Recruitment Process. Creation of assignment. Advertisement

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1 Recruitment Process The recruitment process outlined here spans the range of activities that are required to place a volunteer with a partner organisation. These start with the creation of an assignment and move through the various assessments and compliances required of an applicant. While we aim to provide you with as much detail as possible, please note that the process can vary to take account of individual circumstances. Creation of assignment Assignments are developed in country in consultation with the partner organisations who have requested a volunteer; Assignments are driven by local needs and aligned with good development practise, country program focus areas and the partner country and Australian Government development priorities; Assignment descriptions include the volunteer responsibilities, selection criteria, and expected length of assignment and start date. All assignments are designed to be carried out by individuals who are able to consistently demonstrate their commitment to the personal competencies expected of all volunteers. Advertisement Assignments are advertised from the 1 st -21 st of each month. Assignments promoted occur across occupational sectors, industry / professional association, and networks. You can request to be automatically ed when new jobs are available; Review advertised assignments and identify those that are a match for your interest and skills; search for assignments now Read the advertisement for the assignment, and download and read the attached assignment description. The assignment description is a detailed overview of the assignment, the selection criteria and the application process; Find out more about the location by reading country specific information

2 Application The application process has a couple of steps. You are required to submit an online application in order to be considered. Shortlisting and phone screening At the close of application date, applicants are shortlisted for interviews based on their match to the selection criteria; Prior to interview, the recruitment consultant calls applicants to establish basic parameters, including: availability, commitment, relationships, motivation for applying, financial obligations, and availability to commence on the expected start date; Applicants are asked to review the following documents before interview: Volunteer guidebook Personal competencies Child Protection Policy You can find these documents here. If you are planning to take your partner and/or family on assignment please read about Volunteering with a Partner or Family. Unsuccessful candidates are informed and/or alternative options are discussed within three weeks. Personality Assessment Applicants will be required to complete an online personality assessment prior to interview. Interview A structured, behavioural interview is conducted by telephone/skype or face to face with a recruitment consultant for up to 60 minutes; The interview focuses on a range of areas, including: o professional requirements of the role and work history;

3 o country specific challenges; o personal competencies required of a successful volunteer; o commitment to volunteering; o child protection awareness; o relationship issues. The applicant will need to demonstrate their informed knowledge of the risks and constraints for which they are taking responsibility as a volunteer, based on the research that they have undertaken; The applicant is asked to clarify commitment to continuing with application and overseas placement. The best matched candidate is generally selected after the interview. The next steps for the preferred applicant are: o The applicant is asked to forward copies of relevant qualifications; o The applicant is asked to provide names and contact details of relevant and appropriate referees. This will be a mix of at least two professional and personal referees. o Contact details of relevant current and returned volunteers may also be provided for the final stage of research, particularly to explore strategies for planning for and meeting challenges. Reference checks The recruitment consultant will seek permission from the applicant to contact referees; The recruitment consultant conducts verbal reference checks. Conditional offer After successful reference checks a conditional offer is made. Offer is conditional upon: Certificate, card or other statement of attainment: Provide First Aid HLTAID003, or equivalent, dated within three (3) years of start of assignment, Satisfactory health (medical and dental) and police clearances, Satisfactory completion of online learning modules Satisfactory participation in pre-departure briefing, and Confirmation of acceptance of nomination by the partner organisation.

4 Procurement of your visa and work permits Information is forwarded to the applicant within one week of acceptance of the conditional offer; this will come from your dedicated Mobilisation Coordinator. This information contains the visa application, accessing administrative forms through My AVI and information relating to predeparture learning. If appropriate, contact with the Country Manager or partner organisation is facilitated by AVI. Partner organisation acceptance of nomination Once the applicant has accepted the conditional offer of the assignment, the partner organisation will be consulted and the application nominated to them in response to their request for a volunteer. The partner organisation is asked to make a formal confirmation of their acceptance of the nomination Health clearances The purpose of the health clearance process is to ensure that you are medically fit to fulfil your commitment to the program and to allow us to support you whilst on assignment. Chronic health conditions do not necessarily rule you out and many of our volunteers are managing pre-existing conditions whilst on assignment. However, in order to support you, we request that you reflect on your own health and provide full disclosure of any issues that you may need to manage whilst on assignment. Applicants will need clearance that their general health, mental health and vaccination protection are at a satisfactory level to successfully carry out the assignment for which they have applied. AVI will assist applicants in undertaking assessments for general health, mental health and vaccination protection through specialised health care providers. The funding made available by the Australian Government covers the costs of these assessments.

