Chapter 14 — Roles in practice
Lesson map
Lesson 14 published. Map, example, EX040.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["14.1 The technologist's role"]
N2["14.2 Requests needing decisions"]
N3["14.3 Working with stewards"]
N4["14.4 Raising concerns"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4
N4 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX040"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["14.1 The technologist's role"]
N2["14.2 Requests needing decisions"]
N3["14.3 Working with stewards"]
N4["14.4 Raising concerns"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> Q["EX040"]
[Learning outcomes]
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v
[14.1 The technologist's role]
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v
[14.2 Requests needing decisions]
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v
[14.3 Working with stewards]
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v
[14.4 Raising concerns]
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v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX040]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) describe how technologists support owners and stewards; (2) handle requests that need decisions; (3) work within agreed authority.
14.1 The technologist's role
Ravi learns where technologists fit. Owners such as the head of repairs decide policies and priorities for their data. Stewards maintain definitions, rules and issues. Technologists build checks, scripts, dictionaries and reports, and raise problems. Ms. Moreau explains that technologists should not make policy decisions themselves, even when they have the technical ability, because decisions about data meaning and use belong to those accountable for the business outcome. Ravi writes this distinction at the front of his journal, because he expects to be asked to make such decisions in his placement.
14.2 Requests needing decisions
A manager asks Ravi to change the emergency report to exclude jobs where tenants were not home, which would improve the figure. Ravi recognises that this changes the meaning of a regulated measure. He explains that he cannot make the change without the steward's and owner's agreement and refers the request. The owner checks the regulator's guidance, which does not allow the exclusion, and declines. Ravi records the request and decision. The manager accepts the decision once he sees the regulator's guidance.
14.3 Working with stewards
Ravi meets the repairs steward weekly to review check results, new issues and planned changes. He prepares short summaries with examples. The steward decides priorities, and Ravi carries out technical work. When the steward is on leave, decisions wait for the deputy rather than being made by Ravi. He notes that clear authority makes his work easier, because he does not have to defend decisions he did not make. The weekly meeting rarely takes more than half an hour, which suits both of them.
14.4 Raising concerns
Ravi notices that gas safety records for some properties show checks completed on dates when the contractor's portal shows no visit. He raises this immediately with the compliance steward, providing examples, rather than waiting for the weekly meeting, because safety data are involved. The steward investigates and finds data entry errors rather than missed checks. Ms. Moreau praises Ravi for escalating promptly and for presenting evidence rather than accusations. The steward arranges correction of the records and adds a check comparing gas records with portal visits.
Worked example
Ravi learns that technologists build and raise but do not decide policy, refers a request to exclude no-access jobs that the owner declines, works weekly with the steward and escalates a gas record concern promptly.
Synthetic case. Roles and events are synthetic.
Errors and limits
Technologists making policy changes alone bypass accountability.
Exercises
- EX040 — Declined request. What change did the owner decline? Rubric: 3 = excluding no-access jobs from the emergency report;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX041 — Leave cover. Who decides when the steward is on leave? Rubric: 3 = the deputy;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = technologist;; 0 = none.
- EX042 — Gas finding. What did the gas record investigation find? Rubric: 3 = data entry errors, not missed checks;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
Continue studying — lesson 14 (chapter 14 of 30)
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