Country: Ireland
Closing date: 26 Oct 2016
Background to GOAL
GOAL is an International NGO established in 1977, currently operational in 19 countries world-wide with an annual budget of €200m. GOAL works in the following core sectors: Health (including WASH, Nutrition and HIV), Livelihoods and Children’s Empowerment and Protection Programming. GOAL’s work is a mixture of Development programming and Humanitarian response, we consider one of our keys strengths to be our adaptive and responsive approach to local contexts.
Reflecting GOAL’s long established commitment to the communities with whom we work, our institutional and private donors and in line with our commitment to good governance, the stewardship of funds and the principle of ‘Do No Harm’, GOAL has rolled out policies and procedures of Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption as well as Whistleblowing and Child Protection.
In addition, over the past number of years, GOAL has invested considerably in the development of learning from programmes through monitoring, evaluation and stakeholder accountability; including through the formalisation of complaints and response mechanisms at a country programme and head office level. This has been a central tenet of GOAL’s work to strengthen stakeholder accountability as part of the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) Alliance. GOAL was a founding member of the CHS in 2015, building on the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP). GOAL plans to seek certification under the CHS in 2017. The appointment of a Global Complaints and Response Mechanisms (CRM) Director will be central to the operation of these systems.
Summary of the Role: The Global CRM Director’s primary role will be to manage the Head Office Dublin complaints mechanism in an efficient and objective manner as well as providing leadership and technical support to the GOAL country programme CRM focal points in the establishment and review of complaints and response mechanisms, as well as the processing, analysis and dissemination of findings resulting from complaints and feedback received.
Key objectives of this role
Managing Operational Complaints: received by GOAL Ireland through the process stages of recording, categorising, relaying to the appropriate party(ies), following up the action/decisions taken and recording the communication made to close off on the database(s). This should be completed in an efficient manner.
Managing Serious/ Sensitive Complaints: Fulfilling the role as an independent and objective party in applying appropriate protocol for the handling of serious (and potentially contentious) complaints in a confidential and timely manner. Note that in respect of serious complaints (e.g. fraud, abuse) the Global CRM Director will have access to the Board of Directors directly in the event that the CEO cannot address the issue.
Organisational capacity strengthening:
To take a leading role in the maintenance and strengthening of an organisation - wide complaints reporting and tracking system, including through the use of technology to better streamline the flow of information efficiently.
To lead the development or review of policies, procedures or guidelines relating to complaints handling, and leading the roll out of these policies.
To ensure that the learning needs of staff in relation to complaints handling are identified, and that appropriate training is provided.
Providing expert advice on the handling of complaints; on investigation techniques and carrying out root cause analysis and writing statements.
To support country programmes with the analysis of complaints and feedback.
Whistleblowing: where serious complaints are raised by staff, partner organisations or suppliers through GOAL’s whistleblowing procedure or other avenue, the Global CRM Director will be expected to apply the agreed procedure- informing the investigation unit.
Child Protection: if a complaint is raised in relation to child protection the Global CRM Director will be expected to work closely with GOALs Protection Advisor and apply the agreed procedure - informing the investigation unit.
Coordination: with the following will be particularly important to enable the functioning of an effective organisational complaints mechanism: Human Resources, child protection and gender focal points, Internal Audit, Internal Investigation Unit and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning unit. The CRM Director will develop a clear communication strategy, and roll this out within the organisation.
Assurance on the functionality of CRMs: at the HQ Dublin and country programme levels will be provided through two layers;
Head of Internal Audit(IA): will provide oversight that the CRM systems is being implemented in accordance with the approved procedures and is operating effectively.
MEAL Director and Assistant Director: on country programme Complaints and Response mechanism systems reviews provided by roving MEAL regional advisors.
The Global CRM Director will be expected to coordinate closely with both departments in order to ensure the CRMs are functioning properly.
Learning
To monitor trends, highlight risk factors etc to include production of an annual report on complaints, monitoring trends, response times, outcomes, and action arising from complaints.
Ensuring that learning of what works well and sharing examples of best practice both internally and externally is embedded in practice.
Ensuring a commitment to external validation of system and processes through CHS audits and standards.
Networking/Representation:
Attending and present for donor meetings, governments, conferences or other stakeholders to demonstrate GOAL’s work on accountability through complaints mechanisms
Attend conferences to learn about new/ emerging good practices on managing of Complaints and Response Mechanisms
Requirements:
- A primary degree related to accounting, auditing, information systems or protection.
- A minimum 5 years practical field experience in emergency and development humanitarian programmes.
- Experience in the following: lead on the investigation of complex complaints and drafting high-level responses and providing advice relating to complaints or a related area within a large multi-layered organisation.
- Experience in identifying and promoting service improvements within a large, multi-layered organisation.
- Experience of leading complex negotiations across departmental boundaries in difficult circumstances.
- Expertise in designing and delivering training.
- Experience in facilitating change and innovation, a highly motivated self-starter, willing and able to act on own initiative, as well as work within a team
- Well-developed IT skills (including word processing, databases, spreadsheets and presentations)
- Ability to assess and make effective decisions under pressure in complex situations.
- Experience in report writing, designing guidelines and toolkits. Appreciation of the aims and objectives of GOAL.
- Fluent in spoken and written English with strong analytical skills
Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Ireland at the time of application
GOAL has Standards of Integrity and a Child Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. GOAL also has a confidentiality policy ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of GOAL, acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organisation without authority, except in the normal execution of duty. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies any job offer made is also subject to police clearance. GOAL is an equal opportunities employer.
This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated. Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate and this may be before the published closing date. We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.
How to apply: