Employee Profiles

Name:  Alison Zammit
Designation: Senior Administrative Assistant
Years at Planning: 26
Educational Background:  Higher Secondary, 
Hobbies: Travel and reading

1. Can you explain what your role entails and your main areas of responsibility?
My role with the Planning Authority is to administer the mapping shop and ensure that the service we render at the Mapping Shop supersedes the expectations of all our customers. The majority of our customers are mainly the general public who come to purchase maps, search for old records and other planning related issues.

2. Could you describe a typical day within your role?
Most of the day is assigned to the Mapping shop where I continuously interact with people and try to give my utmost to provide an efficient service to our clients. I am also responsible for the administrative work within the Mapping Unit and respond queries coming from internal and external clients.  

3. What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis?
One of the big challenges I daily face is the ability to be able to understand and adjust to the different types of characters and temperaments of visiting customers. I do my very best to keep calm and satisfy the customer whenever that is possible. 

4. What is your main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service?
The fact that I like meeting with different people/ clients everyday keeps me motivated and challenges me to deliver top quality service within this role.  For me when a client leaves our counter satisfied is yet another achievement accomplished.On a daily basis, I experience a hectic environment which is tiring but fulfilling especially when in return I receive positive feedback from our clients. The fact that I meet different people,  I am very happy with my position at the Mapping shop and I believe that over the past years I had delivered a good service to our customers. 

FACT FILE:
Name: Mario Azzopardi
Designation: Land Survey Unit Manager
Years at the PA: 22 years
Educational Background: Higher level of education and participated in two international scholarships in Italy and Japan.
Hobbies: Swimming, reading, watching football especially my favourite team, Inter

1.    Can you explain what your role entails and your main areas of responsibility?
The main area of responsibility is the management of the Land Survey Unit which is made up of two sections namely; Topographic Survey Section and the Setting out – Civil Engineering section apart from another team that handles the survey activities in Gozo.  The activities of these survey sections are somewhat different from each other.  Whilst the Topographic survey section deals with the collection of survey data from site to prepare detailed drawings to form as a bases for scheme alignment interpretation and other myriad of uses, the other section deals with the demarcation of public/private demarcation alignments and proposed street formation levels for development with the valid permits and other survey activities related with civil engineering works.  

2.    Could you describe a typical day within your role? 
My day at work normally starts at the early hours in the morning since the land survey teams undertake most of their work on site.  It is important that before the survey teams leave on their site duties I carry out the necessary consultations and discuss particular cases which might have proved problematic during the setting out process. The rest of the day is usually dedicated to internal and external meetings covering various issues related to the Unit’s activities.  A high percentage of the topographical surveys carried out by the Unit are commissioned by external clients most of these surveys require a reconnaissance survey to prepare cost estimates together with a detailed quotation clearly outlining the expected delivery of service and target date of completion. In addition to the above I also undertake managerial and administrative responsibilities of the day to day running of the Unit to ensure that the Unit’s performance standards are being achieved. Other managerial responsibilities are more strategic such as the compilation and maintenance of the business plan and budgeting requirements.  


3.    What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis?
During these years the Unit has stood up to great challenges and dealt with a number of projects with strict deadlines. One of the largest projects consisted in the topographical surveys of a number of arterial roads in Malta and Gozo forming the Trans European Transport network (TENT-T) commissioned by the Transport Malta.  Another major breakthrough to upgrade the level of service provided by the Unit was the introduction of the Setting Out Request Form to provide setting out service for development with a valid development permit.  This form, which was agreed with the Kamra tal-Periti, introduced for the first time a time frame during which the requested survey service is expected to be provide.   Recently this is proving very challenging to be maintained due to various issues. On a positive note, the Unit will directly benefit from the acquirement of state of the art equipment as part of the SIntegram project which is being part financed by the European Regional and Development Fund spearheaded by the Information Resources Unit.  Furthermore this project will also be offering the opportunity to re-engineer and modernise certain services offered by the Unit. 

4.    What is your main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service?
First and foremost it is the passion I have for this line of work that motivates me, and this is closely followed by the feedback of satisfied client.  I strongly believe that a satisfied client is a repeat client, whatever the size or importance of the project entrusted, the same attitude has to be applied. A timely service is important to be maintained in order to achieve client satisfaction.  Another important motivator is the experienced staff forming the Land Survey Unit, they have helped a lot to establish the unit as a main service provider in the Land Surveying field.  

Employee Fact File:
Name: Charmaine Muscat
Designa

tion: Unit Manager – Business Development
Years at the Planning Authority: 11 years
Education

al Background: Masters in Business Administration
Hobbies: Travelling, trekking & photography.

Can you explain what your role entails and what your main areas of responsibility are?
My role within the

Planning Authority as a Unit Manager -Business Development unfolds on two areas which incorporate the responsibilities of the security staff and systems of the authority together with the preparation and implementation of the business plan for the organization.
 
Could you describe a typical day within your role? 
Being responsible for these areas, my day involves both being at my desk and at times on the field interventions. Meetings in relation to the business plan are ongoing with staff at all levels in order to come up with the best business proposals in line with the Authority’s objectives.
 
What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis? 
My main challenge is to strike a balance between employee requirements and what is expected from the organization by its clients.
 
