‘ICT is an essential link for an organisation such as the IND’

Do you hear IND? Then you hear asylum and migration. But behind the scenes there is a world that does not appeal as much to your imagination. And that world is of great importance to allow the IND to perform its work well. Mike, an ICT staff member at the IND, knows everything about this. 'If the ICT landscape fails, this has an immediate effect on our performance.'

Photo of Mike

I was pleasantly surprised: ICT at the IND is not stuffy or outmoded at all.

Staff members of the IND can contact the Service Portal team with all their technical questions. They are the first contact point for incidents and questions about ICT. Mike and his co-workers can solve many problems themselves. Are they unable to do so? Then the report goes to internal specialists or external suppliers. In all cases the Service Portal team remains the first contact point.

Complex problem? Challenging investigation!

If we ask Mike what his working day looks like, he has to think for a moment. 'I cannot summarise this just like that', he explains. 'Each day is in fact different. I cannot predict in advance which technical problems co-workers will face. These are usually login and software errors, but the reason for this can always be different. That is exactly what makes it nice. The more complex the problem, the more challenging it is to investigate.'

Switching and redirecting

'But the different services you work in are indeed fixed', Mike continues. 'There are three options: telephone service, mail service or switching service. The first two are self-evident. Then I am either in the line to receive reports or I receive them in the mail. Switching service means that I can pass on the reports that our team cannot deal with themselves to the right parties. This can be an internal specialist or an external supplier. I do remain in charge of the report and I am still the contact point. In such a case I am actually the bridge between the person who makes the report and the other group who will deal with it.'

Innovative and progressive

That Mike ended up at the IND was an interplay of coincidences. Just as many others he did not make the link between the IND and ICT very quickly. 'Of course ICT is important for all organisations but my focus was rather, for example on a computer company. So I was working there at the time', say he. 'A friend of mine is an interviewer and decision maker at the IND and he drew my attention to the open ICT vacancies. Once here, I was pleasantly surprised! The image of ICT at the IND is perhaps as a bit outmoded and stuffy. But that is unjustified.‘

Government organisation versus the business sector

'Moreover I like the idea that I can really help people via my work,' Mike adds. 'I help my co-workers directly, but I also help the applicant indirectly. Suppose someone is working on important documents, such a decision on an application or confidential policy document, and the computer suddenly crashes. Then this is awfully scary. If the ICT landscape fails, then this has an immediate effect on our performance, and therefore consequences for the co-worker, the process and the applicant. I am glad that at these types of moments I can do my bit and provide for a solution, myself or via a specialist. So that is the reason I chose an government organisation and not the business sector. The service-providing nature suits me well.'

Learning more and innovating

Consequently, Mike certainly does not see himself changing organisations very soon. 'For the time being, I am still really well in my place. Moreover, I am given the opportunity here to grow and develop myself. For example, I would like to develop my technical skills further and be more involved in improving existing processes or in implementing new systems. For an organisation such as the IND, ICT is an essential link in the whole process. Innovation at that level is therefore a priority as well. Great to be on top of this.'

Socially involved

That is therefore one of the reasons Mike mentions when we ask him why someone should choose an ICT job at the IND. 'You are given the opportunity here to work with new technologies and at the same time you have an important task to help a socially involved organisation further’, he says enthusiastically. 'And people here also attach great value to diversity. On my team I have a good mix of young and older employees and different cultures and backgrounds. The working atmosphere is good and we get along well with one another. I simply find it very much to my liking!'