7 things about...Maurice Franceschi

The first in a new series of informal staff profiles. 7 questions: 4 about the person's work life and 3 about them outside work. Get to know the IS Applications team a little better!

What do you do in Apps?

I am a project manager, programme manager and portfolio manager (for ITI Division)

What does that involve, day to day?

Well, just now I am seconded to the ISG Infrastructure Division (ITI) who took me on last year to work on the introduction of project management to the division. So my daily work involves the promotion of project management in ITI, supporting the ITI folk as they take up project management as a way to organise their development work and planning.

This means setting up new processes and administration from scratch such as portfolio annual planning and portfolio forward plans, aligning projects to ISG strategic objectives, creating an ITI Process to support the IS Applications Project Methodology, new tools and techniques to use in project management to support key activities such as deployment and service handover , engagement with partners and stakeholders, project planning, task estimation, time recording.

I also project manage several projects, work with each section head as their programme manager, and with director Tony Weir as the overall portfolio manager .

Finally, trying to ensure that as we embed our project methodology we take the opportunity to engage with our ISG change themes – ensuring that our project teams/process interact with themes such as equality and diversity, communication and branding, flexible working, service based culture and so on.

What’s been your proudest moment with Apps?

Delivery of the UniDesk Service was a good experience, given the scale of the changes, the complexity of the project, the number of stakeholders, and especially our partnership with other universities and the potential for further partnerships in the sector.

What did you do before you joined IS?

I've worked in IT since leaving university, so quite a lot. However, immediately before joining the University, I worked for a small website design company, with our main customers being the Scottish Government, the NHS and the SQA. I was a project manager, resource manager, accessibility and usability assurer, and account manager for a wide number of clients.

Have you done any voluntary work?

I have been doing volunteer work for the RNIB for over a decade – helping folk with accessibility settings, or downloading and installing software, making things work for them. Nothing too technical!

Image of the top and fore edges of an old leather-bound book

Are you good at fixing things?

No, more Laurel and Hardy than Bob the Builder.

e-reader or paper books (and why)?

I know that e-readers are an acceptable alternative to a standard cheap paperback and a convenient alternative for a holiday's load of books - but inferior to more quality publications. Can’t pose or be pretentious with an e-reader which is a key function. In a hundred years, an e-book will be worthless whereas a book may be priceless.

Maurice Franceschi

Senior Project and Programme Manager

Work: 0131 651 4354
Email: maurice.franceschi@ed.ac.uk

City: Argyle House

This article was published on 27 Oct, 2016