Technology in Business Fast Stream Graduate Programme

Transcription

1 Technology in Business Fast Stream Graduate Programme

2 02 Contents Welcome p.03 What is the Technology in Business Fast Stream? p.04 What are we looking for? p.06 Your Fast Stream career path p.08 Profiles p.09 Training and career development p.12 Starting salary and benefits p.13 Online application and selection process p.14

3 03 Welcome Government use of technology has an impact on every area of society (even our activities in international aid and development are dependent on it), and we handle some of the biggest IT challenges in the world. Education. Social Welfare. Criminal Justice. These are just some of the places your ideas can end up when you re working as part of the Technology in Business (TiB) Fast Stream. As a TiB Fast Streamer, you will become a member of the Government IT Profession, the professional group for all people working in IT in the public sector. Our goal is to enable organisations and individuals to build effective capability and capacity to deliver excellent IT. You can play a major part in making it happen.

4 04 What is the Technology in Business Fast Stream? The TiB Fast Stream exists to develop high calibre civil servants in the area of technology in business. It operates within the Civil Service Fast Stream, an accelerated training and development graduate programme, for people who have the potential to become senior managers within the Civil Service. It is ranked among the top five Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. As a TiB Fast Streamer, you will undertake a series of intensive placements, and will get to work with technology leaders across the public sector. The aim is for you to become a technology leader yourself, potentially as a chief information officer, leading large-scale, IT-enabled business change. You will have the potential to make a real difference as a TiB Fast Streamer.

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6 06 What are we looking for? There is no such thing as a typical Fast Streamer. Successful candidates come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and may have studied for any kind of degree. There are, however, some key competencies that we look for in all our Fast Streamers. The ability to think flexibly is important. Not everything you do will be headline news. It s important that you can give as much focus to the smaller details as you do to the big-picture issues. Sitting on the fence is not an option for a Fast Streamer. You ll need to be someone who can take the lead on decision-making based on evidence, and handle all the pressure and responsibility that comes with it. This means being proactive and having the ability to think on your feet. You ll be working with some of the brightest and most talented people in the country. It s important that you all get the best out of each other. That s why the ability to build trust and develop relationships is vital, valuing and respecting each person s perspective. The ability to make an impact is also essential. We look for people who are lucid, persuasive, confident and articulate. Whether it s a high-level meeting, a large presentation or a conversation with a disgruntled customer, you must be able to express yourself and defend your position clearly and succinctly. Being able to think innovatively is also important, particularly as you may be asked to consider doing something new, or to investigate how things can be further improved upon to be more efficient and cost-effective. We want you to get the most out of all the opportunities on offer. That s why it s essential that you have a good level of self-awareness and can acknowledge your own personal and professional development needs. You ll be expected to learn a huge amount during your time on the programme so it s important that you recognise where additional support and development might be needed, and that you make the most of all the training we offer.

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8 08 Your Fast Stream career path Through your time on the TiB Fast Stream, you will gain experience in a variety of government departments, and your placements will be tailored so that you develop skills across a number of different IT areas. Your placements will cover three different professional areas within an IT-enabled context: Corporate Services Delivery: These are the corporate services that keep the organisation working and include professionals skilled in finance, human resources, procurement, information technology and communications. Operational Delivery: The majority of civil servants work in large departments that deliver services direct to members of the public and include those working in customer service, design services and management of large-scale operations. Policy Delivery: This area covers those responsible for the development of high-quality, evidence-based policies and includes people skilled in the tools of developing and ensuring that the policy is delivered on the ground, and those with specific expertise in areas such as economics, science and social research who contribute to the policy-making process. Exposure to these three areas will give you a solid foundation for your career, and will give you the skills and experience you need to deliver effective public services. At the same time, you will be building up competence in several specialist areas. These include strategy and architecture, business change, solution development and implementation, service management, procurement and management support, and client interface. Working outside London A Fast Stream career does not have to mean London. Equally challenging opportunities are increasingly available in other parts of the country and offer a unique perspective that London-based Fast Streamers do not see. Even those in London are expected to be mobile and work wherever their departments need them. Remember too that in order to gain valuable experience of operational delivery, you may well have to work in more than one location. Fast Streamers are increasingly being deployed to work away from large London headquarters as there are large IT departments based across the country.

9 09 Profiles Alan Ramsden Alan Ramsden has been a Technology in Business Fast Streamer in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) since September He joined the Civil Service direct from the University of York, where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry. His first DWP posting has been with the Innovation Team. The Innovation Team is where new technologies are piloted to assess their business benefit. We conduct a two-way conversation with our business units, often acting as internal consultants to understand their problems, offer appropriate solutions, and assess whether or not new services are needed. Already, Alan has been able to gain a wide range of experience. One of my biggest responsibilities so far has been to project manage a video streaming pilot. It was effectively a department YouTube or iplayer service, which could be used to provide training materials and management updates to staff or show highlights of conferences to those who could not attend. I managed our supplier and user communities, working with their changing requirements and negotiating to get best value from the pilot. I have also been heavily involved with testing our Web 2.0 pilots and explaining how social media could be used in a business context. In the future, documents could be written collaboratively in the same way Wikipedia is, and personal profiles could capture what people have previously worked on and their expert knowledge areas. For my next post, I m hoping to take up a placement with our Information Directorate. It would involve working with energy companies to provide data to identify households in fuel poverty.