What is the main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service? 
The commitment towards the organization and the pride in my work.

Employee Fact File:
Name:  Omar Hili
Designation:  Officer ICT
Years at the Planning Authority: 8 years
Educational Background: M.Sc. in Applied Geographical Information Systems (GIS) , Cisco certified CCNA, Checkpoint Security Administrator certified.
Hobbies: Cars, Technology and Gadgets
 
Can you explain what your role entails and what your main areas of responsibility are?
My main responsibilities within the ICT unit at the Authority are ensuring firewall security and providing internet services to the public. I am also responsible for:
o   Network administration, configuring of Cisco switches and fiber connectivity.  
o   GIS Technologies, Integration of GIS data into Geoportal for internal and External use.  
o   The design and implementation of a number of new projects which include the GI / IT aspect of the Eu Funded SIntegraM project  and also SIMWESTMED project focusing on the western Mediterranean including Malta, that is funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020, aimed at supporting Member States to implement the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive.

Could you describe a typical day within your role?
My day to day task is the maintenance and up keeping of firewall systems, rules and traffic shaping.  This also involves the updating and implementing rules of data traffic rules as per requests, monitoring and blocking malicious requests from external sources and research on new treats and technologies to counterpart such treats. My day is also taken up providing assistance and training on new GI systems. I also daily carry out maintenance to the GeoDatabases and GI back end systems.  
 
What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis?
My daily challenge is to cater for the security of the Authority’s core system. As part of my work, I continuously verify firewalls rules, and thus ensuring security from external sources. Another challenge is the integration of larger systems within our ICT infrastructure and the amalgamation of GI technologies into the ICT core functions.
 
What is the main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service?
I can say that having to provide solutions to new daily requests and assist in better provide GI data within different units in Planning Authority is what keeps me motivated. Together with this I also find it motivating that daily I can acquire knowledge working with the different units and new technologies within the Authority

Employee Fact File:
Name: Roderick Micallef
Designation: Administrative Assistant
Years at the Planning Authority: 8 years
Educational Background: Diploma in IT 
Hobbies: Cooking, travelling and gaming.    
 

Can you explain what your role entails and what your main areas of responsibility are? 
My main role in the Human Resources Department is to oversee the adminstration of employees’ attendance. This also includes the training of personnel in using the human resources information system and supervision of its maintenance. I also ensure that Time & Attendance (T&A) system is correctly and promptly recording all the data. In my role I am also responsible for compiling and producing all official statistics and reports related to attendance in timely manner. I act as a moderator for HRIS digitalisation process, providing assistance and troubleshooting, while also introducing a personnel digitalized filing system.

Could you describe a typical day within your role?
My favourite question! There’s no typical day and that’s what makes my role interesting. What’s quite typical are the various calls during the whole day but the daily tasks are on a whole different level.
I do have deadlines on a weekly basis and various tasks are added to my daily schedule in a glance so I have to adapt accordingly all the time. In an instant I might be working on a report and just a few minutes later I might be liaising with ICT Section to tackle an issue that employees may have encountered on the T&A system.
 
What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis?
The biggest challenge faced so far was the launching process for the online T&A system. The process involved long hours of work, not only in testing the system but in ensuring that following the launch it was providing all employees with quality service. 
 
What is the main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service?
Respect is my main motivation; you have to give it to get it back. When I feel respected back by most of the employees for my work I get more motivated to keep delivering the best service I can.

Employee Fact File:
Name:  Joe Azzopardi
Designation:  Senior Planning Technician
Years at the Planning Authority: 5
Educational Background: Diploma in Baroque Architecture / Reading for a Masters in Baroque Studies
Hobbies: Travel / reading / photography
 

Can you explain what your role entails and what your main areas of responsibility are?
I work within the Heritage Planning Unit and I am mainly responsible for scheduling. The role entails the identification of sites deemed worth of being protected through the scheduling process and carrying out research (archival / detailed site inspections / consultations with heritage entities) to determine the historical and artistic value of the said sites. I also compile a dossier so as to build a case to present the proposed scheduling to the Executive Committee and carry out the scheduling process through all the legal steps as defined by the law, including the arguments necessary to address any requests for reconsideration. Additionally I prepare heritage related feature to be transmitted through various media. I also participate in the Heritage Tours organised by the PA, and I am also involved in the Irrestawra Darek Grant Scheme.
 
Could you describe a typical day within your role?
Most of the day is dedicated to interaction with the public, mainly through the phone. A considerable amount of time is dedicated to research.
 
What challenges have you faced or do you face on a daily basis?
 The greatest challenge is to constantly communicate to members of the public the value of the heritage they own, and are ultimately responsible for, be it a traditional house, or a particular feature. It is my firm believe that once people are made aware of the historical and heritage value of their property they will be the first to want to preserve it in the best possible way. I feel my role is to discuss and offer them options on how they can achieve their needs while respecting a preserving the heritage they have been entrusted with. 
 
What is the main motivation that keeps you dedicated to delivering a top quality service?
It is the feeling that I can actively contribute to preserving the Maltese heritage and to do so not only for grand buildings but also for humble houses which make up the larger part of our Urban Conservation Areas.