Position Description
Position Title
Senior Analyst
Location
Wellington
Work Role Group
Delegated Authority
HR
Nil
Job Size
Band 17
Financial
Nil
Organisational Context
The Health Quality & Safety Commission is a stand-alone Crown Entity, established effective November
2010, with a Board responsible to the Minister of Health. The Commission is responsible for assisting
providers across the whole health and disability sector, both private and public – to improve service
safety and quality and therefore outcomes for all who use these services in New Zealand.
Improving the quality and safety of care will provide better value for money and more efficient and
effective use of taxpayer funding. The Commission is charged with:
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providing advice to the Minister of Health to drive improvement in quality and safety in health and
disability services
leading and coordinating improvements in safety and quality in health care
identifying data sets and key indicators to inform and monitor improvements in safety and quality
reporting publicly on the state of safety and quality, including performance against national
indicators
disseminating knowledge on and advocating for safety and quality.
In addition to these functions, the Commission has subsumed the activities outlined in Section 17 of the
New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (NZPHD Act), namely:
 advising the Minister of Health on any health epidemiology and quality assurance matters
 ensuring to the maximum extent practicable, that there is national coordination in reporting of
relevant health epidemiology and quality assurance matters and that there is a capacity to
improve health outcomes through quality assurance programmes directed to clinical providers.
Position purpose and responsibilities
The initial purpose of this position is to:
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work as part of a team to analysing information and evidence on systemic quality and safety
issues from a national perspective, and provide advice on quality improvement by system and
quality improvements
work with the project manager on specific work programmes, initially the focus will be on the
perioperative harm and establishment of new improvement programmes
establish effective relationships with key stakeholders across the health sector including, but not
exclusively, DHB’s, ACC, the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner, Private
Healthcare providers.
This position will:
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specifically contribute to the implementation of the perioperative harm programme, improvement
programmes and where appropriate for the wider Health Quality and Safety Commission
programmes
undertaking regular reviews of relevant international literature and other information sources in order
to identify international trends and opportunities to improve population health
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provision of reports on matters of interest, strategy, programme progress to the HQSC Board as and
when requested.
Working with the Evaluation and Measurement Team , identify data quality and analysis issues,
identify information gaps and make recommendations on areas of work that will lead to
improvements within the health sector and/or prevent system failures
respond to requests for information from the Minister’s Office, the public, other agencies and health
and disability providers and supporting the response to media issues, and the development of
communication strategies with respect to quality improvement
working with health and disability providers to develop a capacity to improve health outcomes
through quality improvement programmes
Key responsibilities and expectations
These include but are not limited to:
Key responsibilities
Perioperative
Programme
Harm
Performance Expectations
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Improvement
Programmes
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Stakeholder and
internal relationship
management
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Contribution to
determination of the
learning’s from the
health sector
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Support wider HQSC
work programmes
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assist with the ongoing programme development within the perioperative
harm portfolio, this will include researching and analysing information which
can inform the strategic approach and develop these into practical projects
work with project managers to ensure oversight of programme
implementation
provide high quality advice for various audiences including Minister of
Health, HQSC Board, HQSC Chief Executive
ensure timely delivery of analytical work
support the alignment of the programme with the OPEN for better care
national patient safety campaign
identify and manage risk impact on the delivery of the work programme
assist with the programme development on new initiatives within the
Improvement Programmes portfolio, this will include researching and
analysing information which can inform the strategic approach
contract management of various contracts – both establishing contracts
and monitoring contract progress
develop high level advice for various audiences including Minister of
Health, HQSC Board, HQSC Chief Executive
employs a range of analytical techniques and methodologies
build effective and constructive internal and external relationships
liaise with other organisations for information and advice in relation to
quality improvement data and analysis
assist with the establishment of and providing support to advisory groups,
networks
contribute to the alignment of programmes and activities across the
Commission
listen actively to understand and recognise the needs of others
find common ground and get cooperation with minimum noise
pass on knowledge and expertise to staff in the commission and wider
health sector.
