ASIPS Facility Director

Purpose

The Facility Director has overall responsibility for managing and ensuring effective implementation of ASIPS. This involves providing strategic leadership in the ongoing implementation and development of the multi-functional facility, which supports delivery of Australia’s aid program work across a range of sectors. This role will also oversight the provision of support to the corporate functions of the Australia High Commission (AHC), including ensuring high-quality Deployee Support Services (DSS) and security for AHC and other Australian Public Service officers.

The Facility Director has overall responsibility for leading the Facility Support Unit (FSU) and works closely with Program Leads and AHC Service Order Managers to facilitate operational needs in a strategic manner.

The Facility Director role will need to display a high level of leadership, with the ability to guide the facility team and programs through the change process into a revitalised more strategic, flexible, and scalable facility.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Facility Director will be responsible for the following:

1. Client/Stakeholder Relationship Management and Communications

• Stakeholder engagement: be the focal point for key facility stakeholders. Engage in sustained policy dialogue with AHC, Programs and other implementation partners.
• Facilitate shared decision making by Facility, Programs and AHC on the strategic direction of the Facility within the context of the Australian Government’s investment plans and priorities.
• Ensure that the leadership of ASIPS is instituted and respected, ensuring that AHC and DT Global are kept well informed with accurate and timely information to make decisions in the best interests of the Facility and partners.
• Take responsibility for producing quality and timely facility outputs and deliverables including Annual Work Plans (AWP), Six-monthly Progress Reports and other outputs.
• Work with the Development Effectiveness Hub (DEH) to develop and manage the monitoring, evaluation, learning, and communications products and plan of the Facility and programs it supports.
• Lead the provision of the six-monthly ASIPS Management Group meeting to AHC Counsellors – in collaboration with the Activity manager – to engage Counsellors on Facility implementation progress, results and challenges.

2. Strategy, Delivery and Team Management

• Provide effective leadership of the ASIPS team resulting in the delivery of activities in accordance with the ASIPS Design, and in line with AHC’s strategic goals for the Facility, and to meet AHC’s expenditure targets and changing needs.
• Set the strategic direction for the Facility and translate ASIPS’s Intermediate Outcomes and End of Facility Outcomes into a portfolio of effective development activities.
• Lead the development of facility AWPs based on effective and close engagement with AHC and Programs to ensure alignment with strategic priorities, appropriate ownership, and mutual accountability. Ensure AWP workshops are held which are highly collaborative with AHC and Programs to proactively determine requirements going forward.
• Oversee the preparation of activity concepts and detailed activity designs that contribute to the Facility’s intended outcomes and meet quality standards.
• Work closely with DEH Manager to oversee ASIPS’ monitoring & evaluation performance management through implementation of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework, Performance Assessment Framework (PAF), and Value for Money Framework (VfMF) and ongoing strategic risk assessment to ensure that the Facility:
  • remains relevant, efficient, and effective in supporting implementing partners.
  • produces credible evidence for reporting and to inform strategic and operational decision‐making for the Facility (including ongoing learning and adaptation) – within the Facility’s overarching MEL Framework.
  • produces credible evidence for AHC to determine the value of the facility model going forward.
• Lead the ASIPS team in the effective delivery of the Facility including regular review and reflection of the progress of the facility towards its stated goal and ensuring resourcing, operational and quality issues are addressed in a timely and effective manner.
• Work closely with the Facility leadership team to create a work environment that supports learning and cross-pollination of ideas and success strategies across Facility operations.
• Oversee the delivery of robust administration, diligence, management and fiduciary systems / processes and quality management ensuring these are developed and fully implemented in line with DT Global and DFAT policies and standards. This includes management of safeguards.
• Oversee and implement increased synergy and collaboration across Programs, ensuring efficiencies are realised where possible.
• Adviser and personnel management: manage performance-related matters in accordance DT Global Performance Management policy and DFAT APA framework.
• Together with the Deputy Facility Director manage Facility team performance holding them to account for achievement of their outputs and contractual responsibilities, using a mix of a formal performance framework with regular informal feedback.

3. Technical Leadership

• Lead the Facility team to realise a strategic enabling facility which:
  • provides flexible, responsive, and scalable facility support to AHC and Programs.
  • has agreed levels of decision making / autonomy from AHC.
  • maintains agreed ways of working between Facility, Programs, AHC and DT Global
  • embeds processes for rapid political economy and operating environment understanding for early identification of ASIPS operational blocks and risks.
  • provides advice / strategic guidance on sector management / reform issues.
  • supports strategic relationships amongst stakeholders, and strategic communications.
  • supports evidence and solutions-based management.
  • ensures synergies and efficiencies, enhance shared services across programs.
  • embeds a robust MEL system, including Management Information System (MIS) management and PAF, VfMF, key performance indicators, and risk reporting to DT Global and AHC.
  • focuses on talent, localisation and diversity in recruitment and procurement.
  • focuses on welfare, WHS and pastoral care of ASIPS personnel.
• Advisory services: provide AHC management with technical and strategic programming advice related to the Facility as requested.
• Champion the Facility’s cross cutting priorities of GEDSI, Safeguarding, First Nations engagement and Australian Indigenous Participation, Localisation Participation, Climate Change and Emergency Preparedness and Response across all aspects of the Facility’s activities and operations.
• Stay abreast of key issues in Australian and the Solomon Islands politics and economic matters, as well as relevant global issues.
• Continually identify opportunities for ASIPS innovation, with particular focus on opportunities for multi-partner collaboration and value for money.

4. General

• Work closely and collegially with the FSU, AHC, and DT Global to ensure the aims and objectives of the Facility is implemented to the highest quality.
• Ensure corporate and client obligations, compliance, and confidentiality requirements are being met.
• Any other tasks as required by DFAT and the ASIPS Contractor Representative.