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com/EPAfrica

EPAfrica Management Committee Role Descriptions 2015-2017

Updated April 2015
As a member of the Management Committee (MC) your primary
responsibility is to oversee the running of EPAfrica operations in line with
the charity's strategy. You will have a portfolio of workstreams (WSs)
under your management and will be required to support, advise and guide
your workstream's activities. Additionally, you will be the interface
between the Board and the charity's operations, and will therefore be
responsible for regularly reporting the operational activities of the charity
to the Board and making any necessary strategic recommendations. The
MC members will also be responsible for holding other MC members to
account in the delivery of their WS activities and MC activities to time and
budget.
Workstream Support Commitments

Direct line management of your Workstream Leads (WSL) - act as a

point of contact for the WSL and as a sounding board for the WSL;
update the MC with Workstream activities; and guide its direction
going forward.
Responsibility for holding the WSL to account in the delivery of the
Workstream activities to time and agreed budget
The MC is responsible for overseeing the planning and budgeting
the activities of the workstreams. MC members should sit down
with their leads at the start of the year to establish what the key
objectives, milestones, required budget and priorities are for the
year, as well as how and when they will communicate
Checking EPAfrica-related emails daily
Responsibility for responding to issues within your Workstreams and
regularly communicating with your Workstreams on their progress
against their Annual Plans.
Balancing the interests of all Workstreams and ensuring there is
strong collaboration amongst them
Representing your Workstream to the Board
If needed, be prepared to take on direct responsibility for the
Workstream activities and become active in the tasks within your
Workstreams
Responsibility for building the capacity of your Workstream leads
throughout the year
Ensuring there is continuity in your Workstream activities, especially
during the handover between WSLs
Ensure that EPAfrica Policies (Risk Assessment; Child Protection) are
well known within the Workstream and adhered to in their activities.
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Ensure that talent, expertise and skills are built up throughout the
charitys members.

MC Commitments
Public Image
The MC are also responsible for making sure they are well known
within EPAfrica the greater the visibility of the MC, the more
approachable they are, and the more charity members understand
and can contribute towards the strategic direction of the charity.
All the MC members have a responsibility for making sure that they
are well known in the charity. Emailing, calling, Facebooking,
meeting in person and larger social events are all vital in ensuring
that morale in the charity remains high and that people remain
involved.
Succession Management
The MC take responsibility for managing the succession within the
leadership of the charity (MC, UC presidents, Workstreams). This
mainly takes place in June September each year. If the MC are
unable to decide on MC succession, this can be escalated to the
Board. A board member is also responsible for overseeing the
process to ensure rigour and impartiality.
Each MC member is responsible for finding Workstream
replacements for the workstreams they are responsible for
overseeing. All of the MC should constantly be looking at getting
people involved and making sure that their skills are used in the
right areas.
It is essential that the MC member provides a suitable written
handover, and adequate support (face to face where possible) to
bring the successor up to speed at the start of their tenure.
EPAfri-Love, Social Events and Social Interaction.
The MC should try to get EPAfrica together regularly, including:
Summer Debriefs (September/October)
The Strategy/Planning session and Launch Party in
September/October
A Social in January/February
Alumni Dinner
Board Meeting / AGM (May/June)
University training events and socials
Other ad hoc EPAfrica socials to foster EPAfri-love especially after
Central Training Sessions.
Meetings

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The MC holds various meetings to discuss how work within EPAfrica

