Job Specification

Purpose :

To lead and coordinate the network agreement within the Integrator Model responsible for the planning, acquisition and management of Internet Protocol local and wide area network services for the Ontario Public Service and selected parts of the Broader Public Service.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Service / Contract Management
- Leads the network component of the integrator model to ensure that the terms of contract compliance with SLA's, performance metrics and incentives.
- Survey partners/clients/users and monitors service providers' contractual compliance, and compliance with technical and process policies, practices and standards.
- Contributes to needs assessments, business cases, technical planning and budgeting, ensuring that recommendations support work goals, standards and corporate directions.
- Consults with ministries on current needs and service performance; performs comprehensive analyses, options and impacts assessments; and prepares and presents cost-effective solutions advice, reports and recommendations to ensure contractual and business requirements are met consistently.
- Researches users' future needs; consults with other OPS I&IT subject matter experts; performs estimates; evaluates options; advises on short-term and/or large-scale and/or long term procurement for network service provider(s); drafts related specifications, policies and standards for management approval.
- Co-ordinates stakeholder consultations and reviews of incident plan requirements, disaster recovery, and contingency planning, testing and review, and assesses service providers' implementation of key security, disaster recovery and contingency plans.
2. Incident and Problem Management
- Consults with the partners/users/clients on equipment, service or process problems and facilitates resolution with network operator and/or vendors, including dispute resolution regarding service failures and failure investigations.
- Liaises with service providers to identify current problems, address projected changes and their potential benefit to network users.
- Consult with ministry partners and network operator on site affiliation requirements or changes to provide sufficient operational coverage with minimal impact to other network users.
- Participates on intra- and inter-ministry committees and projects to represent the organisation, provide technical advice and recommendations, and manage business relationships.
- Consults with the Change Management Board and oversees or assists in implementing changes, contributing during planning, testing and implementation of technical changes, explains options and risks, and assist partners/clients/users in managing change.

3. Relationship Management
- Participates on intra-inter-ministry committees and projects to represent the organization, provide technical advice and recommendations, and manage business relationships.
- Develops and maintains effective multi-level and multi-party business relationships (eg: with users/clients in the OPS, cluster staff, corporate IT and governance specialists, and contracted vendors) to establish productive working relationships, provide information and guidance; discuss/resolve technical issues, present incident analysis findings, and seek resolution to common trends and issues.

