I’m a Technology Delivery Manager in the Home Office Forms team. Unlike what I thought before joining the Civil Service, being a Technology Delivery Manager has nothing to do with vans, bikes or packages! At its core, delivery management is really an enabling role. It’s all about helping the team maximise the amount of quality work being produced.
My team chiefly works in software development, so my day-to-day activities include running planning meetings, communicating with our varied stakeholders, removing blockers and keeping our Kanban board looking as neat and tidy as possible. If I’m doing my job well, everyone else in the team should find they have more time to focus on the things that matter in their jobs.
Six months ago, I found myself joining a new type of team in a role where I had basically zero experience. On top of that, there was no one in the team doing that role, so I had to carve out my own niche. I was excited for the challenge, but naturally very nervous too. From day one the supportive and friendly nature of my manager and my team allayed these fears. I can’t thank my team enough for their patience and understanding when I first joined. What they get right, in my opinion, is really valuing people, sharing responsibility as a team and always encouraging learning and development.
I also have the support of the wonderful graduates in my cohort. It’s invaluable to share experiences and learning with a lovely group of like-minded people from diverse backgrounds.
There are two things that make me proud to be a civil servant.
The first is my colleagues. I’ve interacted with a diverse range of colleagues in the Civil Service, all unified by their friendliness, helpfulness, and motivation to get the best possible job done. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by people dedicated to making improvements for the public good. And that’s the second thing: serving the public. It’s easy to get caught up in the smaller details, but I love to regularly take a wider look and remember that everything I’m doing is contributing to making peoples’ lives better.