is progressing and to take any decisions that are needed for it to
move forward. Meetings held are as follows:
Monthly MC Meeting Often this is done by conference call, but they
attempt to do it face-to-face at least one meeting in three. At each
meeting one MC member tends to sort the location and the agenda,
another chairs and take minutes, and a third sends out the monthly
email. The MC meeting is an opportunity for raising issues that
need to be discussed within your workstream and collaborative
decision-making on issues which significantly affect the operational
direction of the charity. MC meetings are also used to put
recommendations forward to the Board on strategic decisions (for
which they hold responsibility).
Workstream Meetings It is up to individual managers to decide
how regularly they communicate with their Workstream leads,
however it is suggested that this is at least once a month. It is
important that Managers are clear on projects that their
workstreams are working on and engaged with any current
challenges that the Workstream is facing.
Board / MC Meeting In order for this structure to be effective there
need to clear lines of communication between the Board and MC. It
is envisaged that the this communication will involve more face-toface interaction between the bodies but the exact structure will be
determined in collaboration by the Board and Committee members
once they are constituted.
Debriefs The MC is responsible for arranging, facilitating and
attending debrief sessions with PWs from all partner universities,
coordinators who have travelled to East Africa as part of the
Summer Team and Workstream Leads.
Central Training Days and UC training events The MC are
encouraged to attend these events to show solidarity to the UCs.
Annual General Meeting Conducted in May, necessary for signing
off the EPAfrica accounts and electing any new EPAfrica members
and Board trustees.
Alumni Dinner Conducted in March, attendance is compulsory for
MC and they are encouraged to invite their EPAfrica cohort along as
well.

Other Responsibilities
Escalate to the Board any questions or issues regarding Risk/Legal,
issues pertaining to the strategic direction of the charity (e.g.
expansion, new programmes) and any other issues which require
review
Ensure EPAfrica Policies (e.g. Risk Assessment Child Protection etc.)
are adhered to, well known within the charity and built into all of
EPAfricas activities.
Be open to going to Kenya or Uganda as part of the summer team

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Act as the interface between your Workstream and the "bigger

picture" within the charity
Ensure that there is cross-talk across all relevant workstreams and
being instrumental in providing opportunities for collaboration within
the different sections of the charity
Be innovative, creative and strive each year to make the charity
better every year and keep the charity dynamic and forward
looking.

Specific Responsibilities
In addition to the responsibilities above which are undertaken by all MC
members, each role on the Management Committee comes with its own
specific responsibilities. Details of the special responsibilities of the roles
are detailed below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

UK Operations Manager
UK Programme Manager
East Africa Operations Manager
East Africa Programme Manager
Communications & Marketing Manager
Shared Services Manager

1. UK Operations Manager
The UK Operations Manager is a two year role. The UK Operations
Manager is primarily responsible for overseeing the charitys UK
Operations through our University Committees (UCs); the cornerstone
being the recruitment, training and ongoing support of the Project
Workers. Successfully delivering this is central to the success of the entire
charitys operations.
Expanding the possibilities for recruitment of Project Worker volunteers is
a key strategic priority for EPAfrica over the next 2 years. The role
provides the opportunity to shape the charitys future through the
foundation of new university sites, expansion of publicity and recruitment,
working to ensure we provide the best opportunities for PWs, making sure
we attract the best talent to join EPAfrica and the critical evaluation of
how we best prepare our volunteers for the summer project. The role also
includes maintaining EPAfricas public image in the universities throughout
the year and engaging in their International Development and NGO
networks.
The UK Operations Manager manages the Presidents of our university
committees, and the Recruitment Workstream Lead. Alongside the
Presidents, each University Committee typically comprises of a Vice
President, Treasurer, Fundraising Officer, Logistics Officer and Publicity
Officer, who in turn manage the Project Workers, and in part, any Project
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Researchers. Therefore, the total number of volunteers within the UK

Operations Managers remit is considerable.
It is key that the UK Operations Manager has strong communication skills
to effectively manage both the annual schedule of tasks, and the
individual ad hoc responses to successes and complications encountered
throughout the year. The people-facing nature of the role makes it
particularly rewarding and places it at the heart of the charity.
General communications
University Committees
Empower the UCs to take appropriate responsibility for their day-today tasks, but ensure consistent, quality communication to PWs and
PRs, particularly on risks, key messages and activities across
universities. Beyond emails, also ensure that the wider
representation of EPAfrica by the UC is of a consistently high quality.
Recruitment WSL
Empower the Recruitment WSL to provide direct support to the UCs
during the pre-Autumn preparation, publicity, application, interview
and selection stages of the year.
PWs and PRs
Provide answers and support to the PWs and PRs that the UCs are
unable to give.
Ensure PRs complete the same programme of preparation as PWs,
but with input as necessary from the Research WSL.
Ensure PWs and PRs engage with the project, central charity and its
other volunteers throughout the year. Oversee alumni events and
socials in universities.
Management Committee (MC), Board & wider charity
Work closely with other aspects of the charity to seek clarification
and consensus as needs arise.
Raise pertinent issues and successes with the MC and Board for
discussion and decision-making as required.
Universities and external bodies
Find and / or develop official documentation for grant making
bodies, banks, universities, past volunteers, etc. as required. In
particular, work with the Fundraising WSL to deal with donations to
the central pots / grants from universities / colleges.
Core Activities
Annual Plan
Plan the delivery of all key UC tasks within the university term dates
and deadlines in other workstreams of the charity, taking into
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consideration the exam season, and ensure delivery to key

