Strategy And Planning Manager

Job Summary

The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st January 2014 and is responsible for a range of statutory functions including provision of child protection, alternative care, specified regulatory services and a range of family support services. The Agency has commenced a major improvement programme with significant focus on Practice, Culture and Structure.

The Agency currently has responsibility for a budget of circa €1.2billion and delivers its services through over 5,500 people in 259 locations across the Country.

The Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the following range of services:

• Child Protection and Welfare
• Parenting, Family Support and Early Help Services
• Alternative Care
• Birth Information & Tracing and Adoption
• Tusla Education Support Services (TESS)
• Children’s Service Regulation
• Counselling and Therapeutic Supports

Further information is available on www.tusla.ie

Post Specific Details

Tusla is obligated by law to produce a triennial Corporate Plan, an annual Business Plan, an Annual Report and must track progress and report against these quarterly. An annual Estimates process is also required to be managed and coordinated. The planning cycle and related activities fall under the remit of the Strategy & Planning Unit.

Job Objectives

Planning Cycle Duties

• Manage and coordinate the Estimates process with support from Head of SPU – chairing meetings with Finance, EMT and Business support managers to coordinate and quality-assure new Business Cases.
• Engage with DCDE and DEY to ensure planning cycle activities are aligned.
• Support the development of the Corporate Plan 2027-2029 through engagement in workshops for stakeholder data gathering and analysis.
• Oversee engagement with Design & print internal and external stakeholders within statutory and Agency timelines.
• Support on Business Plan creation with EMT/CEO and Board and related design and publish tasks with support from Head of SPU.
• Responsible for overseeing the project with ICT to design and implement the new ICT Planning System which supports Corporate, Business and Regional Planning and associated tracking.
• Prepare, circulate and collate templates, data and documentation required to support the Business Planning Cycle (i.e. Estimates, Business Plans, Annual Reports, Quarterly Update Board Reports).
• Manage the interface between the Strategy and Business Planning Unit and the various services within the agency with a view to facilitating timely communication and feedback across Directorates.
• Develop and maintain the SPU presence on the Hub.
• Take responsibility for meeting statutory and organisational deadlines. 
• Represent and advocating on behalf of the Head of Strategy and Business Planning as appropriate.
• To support the Head of Strategy and Business Planning in her lead role in enhancing the planning process.

Project Management

• Day-to-day management of planning cycle project change to realise the goals, including communications, stakeholder management, reporting, scope management, risk management, governance and status reporting.
• Work with key stakeholders to define project(s) objectives, requirements and scope.
• Ensures that required supports are available to enable successful delivery of the projects within the programme.
• Ensures approval and acceptance of project deliverables to agreed quality standards.
• Maintain repository of project documentation.

Risk, Issue and Dependency Management

• Map and plan for the management of team and planning cycle risks, issues and dependencies and liaises with key stakeholders to ensure risks, issues and dependencies are effectively managed.
• Maintain overall Risk log including risks, actions, issues, dependencies etc.
• Facilitate regular risk and dependency reviews with key stakeholders.

Training and Development

• Coordinate and lead project teams/working groups in a complex, healthcare environment with significant change management challenges.
• Design and provide training and assistance to key stakeholders involved in the Planning Cycle as required.
• Participate in mandatory training programmes.
• Pursue continuous professional development in order to develop professional knowledge.

Communications / Stakeholder Management

• Ensure that highly effective communication mechanisms and processes are in place to manage, motivate and influence multiple stakeholders.

Legislation and Information Management

• Keep up to date with policy and legislative developments relevant to the post.
• Support the monitoring and control of resources in accordance with Tusla’s Financial Regulations.
• Ensure appropriate records are maintained as may be required by Tusla.
• Promote good working practices and uniformity of standards.
• Work with HR and Finance Specialists to ensure adherence to the legislative framework and internal Tusla policies and procedures
• Undertake all duties assigned in line with relative policy, procedures and legislation.

Health & Safety

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.

• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the service for example National Standards for Child Protection and Care and comply with associated Tusla – Child and Family Agency protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
• To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Skills Requirement

Essential:

• Have a third level qualification as relevant to the requirements of the role.
• Have a proven track-record of delivering complex, multidisciplinary projects, operating at a mid-senior level
• Ability to engage stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Relevant training and significant experience, at a mid-senior level, of operating within a complex planning role and / or function within a large scale multi stakeholders’ environment utilising and / or overseeing all of the relevant disciplines including:
• Schedule Management
• Project Delivery
• Communications and Reporting
• Risk, Action, Dependency and Issue Management
• Resource Management
• Scope Management and Change Control

Desirable:

• Professional Programme Management Qualification (e.g. PMI courses or disciplines, PMP, PRINCE2, PMBoK).

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Attachment(s) :

Grade VIII Strategy Planning Manager Candidate Information Pack May 2026.pdf