165. The ability to produce project schedules and plans.

My experience as a Project Officer and Project Scheduler has included requirements,

definition, scheduling, budgeting, financial planning, and contract management. In
the initial stages of the project I have been instrumental in scoping the project,
defining the project objectives and developing work breakdown structures. As a
member of the project team I regularly update the project plans and schedules and
produce reports for the Project Manager regarding the project’s performance.

My current position is as a Project Officer for an IT system implementation project.

The aim of this project is to provide a platform that will integrate the procurement
software and finance software that is currently used by the Department of Y so that
the two systems can interface seamlessly. My primary role in the project team is to
plan and monitor the testing phase of the project. I have been involved in the
planning of the testing phase and have written the test plan.

Previously I have been employed as a Project Scheduler for a major capital

acquisition project. This project was worth $2.4 million dollars and had a four-year
life. My position involved managing and monitoring all elements of the schedule and
providing reports and ad hoc information to all members of the project team
regarding the schedule. It required keen attention to detail and the ability to
identify cause and effect.

I have a good knowledge of factors that contribute to project success and

incorporate these into my project schedules and plans. Throughout my experience I
have recognised that the schedule plays a clear role in driving project cost and
performance. As such, a robust and realistic baseline schedule is important for any
project. I have discovered through my time as a scheduler that inconsistencies in
schedules and costs can appear as weak performance; however this can also be
mitigated by a robust schedule that is managed well. Also, by incorporating risk into
the project schedules, these inconsistencies can be recognised in advance and
accounted for.