milestones.
In particular, work closely with the rest of the charity to ensure new
initiatives and key tasks are completed on time.

Quality control
Ensure the legal and risk compliancy of all PWs and PRs: ensure
confirmation of receipt of all training materials and the risk
assessment, and completion of all training days / catch-up sessions
etc.
Ensure all application, health declaration and DBS check information
is stored as per the charitys data protection policy
University relations
Ensure our operations work optimally with the structure of our
university sites i.e. in line with society agreements, volunteering
networks etc.
Engage in talks, debates and other activities within the International
Development and NGO networks.
Promote and maintain EPAfricas public image throughout the year.
Progression
Our annual intake of PWs and PRs are the future of the charity.
Therefore it is very important to manage this pipeline by identifying
and supporting:
PWs and PRs to take up UC and other roles after successful
completion of the summer.
UCs to apply to become UC President or another role.
UC Presidents to apply for central charity roles.
Oversee the election process, in particular to ensure compliance
with any university society election requirements.
Handover
Ensure the collation and handover of all relevant information to the
next UK Operations Manager, Presidents and University Committees.
Ensure all information is stored on Google Drive.
Manage and support president succession and handover
Recruitment
In conjunction with the UC Presidents, MC and Board, set criteria and
numbers of Project Workers and Project Researchers to be recruited
from each university.
Oversee the development of the publicity, application, interview and
selection materials to ensure cross-university quality and
consistency. Design a timeline for key dates such as application
closure, cooling off period etc.

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Oversee the interview and selection process to ensure experienced

members of the charity assist the UC throughout, and that the
quality of PWs and PRs from each university is appropriate and
consistent.
Plan for and prepare the following years recruitment strategy and
materials at the end of the academic year.

UC Development
Design and lead a substantive programme of UC Development
projects to continue to transform EPAfricas UK Operations to adapt
to the changing student experience and volunteering landscape.
Buddies
Ensure each new PW and PR is paired with a compatible, more
experienced member of the charity to provide ad hoc support
throughout the year.
Fundraising / Finance
Set the intermediate and final fundraising deadlines with the
Finance WSL and oversee the PWs and PRs meeting of these.
Empower the Treasurers and Fundraisers to provide sufficient
support to the PWs and PRs to meet the fundraising deadlines.
Facilitate the working relationship between the Finance WSL and the
UC Treasurer and Fundraiser.
Ensure the reimbursement procedure is timely and smooth.
Summer Project Preparation
Oversee and manage the booking of PW and PR flights
After schools have received acceptance or rejection letters from the
SS&P workstream, maintain contact with that school in the run up to
the summer and ensure they are ready to receive PWs
Oversee the regular and timely use of PW trackers, mapping the
fundraising totals and document collection. Ensure this is shared
with the wider charity.
Contribute, in conjunction with the East Africa Operations Manager,
to the formulation and development of policies and monitoring of
risk
UK Operations Manager Skills and Competencies
Core
Excellent communication skills to foster a strong relationship
between the PWs, PRs, University Committees, Presidents and wider
charity. In particular, being approachable, patient, friendly, concise
and clear.
Located in / within easy reach of our partner universities to be able
to build relationships in person with all our volunteers and be a
presence at training.
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Proven ability to be proactive, prioritise competing tasks and

delegate.

