There is no question that Plainfield needs a entity for Information Technology. Last weeks Voice Over fiasco was the latest incident that made that point. Years ago this administration hired a consultant firm, QuadTech to do what is now being proposed. (See Plainfield Today-several entries Jan. 2007 ). The net result was money thrown down the drain.
My contention is that first a division and or department must be established, before a position can be created. How can we have a job without knowing the job criteria or relationship to the rest of the administrative organization?
Dashield says he has presented this previously. Yes he has made months ago a PowerPoint presentation to the agenda outlining general goals using at least 2 different job titles at different presentations. What he was describing was what he wished for a non existent division to be responsible.
Create the division and TO, including where IT is in the overall city TO. Then we will have an idea what we really need. Use the expertise of the Council's Citizen IT advisory committee in creating the division.
We have bungled through this process for almost 4 years. Although we need a functioning IT element in our government, let us do it right and not act in haste.
I have downloaded the State's Civil Service description for Manager 1 Information Processing Level 1. Does this fit the individual desired?
Job Description 64775
MANAGER 1 INFORMATION PROCESSING
JOB CATEGORY SUMMARYDoes this job description fit Dashields ;presentation desires?
A position in this category typically functions as a manager of
an organizational unit, monitors progress of projects, and implements,
monitors, analyzes, and evaluates systems within an organization;
consults with system users on system requirements, problems, and
application software.
UNIQUE AND DISTINGUISHING TASKS/CLASSIFICATION FACTORS
Level 1
Under general supervision, organizes and directs the activities
of an information processing installation or facility having a
total employee complement of 10 or fewer. This installation must
include at least two of the following functional elements: applications
development and maintenance, operations production and control, database
management, operating systems programming and maintenance;
network management; or under the direction of a Manager 2, who serves as
the chief MIS manager for a Department or Agency, directs a major sub element
(such as programming); or in a Department or Agency where the chief MIS
manager is classified as a Manager 3 or higher level manager, directs
the work of a technical work unit (such as systems programming).
OR
Under direction of a Manager 2, Information Processing or higher level manager,
and operating within the Central Executive Branch Information Processing and
Telecommunication Agency for the State, manages personnel responsible for a
technical unit or component of one or more of the following information
processing or telecommunications functions: operations, development, or user
consultation. This title manages two or more supervisory personnel.
Level 2, Level # (I have deleted these descriptions to
save space, suffice to say they are a higher level}
TASKS COMMON TO ALL LEVELS
NOTE: The above Job Category Summary and following
examples of work are for illustrative purposes only. Any one position
may not include all of the tasks listed, nor do the examples cover all
of the duties which may be performed.
Determines organizational goals and objectives, establishes policy,
and allocates resources.
Plans and organizes the work of the organizational unit and assigns,
supervises, and evaluates the work of subordinates.
Monitors progress of work or projects.
Monitors (maintains) systems within an organization.
Evaluates the overall operation of the program or service.
Directs the administration of a program, program element, or service
WITH direct responsibility for the supervision of subordinate staff.
Plans implementation of projects or programs.
Writes technical, statistical, or financial reports.
Plans work activities which impact on other organizational units.
Provides technical information and advice to staff, peers, or management.
Estimates necessary quantity of time, costs, materials, or personnel for
the accomplishment of assignments or goals.
Devises improvement or change plans for the operation of the unit.
Reads journals or other publications for the purpose of keeping abreast of
developments in the field.
Recommends personnel actions such as hiring, firing, promoting, or
disciplining.
Answers questions about application of regulations or policies.
Analyzes systems within an organization.
Determines staffing needs.
Evaluates systems of an organization.
Reviews personnel action material for submission to personnel office.
Implements systems within an organization.
Settles (resolves) problems in the administration or coordination of
programs, activities, or projects.
Assesses organizational training needs.
Defines (documents) systems within an organization.
Designs systems within an organization.
Plans for future needs of computer resources.
Consults with system users on (automated) system problems.
Informs staff of policies and procedures.
Consults with staff members for identification of staffing or
operational needs.
Consults with system users on (automated) system requirements.
Confers with administrators at policy making level.
Consults with system users on application software development.
CHARACTERISTIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
COMMON TO ALL LEVELS
Knowledge of principles and techniques of supervision.
Knowledge of techniques of interpersonal relations.
