JOB AND TASK DESCRIPTION

Transcription

1 JOB AND TASK DESCRIPTION Job Title: Unit: Grade: Systems Development Officer Debt Management Unit H Reports To: Advisor & Team Leader (IT Systems) General Information The Debt Management Unit (DMU) of the Commonwealth Secretariat provides an integrated package of technical assistance in debt management through policy advisory support, capacity building activities and provision of debt management solutions for reforming and strengthening debt management framework, policy and operations. Development and support in the use of the world-leading debt management software solutions comprise the provision of Commonwealth Secretariat Debt Recording and Management System (CS-DRMS) for recording, analysing and monitoring of debt and supporting back office functions which is used in over 60 countries globally; the recently launched public debt analytical tool Commonwealth Secretariat Horizon based on a risk management framework; and the Commonwealth Secretariat Securities Auctioning System (CS-SAS) for supporting operations on auctions of government securities. DMU also supports countries in the building up of a comprehensive and good quality debt database in CS-DRMS in line with best practice in debt data statistics and assists in the preparation of debt bulletins. Capacity building support is also provided to strengthen institutional and local capacity in debt management through the provision of hands-on training workshops and other distance learning programme on related areas in debt management. Job Summary DMU is led by an Adviser and Head and comprises an Advisor & Team Leader (IT Systems), Debt Advisers, Business Analysts, Systems Development Officers, Programmers, Test Analyst and programme assistants. The unit also engages external short-term consultants from time to time. Reporting to the Adviser & Team Leader (IT Systems) of DMU and working as part of a team of economists, debt specialists and IT professionals, the Systems Development Officer is responsible for gathering and analysing requirements, elaborating software requirements specifications, supporting the ensuing architectural/system specification, development and testing. The job holder also undertakes training and support of software clients. 1

2 Task Description 1. The main duties of the Systems Development Officer are as follows: Work closely with key project stakeholders and business people including DMU economists, DMU business analysts and relevant domain experts to develop comprehensive business requirements specifications and software requirements specifications; Validate requirements and models in conjunction with stakeholders; Recommend standard debt management practices to be embedded into the software; Develop comprehensive test cases in collaboration with DMU business analysts, DMU test analyst, DMU debt advisers and other stakeholders; Design forms/screens/wireframes and other software artefacts to closely reflect user expectations; Work closely with programmers to guide them on software coding based on the software requirements specifications; Advise vendors (where applicable) and development team on business context and details to ensure that requirements are correctly interpreted and covered in system development; Undertake peer reviews of software requirements, software design, prototypes and other relevant software artefacts; Validate intermediate and final deliverables of the software development life cycle; Assist in the building and maintenance of test databases for testing the debt management software with respect to conformance with user requirements, performance, security and other software quality attributes; Participate in system testing and user acceptance testing and follow up on fixing of incidents; Prepare and update relevant technical and user documentation and produce online help promptly to keep them in sync with all software changes; Prepare and submit reports on work progress on a regular basis; 2. The Systems Development Officer assists the Advisor and Team Leader (IT Systems) with the deployment and implementation of new releases of the debt management software to user countries by: Advising user sites on the hardware and system software requirements for implementing the Secretariat debt management software; 2

3 Assisting user sites with the installation and configuration of the debt management software remotely or by undertaking missions to Commonwealth countries; Assisting software clients with data validation and migration of databases; Maintaining regular contact with user sites and monitoring country implementations to assist sites to remain operational; Attending to support calls from countries in a timely manner for resolution of reported issues; Providing user/technical training to software clients and their IT support staff by participating in the organisation and delivery of training workshops; Preparing and maintaining training materials on the debt management software; Participating in the on-going update of the DMU website as a vehicle for software support and disseminating debt management information to Commonwealth countries; 3. The Systems Development Officer also assists the Advisor & Team Leader (IT Systems) with project planning, organization and monitoring and the recruitment of consultants. 4. Adhere to the Gender Equality values of the Commonwealth as enshrined in the Charter and Secretariat s Gender Equality Policy. 5. Perform any other duties that may be required from time to time. Person Specification Education Essential: A degree in Computer Science or any other degree with a major part relevant to computing Skills/Experience Seven years financial or business software development experience including: (i) (ii) (iii) solid experience in gathering and documenting software requirements specifications; demonstrable experience in structured requirements analysis including development of business/process/data/workflow models and elaboration of functional specifications; Exposure to producing technical design/specifications including database design 3

4 (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) hands-on experience of SQL and stored procedure programming using Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle; user training and support, with good knowledge of contemporary IT technologies; project management experience. Strong problem solving skills Desirable: (i) (ii) knowledge of public debt management. exposure to web based software development and.net technology Competencies: Respect for Diversity Works effectively with people from all backgrounds. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Treats men and women equally. Shows respect and understanding of diverse points of view and demonstrates understanding in daily work and decision making. Examine own biases and behaviours to avoid stereotypical responses and does not discriminate against any individual or group. Changes systems and processes when biases are identified Working with Others Promotes team work and removes barriers to effective team working Provides advice and guidance for others sensitively and where appropriate Establishes ownership for relevant activities from the outset Develops a wide network, including senior level contacts to facilitate activities and further own knowledge Manages expectations of member states e.g. to ensure the alignment of what is requested and what Commonwealth Secretariat can offer Demonstrates an ability to negotiate with and influence senior colleagues and contacts Proactively liaises with other divisions, partners & third parties Managing Resources Identifies targets for team activities and manages progress against objectives Plans and manages activity spend accurately against budget Takes responsibility for team activity and finds solutions to set backs in a timely and professional manner Effectively motivates team e.g. by recognising and promoting team and individual contribution inter alia Recognises strengths and weaknesses in others, structuring teams based on this knowledge 4

5 Drives forward results of others Takes ownership for team wellbeing Decision Making Considers the relevant justifications for a particular course of action Takes context into consideration when making decisions Makes effective decisions when acting on behalf of a senior colleague, seeking advice where appropriate Bases actions and approaches on the root cause of an issue, rather than the symptoms Accountability Takes ownership of assigned tasks, honours deadlines. Ensures timely delivery of outputs within defined cost and quality standard parameters. Takes responsibility for own shortcomings and compliances. Leadership & Development Mentors colleagues effectively e.g. by suggesting development goals and providing on the job coaching inter alia Provides constructive feedback to team members and colleagues with confidence and sensitivity Actively seeks feedback on own performance and acts to modify behaviours where necessary Inspires others through own enthusiasm 5