Desirable
Confidence in speaking / presenting to large groups i.e. making
yourself known and approachable at central training etc.
Experience of being an EPAfrica University President.
Willingness to attend a number EPAfrica UC events each year and
encourage wider MC/Board attendance
2. UK Programme Manager Role Description
Training Volunteers
The UK Programme Manager is responsible for ensuring that the charitys
members are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to make
EPAfrica as successful and professional a charity as possible.
From Project Workers to Project Managers and from Workstream Officers to
fellow Management Committee members the UK Programme Manager
ensures that the right training is compiled and delivered, in as interactive
and effective way as possible! As we expand, consistently excellent
training is all the more necessary and indeed in some cases a legal
requirement - your job over the next two years will be to ensure we
provide and deliver the very best to allow us to professionalise and
improve what we do, both in East Africa and in the UK.
The work over the past few years has been predominantly to redevelop
the content and delivery of the Project Worker training, in line with
changes to the EPAfrica model and the charitys strategic vision. Project
Workers receive a package of training from both their University
Committee and the Central Charity; the University Committee deliver
training on fundraising and logistics and Project Workers also receive
training on staying safe and healthy in East Africa and first aid training via
their University Committee. There are two Central Charity training days
where Project Workers from the three University Committees come
together, usually in London.
These Central Charity training sessions used to be known as Day 1:
Strategy Training, which focused on EPAfricas purpose and mission, and
also provided volunteers with information about the East African context,
and Day 2: Programmes of Delivery (PoDs), which introduced the six
groups of activities that Project Workers tend to work within. This material
has been redesigned in line with changes to the conceptualisation of
EPAfricas work, thus the training days may look significantly different to
when you were a Project Worker. Day 1 now covers a set of Skills that
Project Workers will need to develop and use in order to be successful in
East Africa. Broadly speaking this includes adaptive skills with respect to
cultural differences and working with others, and project management
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skills such as effective planning, documentation and budgeting. Day 2

now covers the new Goals framework, which replaces the old PoDs
model. This training session is co-owned by the East Africa Programme
Manager (Rachel Schon).
Over the past few years, it has been exciting incorporating training firstly
for Kakamega and then for Mbarara into our training materials. This sitespecific nature of the training will need to be further improved as we
both learn more about our newer sites and potentially expand to further
sites.
In addition to UK based training, Project Workers also receive training in
country. You are also responsible for overseeing the preparation for this
training and the training of the summer team, including Summer Project
Managers
Professional Development of Volunteers
The UK Programme Manager is also responsible for an exciting new area
of work, which focuses on the personal and professional development of
our central charity members in the UK. This aims to ensure our UK
volunteers are properly equipped to deal with working in our fast-moving
organisation, and also capitalises on the impact we have in developing our
UK volunteers.
Thus, over the past two years a Professional Development Programme has
been established. Firstly, Train the Trainer was renovated to not only
provide volunteers directly involved in training with a grounding in how to
deliver professional, informative and engaging sessions, but was also
opened up to all volunteers to provide training in essential skills for
facilitating discussions and presenting information. Secondly, a Crisis
Management protocol, related training handbook and session were
developed to provide senior members of the charity, and those involved in
the summer team with guidance and experience on how to manage risk
and mitigate against possible crisis situations; this was also opened up to
all UK volunteers and alumni. Finally, two alumni sessions are planned; the
first took place in Spring 2014 on Leadership by Keith Lesley of Deloitte,
and the second an EPAfrica Research Showcase is schedule for Spring
2015 to highlight the work of three EPAfrica volunteers and alumni.
UK Monitoring and Evaluation
Finally the UK Programme Manager is responsible for developing a UK
Monitoring and Evaluation strategy which tracks the work and impact the
charity has on our volunteers both in East Africa and the UK. An alumni
survey was undertaken in Spring 2014, and a piece of research was
undertaken by a PhD researcher at Cambridge University examining the
personal transformation of international volunteering. There is a lot of
further room for development in this area; it is a crucial part of assessing