Knowledge of employee motivational theories such as reinforcement,
incentives,
satisfiers, or job enrichment.
Knowledge of employee performance evaluation procedures.
Knowledge of basic interviewing techniques.
Knowledge of disciplinary procedures.
Knowledge of principles of organizational development.
Knowledge of training principles and techniques.
Knowledge of methods of human resources planning.
Knowledge of fundamentals of public speaking.
Knowledge of principles of report writing.
Knowledge of administrative principles and practices.
Knowledge of program development techniques.
Knowledge of program evaluation techniques.
Knowledge of workflow control and reporting techniques.
Knowledge of administrative planning and scheduling techniques such as network
analysis, PERT, or Gantt charts.
Knowledge of principles and techniques of resource allocation
Knowledge of budgeting methods and principles.
Knowledge of system development life cycle.
Knowledge of automated management information processing systems.
Knowledge of computer terminology involving mainframes.
Knowledge of information requirements involving systems analysis.
Knowledge of information processing logical design.
Knowledge of methods for conducting feasibility analysis.
Knowledge of disaster or data recovery techniques.
Knowledge of batch system design.
Ability to establish goals and set priorities.
Ability to schedule and organize work activities for others.
Ability to coordinate work activities which impact on other organizational units.
Ability to interact with various people who are in differing situations.
Ability to write information in an organized format.
Ability to identify problems in the administration or coordination of programs,
plans, or projects.
Ability to resolve problems in the administration or coordination of programs,
plans, or projects.
Ability to comprehend, interpret, and evaluate relevant information from various
types of source materials.
Ability to synthesize facts to reach logical conclusions.
Ability to make appropriate inferences and deductions based on various types of
source materials.
Ability to apply laws, rules, or regulations to given situations.
Ability to read and interpret laws, rules, and regulations.
Ability to develop work productivity forecasts and projections.
Ability to follow flow charts.
Ability to determine the effectiveness of information processing systems.
Ability to identify problems involving system design.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
LICENSE
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in NJ
only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is
necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
EDUCATION
Level 1 Graduation from an accredited college or university with a
Bachelor's degree.
EXPERIENCE
Level 1 Five (5) years experience in work involving the development of
application software and systems analysis and design in a multiplatform
environment, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory
capacity.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Level 1 Applicants who do not possess the required education may
substitute four (4) years of additional nonsupervisory experience of
the type indicated in the
experience section.
(I spent too much time trying to get this to fit the b log when published.
On my "preview everything is OK but it doesn't carry over)
I leave it up to you to decide.
In Bernards Township, the IT department started wtih one person - one very qualified and well rounded person - to start the department. There is now an IT Manager and Systems Tech in addition to the Director.
ReplyDeleteYou do not need to have a fnalized org chart to get an IT person. What you do need is more money. The person who is going to grow the department will not be of the caliber required to get the department up and running for the salary offered.
And, for those who talk about the economy, look at the IT industry and job vacancies, vs. other industries. IT has not been hit as hard. There are not a ton of IT people, at this level, wandering around and looking for a job. Especially one that offers the challenges that this one does.
12:27: You are right and I never said that we need a finalized organized IT "OC".What we need is the structure to start, to know what we want. not who as the first step. I am not sure that "Manager 1 Information Processing Level1" is what is desired. I think any framework using the expertise which members of the IT Advisory Committee must have will better serve the city in hiring the initial individual. The division will need many more than one and this must be taken into account in this FY's budget.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally from Dashield's PowerPoint presentation the division would be "Communications and Information Technology" not just IT. Only semantics but accurate.
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ReplyDeleteDoc, stop playing games. You will NEVER agree to an IT Director. But then again, times have changed. Some of us change. Others are unable to understand the new world.
ReplyDelete9:57: I am sure you also made a comment at 9:52 to "More Council Action (8/19/09). Where do you get the distorted idea that I am playing games? I constantly state we need IT as a division, that will require a director. Don't let your anger override common sense.
ReplyDeleteDoc,
ReplyDeleteCommunications and IT department depicts how communications, like internet, intranet, broadband and email work together.
Is this the type of communications that Plainfield is looking for. My understanding is that it was more like a PR department - having Channel 74 and city communications as part of the department.
If that is the case, it won't work and one or the other organization will suffer. My guess is that it will be the Communications part.