Project Advisor. Job Description. Welcome to Statistics New Zealand. Job title Location Group Business unit / team Grade and salary range Reports to

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1 Project Advisor Job Description Job title Location Group Business unit / team Grade and salary range Reports to Project Advisor Programme Management Office Wellington Organisational Development Transformation Office PG1 Band 4/5 (TBC) Manager, Programme Management Office Welcome to Statistics New Zealand Who we are Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa is the country s main provider of official statistics. We also lead the Official Statistics System (OSS), which coordinates all statistics produced by government departments. Our aim is to inform society. Official statistics are used by government, local authorities, businesses, community groups, and individuals. They are useful for: keeping track of and understanding the state and progress of New Zealand steering the economy to improve the prosperity, security, and opportunities of New Zealanders informing debate and making decisions. Statistics NZ is a department of the New Zealand Public Service. Our duties and responsibilities are set out in the Statistics Act What we want to achieve The work we do contributes to creating an informed society using official statistics. The impact of our work and activities is that New Zealand gets the statistical information it needs to grow and prosper. Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū is the organisation s programme of change for years leading up to It drives what we do and how we do it. It takes into account our internal environment (eg aging IT systems, current culture), and external factors like ensuring that we produce relevant future statistics and meet customer needs efficiently. The Māori name of the programme literally translates to star compass. This signifies the sophisticated navigation system necessary to get us to where we want to go. 1

2 Our roles in New Zealand s Official Statistics System As leader of the OSS we: ensure that New Zealand gets the information it needs advise the government on the policies, priorities, costs, and benefits of statistical activities coordinate statistical activities across government encourage other government departments to share ownership of the OSS and to reuse data define the objectives that different departments will focus on together ensure that official statistics provide value for money. As the country s main provider of official statistics we: report on trends, patterns, and changes to New Zealand s population, economy, society, culture, and environment ensure our statistics are relevant for our customers continually improve what we do and how we do it set an example for other government departments to follow ensure complete confidentiality for all our data maintain the highest level of credibility and integrity in our statistics. Our core values are: leading connecting communicating statistical excellence integrity confidentiality and data security. Our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi Statistics NZ works to ensure that the statistical needs of Māori are identified and progressively met. This complies with the principles for government action on the Treaty of Waitangi. 2

3 Summary of your role As Project Advisor within the Programme Management Office (PMO) you will make a leading technical contribution towards ensuring that the Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū programme is successfully delivered through the consistent and effective use of project management tools and methodologies. The PMO provides best-practice methods, tools, training, and advice on project management for Statistics New Zealand. The Project Advisor has a key role in this through providing senior technical support, advice and thought leadership on the development, delivery and quality assurance of best practice project management frameworks and capabilities within the PMO. Your broad role as a Project advisor will be to: actively engage with programme/project team members, staff and stakeholders to ensure that advice and support on programme and project management is readily available and accessed provide guidance and support on project management to project managers work with project managers to help ensure the success of projects improve the competencies and skills of individual project managers by providing learning initiatives, coaching, and mentoring implement improvements to current project management standards and methods improve frameworks around programme and project execution run workshops that educate and enhance aspects of project management complete quality assurance reviews of programmes and projects to give assurance to governance groups and central agencies that process is being followed and projects are heading for success report on and monitor the progress of projects, and contribute to the strategic overview of Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū. You will be accountable for the work you do, and contribute positively to the values and outcomes outlined in our strategic plans, including Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū, and our Statement of Intent. You will report to the Manager Programme Management Office and be a member of the transformation office. Summary of your business unit This Programme Management Office oversees the delivery of the Statistics 2020 Te Kāpehu Whetū which is a major organisational transformation project. It is part of the Transformation Office which is part of the Organisation Development business group. Organisation Development is made up of a number of support services, including human resources, the culture and change team, IT, finance, and corporate support. The unit assists Statistics NZ to become more responsive, customer focused, influential, and sustainable. 3