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our work and may also prove important for providing evidence of our
impact to possible donors and funders.
The UK Programme Manager is a great role that allows you to work across
the charity and get to know nearly everyone involved! Youll bring
together the best of the expertise EPAfrica has to deliver some fun and
inspiring days. The workstreams you supervise represent the public face
of EPAfrica, and you will also be plugged into a range of developments
across the charity and contribute towards strategic decision-making.
Support Workstream Leads in the following Areas:
Training Volunteers
PW Training WSL:
Updating, writing and delivering Project Worker Training including
the written packs and the central Training Days themselves for
Skills (February)
Goals Training (March) delivered jointly with the Goals WSL
Working with the UC Presidents to update and write the UC Training
sessions for:
Welcome Training! (November)
Fundraising Training (December)
Goals Workshops (May) optional
Pre Departure Training (June)
Working with the Summer Team to put together First Week Training
(July) for each site to deliver when in-country.
Co-supervising Training Officers who help to develop and deliver site
specific training
Summer Team Training WSL:
Working across the charity to ensure that Summer Team Training
(May) accurately reflects all that the charity has prepared for the
summer, and equips the Summer Team to deal with all eventualities
an exciting summer will bring.
Working with the MC/Board and co-supervising the Project Manager
Office to deliver Project Manager Training which suitably equips and
empowers those with perhaps the hardest job.
Medical Training WSL:
Working with the Board member in case of risk to deliver effective
PW First Aid and Health Training (March) which educates the PWs to
stay safe and healthy
Working with the Board and Summer Team WSL to deliver Summer
Team Health Training which empowers them to do the best they can
to ensure the PWs remain as safe and healthy and act
appropriately when they dont.
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Professional Development of Volunteers

Supervising the team of volunteers who put and deliver together the
Train the Trainer and Crisis Management training sessions
Co-organising any additional alumni training sessions
Develop new ideas for engaging and supporting our volunteers and
alumni
UK Monitoring and Evaluation
Supervise the UK Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
Further develop monitoring and evaluation activities, such that there
is an annual cycle.
UK Programme Manager Skills and Competencies:
Core
Good presentation skills to act as the charitys public face and
oversee each session
Management skills to manage a range of WSLs, each with officers in
a large team
Very good project management skills essentially each training
session/day is a little project in itself that you must oversee to time,
to budget and to a high standard of content and delivery, ensuring
that all current charity thinking is reflected in training
Good people skills as training is people heavy you need a lot of
people onside to get the job done well!
Communication skills to fit a range of stakeholders from fellow MC
members to PWs
Desirable
Understanding of risk to ensure this is embedded in training
Understanding of the way people learn in order to make training as
effective as possible
Good editorial skills and a fine eye for detail to ensure the training
packs are documents the charity wants to put their name to
Understanding of personal development, competencies and skills
and how to develop these
Relevant skills for monitoring and evaluation i.e. developing
questionnaires and using statistics.
3. East Africa Operations Manager
The East Africa Operations Manager sits right at the heart of delivering a
successful summer project, and implementing the charitys vision and
strategy on the ground. Serving on EPAfricas Management Committee is a
fantastic opportunity to refine and develop strategic, managerial, and
operational skills. In particular the East Africa Operations role develops
skills in project management, implementation, and decision making.
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As a member of the MC you are responsible for the day to day running of
EPAfrica, as well as overseeing areas of the charity responsible for
operations in East Africa. Each MC member manages a portfolio of
workstreams (WS) who they support, advise, and guide.
Responsibilities
The East Africa Operations Manager sits alongside five other management
committee members. The Operations Manager has responsibilities at a
Management Committee level, as well overseeing their two workstreams:
Summer Operations and School Selection and Progression.
Workstreams
The East Africa Operations Manager oversees two workstreams. They are
responsible for managing these workstream leads, guiding and assisting
with tasks when needed, and providing support and development
opportunities where possible.
Summer Operations Workstream
The Summer Operations Workstream Lead is one of the most essential
positions within EPAfrica. You will be responsible for managing this
workstream which has responsibility for coordinating the logistics for the
summer project.
The workstreams main tasks involve liaising with people from across the
charity to ensure summer project readiness, overseeing the recruitment
and deployment of the summer team, creating and managing the summer
budgets, coordinating and creating the summer plan, ensuring the
necessary logistics are in place for the project, and contributing to the
monitoring of in-country risk.
School Selection and Progression (SS&P) Workstream
The selection of the right schools for EPAfrica to partner with is a
fundamental part of fulfilling the charity's mission. The SS&P Workstream
Lead is responsible for ensuring EPAfrica is working with the schools that
generate the greatest impact in East Africa and create the best experience
possible for Project Workers. In overseeing the SS&P Workstream, you will
be ensuring that the EPAfrica model is being applied to our school
selection processes, that we create and maintain good relationships with
our partner schools, and that the ways we select and monitor schools are
robust.
Core Activities
Operational Oversight and Implementation
Ensuring all aspects of a successful summer project are delivered.