4. Team Leadership
- Provides technical guidance and leadership to project teams, users, clients and service providers.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Systems analysis, current methods and technology solutions for desktop computer systems, local, enterprise and wide area networks, e-mail communications and inter-connectivity, systems infrastructure, data modeling and database management, application development, infrastructure support and IT customer service delivery, in order to advise clients on general and specific technology products, contribute to the development of I&IT strategic and operational business plans, and support the preparation of IT business cases.
- Current and emerging technologies, industry trends and developments as well as the capabilities of internal and external service providers to identify options, develop I&IT solution proposals and business cases, and evaluate contractors.
- Client business priorities/activities and their current operating systems, hardware and software in order to identify I&IT needs, develop practical and responsive solutions to meet business delivery requirements and provide ongoing expertise.
- Cluster and corporate technologies and technological plans and directions to ensure option development and recommendations are in compliance with corporate and Ministry strategies, plans and policies.
- Corporate I&IT strategies, objectives, plans, policies and standards as well as the Ministry I&IT vision, plans and priorities to ensure all solutions/recommendations are in keeping with corporate and Ministry goals and objectives.
- Corporate and Ministry structure, decision-making, and business planning and estimates processes to provide information and advice to clients, support business case development, and prepare submissions to facilitate senior-level decision-making.
- Government policies and procedures on procurement, tendering, purchasing and contract administration, to advise, guide and direct client business areas, evaluate tenders and negotiate contracts.
- Legislation governing I&IT, access, privacy and client business activities to ensure compliance with requirements.
- IT project management policies and procedures, including budgeting and financial administration, in order to lead projects, in the planning, acquisition and implementation of technology solutions of both corporate and client- specific business applications; manage concurrent projects of varying size and impact, and provide guidance to clients.
- Oral and written communications to prepare submissions and planning documents, reports, briefing materials and correspondence.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Persuasiveness, consulting and advisory skills, to provide advice and obtain support for technical solutions and recommendations, and to liaise with service providers to ensure sustained performance and compliance with Service Level Agreements.
- Communication, consultation and mediation skills, to elicit co-operation, ensure compliance, and share information on solutions, technology, policies, procedures, standards and tools with clients, partners, users, stakeholders, management, technical staff and service providers.
- Presentation skills, to convey technical information, provide convincing explanations, options and recommendations for diverse internal and external, technical and non-technical audiences; discuss and develop support for recommendations on network-related development requirements, plans and strategies; and illustrate cost/benefits of various options.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem solving skills to:
- Develop, prepare and apply technical standards, specifications and documentation for needs assessments, performance evaluation, and advising on condition, technical performance and capacity of existing system and service providers to meet needs of clients cost-beneficially.
- Assess and resolve contractual compliance problems.
- Co-ordinate incident/problem management and support change management, using accepted best practices, technology and methodology to ensure integrity of solution, and compliance with corporate standards and directions, and contractual requirements.
- Provide technical input to business cases, planning and budgeting.
- Determine technical specifications, participate in assessing vendor responses, and manage service provider relations.
- Advise on and make recommendations for improving performance through new technology, services, policy, processes and standards.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Recommending and assessing service/technical performance standards and solutions within organisational mandates, and recommending technology/service strategies to meet deliverables in a cost-effective manner.
- Ensuring that users' interests are addressed in a timely way by service providers.
- Contributing to the Cluster/Ministry and partner/user ministries' mandates, business directions and priorities, by effectively analyzing network performance, maintenance and service issues, and designing, developing, assessing and recommending comprehensive solutions.
- Providing subject matter leadership and incident/problem management to project staff and work groups (internal or external resources).
- Has latitude to:
- Conduct/participate in negotiations with vendors/service providers on behalf of client areas, and to oversee and manage contracted services.
- Develop I&IT plans and strategies, including formal proposals and business cases, for client business areas.
- Develop and implement I&IT solutions to meet client business needs within time and budget constraints.
- Develop and manage I&IT project budgets.
- Work is performed within the broad mandate, policies and guidelines of corporate, Cluster and ministry I&IT programs.
- Decision-making is guided by corporate and I&IT strategies and policies, work-related OPS administrative policies and procedures, and service level agreements.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Branch and partner/user/client ministry management, to present and discuss issues and solutions, provide consultative advice, input to planning and recommendations, and foster business relationships.
- Corporate, cluster and technical experts, planners and managers in own and user ministries, to share analyses, provide guidance and recommendations on network performance, services and related requirements, identify concerns, and co-ordinate the resolution of incidents and problems.
- Service providers, to review detailed technical specifications and cost/pricing information; convey and discuss contractual requirements; resolve performance issues; assess potential solutions to improve technical operations performance and/or services; and learn applicability of new technology
to business problems.
- I&IT industry to stay current with developments and trends, identify best practices, and obtain specific information pertinent to current activities and projects.
- Peers in other jurisdictions, to share information, identify needs, and learn from experiences, identify best practices, co-ordinate joint projects, and resolve problems.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides advice and support to Ministry business area managers involved with I&IT projects and services.
- Provides technical guidance and direction to contracted service providers and OPS IT staff on specific IT projects to direct and co-ordinate work, establish priorities, oversee work and monitor activities.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Frequent competing and unexpected work demands on short notice to deal with incidents and problems within tight timeframes.
Frequent demands from changing priorities and limited control over pace.
Occasional demands to work beyond normal hours and occasional disruption to personal life.

Mental / Sensory :

- Frequent requirement for concentrated reviewing and reading materials, developing documents and presentations.
- Frequently required to concentrate and listen during meetings and in daily interactions.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.