Part 1: Introduction and Background to the Post...1 Part 2: Project Manager Role Profile...3

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Olivia Osborne
5 years ago
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1 Project Manager Information Pack Contents Part 1: Introduction and Background to the Post

2 Part 1: Introduction and Background to the Post Project Manager Information Pack Part 1: Introduction and Background to the Post The Children s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland (CRNINI) The Children s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland (CRNINI) was established in 2010 to support the research community in Ireland and Northern Ireland to better understand and improve the lives of children and young people, by creating and maintaining an inclusive, independent, non-profit network through which information, knowledge, experience, learning and skills can be shared. The Network now has over 300 members from academia, policy and practice. The Network seeks to: build bridges between researchers in different sectors of the research community; develop structures and mechanisms to promote the sharing of information, joint learning, joint working and the promotion of better understanding across the different sectors; foster links between more experienced and early career researchers; and develop a range of membership services that support researchers to build better technical skills. The Network has established an exciting new project entitled the Children s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland s Prevention and Early Intervention (CRNINI-PEI) Research Initiative. This project is funded by Atlantic Philanthropies. The project is designed to make further use of and gain more knowledge from data collected from the evaluations of a number of prevention and early intervention programmes conducted by organisations and research teams since 2004 in both Northern Ireland and Ireland. These projects have produced substantial knowledge about what works in improving children s lives and have generated an unprecedented level of high quality data. The extensive range and depth of these data provide a significant opportunity for further exploration and development. In order to achieve these outcomes this new research initiative aims to collate, organise and archive these data sets in national archives; to provide grants to researchers to enable further research to be conducted with these data sets; to create a PEI knowledge hub and dissemination platform to ensure that the work of the PEI-Research Initiative will be disseminated widely which will enable further research and provide knowledge and learning opportunities through the project. The data and knowledge that can be generated from the existing data sets will be a key national and international resource. In 2015, the Children s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland (CRNINI) was integrated with CES to allow CRNINI to avail of its wide range of supports, services and connections in the support of CRNINI s projects, including the CRNINI-PEI Research Initiative. The Network currently has a small team in place to support its work and wishes to appoint a Project Manager on a part time basis to lead the work of CRNINI and to support the overall development of the Network. Page 1 of 7

3 Part 1: Introduction and Background to the Post Centre for Effective Services (CES) The Centre for Effective Services (CES) is a not for profit, intermediary organisation established in 2008, with offices in Dublin and Belfast. CES works across a range of government departments and agencies, not-for-profit and community organisations to improve outcomes for communities, children, young people and families. CES works with services for communities, children, young people, and the government to help them make better use of research information, so that they can improve services. CES works with the whole sector involved in providing these services government departments, organisations, research institutes and individuals who provide services such as social workers, youth workers and teachers. CES is a company limited by guarantee and has charity status, with an annual income of 4M, which is funded through philanthropy and government. CES has a staff complement of 29 multi-disciplinary professionals drawn from various specialist areas, including community development, research, psychology, social work, youth work, public health, organisation development and knowledge and communications. We also run a Graduate Internship Programme to develop capacity and expertise within the sector and have 7 participating graduates in CES develops and maintains a network of Associates to complement the organisation s knowledge and experience. This allows CES to expand and contract its staffing capacity in relation to the volume of work that the organisation has secured. CES has developed national and international networks to support the dissemination and uptake of best practice. Further information can be found on our website at The Centre for Effective Services is a company limited by guarantee, established without share capital, Company Registration Number in Ireland Company Registration Number in Northern Ireland FC We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer Page 2 of 7

4 The ideal candidate will have management experience, including research project management experience, working in human services (health, education, social care, justice, global development) in at least two of the following areas: Management of a professional service with a specialist focus in research Experience and knowledge of research either as a manager, commissioner of research and / or as a researcher Leadership of change management projects especially related to organisational integration Key objectives for this role: Contributing to the strategic development and sustainability of CRNINI in its mission to support the research community in Ireland and Northern Ireland to better understand and improve the lives of children and young people Working closely with the CRNINI Committee and working collaboratively with a wide range of other stakeholders to increase the visibility, reach and influence of the Network Leading the Network team in the delivery of projects to ensure skills are optimised in the successful delivery of targeted outcomes Managing the Prevention and Early Intervention- Research Initiative to achieve the planned outcomes and Managing the ongoing integration of the Network into CES to ensure that potential synergies are realised for both organisations. Reporting to: The successful candidate will report in the first instance to the Director of CES. Reporting relationships will be subject to review as part of the ongoing development of CES. Salary: Competitive salary offered, commensurate with experience. CES will also make a matched contribution of up to 5% of annual salary to a stakeholder pension scheme. Contract: Part time (18.75 hours per week) on basis of a 2 year fixed term contract. The pattern of attendance will be determined by the needs of the Project, and reasonable flexibility will be required of the Project Manager to accommodate project needs. The post holder will be based in CES offices in Dublin although, due to the all-island nature of the Network s work, travel to Belfast and outside Dublin will be required. Page 3 of 7

5 How to apply: Completed application forms and queries should be addressed, in confidence to Ms. Evelyn Brennan Corporate Services Manager, by mail to The application form for this post can be found at Any CVs submitted will not be considered for shortlisting. Closing date for receipt of application forms is Wednesday 16 th December 2015 at 12 noon. Interviews will take place on Friday 8 th January Page 4 of 7