4 Detailed description of your role You will be expected to: Implement initiatives to improve programme and project management frameworks and practices Provide lead guidance and support on best practice project management to Project Managers Run workshops and initiatives that enhance Project Management knowledge and capabilities To achieve this you will need to: Work with others in the transformation office team, and programme / project managers to identify areas of potential improvement Develop, maintain and communicate a strong understanding of the current frameworks and practices, and how effectively these are enabling programme and project delivery Design changes to frameworks, process, templates and tool use Manage and as required deliver the implementation of changes Ensure that users are educated and trained in how to use the changed processes Work with Project Managers and resource managers to assist in ensuring projects are well set up, planned and will achieve clearly identified outcomes Provide coaching, mentoring, development and support to ensure that Project Managers develop and possess the knowledge and capabilities to work within PMO frameworks and successfully deliver projects. Develop and deliver workshops and initiatives that educate and enhance Project Management knowledge and capabilities for other staff and the organisation, including in the following core areas: Risk and Issue Management Planning (WBS) Change Control Reporting As a result, we will see: Processes are widely understood, accepted and easy to use A high level of uptake and ongoing use of project and programme management tools across the programme team and stakeholders Project management processes and procedures align to best practice standards within the public sector Projects have clearly defined deliverables that show how they are resourced and how they will achieve the benefits set out in the Project Charter Project Managers are making full and appropriate use of PMO tools and methodologies Project Managers and resource managers are engaged and actively participate in developing their project management capabilities. Programme and project management principles are widely understood Statistics NZ programme and project management frameworks are consistently used Better planned projects and better delivery of outputs on time and to budget An improvement in risk and issue management within Statistics NZ The capability around risk and issue management improve 4

5 Complete quality assurance reviews Build connections and work collaboratively Communicate effectively Regularly review project plans with programme and project managers to ensure they are on track Regularly review the progress of projects and programmes to ensure they are on track or have been completed. Work collaboratively within the team and across the organisation to achieve successful outcomes Meet with other units to build good understanding across Statistics NZ and draw connections between the work of specific teams and the business of the wider organisation Develop good working relationships with customers to identify how you can meet their needs. Communicate ideas and information to different audiences in plain English Communicate clearly and concisely in all written and oral communications Share information and knowledge with others in a proactive, timely way that fits the purpose Seek peer review of written work. Meet with project managers to discuss progress Projects are on track and reporting accurately You ensure your engagement with others is open, friendly, and responsive You build mutually beneficial internal and external relationships You be understood by all internal and external customers in both written and oral communication You write clearly and concisely, and follow the Statistics New Zealand plain English standard You communicate with peers, subject matter project manager, and manager regularly. 5

6 Required qualities for your role Quality As a Project advisor you will need to: Action orientated Be proactive and energetic, welcome challenge and seize opportunities Customer focus Focused on understanding the needs of customers and on delivering value to them Approachability Be approachable, friendly and pick up on what people are thinking and how they are feeling Drive for results Consistently delivers results beyond expectations Comfort around higher Show comfort relating to more senior colleagues, and work management effectively with them. Interpersonal savvy Relate well to all kinds of people and builds effective relationships Dealing with ambiguity Is flexible and deals confidently and positively with change and uncertainty Learning on the fly Be open to the unfamiliar, ready to experiment and quick to learn. Required skills, A good tertiary academic record, preferably with a degree in the qualifications, business/ project management field. We also encourage you to knowledge and apply if you have a degree in another related discipline experience Demonstrated expert understanding of the theory and application of best practice programme and project management. Demonstrated ability to engage with a wide range of people and audiences, and effectively communicate, advocate, and influence with them Significant experience in Project Management and / or working in a Project / Programme management office, preferably business centric and in large scale transformation programmes Demonstrated high level proficiency in the use of generic project management tools Experience working in a Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and/or a PRINCE2 environment. Certification would be an advantage. Our workplace: your workplace Statistics NZ endeavours to provide a working environment that encourages the development of an individual's potential and their contribution to the organisation, by offering challenges and opportunities. We value staff from diverse cultural backgrounds and staff with active interests outside work. We provide a supportive environment so that individuals can balance their working life and personal life. This is achieved through policies for work and family life, equal employment opportunities (EEO), and a healthy and safe work environment. All departmental offices are smoke-free. We are committed to developing an EEO work place. All staff are required to comply with our EEO policy. Discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, sex, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, family, age, and marital status is not tolerated. 1 Copyright 1992, 1996, by Lominger Limited, Inc. a Korn Ferry Company. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6

7 These qualities are derived from the LEADERSHIP ARCHITECT Competency Sort Cards developed and copyrighted by Robert W. Eichinger and Michael M. Lombardo for Lominger Limited, Inc. Without the prior written permission of Lominger Limited, Inc., no part of this work may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, by or to any party outside of Statistics New Zealand. 7