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Working in partnership with a member of the Board to develop,

maintain and run risk management systems to ensure a safe
summer project.

People Management
Managing, motivating and developing your workstream leads.
Championing collaboration across workstreams.
Cross-charity coordination
Working closely with other MC members and workstreams to ensure
that a safe and successful summer is delivered.
Responsibilities of the Management Committee as a whole
Working in partnership with the rest of the MC to deliver a
successful summer project.
Leading the charity at an operational level in the East African
context.
Contributing to the strategic direction and development of the
charity in collaboration with the Board of Trustees.
East Africa Operations Manager Skills and Competencies
Core
Previous experience of volunteering for EPAfrica, preferably at
workstream lead level.
Experience of managing others, or demonstrable awareness of the
considerations involved when managing a team.
Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in written form.
The ability to think strategically, and to lead others in doing so.
The ability to translate strategy into practice.
Evidence of strong organisational skills, particularly in terms of
delivering projects or activities.
The ability to balance priorities and deliver work under pressure.
The ability to foster collaboration and group working.
The ability to form strong working relationships, including with
people external to the charity.
Desirable
Experience in either the Summer Operations or School Selection and
Progression Workstreams.
4. East Africa Programme Manager
PLEASE NOTE This role is not open for recruitment in
2015/16

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The East Africa Programme Manager is responsible for two workstreams:

East Africa Insights (which incorporates monitoring and evaluation and
research functions) and NGO Partnerships. These workstreams monitor,
evaluate, communicate, propose innovations, and find solutions to
identified areas of need, in terms of the work that we do in East Africa:

Monitor develop and maintain systems for tracking what we do in

our schools over time, whether that is by using deliverables that we
collect, or by commissioning discrete pieces of work. This function
falls within the remit of the East Africa Insights Workstream.
Evaluate assess the ways and the extent to which what we are
doing in our schools are linked to desired outcomes and aims, which
are formulated on the basis of our mission statement and articulate
what we want to achieve as a charity. This function falls within the
remit of the East Africa Insights Workstream.
Communicate translate your work into material that can be used
to train project workers so that they deliver the best project possible
in their schools. Also work closely with other Management
Committee members to communicate and justify our work to
schools, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders. This
function falls within the remit of the East Africa Insights Workstream.
Propose innovations using the knowledge gathered through
monitoring and evaluation to investigate and propose ways in which
we can better achieve the charitys aims. This function falls within
the remit of the NGO Partnerships and East Africa Insights
Workstreams.
Find solutions to identified areas of need using the knowledge
gathered through monitoring and evaluation to define areas where
the charity could begin to work in, or areas where external
organisations could be used to supplement the charitys work. This
function falls within the remit of the NGO Partnerships Workstream.

As East Africa Programme Manager, you will be tasked with engaging with
the core strategic questions of the charity, and developing robust systems
to ensure that the insights we gain into our programme in East Africa feed
back into shaping the work that we do on the ground.
Core Activities
Strategic Oversight and Implementation
Operationalising the charitys strategy, and leading the work of your
workstreams.
People Management
Managing, motivating and developing your workstream leads.
Championing collaboration across workstreams.
Cross-charity coordination
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Working closely with other MC members and workstreams to ensure

your insights shape the rest of the charitys work.

