Job Description and Person Specification
Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract. This list is
not exhaustive and you will be expected to undertake such duties as may be assigned to you by
ActionAid from time to time. Staff are expected to be flexible in their work in order to deliver the
objectives of the organisation.
Job title
Contract type
Grade/starting salary
Reporting to
Direct reports
Head of Strategy, Performance & Accountability
Permanent
Grade 6B: £54,578 - £56,229
Director of People, Performance & Accountability
Line Manage 4 posts
Context
Are you passionate about making a real difference?
ActionAid is a leading international charity working in over 45 countries. We work with the poorest
women and children in the world, changing their lives for good. Our local staff provide immediate,
hands-on support to women and children living on the margins of survival. Together we demand
action at local, national and international level. We don’t walk away until we’ve achieved lasting
change.
In the UK our role is to raise funds to carry out programme work internationally, to motivate and
engage our supporters and the general public and to campaign for change. We are a value driven,
forward thinking organisation, focused on achieving long-term change through supporting our
partners to make a sustainable difference.
The Strategy, Planning, Performance & Accountability function sits within the People, Performance
& Accountability department and has responsibility leading on development of the ActionAid UK
strategy, managing performance across the whole organisation, planning, impact, monitoring and
evaluation, accountability and transparency.
Head of Strategy,
Performance &
Accountability
Senior Monitoring and
Evaluation Specialist
FTC
Senior Planning &
Performance Manager
Perm
Senior Monitoring and
Evaluation Specialist
Monitoring and
Evaluation Specialist
FTC
FTC
Purpose of the Role
To lead the Strategy, Performance & Accountability function:
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Provide effective line management of the Strategy, Performance & Accountability team
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Lead on the development of ActionAid UK’s strategy
Oversee ActionAid UK’s performance management and reporting against strategy and plan
Lead on development of ActionAid UK’s approach to impact, monitoring and evaluation
Lead on ActionAid UK’s work on value for money, transparency and accountability
Engage externally on the broad accountability agenda
Lead on ActionAid UK’s strategic priority for Women’s Rights
Promote and facilitate cross organisation working and alignment with strategy and plan
Role Responsibilities
Staff Management – Lead, manage and motivate the Strategy, Performance & Accountability
team. Create the environment in which staff can do their best work and continue to be a high
performing team
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Building on success, lead and inspire staff to work together within and beyond the team to
deliver the organisation’s objectives
Recruit and retain key team members and ensure all staff are managed to ActionAid policies
and fully understand and are committed to the mission, values and strategy
Encourage and support staff development and proactively manage performance
Co-develop work plans with team members and manage through one to ones and individual
performance development programmes
Proactively ensure all staff are kept fully briefed on key issues and ensure two way
communication
Manage the team budget
External Representation and Networking – Contribute to ensuring that ActionAid UK is well
regarded externally in key areas relating to the role
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Engage in key external debates to influence sector wide policy and practice, share best
practice, learn from other agencies and ensure that we are well positioned on this agenda with
key stakeholders
Strategy Development – When required lead the development of the ActionAid UK strategy
ensuring full participation from all staff, the Senior Leadership Team and the Board
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Using participatory approaches lead the work to take stock of our progress across the strategy
period.
Contribute to the ActionAid International Taking Stock process ensuring that ActionAid UK
perspectives are included
Coordinate ActionAid UK input to the international strategy development process
Lead the development of the ActionAid UK strategy ensuring full participation from all staff, the
Senior Leadership Team and the Board
Working with the team, develop an approach to evaluating progress in delivering the strategy
Performance Management and Reporting – Champion the use of organisational performance
information to drive business improvement and ensure the organisation is delivering against its
strategy and annual plan
Manage the team to ensure they:
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Provide a key focal point to drive business improvement and performance.
Develop the capacity of staff to analyse performance information in order to inform decisions
Provide comprehensive but concise performance reports for SLT and the Board
Ensure performance reports are drawn from performance management within departments
and teams so that there’s effective alignment and no duplication of effort
Accountability, Transparency and Value for Money – champion the broad accountability
agenda internally and externally and deepen our focus in this critical area
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Lead ActionAid UK’s work on accountability, transparency and value for money
Ensure all staff are aware of our primary accountability to beneficiaries (right holders) and the
importance of balancing our other accountabilities to other important stakeholders like donors
and financial supporters
Work with others to ensure that we fulfil our commitments
Influence ActionAid International to deepen our global focus on accountability, transparency
and value for money. Engage in key federation debates on how to put this deepened focus into
practice
Monitoring & Evaluation and Impact – champion the broad M&E and impact agenda internally
and externally and deepen our focus in this critical area
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Working with others across the organisation use participatory techniques to create a strategic
approach on monitoring and evaluation for AAUK. Ensure all necessary stakeholders are
engaged and approaches are aligned to international guidelines and practice
Ensure the SPA team provides timely and effective support and challenge to the various teams
and departments on monitoring and evaluation
Influence ActionAid International to deepen our global focus on impact, monitoring and
evaluation. Engage in key federation debates on how to put this deepened focus into practice
Engage in key external debates to influence sector wide policy and practice, share best
practice, learn from other agencies and ensure that we are well positioned on this agenda with
key stakeholders like DfID
Priority Lead for Women’s Rights – champion Women’s Rights and ensure that the diverse work
that we undertake on this as ActionAid is drawn together so that we have effective oversight of our
work and impact
As the lead for ActionAid UK’s strategic priority for rights for women and girls:
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Use participatory approaches facilitate women’s rights specialist from across the organisation
in annual objective setting and the delivery of the objectives
Liaise with HR to ensure that there is an appropriate learning & development programme
With support from the SPA team, coordinate performance reports on all women’s rights work
across the organisation
General Responsibilities
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Play an active role as a member of the Performance and Accountability Management Team.
Play an active role as a member of the AAUK Leadership Group.
Manage internal and external working groups, as required.
Undertake any reasonable activity required by the People Performance & Accountability
Director.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Desirable
Experience of working in an international
Demonstrate a track record of success at a senior level
federation is highly desirable
in commercial and/or not for profit and NGO sectors
Demonstrable understanding of the strategic context for
charities in the UK
Knowledge about external pressures and strategic trends
in relation to accountability, transparency, governance
and organisational effectiveness in the not for profit or
NGO sectors
Specialist expertise in one or more of:
accountability, transparency,
governance and organisational
effectiveness
Awareness of approaches to accountability, transparency,
governance and organisational effectiveness in other
organisations and other sectors
Proven track record of senior leadership and effective
staff management in complex environments
Experience of working effectively with senior stakeholders
including the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and trustees
Proven experience making effective decisions using
complex data and analysis
Business/organisational development experience –
experience of supporting and enabling others to use
evidence or analysis to make decisions and drive
performance
Knowledge and experience of risk assessment and
management
Skills and Abilities
Leadership ability and a positive ambitious attitude to
change, challenges and opportunities. Ability to both
inspire and manage staff, collaborate with colleagues and
build and maintain networks.
Exceptional abilities to influence , persuade and
negotiate
Ability to deliver projects successfully in an environment
where you do not have direct control over staff
Ability to work calmly under pressure to solve problems.
Demonstrate a can do attitude. Meet deadlines and
demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness, flexibility and
perseverance.
Managing resources effectively so that we get maximum
impact from our scarce resources
Innovative and creativity. Champion change and new
ideas. Persevere with change objectives. Create a culture
of innovation, ambition and impact.
Experience of managing budgets
Commitment to promote and practice ActionAid’s
mission, vision and values