Introduction
Computers play a major role in storing and retrieving
information in all local authority departments. Information
technology helps councils control the mass of data they need for
the efficient delivery of services. It may be information
about traffic schemes, waste disposal sites, new council tax rates,
pollution risks, accounts benefits or planning applications, for
example.
Data preparation supervisors work as part of the Information
Technology production team in corporate services. The primary
aim of their job is to produce data input: to key and verify
information to go into the mainframe.
Work Environment
It is an office-based job with movement between the
various council services for meetings about ongoing and new
projects. There may be noise and carrying, but the job
certainly involves long periods of sitting at a computer
screen.
Daily Activities
Supervising the preparation of data entails working to
the data management officer and with colleagues in the department
such as web technicians, database administrators, systems
programmers and others in IT jobs, some of which will be part of
the supervisor's team. The main task is to key and verify
data correctly, transfer it to mainframe and take responsibility
for desk management. The team leader may spend a lot of time
inputting a rota system forjobs, forexample.
In addition to working contact with various service managers,
the data preparation supervisorwill meet members of web editorial
teamsorofficers of other departments who deal with design and data
and web development. The provision of information for the
electronic service the council provides forthe public is the
supervisor's responsibility. People who want to find out more
about street lighting schemes, benefitsorcurrent job vacancies -
like this one, forexample, - can go into a booth and tap in the
appropriate key to have the data presented to them. Data is
also needed for the Intranet - the council's internal
communications system.
Skills & Interests
To be to be good at the job you need to have:
- attention to detail qualities;
- project management ability;
- numeracy skills and the ability to work with numbers and data
sheets;
- the ability to get on with people of different
backgrounds;
- the ability to use a key board to input information;
- the ability to use word processing to produce reports.
And above all these it is essential that you show a capacity for
managing people and running an effective team.
Entry Requirements
Relevant experience may be considered more important than
academic qualifications though you may be expected to have a
qualification in Maths and English. It is essential that you
have keyboard skills on entry. Previous management experience
- of an intranet site for example - can be very helpful.
With on the job training you can progress from being a trainee
to a supervisor post with further vocational qualifications and
experience. There may be opportunities to work towards
S/NVQs. Apprenticeships may be available.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
This is narrow field of work and the chances of promotion
small because much data preparation is increasingly online.
The best opportunities lie with other departments or other
aspects of IT work where experience in data preparation is
relevant: e.g. performance management teams, finance, payroll and
HR.
Further Information & Services
Apprenticeship information www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Computeach www.computeach.co.uk
Computer Weekly www.computerweekly.com
Computing www.computing.co.uk
E-skills UKwww.e-skills.com
Institute forthe Management of Information Systems www.imis.org.uk
Society of IT Management www.socitm.gov.uk
The Chartered Institute forIT www.bcs.org
You may find further information about this area of work
through Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or in your
local library, careers officeor school careers library.