Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

Within a dynamic team environment provide Ministry staff with full service, one window access to support of food safety applications by analyzing business needs, planning, developing, configuring and documenting the various IT/IM applications supporting the delivery of inspection, enforcement and compliance activities of the ministry including the Food Safety Information Management System (FSIM) and the Food Safety Decision Support System (FSDSS) applications. To develop and deliver end user training, promote best practices among the client delivery groups and to provide the essential link between the server side and the user (front) end of applications.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Planning and implementing end user and trouble-shooting services by: developing procedures and guidelines for handling and documenting end user queries; developing tracking methods, training support users in their use and documentation procedures and coordinating tracking, documentation and handling of queries; establishing schedules and activities for systems support outside normal business hours by experienced system users acting as support staff , and preparing reports and statistics on use of trouble-shooting and end user support services.

2. Researching, analyzing and documenting a range of technical problems and issues which impact business processes and ultimately operations; analyzing and documenting ministry business processes, data flows and work flows to facilitate the identification of business and information system problems and their resolution; developing and recommending interim solutions until permanent solutions are developed (e.g. ensuring that the task manager is operating effectively and devising interim solutions to accommodate its function). Documenting, tracking and prioritizing defects and issues for intervention. Trouble-shooting user application problems and developing and implementing solutions.

3. In consultation with OFSS IT team and external contractors, researching and documenting activities to assist in the development of information system architecture. (Rows 1, 2, 3 of Zachman Framework).

4. Analyzing business process changes in a dynamic work environment and developing and documenting interim methodologies to address business process changes; participating in the design of permanent solutions to business process changes (e.g. addition of further processing inspection to meat inspection; addition of baseline risk study to horticulture; solution to carbadox problem).

5. Overseeing and coordinating an integrated development process by liaising with contractors developing various aspects of system software to ensure that government standards are adhered to, ensuring that business requirements are met by ensuring that documentation, security measures, user access levels, data storage and retention schedules meet Ministry requirements.

6. Ensuring that reporting requirements meet Ministry needs. E.g., working with users/management to define report requirements for risk management, ensuring that the system is capable of generating the kind of reports that users need. Providing application support to administration team particularly on licensing/reporting issues. Developing reports and extracting information to meet ministry risk management requirements. Utilizing knowledge of the FSDSS data model to develop ad hoc reports in Crystal Reports for users through previously created Oracle Views; in the absence of views, utilize data entity diagrams to create new Crystal reports in a dynamic environment.

7. Use multiple Oracle homes for installing Food Safety Decision Support system application software and upgrades on user computers and trouble-shooting installations within a geographically dispersed advanced replication environment with a 24 x 7 requirement without maintenance downtime Coordinate, test, and install base images on target computers in response to differences in hardware. Coordinate, test and base images for ghost server for large hardware rollouts. Document installation procedures and activities.

8. Planning and coordinating implementation of the FSIM and FSDSS including establishing testing processes to effectively measure achievement of objectives through formal test plans and cases; developing, coordinating and documenting testing activities, including arranging for test facilities, testers and resources; supervising testing; analyzing, summarizing and reporting results. Determining action to take when failure occurs (e.g. retest, rewrite test case, refer to developer). Coordinating and tracking implementation of electronically distributed upgrade installations.

9. Providing technical advice and guidance in reviewing and developing recommendations on use of new information engineering and data management/administration tools, techniques and methodologies; researching new technologies and applications for the FSDSS and advising on their applicability. providing input into development and maintenance of Ministry information technology standards and plans; participating as technical adviser on committees.

10. Initiating, planning, developing, coordinating and delivering training for end users in FSDSS application software and ministry standard and other software. Initiating, planning, developing, coordinating and delivering training for contract developers on graphical user interface and business activities of the users.

11. Dealing with ministry staff on information management requirements to manage food safety programs, i.e. fish, dairy, horticulture etc. Analyzing program needs in consultation with program business experts and planning and recommending information technology solutions. Participating in and monitoring user compliance to FSDSS data quality best practices. Communicating solution proposals to developers and system coordinator and back to business users. Liaising with external and internal clients to provide information on the FSDSS system.

12. Providing backup to the database administrator when required and providing feedback and technical information on FSDSS application to Information Technology Branch; using OEM, and other applicable software (e.g. PLSQL) to monitor and troubleshoot issues.

