Organisation: CIO Group, Department of Human Services
Job Title: National Manager – ICT Delivery,
Word Limit: 2-page maximum
Location: Canberra
Ability to Shape Strategic Thinking
(Liaising with other agencies-Managed budgets/Human Resources up to 5 million-Managing service delivery utilising
legislative direction and best practice-Submissions/briefs including QON and Estimates-Coordinating and submitting
stakeholder feedback)
I align my business practices to the organisation’s strategic plan. Familiarising myself with the
organisation’s direction, legislative mandates and objectives, I focus tactically on developing my
business plan to align with whole of government (WOG) initiatives which can drive business trends. For
example, I monitor parliament’s “Questions on Notice” as this gives me the ability to recognise
opportunities and harness information, enhancing my capability to predict new business opportunities.
At a band one level, I believe you need to do more than contribute and manage – you are actually
accountable for shaping strategic thinking and are expected to step up in terms of judgement and
taking a strategic focus. With 15 years of experience across multiple realms of information technology
(IT), I have accelerated business realisation by seizing opportunities and driving results.
Across the years I have held leadership positions in the areas of strategy design, build and testing,
where I’ve gained experience in advanced IT technical strategic planning, commissioning and
supporting enterprise-wide IT solutions, and process implementation. In addition to this, I have
recently won a department scholarship to undertake my graduate certificate in Business (Public Sector
Management Programme) with the Queensland University of Technology. Undertaking this study will
further strengthen my capabilities and supplement my experience gained in my IT career with a
tertiary level qualification. I expect to further extend upon this study by completing my degree in IT in
the near future.
2. Ability to Achieve Results
(Organisational capability, Professional expertise, Change Management, Ability to clarify ambiguities)
My approach has been to bring together the right mix of expertise across the teams to achieve the
identified outcomes within time and budget constraints. Incorporated into my skill set is the ability to
understand IT operating principles, i.e. ITIL, ISO, GITC, methodologies, concepts, IT infrastructure and
application management, new technologies and information security. Currently working as Test
Director, Brisbane Test Centre, I have demonstrated my competencies in driving, managing and
participating in successful implementation of a wide range of projects, including Change Program, ATO
Portals, SBR Authentication and ATO PKI Transitions (WOG), ABR Business Names Registrations (WOG),
IT Optimisation (across all Treasury Portfolio agencies) and, more recently, Major Releases
(Department of Human Services).
It is due to my background in government, private sector experience, and working as part of a team,
that I consistently achieve success on my projects. One example is the Optimisation project for the
Treasury Portfolio. This project was a cross portfolio initiative to baseline and assess ICT operations,
identifying processes to optimise ICT resources (services) across 23 agencies. The CIO, to whom I
subsequently reported, specifically selected me as the Director of the project and I represented the
ATO position. The key risks were in relation to cost and accountability. By using my project
management skills such as risk mitigation, I worked autonomously at an executive level, meeting my
objectives and submitting progress reports as well as translating strategy to staff and aligning
workflows for best fit and outcomes. Management thanked me personally for the successful delivery
of the project resulting in the mobilisation of one single IT Services panel procurement across 23
Treasury Portfolio agencies. This replaced multiple IT service contracts per agency. The benefits
realised for the organisation included minimisation of re-work, reduction of risk and cost, and
streamlined procedures and workflows.
3. Exemplifying Personal Drive and Integrity
(Professionalism and probity, Personal courage, Resilience, Commitment to personal development)
I maintain the highest levels of integrity at all times, act as a role model and demonstrate resilience;
showing personal courage through trialling and applying innovative solutions. Committed to excellence
and continuous improvement, I adhere to and promote the APS Code of Conduct and Values. My well-
developed communication and interpersonal skills enable me to understand and manage people
irrespective of their background, social environment or cultural upbringing. Additionally, I am aware of
policies and structures that drive the operational and strategic functions, including an executive board,
committee structures and a complex array of line management structures. In large organisations, the
line between success and failure is often the people and I have had to rely on my skills to drive a major
change within the organisation. To illustrate this, when I arrived nine months ago I was briefed that the
testing team in Brisbane had multiple issues. I took the following steps to turn the team around,
working closely with my national manager and the campus leadership group to exemplify personal
drive and integrity and also helped develop strategies for the team to do the same.
Issues Resolution
Cultural, reputation and performance Reinforced policy – zero tolerance
Inconsistent behaviours/code of conduct Reinforced code of conduct policy
Addressing corporate uniform requirements
High cost and low quality of output Managed under performance – PPAs, Goal setting
Awareness and presentation on High performing teams with
a best practice approach
Low technical approach to testing e.g. highly
manual and not automated
Change management/Following updated work instructions
Increased SAP training and certification
The benefits to the organisation included better testing capability, improved risk management, growth
in professionalism, and improved multiple team communication. This feedback was provided to me by
our CIO and the National Managers. Importantly, our culture in the Brisbane Test Centre has drastically
improved.
4. Communicating with Influence and Cultivating Working Relationships
(Communicates clearly-Listens-understands and adapts to different audiences-Negotiates persuasively)
I am able to lead groups and influence decision-making with my above average communication skills,
having developed, written, and updated administrative policies, procedures, methods, and guidelines.
As well as aligning operational documents to strategic initiatives, I have the ability to express myself
clearly and logically, both orally and in writing when communicating with management. I have
demonstrated this by delivering successful projects, delivering presentations, assessing WOG
requirements, successfully managing teams, being self-aware, utilising new and old technologies,
reporting upward and outward, negotiating outcomes with stakeholders and communicating with the
public. My experience enables me to convert technical concepts into realistic outputs.
I relate to and help staff understand their role and value within the organisation, for example, I take a
very collaborative approach to the development of strategies and plans to ensure stakeholder buy in.
Recently I had to intervene in a release that was in trouble. I produced a report with my national
manager regarding status, risks, issues and mitigation strategies. This became a regular report to the
GMs and was an intervention that had a positive impact on the release’s success. Communicating with
influence is a skill that I have developed and refined over my career. All my training and experience
contribute to my capabilities of nurturing internal and external relationships, facilitating co-operation
and partnerships, valuing differences and diversity, as well as guiding, mentoring and developing staff.
Ultimately, my investment in customer satisfaction is crucial.
