About the role
In July 2023, the new national public library strategy, The Library is the Place, was launched by The Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD), The City and County Managers Association (CCMA) and the LGMA. The strategy contains nine strategic objectives that aim to improve library services across Ireland, supported by three strategic enablers. Strategic Enabler 10 focuses specifically on the use of data to do this:
10: Data Supported and User-Focused Service Design
We will understand the needs of our communities through collection and analysis of data and development of needs analysis and impact evaluation frameworks and will provide services on that basis. We will support this through streamlined and effective mechanisms for recording and analysing library service-related data.
Under Strategic Enabler 10, a specific action is outlined regarding the creation of a platform to support data collection and access:

55. By the end of 20240F[1] a data dashboard will be available to library leaders to support decision making and service design, followed by a public facing version during the lifetime of the strategy.

The role of Library Statistics Project Lead is integral to the success of the Data Dashboard project. The role’s main focus is to scope a new analytics solution to manage data collection, mapping and reporting needs specific to public libraries in Ireland.

Specifically, the Project Lead will undertake:

• Stakeholder Communication
  • Conduct meetings and interviews with sectoral clients, end-users, Libraries Development Unit and Central Data Unit staff to gather and document the analytics website requirements.
  • Facilitate workshops and brainstorming sessions to identify client needs, goals, and constraints.
  • Work closely with subject matter experts from the LGMA – including the Libraries Development Unit, Central Data Unit, Digital & ICT Strategy, and Project Management Office - and from across the local government sector and wider European library community, designers, developers, and content creators to ensure alignment with sectoral and international requirements and standards.
  • Create detailed project plans and timelines and provide regular updates on progress to your managers and stakeholder teams.
  • Create detailed cost schedules
  • Provide ongoing clarification of requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
• Analysis and Validation
  • Analyse example datasets to ensure they align with project design and scope.
  • Validate requirements with stakeholders to confirm accuracy and feasibility.
  • Prioritize requirements based on business impact and client objectives.
• Research
  • Conduct research into analytic website trends, best practices, and emerging technologies to provide informed recommendations.
  • Expressly focus on the quality of user experience in designing the website functionality.
  • Take an end-user focused approach (User Experience) to their design – identify and consider all key end-user types.
• Requirements Documentation
  • Create detailed business requirements documentation, including user stories, use cases, wireframes, and process flows.
  • Develop functional requirement specifications and technical requirement documents.
  • Define website architecture/map/storyboard, including navigation, user interfaces, and integrations.
  • Work with Libraries Development Unit and Central Data Unit staff and external suppliers to estimate budget, and implementation timelines

For further information see Role Specification and Candidate Information Booklet.