13. Coordinating and tracking ministry hardware and software for meat inspection staff and coordinating purchase, leasing and repair for a complex remote 24 x 7 environment.

14. In consultation with developers, database administrator, information system coordinator and other team members, making suggestions regarding design decisions. Recommending solutions to design problems based on business analysis. Reviewing and revising design proposals.

15. Providing input and advice on purchasing decisions; researching, testing and evaluating software/hardware and recommending best solutions; reviewing, evaluating and providing input into selection of development contractors; recommending appropriate software adoption practices to business users.

16. Consulting with affected ministry and cluster management and staff to review access requirements for users and determining appropriate security clearance; taking action through the graphical user interface to assign appropriate access to users depending on decision.

Knowledge :

Expert knowledge of the Food Safety Decision Support System application will be required to provide support and trouble shooting services to all users of the system of which approximately 200 are remote users using a single application in an advanced replication environment. Excellent customer service skills to serve clients and respond effectively to their unique needs, e.g., quickly assessing the nature of the problem or immediate need, be it user training, or solutions to business software application problems. Technical support persons require knowledge of food safety business processes to provide user support by having a detailed understanding of how the FSDSS supports operations and provides an interface for both developing business requirements and fostering business process change. Understanding of SQL, PL/SQL and of relational databases. Job requires knowledge of data management, data quality assurance practices and information architecture theory, principles and techniques to analyze client data management requirements, assess options, advise clients on short/long term strategies, develop and document procedures for administration and optimal use of systems software/hardware. Job requires working knowledge of databases in a complex replicated Oracle environment. Job requires expert knowledge of FSDSS data model and Crystal reporting tool software in order to develop complex ad hoc reporting solutions. Job requires expert knowledge of testing and implementation methods and practices to design testing procedures, coordinate acceptance testing and consultation with remote users with minimal/no disruption of service delivery. Job requires knowledge of government/ministry information technology and information management policies, directives and guidelines and Branch, Ministry and Cluster information technology plans and strategies (short and long term) to ensure the development of new/revised field applications and recommendations on acquisition of hardware/software, promote and facilitate the Ministrys Food Safety Information Management system objectives. Job requires knowledge of adult education principles to design and develop and deliver training programs.

Skills :

Job requires analytical skills to assess the clients technical problems, reproduce the problems, document operations, develop and test theories for problem resolution and report back on impact of problems/issues. Assessment skills to investigate problems, assess operational requirements and facilitate the improvement of operational efficiency for all users by supporting applications tailored to their needs. Analytical and problem solving skills to install and trouble shoot software/hardware upgrades, to develop testing strategies and roll out upgrades to 200 or more remote and local users with no down time and identify and resolve user problems with database and application. Teaching/instructional skills to understand clients learning needs and provide one-on-one or large group training interventions that build user technology capacity and independence. Job requires capabilities to work independently to solve problems and achieve goals. Job requires listening skills to understand the clients need and oral communication skills to explain technical capabilities of application software, systems and equipment to non-technical clients and end users. Written communication skills is required to prepare system documentation, to write user manuals, operating procedures, produce training materials on the FSDSS application and prepare a variety of reports. Project management skills are required to create, implement and complete test and rollout plans. Job requires relationship building skills to discuss program support requirements with remote users, develop data entry techniques to satisfy their needs and show how particular techniques can help to improve their operational efficiency; to represent end user interests on ministry committees and projects; to manage, plan and; to work closely with IT cluster staff, and discuss developments with clients to encourage their participation and support of ministry information technology standards and strategies when implementing changes and new applications.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working within ministry and government policies, guidelines and directives for the acquisition, development and management of information systems technology. Job requires the ability to be a self-directed, high performing team member. Peer collaboration is required to brainstorm solutions to problems and provide backup to one another. Both positions have the latitude to experiment in the development of new solutions to application problems, to seek novel approaches to manage existing food safety business information processes and to develop, amend or enhance reporting solutions. Positions would refer to the Manager, Information Systems only problems such as bugs in coding applications, or maintenance/upgrading requirements resulting in downtime for client operations, project resource issues and conflicting client/ministry requirements. Work is reviewed for timely delivery of end user support and client service, and effective operation of systems through regular reports on systems performance and updates on applications development work.