1. Internal Use Only Information sheet 1 The role of the Administrator
Date: 01 June 2015
From: ElisaCattani
Information sheet 1
The role of the Administrator
2. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE
The role of Administratorvariesinduties andresponsibilitiesbecause mightbe locatedwithina
specificdepartment,associatedwithotherjobprofilesorbe a seniorpositionwheremanagement
skillsare alsorequired.Otherbasicskillsusuallyrequiredare:
1. goodcommunication skills.Theyare meanttobe written,oral,bodylanguage anddress
appropriatelyforthe role tobe the firstapproach forcustomers/clients;
2. goodcustomerservice.Assaidthe administratormaybe the firstpointof contact for
internal andexternal customersandpotential ones;
3. Accuracy. Importantqualitybecause,often,s/heisthe lastpersondealingwithaprocess.
Its role isto supporta businesstoachieve itsobjectives.S/he dealswithinternal andexternal
customersinmaking/receivingphone callsinbehalf of the manager,writingletters/emailreporting
all the informationtoldtoandwelcoming/addressingcustomersinthe premises.S/hehastouse
office equipmentasscanners,photocopiesandothertechnology(atleastPCuse andemail/word
processor).The type of hardware,software andsocial media anAdministratorshouldbe
comfortable with canvary from duties,positioncoveredandcompany’sbusinesssector.
3. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE ROLE RELATES TO OTHERS
WITHIN THE ORGANISATION
The Administratorimpactssignificantlyinthe organisationwithhis/herpersonality,organisational
skillsandcommunicationskillswithinthe companyinordertoachieve itstargets.
S/he shouldbe positive,disciplinedandharmoniousas,often,isamaincontact for managerswhen
theyneedcommunicate amongdepartmentstogatherinformationforreportsorotherpurposes.
Everyaspectof the Administrator’sbehaviourwillimpactonthe abilitytodeal withthe role in
accordance withproceduresandconfidentialrules.Theyhelptocommunicate effectivelyand
successfully.Researchingforaparticularsubjectandprintingthe rightdocumentontime will surely
helpthe personwhoaskedforthat.
4. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISING THE WORK AREA
FOR EFFICIENCY
To organise yourworkplace bringstomanyadvantagesforyour joband the organisationyouwork
for.It is notjust one external partof yourself (consequential of the company’s) toappearordered –
evenif image of clearworkplacesimpactsonorganisation’sperceptionbythirdparties –buthas got
manyotherspros.
Advantagesof organisingare:
- Lessspace needed. Space iscreatedautomaticallywhenputintoorder;
- Easy accessto the material. Organisedmaterial isquicklyaccessibleforotherstobe found
and usedwithoutuselessinterruptions;
- Clarityof goals. Organisingshowsyouwhateveryouachieve andtasksyouneedto
complete;
- Listingpriorities. Youcanlistprioritiesusingaclearmapwhateverthe deadlinecome first;
- Money’sandresources’savings. Itiseasyto accessat the stockand check if somethingis
missing.Youmightthinksoif youhave plentyof stuff stuckall together.
- Lessstressful andchaoticlife.Youkeepcontrol of things;
- Ensuringproperusage.Youavoidto mis-use atool because youfindthe properone straight
away;
- Maintaininghygiene.Itiseasiertoensure it,avoidingdust;
- Effective time management. Uselessinterruptions,etc…are keptat a minimumwhereas
rapidaccess and organisationimprove.
In few words, organisingimpliesnotonly efficiencyincarryingouttasks, butevenefficacy.
5. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
IMPORTANCE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATION
AFFECTING THE ROLE
As an Administratoryoushouldperforminaccordance withthe legislationswhichaffects the
company.
Amongthe varietyof legislationthere isthe EqualityAct.EqualityOpportunityAct2010 simplifies,
put togetherdifferentlegislationsandmakesthe law more severe.Providesthe basistoprevent
discrimination,victimisationandharassment occurringtoindividualsorgroupsinthe workplace (or
approachingit).Companiesare made legallyliableof prosecutioninspecificscenariosmayoccur.It
dealsfromthe firstpointof contact that an individual approachesthe companyforajob position,
the performance of theirrole andthe dismissal of the employee.