comprehensive analysis of national data and production of reports
identify data quality and analysis issues, identify information gaps and
make recommendations on areas of work that will lead to improvements
within the health sector and/or prevent system failures
work with others in the team and where necessary the sector to identify the
learning’s from the data analysis
trend analyses are routinely provided to organisations to assist with
ongoing quality improvement measures
actively provide support to other HQSC programmes as required
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Key relationships
All Commission employees have a responsibility for managing relationships in some or all of the key
sectors we work with. In this role, the key relationships to be developed are as follows:
Reports to:
Senior Portfolio Manager
Internal Relationships:
General Manager, Senior Portfolio Managers, Communications Team, Clinical
Advisors, Mortality Review Committees Team, Monitoring and Evaluation Team
Health and Disability
Sector:
DHBs, NGOs, PHOs, Private Health Sector,
Public Sector:
Ministry of Health - the individual business units
Accident Compensation Corporation, Health & Disability Commission
SSC and other government departments with related interests
Other key stakeholders
Core competencies
Drive for Results
Can be counted on to achieve results. Sets high standards and pushes self and
others to perform.
Political Savvy
Can manoeuvre through complex political situations effectively; is sensitive to how
people and organisations function; anticipates where the ‘land mines’ are and plans
his/her approach accordingly; views corporate politics as a necessary part of
organisational life and works to adjust to that reality.
Teamwork
Works cooperatively within the workgroup and across the organisation to achieve
group and organisational goals; has respect and understanding for the different
perspectives held by others in the organisation; willing to break down barriers and
focus on common objectives; solicits information and ideas from others in the team.
Commitment to Quality
Demonstrates high quality standards in own work; expects high quality standards
from all others in the Commission; ensures that the Commission’s reputation for
providing high quality work, including its documentation and other forms of
communication, is developed and maintained.
Problem Solving
Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions;
probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at
honest analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers.
Strategic Agility
Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has
broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible
pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and
breakthrough strategies and plans.
Role specific / technical capabilities
Technical and behavioural competencies specific for this role:
Functional/Technical
Skills
Has the appropriate functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the
job at a high level of accomplishment.
Decision Quality
Makes good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and
judgement. Sought out by others for advice and solutions.
Dealing with Ambiguity
Can effectively cope with change. Can shift gears comfortably. Can decide when
to act without having the total picture. Is not upset when things are up in the air.
Can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty
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Perspective
Pursues everything with energy, drive and a need to finish. Seldom gives up before
finishing, especially in the face of resistance or setbacks
Peer Relationships
Can quickly find common ground and looks for win/win situations. Can represent
their own interests and yet be fair to other groups/individuals. Can solve problems
with peers with a minimum of noise. Is seen as a team player and is cooperative.
Easily gains the trust and support of peers. Encourages collaboration
Organisational Agility
Is knowledgeable about how organisations work. Understands the origin the
reasoning behind key policies, practices and procedures. Understands the culture
of an organisation
Key Selection Criteria
To be considered for this role, the ideal person will need to demonstrate:
Essential experience, skills and qualities
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critical thinking and sound judgement, in particular, the ability to analyse information, develop
options and think strategically
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knowledge of the health sector and systems, including the issues facing the NZ Health sector
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an orientation towards innovation and improvements in health care delivery
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highly developed written and oral communication skills including the ability to communicate
clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles
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substantial experience using a range of analytical frameworks
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a thorough understanding of the machinery of government and demonstrated knowledge of
political administrative processes and structures
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proven ability to establish and develop effective networking, interpersonal and relationship
management skills
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an understanding of quality improvement programmes
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a tertiary or other relevant qualification preferably in health, social science, or a related discipline
Desirable experience, skills and qualities
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Masters level tertiary qualification
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health sector experience at a clinical level
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previous experience in a policy role in which time they would have led significant policy projects
and experience in briefing Ministers
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an understanding and appreciation of effective risk management strategies
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an understanding of the health care delivery system in NZ including health and treatment
terminologies
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established networks across the health and disability sector in NZ
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