NAME: Lynda Fay CRACKNELL (nee Stevens)
ADDRESS: Email:
lyndacracknell@aol.com
DATE
OF BIRTH: 20 March 1945
NATIONALITY: Australian
MARITAL
STATUS: Married to Alan Charles Cracknell
(retired)
MEMBERSHIPS Australian Institute of Management AIMM
(Not all current) Australian
Computer Society MACS
EDP Auditors
Association EDPAA
Royal
Institute of Public Administration
Australia
(Foundation member and
Hon
Secretary NT Div'n 1984-85) RIPAA
NT Voluntary
Euthanasia Society NTVES
(President ’95-’97)
TERTIARY
EDUCATION: Diploma in Data Processing -
Prahan Technical College - 1965
DP
Unit, ECO III, Monash University - 1967
Plus formal and informal
training in numerous technical and management subject areas.
AREAS
OF EXPERTISE: Policy and Strategy analysis
and development
Planning
- Corporate and Information Systems
Analysis
- Business and Functional
Project
Management
Computer
Centre Management
Office
establishment/management
IT
User/Client Education
Computer
Audit Management
Systems
Analysis, Design and Programming
Technical
writing - Documentation & Procedure Manuals
LANGUAGES ENGLISH
INDONESIAN
(Basic) - 9 week intensive course 1991
PROGRAMMING FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL, ASSEMBLER,
BACKGROUND: (On various mainframes)
PC
HARDWARE &
SOFTWARE Mainly IBM and Compatible PCs. Experience
includes use of database, spreadsheet, word-processing and project management
packages. Also a range of Mainframe terminal emulation, LAN and communications
products including Internet. A personal web page can be viewed at
http://www.oocities.org/lyndafay_au/mypage.html.
Private facilities include a Gateway PC running Windows 98, a HPLazerjet
printer, and scanner.
EMPLOYMENT
HISTORY: (Reverse chronological sequence)
1. NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT 1982 to July 1997
1(a) Northern Territory Treasury -
Strategic Services Division
Continuing the role previously
carried out in the Policy and Planning group in NCOM. (Refer April 91 to May 94
below). Additional projects included the further development of IT&T policy
and the management of a major ‘Remote Area Communications’ project. Also involved with other Project
managers in the Year 2000 problem, and Electronic Commerce.
1(b) Northern Territory Treasury - NCOM Services Division
(NCOM was re-formed in late 1997 as the Department of
Computing and Telecommunications - DCAT)
NCOM is the central IT
Service organisation for all NT Government Agencies, providing services in the
areas of mainframe processing, voice and data communications, system
development, facility management and support. As well NCOM sponsored - until
early 1995 when it was taken over by the parent Treasury dept - the provision
of executive services to the service-wide IT Management Committees known as the
ITMAC and the ITMC.
May
1994 to December 1994 - Manager, NCOM Southern Region
On temporary re-location from
Darwin for the specific purpose of establishing the first NCOM office in
Central Australia. This involved the setting up an office, centralising six
staff who had previously been working in other Agencies, and developing
position descriptions and a draft Business Plan. Services to a number of Agencies were maintained and further
developed.
April 1991 to May 1994 -
Principal Policy Adviser (and Executive Officer, ITMAC)
During this period, established and developed the position
of Executive Officer to the Information Technology Management Advisory
Committee (ITMAC), which provides
- policy, strategy, and procedural
advice at an executive level throughout the service, on matters contributing to
whole-of-government benefits in the area of Information Management and
Information Technology;
- executive support services to the
service wide ITMAC and ITMC to facilitate the implementation of policies and
practices within the NT Government;
- mutual support services such as information
interchange, between the NT and other State and Australian Government Agencies
undertaking similar functions;
- review of agency proposals against
service-wide policies and procedures to ensure that practices are in line with
established service-wide objectives;
- research and evaluation of
information from a wide range of external sources;
- management of and participation in
selected IT Infrastructure projects; and
- participating as required in
appropriate State and National forums.
June 1988 to April 1991 - Computer Centre Manager
The prime responsibility
of this position is to provide a secure and reliable 24 hour, 7 days per week,
Central Computing Facility for use by NT Government Agencies, and some external
and interstate organisations, by
- managing the operations of the
complex of Mainframe and mid-range computers and the associated printers and
tape library on a 24 basis;
- ensuring that any changes made to the
facility, including changes to software, applications, hardware, network, and
environment, are controlled and coordinated so as not to expose the facility to
risk of failure or unavailability of services; and
- planning the future needs and
directions of the Computer Centre to cope with changing demands, and growth in
volume of service requirements.
During my time as
Computer Centre Manager activities included a major mainframe upgrade
(accomplished with less than 12 hours outage), introduction of a high speed A4 laser
printing facility, conversion of the tape library to cartridge technology, and
major re-design, re-building and site renovation. During this period I also
planned and managed major upgrades of the environmental facilities including
provision of a backup water supply, an additional cooling tower, and major
modifications to the air-conditioning plants to minimise risks during
switch-over.
