Organisation: Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Ref 15/262)
Job Title: Assistant Secretary
Throughout my career I have demonstrated a strong ability in leading and shaping strategic thinking for the purposes of driving organisational change, developing high performing teams, creating innovative solutions and delivering large scale information and communications technology (ICT) and transformation programs. In my current role, Director of Wintel Midrange Operations, I demonstrate these skills on a daily basis, as I work towards analysing and determining the most appropriate recommendation for the merging of significant portfolio contract services across multiple Departments. To ensure that this investigative program best serves Departmental strategic direction, I regularly counsel my team on their strategic thinking and analytical focus.
Whilst employed as the Director of Mainframe Operations and Database Services at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), I employed my strong skills in shaping strategic thinking. I was asked to guide strategic decision making processes by developing a mainframe options paper outlining scenarios for portfolio consolidation and platform rationalisation. I achieved this outcome with the following approaches:
- Strategic engagement and commitment building
- Research and review
- Application of analytical and forecasting methodologies, including a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis
- Strategic and team leadership
The strategic direction I provided assisted in the delivery of the Department’s overall ICT Strategy. This has resulted in the creation of the current Mainframe and Midrange Sourcing Program with the goal to amalgamate the portfolio mainframe technologies under the one contract to deliver portfolio savings, as well as an improved level of service.
The focus of my current role exemplifies the ability to achieve results that build organisational capability and responsiveness, whilst dealing with timing pressures and ambiguity. Tasked with identifying the most appropriate approach for the amalgamation of the portfolio mainframe technologies under the one contract, I am strongly influencing organisational change whilst dealing with uncertainty. This piece of work is heavily interrelated with the Department’s long‑term strategy. However, due to external factors and pressures, the timing between the two is misaligned. This means that I need to heavily rely on my professional expertise and strong engagement with relevant stakeholders to develop and maintain a shared understanding of the Department’s strategic goals to make appropriate recommendations.
In another example, as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Security and IT Service Operations (SITSO) branch, I reviewed the 2012 APS Census results discovering that the branch and Technical Services Division (TSD) had received low scores in most areas. These findings reinforced the previous year’s SITSO staff survey and led me commence reshaping the branch’s culture.
With the aid of two working groups I developed the SITSO cultural improvement plan. I communicated the three phase plan to the branch, inspiring commitment by explaining how it aligned with DIBP strategy. The outcomes of the implementation of the plan, include an increase in morale and teamwork within SITSO, its use as a Divisional initiative, reductions in unplanned absences and a dramatic reversal in the branch 2014 APS survey results to a majority positive response rate. In appreciation and acknowledgement of my initiative I was awarded a formal Departmental commendation from the Secretary, Martin Bowles.
Throughout my career I have modelled exemplary personal drive and integrity. My professional reputation has been built upon the foundations of professionalism, resilience and personal courage. In my current role, public service professionalism and probity are highly relevant in my management of a closed tender. I was enthusiastic to accept the challenge of this role in managing the sourcing program and for the opportunity to contribute to strategic outcomes within defined timeframes and potentially conflicting requirements. My personal courage is demonstrated by my volunteering for project Team Leader, and commitment to action by my ability to meet significantly tight timeframes.
I have risen to a number of challenges whilst undertaking this role, particularly managing discussions with key stakeholders about their vested interests, whilst maintaining constructive relationships. To ensure the success of the process, I endeavour to maintain an opinion unbiased by past relationships focusing on the impartial information at hand. Additionally, I strive to lead an impartial and comprehensive review by guiding and shaping the strategic thinking of my team.
In previous employment, as the Officer Commanding of an Army Reserve Signal Squadron, I was advised that the reserve Defence budget had been halved, effective immediately. The Squadron’s strategic responsibilities were significant, including the provision of ICT support to the Divisional Headquarters, a 50,000 person organisation, and their supporting units. The budget restrictions meant that activities would have to be cancelled or postponed.