10 10 Graham Dickinson Graham Dickinson set his heart on a career within the Civil Service while doing a PhD in Purchasing and Supply Management at the University of Bath. He explains: My research involved collaborative work with various parts of the public sector on technology procurement issues. I enjoyed the subject matter and was increasingly hungry for a more applied career. Having joined the Technology in Business Fast Stream in 2008, Graham is currently in his first Ministry of Justice (MoJ) placement, working as part of the department s Strategy and Architecture Team. The main strand of my role has been policy analysis and development in the UK delegation to an EU working party. The party aims to use technology to improve the way that EU citizens interact with EU and member state judicial authorities. I co-ordinate the UK position by liaising with a team of policy leads and delivery managers across the MoJ and Government. To support specific initiatives, I develop policy lines and prepare briefings for ministers. The work can become pressured but exciting as we have to deliver quality outputs to the deadline every time without fail. Other areas I have worked on include research into cutting-edge technologies and the development of electronic case management systems in the courts. I have also been involved in developing a strategy and practical tools to ensure that IT is accessible for users with special requirements and compliant with the relevant legislation. The Technology in Business Fast Stream is a fantastic learning curve it keeps stretching further ahead with the challenging new tasks that I take on every day, yet I can see already that I have climbed a long way thanks to a strong emphasis on training and the terrific networks involved.

11 11 Liam Davies For Liam Davies, the Technology in Business Fast Stream was a natural career choice. A graduate of Management and IT from The University of Manchester, Liam had long held a desire to work for government, and had been interested in technology from an early age. He joined the Fast Stream in September 2008 at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), where he works as a Business Architect in the IT Strategy and Architecture Unit. I have worked on a number of different projects so far, including carrying out a functional audit and analysis of the child benefit and tax credits systems, and building a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis in support of our identity management strategy. A large part of my role has involved meeting with different areas of HMRC, spending time understanding their problems and needs, and looking at how things can be improved using IT whether that means developing a new piece of technology or adapting something that already exists. One of the best things about the Fast Stream has been the variety. I ve had so many opportunities to work on so many different pieces of work, and there s always the chance to take on side projects or gain experience in areas beyond your remit. For example, I got the chance to sit in on a series of high-level meetings about how to develop and implement a secure data transfer mechanism for use across all government departments. It was a fantastic chance to learn how collaboration takes place at a pan-governmental level. Now is a really interesting time to be working here. Thanks to technology, the relationships between Government and the public are becoming increasingly interactive and it s great to be part of that evolution. For my next placement, I m hoping to be part of a large departmental change programme that will transform our IT services and enhance end-user experiences.

12 12 Training and career development We are wholly committed to lifelong learning, and will take your development seriously throughout the Fast Stream and beyond. Your time on the programme will begin with a short induction event, which will introduce you to the Civil Service and the role and responsibilities of a Fast Streamer. You will also take part in a specially developed Technology Foundation Programme. This will help you develop your understanding of the business drivers in the public sector and the political and social dimensions that drive change. During your placements, your training will be geared towards helping you understand the business of the organisation you have joined while learning the technical skills and management competencies you will need to become a manager in a technology-related role. You will also receive the formal training needed to be successful in a project environment. This includes practical experience of developing IT-enabled solutions for frontline staff or working on projects to develop new services for the public and business. To help ensure you get the most out of the experience, you will be appointed a mentor who can help you shape your career development and provide you with ongoing support. Your personal mentor will be able to advise you on learning opportunities and the sort of experience you need to gain to develop a successful career in Government IT. Another important part of your development will be the opportunity to network with the wider public sector IT profession community, and with operational and policy peers in central government departments.

13 13 Starting salary and benefits Starting salaries vary across departments. In London, they usually range between 25,000 and 27,000. Your pay will be reviewed annually with increases based on your performance. If you perform to the high standards expected of Fast Streamers, you can expect early consideration for promotion (although there are no guarantees). This typically happens after four to five years. Currently, salaries on promotion are around 39,000. Holiday entitlements usually start at 25 days a year plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays. You will also have access to a pension scheme, costing a maximum of 3.5% of your salary. A good work-life balance is another potential benefit. Some departments offer flexible and part-time working arrangements, job share opportunities and career breaks, as well as crèches, holiday play schemes and childcare assistance. Other benefits may include season ticket loans and sports and social facilities. Again, your specific package will depend on which department you join.

14 14 Online application and selection process All applications should be made via our website: Making it in to the Technology in Business Fast Stream won t be easy. You will need to go through a demanding application and selection process that may last up to nine months. However, we do try to make things as transparent as possible. We will keep you informed and provide you with feedback at every stage of the process, and there s an online messaging service to guide you as you go along. Before you start, you ll need to check that you are eligible to apply. The minimum requirement is a 2:1 degree (achieved or expected) or postgraduate degree. More information can be found on the website. It is important the Civil Service reflects the society it serves, which is why we welcome applications from all sections of the community. This goes for all vacancies across the Civil Service. To find out more about the work of the Government IT Profession, please visit our website: There are several stages to the application process:

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16 Economist Fast Stream For further information on the scheme, visit HR Fast Stream For further information on the scheme, visit Statistician Fast Stream For further information on the scheme, visit Graduate Fast Stream For further information on the scheme, visit To apply online, please visit For other Civil Service opportunities, visit Alternatively, separate brochures are available from or by telephoning