1(c) Department
of Industries and Development
(Employed by the
Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, which merged in 1987 with the
Department of Industries and Development)
January 1985 to May 1988 - Director
Information Systems
Director of the
Information Systems Branch, the responsibilities included provision of advice
to senior management on the direction of technological developments,
implementation and maintenance of the Department's Information systems,
coordination of computer applications developments (both NCOM and micro based)
and control of the central Information Systems budget.
Specific achievements
during this period included development of an Information Systems plan, writing
a comprehensive 'Computer Guidelines' manual, and implementation of a number of
administrative and 'business' systems such as ministerial correspondence tracking,
payroll support, and image based land monitoring systems. Acted for approximate
two months as Assistant Secretary Corporate Services (DPI&F).
1(d) Internal Audit Bureau, Office of the
Public Service Commissioner
January 1983 to January 1985 - Computer Audit Manager
As Computer Audit
Manager, responsible for the management of IT Audits of major systems in the
majority of Government Agencies. In addition to management of, and
participation in, a number of significant audits, the activities included
. acquisition of specialised audit software for the bureau
and training of approximately 19 financial auditors in its use;
. introduction of up-to-date enhanced
IT audit methodologies;
. presentation of a paper on
Information Privacy; and
. representation at a number of national and international
DP Audit Conferences and Seminars
1(e)
NT Department of Transport and Works
May 1982 to January 1983 - Senior Business Analyst
Employed in the Systems Development Branch as a Senior
Business Analyst. Duties included analysis and definition of Agency IT needs,
liaison between the Department and NCOM (then ISD), and assistance with project
development.
The most significant
tasks during this time were
. participation in a Departmental wide
(Territory wide also) study of IT needs and co-authorship of a resulting major
report to management which 'set the scene' for subsequent technology based
business support systems; and
. preparation of detailed functional
and tender specifications for a Contracts management system.
2. PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT - 1960 to 1982
2(a)
May 1979 to April 1982 - QBE Insurance Ltd
Senior Systems Analyst / Project Leader
Analyst/Project Leader involved with major systems including
Staff Superannuation, Claims processing, Bank Reconciliation, and a major very
successful system for automating Renewals which enabled underwriting management
to act quickly on changing market conditions.
2(b) August 1977 to May 1979 - Self Employed
Self employed as an
antique dealer.
2(c) June 1976 to August 1977 - ATL Limited
Team Leader / Systems Analyst
Responsible for a team of programmers and trainees
developing a large on-line sub-system for the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Activities included system design, project control and customer liaison.
Travelled to Singapore to liaise with sub-contractors and to Hong Kong for
design negotiations with the Jockey Club.
2(d)
July 1975 to July 1976 - Self Employed
Computer Consultant
Contract analysis,
design and programming for the NSW Department of Motor Transport. Also contract
systems consulting for Compunet Limited, primarily for one of their major
clients in the mining industry.
2(e)
January 1975 to July 1975 - Compunet Limited
Systems Consultant, Market Support. Preparation of
proposals, supervision of contractors etc., mostly for remote access clients in
the Northern Territory and Tasmania.
2(f) December 1968 to August 1974 - Control
Data Australia
Employed firstly in Melbourne, then New Zealand, then Sydney
in a variety of positions. The following is in reverse chronological sequence.
Control Data Institute, Sydney - Instructor
Instructor in Systems Analysis and Design, FORTRAN, and
Business Orientation (including the development of a textbook).
Control Data, New Zealand - Team Leader NZ
TAB System
Responsibilities included training of NZ TAB staff, design,
supervision, and development of a large suite of programs (in FORTRAN) for the
NZ TAB off-line support systems. The project involved 25 + staff years of
effort and was completed approximately two weeks ahead of schedule.
On completion of the contract, stayed on in NZ for about six
months as a Pre-Sales Support Analyst.
Control Data Melbourne - Customer Support Analyst
For approximately 18 months provided programming and
analytical support to clients of the Data Centre.
Control Data, Melbourne - Programmer
Development of a number of commercial systems in FORTRAN and
COBOL.
2(g) February 1966 to December 1968 - Monash University
Programmer employed in the 'Outside Earnings Group' developing
systems in FORTRAN and COBOL for the Victorian Universities and Schools Examinations
Board, the Victorian Universities Admissions Committee, and the Australian
Council for Educational Research.
In addition to the major
programming activities, tasks included user programming support and the
development of an 'output to braille' conversion system to enable blind
students to program the ICL Sirius Computer.
2(h)
July 1962 to January 1965 - Department of Defence
Clerk / Systems Analyst in the Central Army Records
Office assisting in the conversion of Army Personnel records from a manual to
an EDP system.
2(i)
November 1961 - July 1962 - Rothmans of Pall Mall
Tabulator Operator / Trainee Programmer
Machine code programming
for an ICL 1301. Programs were being sent to England for test runs prior to
delivery of the ICL 1301.
2(j)
January 1960 to November 1961 - CSR Chemicals
Operator of assorted unit record equipment. Some
'plug board' programming for ICL Tabulators.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Travel: Have travelled overseas to Singapore,
Hong Kong, Fiji, New-Zealand and
Indonesia, and
extensively throughout Australia.
Private Reading
Interests Gardening
Writing
Collecting
antiques and artefacts
Drivers License - Class A
Salary and Benefits: Base Salary $57,840
(Final Salary - NTPS - 1997) District
Allowance $ 957