East Africa Programme Manager Skills and Competencies

Core
Previous experience of volunteering for EPAfrica, preferably at
workstream lead level.
Experience of managing others, or demonstrable awareness of the
considerations involved when managing a team.
Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in written form.
The ability to think strategically, and to lead others in doing so.
Evidence of strong organisational skills, particularly in terms of
delivering projects or activities.
The ability to balance priorities and deliver work under pressure.
The ability to foster collaboration and group working.
The ability to form strong working relationships, including with
people external to the charity.
The capability and motivation to develop their understanding of
monitoring, evaluation, and research techniques for the EPAfrica
context.
Desirable
Understanding and experience of monitoring and evaluation and/or
research within a development context.
5. Communications & Marketing Manager
PLEASE NOTE This role is not open for recruitment in 2015/16
The Communications & Marketing Manager was new to the charity in
2011, bringing together marketing and central fundraising efforts under
one lead. With more focused attention, these areas have developed
significantly over the past three years and now form an important part of
EPAfricas core operations.
The Communications & Marketing Manager is primarily responsible for
overseeing four key areas of the charity. Firstly, this involves all of
EPAfricas official internal and external communications, which consists of
targeted email newsletters; the Annual Report; the content of the website
and social media sites; wider marketing materials; the use of the EPAfrica
brand; and bespoke news and feature articles.
Secondly, the role also includes developing the charitys alumni relations,
primarily through a series of newsletters and events held throughout the
year, the cornerstone of this being the incredibly popular Alumni Dinner.
There is still potential for expanding this area further as it continues to
become established within the charity.
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Thirdly, from this year, the role will also have responsibility for overseeing
communications with key stakeholders in East Africa. This will involve
creating a structured plan for communicating with our schools,
communities and other important stakeholders including DEOs, county
education ministers and the NGO board in Kenya. These three areas are
closely interlinked and work best when the team of Workstreams works
collaboratively to support each other.
Finally, the Marketing Manager is responsible for overseeing central
fundraising efforts. In particular, this involves setting a clear set of
fundraising aims at the start of the year in conjunction with the rest of the
MC and Board and then supporting efforts to raise this through grant
applications, EasyFundraising, events, Regular Giving, and individual
donors. You will need to work closely with the UC Manager to ensure that
other fundraising initiatives are in line with the overall strategy, and with
the Research, Partnerships & Programmes Manager to make sure that
there are suitable evaluation processes in place for central pot donations.
This aspect of the role has the potential to be particularly high-impact if
you are willing to put in the time and effort, which has the potential to
greatly shape the future direction of the charity.
Cross-cutting responsibilities
In addition to regular individual meetings with Workstreams, set up team
meetings once every month/six weeks for the Workstreams to brief each
other on their current projects. It should be your role to encourage mutual
support and problem-solving.
Ensure that de-confliction occurs between the different priorities of your
workstreams. This is especially the case with multiple communications to
the same/similar audiences being sent out throughout the year.
Act as point of contact with the Board and MC for all of your Workstreams.
In particular, you will need to liaise closely with the Research, Partnerships
& Programmes Manager for fundraising applications and marketing; and
the Board for high net worth donor communications.
Support Workstream Leads in the following activities
Marketing & branding
Work closely with the Communications and Marketing Workstream Lead to
ensure that a clear communications plan is in place at the start of the year
and that deadlines are met.
Monitor & review all external and internal communications the charity
makes in an official capacity. This includes content, grammar, spelling and
the use of the EPAfrica brand. Communications include newsletters,
reports, promotional materials and website and social media content.
Ensure that the Annual Report is delivered to a high quality and is
produced in time to be exploited elsewhere within the charity.

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Own the EPAfrica brand and ensure that it is used in the way set out by
the branding specification.

Fundraising
Liaise with the Board at the start of the year to ensure that clear central
fundraising targets are set and that they are realistic.
Monitor and review all fundraising bids for content, style, grammar,
spelling, and that they are realistic and fit into EPAfricas fundraising
strategy for the year.
Work closely with the Fundraising Workstream to ensure that fundraising
targets are met. This involves setting deadlines for grant applications;
planning communications with high net worth donors; strategically
pushing the timing of regular giving marketing etc.
Oversee a realistic plan for communication and engagement with current
donors
Liaise with the East Africa Programme Manager to ensure that donor
evaluation requirements for the central pots are being fulfilled. It is your
responsibility to represent the interests of the donors within the charity
and that their needs are both managed and met.

