digital service. Overall Purpose and Objectives The Development and Support Officer will be involved in the development and delivery of solutions for the EdIS Programme for a workstream within the programme in accordance with the deliverables outlined in the project strand plan. The Development and Support Officer will engage with and deliver services to a range of stakeholders / business areas in the Education Authority and / or the Department of Education, through applying experience and judgement to the identification of options and the selection of solutions to business and technical problems. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Project Solutions: The Development and Support Officer will be responsible for developing solutions to problems that arise which prevent the successful delivery of the project milestones. They will be expected to work on their own initiative in originating ideas which address the needs of their Workstream delivery plan. Project Planning: The Development and Support Officer will contribute to the development of the low level project plans within the Workstream to ensure key milestones are delivered in accordance with the milestone delivery plan for the overall project. Project Governance: The Development and Support Officer will assist the Senior Project Manager or Delivery Manager in completing all required project governance for their workstream. This will include, but not be restricted to, the completion of checkpoint updates, risks, assumptions, issues, decisions and dependency (RAIDD) updates and reporting notable successes / issues within the period. Project Risk Management: The Development and Support Officer will manage risks that arise within their strand and, in consultation with the Senior Project Manager or Delivery Manager, develop controls to mitigate them where possible. They will be an essential gateway for ensuring risks are escalated and highlighted at the earliest opportunity. Staff and Budget Management: The Development and Support Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of their workstream including the allocation and monitoring of work and the provision of information and guidance. They may be also be responsible for managing costs within their workstream ensuring that solutions are developed on a value for money basis. The Development and Support Officer will be required to perform a variety of functions in a range of roles which, depending on circumstances, may be either separate posts or combinations of one or more of the following: Development and Support Officer Delivery of work programmes to meet needs of designated business areas; Analysis of requirements and identification of solutions; Management of specific stages within the project; Organisation of provision of support for end users. Business Analyst Analysis of business processes; Business process re-engineering; Analysis of EA ONE system requirements; Contributes to areas for improvement in business processes providing possible solutions compliant with policy; Contributes to requirements, specifications, business processes and the business case related to the proposed solutions; and Contributes to the analysis of required information and documents solutions. Test Analyst Defines test conditions for given requirements; Designs test cases and creates test scripts and supporting data, working to the specifications provided; Interprets, executes and records test cases in accordance with project test plans; Analyses and reports test activities and results; and Identifies and reports issues and risks. In addition to the main work areas outlined above the Development and Support Officer will also have responsibilities in the following areas: Training Support Management of Staff Line management of a small group of staff Organisation and discipline; and Staff reporting. Customer Service Provide a high standard of customer service to all users of the EdIS Programme Systems Assist key stakeholders in EdIS Programme with the successful operation of their services Assist in the development and maintenance of training guides, user manuals and procedures and ensure they are updated to reflect changes; and Deliver training and guidance for users Problem Solving The Development and Support Officer will be required to perform a range of work activities in a variety of contexts, some of them complex and non-routine, with minimum supervision. The post holder will be required to assess the information requirements of business areas and to address these through business processes and system solutions. The identification of areas of need involves fact finding and innovative thinking, resulting in a definition of information requirements, the sources of the information, the information flows, and the processes required to support the business functions. Decision Making The Development and Support Officer will be responsible for: Recommending solutions; The quality and integrity of all work undertaken by his/her teams; and Ensuring that the solutions proposed are sound and offer value for money. Autonomy The Development and Support Officer will work under the direction of Senior Project Manager or Delivery Manager and will have technical responsibility for decisions taken and work performed by self and subordinates. The officer will be responsible for the management of manpower and financial resources, recommending technical solutions, and ensuring adherence to appropriate policies, procedures and standards. This will require a clear understanding of the business needs to be addressed, reliable judgement and management ability, and a sound knowledge of associated Education issues. Nature of Management Role The Development and Support Officer may typically have direct management responsibility for a small team of staff involved in particular areas of EA. Interaction with staff will be regular and frequent, and will be both direct and through lower levels of line management. Impact The Development and Support Officer will use his or her experience to provide advice and guidance on, and make informed recommendations regarding the selection and execution of solutions, either in a management or advisory capacity. If the Development and Support Officer is successful the business areas will be equipped with a range of well planned, well developed, well run and well supported EdIS systems and services. If the Development and Support Officer is not successful the business areas will be left with badly performing, out of date, poorly integrated and unreliable EdIS systems which are not keeping pace with developments in technology, do not fit well with other systems, do not support the delivery of services, and do not help in meeting business objectives. To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here. JE Ref No\: 068/22 (date eval’d 17.06.22) PERSON SPECIFICATION NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS 1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant. 2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise. 3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below. 4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. 5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role. 6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria. Section 1 - Essential Criteria The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. Factor Essential Criteria Method Of Assessment Qualifications/Experience Hold a third level qualification (HNC or above) and have a minimum of two years’ demonstrable experience in an administrative role liaising with a wide range of internal and external customers from various backgrounds and levels in an office environment; OR have a minimum of five years’ demonstrable experience in an administrative role liaising with a wide range of internal and external customers from various backgrounds and levels in an office environment. Shortlisting by Application Form Knowledge Demonstrable working knowledge of information Technology systems and must include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Shortlisting by Application Form Skills/Abilities Proven ability to achieve targets/objectives and to meet challenging deadlines. Demonstrable ability to work as an effective member of a team. Shortlisting by Application Form Other Willingness to occasionally work outside of normal working hours. The successful candidate will be required\: to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion; OR be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion. Shortlisting by Application Form Section 2 - Essential Criteria The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage. Factor Essential Criteria Method Of Assessment Knowledge Knowledge of the current and anticipated challenges facing the Education Authority. Knowledge of ICT Systems. Interview Skills/Abilities In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of\: A high level of written and oral communication skills including accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to foster constructive and collaborative working relationships. Ability to communicate effectively, written and orally, and maintain productive working relationships with external stakeholders at a range of levels. Ability to work with initiative and successfully prioritise and deliver a busy programme of work. Ability to communicate and work effectively with others as part of a team. Ability to plan, organize and prioritise workloads and meet specific deadlines. Interview Values Orientation Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here. Interview Section 3 - Desirable Criteria Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. Factor Desirable Criteria Method Of Assessment Experience Have experience of coordinating or delivering training to managers or staff. Have experience of project management techniques, including practical experience in the PRINCE2 (or equivalent) methodology. Shortlisting by Application Form DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage. Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice. APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here. To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here. The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.