After identifying a number of internal and external issues I determined how to best position my Squadron’s resources with the maximum achievement of results. After extensive consultation, it was clear that the resulting strategy would significantly impact both me and the entire Squadron financially. By explaining the positives of the decision, I ensured that staff understood the importance in the prioritisation and the long-term validity of the solution. This approach, combined with my personal resilience and commitment to action, proved effective, with retention remaining stable.
My interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain constructive working relationships has afforded me multiple successes throughout my career. A recent example of my strengths in facilitating cooperation, partnerships and skilful communication is when I was asked to conduct the OPTUS contract extension renewal. This request included the challenges of completing the renewal within six weeks, maximising cost savings and service delivery to DIBP, whilst maintaining a productive working relationship with OPTUS.
Through engaging key DIBP stakeholders, reviewing strategic direction and articulating my concept and views of the strategy, I was able to formulate a suitable approach. When negotiations commenced, I presented a charter and clear commitment from DIBP to work efficiently and effectively in our response times and due diligence, which was readily reciprocated by the OPTUS representative. I also articulated the areas for negotiation based on the proposal received and areas I sought alterations of the contract. Whilst my groundwork streamlined negotiations, there were still tense periods. When it became clear that the negotiation had become stilted on a topic related to a security matter, to reach an understanding, I reiterated key points relating to the Department’s core business and necessary security measures. I also queried what arrangements were in place for their other Government customers. This last point was the key driver for the vendor to shift their thinking and move forward with negotiations.
From a Departmental perspective the negotiations were a success, with a cost saving of approximately six million dollars over the contract period and the renewal signed within the six week timeframe.
Throughout my career, my ability to lead and motivate others, as well as my strong capabilities in negotiation and relationship management, have centred on my ability to communicate with influence. This is evident in the senior roles that I have held and the outcomes that I have achieved. My strength comes from crafting my message in a manner that is meaningful to my audience and connects them to my vision.
An example from my current role is when I developed and presented a six module SITSO leadership course as a component of the larger Departmental cultural improvement plan that I was implementing. It was critical for me to communicate with influence when facilitating this three month program, as it aimed at enhancing Team Leaders’ and Directors’ capability in leadership skills identified through a gap analysis, to enable them to model the desired Departmental culture.
Throughout the delivery of material within the training program, there were times when the content was challenged by the participants. These challenges were primarily based on personal observations of what had happened in the Department, or a single negative experience. Whilst providing the forum for these viewpoints to be expressed, I adapted my presentation and demonstrated my skills in persuasive communication by facilitating a shift in thinking and bringing dissenting participants back in line with the intended learning outcomes.
In another example, as the Telstra Operations Manager on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) account I was responsible for service delivery against the managed service contract which included financial management and maintaining customer relationships with key stakeholders in all departments of the ATO. I cultivated these relationships through consultation, collaboration and delivering upon promises in a timely manner.
Whilst in this role, it became evident that the ATO Finance Department was struggling to meet the invoice period for projects we were conducting on their behalf. The situation became untenable when invoices began taking up to six months to be paid, at which point I began to receive significant pressure from Telstra to take a firmer approach due to breaches of contract. Liaising with key stakeholders, I aimed to identify how to assist the ATO in achieving the invoice period. With strong, productive working relationships in place, I sought to listen and understand the issues whilst also highlighting the financial impact upon Telstra. The issues included their assurance of accounting for audit purposes and concerns regarding the agreed project cost model.
With insight that the Director of Finance was prudent on documentation and audit posture, her concerns were understandable, though not a contracted deliverable within my scope. In the spirit of mutual advantage, I offered to provide all relevant documentation including those originating out of the ATO with every invoice. I also reviewed the costing model and made adjustments on the proviso that an improvement on invoice payment would be seen within three months. My decisive and influential approach resulted in an outcome that benefited all parties involved.