6 Responsibilities: Responsibilities for the role will include: Setting Direction Leading the development and implementation of the CRNINI strategy and annual programme of work and business development plan to ensure CRNINI s ongoing sustainability. Identifying new project opportunities in line with the agreed strategy and plan Representing and promoting CRNINI in Northern Ireland, Ireland and internationally as appropriate. Contributing to the ongoing development of the Network by analysing and responding to stakeholder feedback as appropriate. Ensure that any projects are properly approved, scoped, documented and gated from inception to implementation. Contributing to the development and implementation of the CES strategy and annual work plan and business development plan as appropriate. People Management & Development Lead and manage the CRNINI staff team, adhering to the highest standard of conduct in accordance with the code of conduct for CES staff. Effective implementation of all CES policies and practices for team members, including performance management Recruitment of team members in response to emerging needs Contribute to building and maintaining an appropriate panel of Associates to complement CES expertise, and managing their deployment. Maintain and develop their individual core competence and that of their team Operational Delivery To ensure delivery on all areas of CRNINI s main activities including the organising of training events, the annual CRNINI conference, project days, PhD symposia, publication of the Children s Research Digest, and continuous dialogue with Network members. To ensure delivery of all areas of the PEI-RI on time and on budget including o Managing the monitoring of the project as set out by the funder and as agreed by CRNINI and CES, including completion of project reports as required by the funder o Working with Network team members to liaise with the grantee organisations, the evaluation teams and the appropriate national archives regarding transferring the PEI data to the relevant archives and developing accessing agreements o Develop and manage a granting system which will enable further research on the data collected and archived including the set up and implementation of the grants for researchers and senior scholars o Ensure the establishment and operation of the PEI Knowledge Hub and Dissemination Platform o Determine how results will be measured and support Network members in the completion of post-project evaluations and the interpretation of results. Oversee the re-development of the CRNINI website which will incorporate an online granting system, events registration system and article submission system. Page 5 of 7

7 Providing support and advice to the Network and managing the CRNINI team in providing support and advice. Formulate and manage annual Network budget, in conjunction with the Corporate Services Manager Transfer of Learning Managing and overseeing the work on the Network s events, publications, information sharing, and other activities. Contributing to the development of new innovative systems for reporting, decision support/service improvement activities for internal and external stakeholders. Supporting publications and the delivery of presentations and other appropriate dissemination of the research Identifying relevant learning from the PEI RI project and appropriate internal and external contexts for sharing and dissemination of the learning Managing the organising and operation of activities to share knowledge and learning from the project Collaborative Working Establishing, developing and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders including: o CRNINI Advisory Committee and Network members, committees and sub committees o organisations owning data relevant to the work of the Network Facilitate project team meetings and cross divisional communication and decision making. Managing actions necessary for the establishment of, support to and effective running of network committees and sub-committees Communication Ensure robust communication systems in place regarding network activities. Ensure the production of accurate and timely progress reports to CES and CRNINI Advisory Committee and other key stakeholders as required on an ongoing basis. Delivery of effective presentations to Network members and other stakeholders as appropriate Quality & Governance Ensure appropriate processes for quality assurance and compliance are in place for the Network. Ensure appropriate use of data to drive decision making and continuous quality improvement. Ensure adequate risk management processes are in place for projects. Ensure high standards of governance in all areas of the Network s activities. Ensure processes are in place to safely archive project documentation following completion of the PEI RI project. Compliance with all CES policies and standards especially regarding resource management, project management and performance management. This list is not exhaustive and may vary from time to time Page 6 of 7

8 Person specification: Candidates must demonstrate how they meet these essential and desirable skills and experience criteria. Essential skills and experience At least 5 years management experience at senior level, in a relevant organisation, with research project management experience Significant research knowledge and experience Effective leadership and management of multi-disciplinary teams, including an ability to organise teams to meet tight deadlines and manage budgets and resources. Successful partnership working, including effective communication skills across a range of audiences. Credibility with stakeholders, and an ability to represent the organisation nationally and internationally. Demonstrated commitment and passion for engaging with and delivering better outcomes for children and young people. Ability to take the initiative, identify solutions and exercise effective judgement in a complex environment. Excellent written communication skills High level of IT literacy Desirable skills and experience A strong interest in the development and implementation of evidence-based and evidenceinformed public services. experience of prevention and early intervention programmes and or research experience of granting systems and funded research projects Multidisciplinary work experience including in the field of research The KPIs for the Project Manager post will include: Timely delivery of projects in line with work plan (project days v standard) Performance v budget (revenue and cost) Developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships within the Network and other relevant sectors Implementation of appropriate governance / management policies as line manager and as member of management team Meet / exceed expectations / needs of stakeholders Valued participation in local, national and international networks Appropriate project initiation in Ireland and NI to ensure CRNINI s sustainability Staff satisfaction. The key performance indicators (KPIs) for the role, including performance management targets, will be informed by the role profile and benchmarked against the Organisational KPIs agreed as part of CES and CRNINI Strategic Plan. Page 7 of 7

Centre for Effective Services Project Support (Belfast Based) Information Pack

Centre for Effective Services Project Support (Belfast Based) Information Pack Part 1: Introduction to the Centre for Effective Services (CES) CES is a not for profit, intermediary organisation with offices