Business Analyst - Benefits Realisation

Client – KCC Management Information and Intelligence Team
Category: Social Care Qualified
Location: Kent County Council
Start date – ASAP
End date – 1 year from start
Pay – £500 per day (umbrella)
DBS – Basic required
Days per week – 5
Notice period – 2 weeks

Job Purpose

The Business Analyst will be responsible for identifying, tracking and monitoring the benefits of the projects that fall within the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Transformation Programme. Currently within the Safety Valve programme this accounts for approximately 50 projects and following the issuing of the Improvement Notice from the Department for Education this will now include projects from KCC’s partners in Health and Education as part of the Accelerated Progress Plan. The programme is of critical importance, both in terms of the need to achieve the right outcomes for children and young people with SEND, the improvement requirements set by the Department for Education and to manage the financial pressures KCC is currently facing.

The programme has been operational since September 2022, and there are numerous projects within the programme in various stages of delivery. The focus will be on benefits management, to understand the anticipated impacts and benefits of projects to ensure that KCC meets its objectives. The post holder will be working alongside the existing programme team, Finance, Analytics and the Management Information to track and evidence the benefits, provide assurance reporting and develop processes to support and govern benefits realisation.

Qualifications:
Educated to Degree level or relevant experience
Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. BCS or IIBA) (desirable)

Experience
Experience working as a Business Analyst with 3+ years of experience in a relevant field/domain
Previous experience applying the processes and techniques to manage, evaluate and realise benefits
Pulling together plans and outcome reporting to highlight both the benefits, gaps and risks within projects
Proven record of stakeholder engagement, working across teams and reporting to senior managers and directors
Experience working in a complex fast-paced environment with a broad scope of work
Turning complex projects outcomes into simple measures
It would be advantageous but not essential to have experience in SEND or work within a Local Authority

Skills and Abilities
Application of structured approaches to identify, track, measure and evaluate benefits
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and be flexible and use the most appropriate tools and techniques
The ability to identify qualitative and quantitative business benefits and create meaningful measures to assess the impact of changes
Stakeholder relationship management, from working with individuals to facilitating workshops
Persuasive communication skills to influence and gain buy-in
The ability to work alongside project leads and provide advice and coaching
The ability to challenge existing practices and processes and highlight activity that needs to be prioritised or paused
Capable of supporting individuals in building a business case and putting together project plans
The ability to understand the strategic objectives of the programme and to bring a positive approach to change among project leads
The ability to report clearly to stakeholders both internally and externally
Self-motivated and comfortable with ambiguity

Knowledge
Knowledge of benefits management and realisation
Familiar with a range of tools and methods to identify project benefits
Knowledge of Microsoft products and reporting software
It is desirable but not essential to have knowledge of the SEND system and/or pressures facing Local Authorities