Meghan Blacka

• Coordinate scheduled releases and updates.
• Manage and support a team including: managing performance, attendance, health and well being, setting local priorities, managing resources, and assisting with the development of work plans, monitor workloads to ensure business goals are achieved
• Develop staff capability through coaching, mentoring and training
• Conduct reviews of upcoming releases with appropriate stakeholders
• Support ICT Change Management in planning, scheduling, and controlling the transition of releases through various environments from inception through production
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure effective and timely implementation of projects including advice on options available and risk mitigation
• Prepare correspondence such as reports, corporate and technical documentation for review by executive level staff
• Contribute to the development and implementation of improvements and best practice in processes and procedures
• Perform cost analysis activities as required
• Manage transports including conflicts and coordinate with teams for resolution
• Exercise appropriate delegations in accordance with legislation and guidelines
• Provide support and guidance to the Division Project managers for the Design for Run Framework

Key Achievements

I have strengthened our divisions relationships with the Agency IT Change and Release team to better influence the process and policy they administer and manage. I am regularly called upon to provide expert advice in Change and Release processes, including recommending feasible release dates for projects, defining and enforcing quality gates for these, and providing regular reporting to senior executives as required. I am regularly asked to support Project Managers and Directors with the DRF process.

• Provide specialist advice to leadership team on recruitment procedures
• Manage procurement and contract management reporting and verification activities
• Develop and review a range of contract management documentation including preparation of simple contracts, official orders, risk plans, variations and related correspondence
• Coordinate and manage the payment of invoices, receipts of goods, reconciliation of financial data and assist with contract administration where relevant
• Manage procurement activities on behalf of stakeholders
• Provide expert technical advice, resolution of issues, and maintenance activities in relation to procurement systems
• Prepare a range of procurement documentation including request for quotations, business cases,contracts
• Engage regularly with vendors and stakeholders to ensure contract or procurement processes are on track, inform senior executives of progress, and consider potential issues
• Maintain awareness of the longer-term strategic outcomes
• Exercise delegations in accordance with legislation and guidelines in line with current framework

Key Achievement

During this period as a Procurement and Contract Management officer I liaised with other procurement teams while we were moving to a new contracting panel. I ensured that all invoicing and contract renewals were up to date and replacement processes were undertaken to ensure the correct contract staff were available to meet project needs.

• Develop and maintain project schedules
• Contribute to development of team objectives
• Support and mentor staff, including coaching and training
• Perform research and analysis work including the preparation of draft reports
• Coordinate project reporting status updates and exception reports
• Monitor budgets, review and report on expenditure
• Identify and assist with management of project risks and issues
• Develop and support stakeholder relationships
• Project manage tasks to completion

Key Achievement

Whist working as a Project Support Officer I worked across a variety of projects including WPIT, Child support and Aged care. I was able to support the Project managers by tracking and forecasting budgets including highlighting any variances identified, work breakdown structures, CATS codes allocations and updating Project Server with Monthly reports, updates to the Risk register and ensuring documents were gathered for the Project closure.
I regularly undertook analysis of upcoming changes across the whole of Department to look at the 90day Horizon of upcoming changes and how these might impact the work being undertaken on the WPIT Agile trains. I created task cards and outline of duties to support onboarding of new
Project support officers.

• Manage multiple stream of work across the Aged care project using both Agile and waterfall methodologies.
• Identify scope within the existing schedule and available skill sets.
• Write Test Plans, Test Strategies and Test Requests.
• Complete and maintain Risk Registers.
• Provide Testing coordinator services.
• Managing a team of personnel and also negotiating for access to additional team members.
• Providing team leadership, coaching and support
• Providing ongoing reports to stakeholders
• Liaise with stakeholders to ensure key dates are met
• Provide assistance to UAT Test Manager and testing team to ensure project goals are met
• Provide guidance and recommendations to Aged Care Project managers to allow appropriate planning to be undertaken
• Ensure training was provided to Agile teams on ALM and testing processes
• Provide project level updates and progress reports for each testing phase

Key Achievement

As Test Manager of the Aged care project I managed staff across multiple MDT’s (multidisciplinary teams), automation and project test teams. I worked with the Test Director to enhance the automation capability within Aged Care by allocating the appropriate testers to work with the automation engineers, utilising their knowledge to create API automation. This enhanced the testing being undertaken to check for defects earlier in the development cycle. As the project was new to the Agile approach, I supported my team by removing blockers allowing them to be part of the appropriate conversations which assisted in earlier detection of defects. One way this was achieved was by creating a daily defect triage meeting to all staff were aware of the impacts to other parts of the project. I raised all risks to the project team at the earliest opportunities allowing for successful releases with minimal production incidents being
identified.