Guidelineshelpthe AdministratortoperformfairlyamongAge,Disability,Gender(and Gender
reassignment),Marriage andcivil partnership, Sexual orientation,Pregnancyand
maternity/paternity,Race,ColourornationalityandReligionorbelief(includinglackof belief) issues.
It iseasyto showwithgestures,facial expressions,voice tone and,more easilytoprove inthe
Court’strial,behavioursandnotesthatyouare uncomfortable forafacetcontainedinthe Act.This
impliesthatthe companyhasto put forwardnew proceduresorre-organisingthe structure inorder
to meetthe individual’sneedsto carry out a satisfactory performance required fromthe role of
administratorinordertoprovide a full tierservice.
As administratoryoushouldnotdiscriminatinganyone byrefusingtoprovide aservice,providinga
lowerstandardof service,offeringaservice ondifferentterms,usinginappropriate language or
gesture nordealingfairlywithpeoplewhomayhave a disability. Bigotedassumptionsofferatwo-
tierservice andcan leadto conflictual workplacesand lossof the jobposition.
To conclude,the Act is notimportantonlyforlegal reasons(evenif theycan have a majorimpactin
termsof costsand relevancyforthe organisationandrole) butforthe role of the administrator(e.g.
communicatingeffectivelyamongdepartments)itself aswell.
6. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
IMPORTANCE OF COPYRIGHT LAWS AND THE EFFECT
OF THE DATA PROTECTION ACT ON ITS WORK
Copyrightlaws
As Administratorwe manage ahuge amountof informationwhichcanbe protectedbycopyright
rights.
The Act whichexplainsthe matteristhe Copyright,DesignandPatentsAct1998. The law dictates
that itis everyone’s dutytointerpretandpreventunlawfuldivulgationof original sourcesof material
(i.e. songs,newspapers’article,etc…).
As administrator,the mainissue regardsthe spreadof material withinthe organisationandamong
customerswithoutthe necessarypermissionof the creative output’sowner. Itispossible touse
workprotectedbycopyrightwithinthe rule of fairuse.Itincludeslimitedextractsof workrule.
Amongthe reasons where youare allowedtohave a copywithinthe ‘fairusage’,anadministrator
can use lawfullymaterialfornon-commercial researchorprivate studyasit can give the possibility
to copy fewlinesof anarticle inorderto satisfyasupportedanswerabouta researchwe have been
askedto do abouta difficulty.Othercasescanoccur if youworkin a school environment,helping
disabledpeople whocan’taccessthe informationorinanartisticcontestwhere youuse the
informationtocreate something different.Inanycase,askingyourself how afair-mindedandhonest
personwouldhave usedthe workitisthe firststeptorecognise fairusage.Ithas to be market
affectlessandthe amountreasonableandappropriate.
Data protection
Alongthe copyrightslegislation,anAdministratorshoulddeal withcollectionof manypeople’s
personal data.By definition,the simple indicationwithname andsurname doesn’t allow toidentify
and classifythe person.Youneedmore informationsuchasaddress,telephonenumberanddate of
birthto have a case of ‘personal data’collection.
Withmore informationsuchashealthconditions,NInotheybecome Sensitive Personal Data.
To processthe data you shouldfollow several principle:
1. Privacynotice.Datashouldbe processedlawfullyandfairlyandaskedtobe collectedin
written;
7. Information sheet1
The role of the Administrator Internal Use Only
Cattani unit 6
2. Specificandlawful purpose.Once explicatedthe service thathasbeenaskedfortheycan’t
be usedat all;
3. Service basedcollected.The collectionshouldbe adequate,relevantandnotexcessivein
relationtothe purpose;
4. Accurate and keptto date
5. Protectfromunauthorisedaccess.Itcoverseveryeventmayoccuras loss,destruction,
damage and disposal of the data;
6. Sendingabroad(no-EEA countries) shouldbe avoided.Itistobe assuredan adequate level
of protectionforthe rightsandfreedomsof datasubject;
7. Respectof the subject’srights.Rightstorequestinformation,correctinaccurate data,asking
to not use themfordirectmarketingandask to reconsiderautomateddecision;
