Policy Project Managers

Last updated on 12/10/2009 4:45 p.m. 

POSITION: Manager - Policy Projects

LOCATION: Wellington

RESPONSIBLE TO: Manager – Policy Project Managers

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Policy Projects

FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Ministry Leadership Team, various Crown entities, transport agencies, government departments and local government

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1 September 2009

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION

Reporting to the Manager – Policy Projects Managers, this position arises out of a vision that the Ministry will be seen and accepted as the Government’s trusted, impartial and expert adviser on Transport.

The Ministry delivers its outputs through policy Sector teams (that have responsibility for specific transport portfolio areas) and policy project teams that are established for individual projects.  The Manager – Policy Projects leads priority projects across the Ministry’s portfolio responsibilities. 

The Manager - Policy Projects will lead, inspire, develop and motivate their policy project teams to deliver important policy outputs for the Ministry.

NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE POSITION

The key role of the appointee will be to effectively lead and manage project teams working towards the delivery of Government transport policy objectives. The appointee’s speciality will be the development of high quality policy advice through best practice policy processes and s/he will be expected to guide their project teams, ensuring all project deliverables meet agreed quality requirements.

The Manager - Policy Projects is responsible for planning, managing and executing policy projects by defining the project’s objectives, and overseeing the project throughout its life cycle.  The Manager - Policy Projects does not have day-to-day staff management responsibilities (outside of their individual project) as these are undertaken by a Manager –Sector Team. 

The Manager - Policy Projects is a member of the Ministry’s Transport Manager’s Group (TMG). The TMG has key roles in assigning staff from across the Ministry to all policy projects, supporting the delivery of those projects, and in reviewing policy project outputs to ensure they represent a cross-Ministry view.  The TMG acts as a partnership across the Ministry and all Managers have a shared responsibility for all of the Ministry’s outputs.  All Managers are expected to act in the best interests of the Ministry as a whole and to work cooperatively to deliver the Ministry’s priority outputs.  All Managers are expected to participate and contribute fully to the overall effectiveness of the TMG and the Ministry as a whole.

PURPOSE AND KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

 

Purpose of the Role

  

Key Accountabilities and Deliverables
 

Create high performing project teams

  
  • Determine and assess the resource and participant requirement for the project.
  • Delegate tasks and responsibilities to project team members.
  • Coach, mentor, motivate and supervise project team members, and influence them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work.
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    Full responsibility for effective project planning and budget management

    		  
  • Develop full scale project plans in accordance with Ministry policies and associated communications documents.
  • Facilitate definition of project scope, goals and deliverables in collaboration with senior management, project team and stakeholders.
  • Plan and schedule project timelines and milestones using appropriate Ministry tools.
  • Draft and submit budget proposals, and recommend subsequent budget changes where necessary.
  • Manage the project within the established budget.
  • Facilitate agreement and project sign off at relevant stages with project sponsor.
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    Full responsibility for day to day management of the project throughout its life cycle

    		  
    • Identify and resolve issues and conflicts within the project team.
    • Identify and manage project dependencies and critical path.
    • Proactively manage changes in project scope, identify risks and devise mitigations and contingency plans.
     

    Ensure project monitoring and reporting requirements are met

    		  
  • Determine the frequency and content of status reports required from the project team, analyse results and troubleshoot problem areas.
  • Develop and deliver progress reports, proposals, required documentation and presentations to the project sponsor and others as required.
  • Track milestones and deliverables.
  • Develop and maintain a risk register monitoring, managing and mitigating risk within the project lifecycle.
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    Establish and maintain effective working relationships  with stakeholders

    		  
  • Build, develop, and grow stakeholder relationships vital to the success of the project.
  • Effectively communicate project expectations to stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion.
  • Liaise with project stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
  • Set and continually manage project expectations with team members and other stakeholders.
  • Define success criteria and disseminate them to involved parties throughout project life cycle.
  • Assist in developing a performance monitoring criteria with responsible policy sector team manager.
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    Ensure delivery of high-quality policy advice through effective policy process

    		  
  • Deliver project outputs/outcomes in accordance with the project plan.
  • Use best practice to develop high-quality policy advice.
  • Attend Cabinet Committees and Select Committees as required

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    PERSON SPECIFICATION:

    Qualifications

    The appointee should hold a relevant university degree or equivalent, preferably a post graduate degree together with extensive policy and project management experience in government, and have the ability to advocate, influence and articulate policy.

    Experience

    Extensive experience in leading and co-ordinating strategic thinking, influencing thinking, giving direction, policy planning and research management.

    Experience in and a sound understanding of public policy; its development, advocacy and implementation, including managing legislation, will be important.

    Experience in leading a team of professional staff, in stakeholder relations and building effective strategic partnerships at a senior level with other organisations.

    Understanding of government, Crown entities and the role of the Public Service is required.

    Personal Factors

    The ideal appointee must be comfortable with leading, managing and working with a diverse team of staff in a dynamic and adaptable environment that emphasises action. This person must have strong interpersonal skills to manage a variety of internal and external relationships at various levels.

    This person must be able to operate effectively in circumstances where he/she must advocate, develop and defend ideas and proposals from a position of integrity and information, rather than authority. The appointee must have excellent influencing, negotiation, relationship development and organisational skills, and the ability to meet deadlines at all times.

    The appointee will have the ability to conceptualise and think creatively, analyse options, priorities and arguments, articulate clear concepts and influence thinking at strategic and operational levels. This competence will preferably have been demonstrated by previous work as a Policy Project Manager. An understanding of local and international transport trends, approaches, policies, regulations, systems and practices relevant to the Ministry is desirable.

    CORE COMPETENCIES (Per Lominger Leadership Architect Library)

    Building effective teams

    Strategic Agility

    Political savvy

    Organising

    Planning

    Timely decision making

    Command skills

    Drive for Results

    Other important competencies:

    Learning on the Fly
    Interpersonal Savvy
    Decision Quality
    Process Management
    Motivating Others
    Managing and Measuring Work
    Customer Focus

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