Alumni relations
Work closely with the Alumni Workstream Lead to ensure that there is a
clear and well thought through programme for Alumni relations at the
start of the year.
Push integration of the collection and updating of alumni data throughout
the year.
Ensure that the annual Alumni Dinner fits in with the strategic priorities of
the charity and that there is sufficient Board and MC collaboration in this
area.
Communications with East Africa
Work with the MC and Board, as well as the relevant WSL to devise a
strategic plan for communications with East African stakeholders.
Review communications with East Africa and maintain awareness within
workstream of different requirements of this.
Marketing Manager Skills and Competencies
Core
Excellent written English and an eye for detail, especially concerning
grammar and spelling
At least one of the skills listed as 'Desirable'

Desirable
Writing grant applications
Alumni engagement (such as through university)
Writing communications pieces, e.g. university newspaper
Experience managing social media profiles
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Insight into communications strategy

6. Shared Services Manager
PLEASE NOTE This role is not open for recruitment in 2015/16
The Shared Services Manager is responsible for overseeing the
Workstreams which provide financial, planning, IT and knowledge
management services to the rest of the charity. These may not be the
most glamorous areas of the charity (although Google Drive is pretty
fly) but these services are vital for all the day to day operations (and
success!) of the charity.
The role presents a fantastic opportunity to familiarise yourself with the
core functions of any organisation (from large firms to grassroots
NGOs) and will develop tangible skills and competencies that can be
directly translated into a career in international development,
management, finance to name but a few.
Do not be discouraged if you lack direct expertise/experience of the
areas of responsibility outlined below. We are primarily looking for
individuals with strong team leadership and line management skills,
who understand EPAfrica and can successfully communicate our needs
to a mix of internally and externally recruited volunteers.
Core Activities
People Management

Manage a mixed team of internally recruited and specialist WSLs.

Some of your WSLs will have come from other parts of the charity,
while others may be externally recruited based on their professional
expertise (for example in areas such as IT and Finance).

This means that you need to be effective in communicating

EPAfricas needs and requirements to these individuals, and make
them feel like a valued part of the EPAfrica family.

While there are natural overlaps between your Workstreams

many of their annual activities occur in isolation, it is your job to
create opportunities for bringing your WSLs together and foster an
inclusive and enjoyable atmosphere within the Shared Service Team.

Cross Workstream Working

Your Workstreams provides services to all other areas of the

charity. Therefore you will need to ensure that communications
between your Workstreams and other areas of the charity are
regular and effective.
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You should champion the culture of cross Workstream working

and organise a number of working forums over the year, particularly
in the build up to the summer, on fundraising/financial/summer
budget coordination and knowledge management/M&E/summer
deliverables coordination.

Scrutiny and Oversight

Ensure that data protection, knowledge management, smart IT,

risk management and legal compliance are embedded in our
behaviours and processes across the charity.

Support Workstream Leads in the following activities

Knowledge Management

Coordinate annual planning process, hold charity to account

against it
Champion good knowledge management across the whole charity
Overall management of the Google Drive, systematically roll out
new functions (apps) upon demand

Updating and ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act

Managing the annual WSL handover process

Coordinating the summer deliverables drafting and collection

Embed use of the new database across the charity

Finance (Internal and External)

Manage annual budget process

Manage all financial transactions

Provide monthly financial tracking of bank account and

fundraising
Distributed quarterly financial reporting to the MC and Board
Continue to professionalise financial management in the charity
embedding the use of the Expenses Policy and more rigorous
financial governance.

Manage the delivery of UC and Charity Accounts

Annually update and report against the Reserves Policy

Support Summer Ops Workstream in preparing summer finances

Information Technology

Manage mailing lists / email addresses

Manage and implement the IT requirements for the new website
(on Wordpress) over 2014/15, including a new wiki function.
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Coordinate collection, update and distribution of summer laptops

and mobile phones

Set up emergency phone system for the summer

Research and identify opportunities for using increasing use of IT
to support greater efficiency in how the charity operates in the UK
and East Africa.

Shared Service Manager Skills and Competencies

Core
Excellent management ability you need to juggle many different
Workstreams all operating to different timescales
Strong communication skills much of this role can be done
remotely but you need to be able to articulate and motivate well
over Skype/email/phone

Able to identify new opportunities for improving shared services

and following through with ideas

Able to identify areas where greater coordination is required

between the Shared Services and other Workstreams and make this
happen

Desirable
Working knowledge of EPAfrica IT and Knowledge Management
Systems (MailChimp, Google Drive, Weebly/Wordpress)
Experience of working with accounts or financial information

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