Boon Chua

Team Leader Information Management, New Plymouth District Council

It is not a routine job, it’s very diverse as there’s no hard and fast rule about what you can and can’t do.

Describe your job?

Since starting at the Council my job has changed a bit. I first started looking at the Council’s information management strategy. Document management is just one part of this strategy, other elements include enabling a single view of a customer or property but also how we store that information and how that information inter-relates.

I then got involved in the implementation and integration project of the Council’s new document management system with TechOne (the Council’s chosen core system). This was more a project manager role; I had an overview of the communication needs, the data that we hold and the infrastructure that we had to get to work together. Once the overall plan was hatched, my team then got into action with the actual IT work.

My role also includes looking at improving processes and finding solutions for customers needs. For example, I’m working with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery on their digital image management. Part of this involves making sure items are stored consistently so that they can be retrieved easily using metadata/tags, addressing versioning and security issues and naming conventions, but it also means looking forward and, if the gallery goes down the track of selling images online, a full download with artwork and copyright information will be available readily.

My role is quite diverse.

What is your background

I have worked for the Council since December 2006 but prior to that I worked for 14 years in a number of IT roles in various organisations, including five years with the Government Chief Information Office of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). In one sense the role at IDA was similar to what I’m doing now at the Council – I managed projects and was involved in researching solutions, and both organisations work to benefit the residents. But the work environment here compared with Singapore is completely different.

In Singapore, working long hours is expected. I also had an hour commute each way to work so I was leaving home early and getting back just in time to see my young kids before they went to bed. Here, my life is much more balanced. It only takes me five minutes to get to work so I’ve got plenty of time with my family. We have a dog (Labrador-cross), a house with gardens and lawn (and all the maintenance that comes with it!). My family loves it, they were really excited about coming out here and we haven’t looked back.

I have to say that we’re enjoying the cooler weather too, compared with the hot and humid weather that you get all year around in Singapore. Sometimes it can be a bit too cold, but there are great views of the mountain and it’s just an hour’s drive away to the ski field!

What skills or qualifications do you need for your job?

I have a Bachelor in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore in 1992. But since then I’ve also picked up skills in the area of system analyst, consultant and project management.

In this job people skills are a must. In Singapore people tend to be more task orientated, but here it is more about influencing people to get the result you need. I’m involved in several parts of the council and each team has different needs and issues. It makes for an interesting day!

Though I’m in IT, the skills that I’m using in this role are not quite technical anymore, I’ve moved more into the area where processes, projects, people and looking ahead precedes technical implementation.

What is the opportunity for progression in your role?

There is no obvious progression path as it’s a hybrid non-traditional role between IT and the rest of the Council. I could go more into project management where I would just be focused on the delivery of the solution, but at the moment I’m enjoying being involved in the exploration and development of the solution.

What do you like most about your job?

It is not a routine job, it’s very diverse as there’s no hard and fast rule about what you can and can’t do. The managers are supportive too. Freedom and diversity comes with a certain level of uncertainty that needs to be tolerated. This will be alright as long as I continue to be engaged in delivering values to the users and business!

What do you like most about working in local government?

I like seeing that my efforts actual make a difference and ultimately benefit citizens. It’s very different from working in the private sector where the bottom line drives the business. In local government it’s about creating good solutions for our customers. When we’re researching something, cost isn’t always the first consideration, we look at the benefits and results to our residents first. It’s a different concept altogether.

In Asia, government jobs are perceived as being boring and bureaucratic so I started working in the private sector. It wasn’t until my first government job that I realised that its not boring and I should have started my career with the government! It depends on your personality ultimately, and delivering value or putting a smile a person’s face is worth much more to me than meeting a sales target.

Is there anything in particular you like about working for the New Plymouth District Council?

The people here are nice. That’s one thing I’ve noticed as a big difference compared with Singapore, people don’t cut you off mid sentence here!

I really like the flexible working arrangements that the council offers. My hours aren’t rigid, if I need to take a longer lunch or finish early one day to get to a family commitment then I can come in earlier or stay a bit later the next day.

The council is a good employer. I’m the Health and Safety rep for the IS Team and the Council puts in a lot of effort into looking after staff. If you’re injured, the rehab programme is good. They offer a general healthy staff programme with discounts on gyms, access to nutritionists and other health-related information.

There is also a secure bike shed and onsite shower facilities so I can bike to work and get dressed there. We’re now a two-car family but one is pretty much shut away in the garage all the time, we just don’t need it!