5 Applicants who do not receive one of more of these health clearances cannot be offered a volunteer assignment or approved accompanying dependent status. Applicants who have pre-existing or non-stable health conditions may be assessed as eligible for a clearance if they prepare a health management plan/s with their treating health professional. Health management plans will be lodged with and approved by AVI's specialised health care providers. Applicants will have responsibility to self-fund any and all costs related to implementing the health management plan/s in preparing for and during service as a volunteer. Police clearances AVI sends appropriate police clearance consent forms to applicants to review, sign, and return to AVI within two weeks. This enables AVI to request a search of Australian Federal Police database, which includes a Working with Children check. Applicants who have lived in a country/countries outside of Australia for 12 months or more in the last ten (10) years will need to arrange appropriate Police Clearance, or similar certification, for these time periods. AVI clears applicant based on the information provided in the Australian Federal Police certificate and/or international police clearance/s. Previous convictions are discussed with applicants, and included in the overall assessment of the suitability of a candidate. Some types of convictions may prevent the applicant from receiving appropriate visas or permits to work in the assignment for which they have applied. In these cases, the applicant will not be able to be offered the volunteer assignment or approved accompanying dependent status. First aid training AVP volunteers are required to have completed first aid training equivalent to the Australian standardised Provide First Aid HLTAID003 certificate (previously known as Senior First Aid and Apply First Aid), before starting an assignment. This requirement is part of the responsibility that volunteers are asked to accept, to support them in managing risks to their health and wellbeing while on assignment.

6 The cost of attending the training is the responsibility of the volunteer. A card or certificate of attainment, dated within 3 years of the start date of assignment is required to be lodged with AVP, before an offer of an assignment can be confirmed. Visa and administrative requirements Within two weeks of acceptance of offer, the mobilisation team contacts the applicant to confirm requirements for departure; Applicant returns or uploads the required documentation relating to visa application and other administrative requirements which include emergency contact and bank details, passport details, signed code of conduct A travel preparation medical screening with International SOS and vaccinations required for the country of assignment is funded by the AVP It is recommended that you are in Australia during the mobilisation process for either procuring a visa as your passport may be required Please ensure you complete and return all required documents as soon as possible to avoid a delay in your deployment date Pre-departure learning Pre-departure can include; preparatory e-learning, self-directed research, 3 day face-to-face pre-departure briefing in Melbourne, and connecting with your in country team. Your domestic airfares and accommodation to attend the face-to-face briefing are funded by the AVP. Learning activities are based on adult learning principles and cover topics including international development, working effectively in another culture, personal safety and well-being and child protection. Satisfactory completion refers not only to finishing all required learning but also to the consistent demonstration of the personal competencies required of a successful volunteer throughout.

7 Confirmation of offer and notice period The offer of the assignment will be confirmed in writing, after: o Satisfactory completion of pre-departure briefing o Acceptance of nomination of the volunteer by the partner organisation o All health clearances, with any relevant approved health management plans o All police clearances o Agreement to the volunteer code of conduct Applicants should not make any irreversible or life-changing decisions until they receive the confirmation of offer letter. AVP aims to provide at least 4 weeks notice from confirmation of offer to departure If applicants require more than 4 weeks to prepare for departure, they are asked to consult with their recruitment consultant early in the application process, on alternative time frames or start-dates. Start dates Each country has up to 8 arrival dates each year Volunteers arrive as a group and are met by the country office staff Volunteers then participate in an in-country orientation, security briefing and cultural and language preparation Volunteers will be introduced to their partner organisation by the country office staff, and assistance with any housing or local orientation will be shared between the country office and the partner organisation Travel arrangements Travel will be arranged from the volunteer's nominated residence in Australia to the in-country orientation location, and then to the partner organisation. Volunteers who would like to make early or alternative travel plans will need to make their own bookings and make arrange additional insurance if required. There is a mobilisation policy that guides reimbursement of travel arrangements.

8 The country office will send the volunteer arrival arrangement details, including information about the in-country orientation, a few weeks before departure. Mobilisation will provide volunteers a payment schedule, and deposit the first tranche of allowances, including funds for agreed travel related expenses, a few days prior to departure. Mobilisation will send the volunteer an itinerary and/or e-tickets, and emergency travel contacts. Timeframes These timeframes are general guidelines to assist applicants; AVI and partner organisations plan realistically. Once an assignment is advertised, weeks are generally required before the successful applicant departs to undertake the volunteer assignment. Advertisement: Assignments will generally be open for three weeks. Notice of Progress: Applicants will be advised within 3 weeks of the close of applications whether their application is progressing or not. Assessment and Research: Successful applicants will receive a conditional offer approximately 4 weeks after the close of application date. In some cases, it may take longer for the applicant for the interview and reference checks to be finalised. Confirmation of Offer: Successful applicants will receive a confirmation of offer approximately 1 week after their attendance at pre-departure briefing, if the partner organisation has accepted the nomination, and all clearances have been obtained. In some countries, additional time and flexibility may be required for finalisations of visas or other types of entry permits. Your recruitment consultant and mobilisation coordinator will advise you of any particular timing issues around this.