Capital Programme Manager
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Date: November 2012
1.
Background
1.1
The island of St Helena is an internally self-governing Overseas Territory of the United
Kingdom located in the South Atlantic approximately 4,000 miles from the UK. The Government
comprises a Governor (who is appointed by the Crown) an Executive Council, which has the
general control and direction of Government, and a Legislative Council. The Governor retains
responsibility for internal security, external affairs, defence, the public service, finance and
shipping.
1.2
The island’s population is around 4,000 and it has a typical small island economy with a
high import dependency, a narrow economic base, a large public sector (around 900 staff), and
significant outward labour migration. Over half of its recurrent public expenditure and 90
percent of capital expenditure are funded by British budgetary aid as the UK has an obligation to
ensure that the reasonable needs of the population are met. Economic development is
constrained by St Helena’s extreme isolation, its small and declining population, and a lack of
significant natural resources.
1.3
The overall vision of the St Helena Government (SHG) is
“Strengthened community and family life through vibrant economic growth, with opportunities
for all to participate, within a framework of effective government and law.”
To support this vision there are three National Goals:
 A vibrant economy providing opportunities for all to participate
 Strong community and family life
 Efficient and effective government and law
1.4
In November 2011 HMG agreed to fund an airport. A construction contract has been
signed, and operations are scheduled to begin before the end of 2015. The major construction
activity leading up to this will significantly enhance St Helena’s economic prospects and have a
dramatic impact on the island community, bringing a period of accelerated social and economic
change. Achievement of the Goals and Strategic Objectives will require sound management and
transformation of the public sector to make it a professional, modern, and flexible organisation
able to initiate and respond to change.
1.5
SHG is implementing a Public Service Modernisation Programme (PSMP) that will enable
the Public Service to improve its delivery of the government’s developmental objectives,
addressing existing gaps and weaknesses, and taking into consideration affordability and
sustainability issues. Central to this programme has been the re-structuring of Government
functions and directorates. There are currently eight directorates reporting to the Chief
Secretary who is the head of the Service and this number will reduce to four; Education and
Employment, Health and Social Welfare, Physical Environment and Corporate Services. The
Police Service will continue to report to the Governor.
1.6
The Physical Environment Directorate will bring together the functions of Programme
Management (Capital Projects), transport infrastructure, Environmental Management, Planning
and Development Control, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Crown Estates. The
divestment of Utilities from April 2013 will reduce the scope and workload of the current I&U
Directorate. ANRD has already gone through significant downsizing and is planning to shrink
further and focus on support to the development of agriculture. Environmental Management
and Planning and Development Control have very clearly bounded responsibilities and could be
viewed as semi-autonomous with a longer term aim of both becoming arm’s-length bodies. The
grouping together of these directorates /sections offers potential for greater sharing and
streamlining within and across all of these functions.
1.7
The Capital Programme is wide-ranging and includes energy, water and roads
infrastructure projects, improvement of the Crown’s operational estate and investment in social
housing (‘Government Landlord Housing’).
2.
Key Objectives
2.1 The overall objectives of the post of Capital Programme Manager are:1. to be responsible for the effective management of SHG’s Capital Programme, with a
particular emphasis on the implementation of the Infrastructure Plan and Programme
2. to establish and manage a new Programme Management Team to ensure the Capital
Programme is delivered effectively against output, outcome and spend targets through
the effective profiling, risk management and monitoring of key milestones and other
performance indicators
3. to ensure clear lines of responsibility, accountability and optimising value for money
4. together with the Director of Physical Environment, to provide strategic and operational
advice to the Programme Board and leadership to the programme management process
3.
Scope of Work
3.1
The duties of the Capital Programme Manager shall include, but not be limited to, the
following:
1. To line manage, and act as reporting officer for a small team to ensure that the
programme management functions of SHG are fulfilled.
2. To be the lead contact with key stakeholders including elected members, Strategic
Management Team and DFID on issues relating to the delivery of the Capital Programme,
including specific responsibility for the successful implementation of the Infrastructure Plan
and Programme
3. To establish a performance management culture across SHG where projects and
programmes are positively scrutinised and challenged to identify and implement
improvements
4. To identify annual efficiency savings across the Capital Programme
5. To develop and ensure the implementation of a consistent monitoring system for all
capital projects and to report progress cross-programme in a timely and consistent manner
against agreed targets for spend, outputs, outcomes and key milestones
6. To develop and refine programme management systems and to chair meetings to ensure
project managers are providing appropriate performance management information
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7. To develop and co-ordinate project development, appraisal, implementation
arrangements, approval and monitoring, and to determine where additional inputs are
required from external sources, liaise with SHG over funding requirements and priority, and
to commission these
8. To manage the relationship with key funders including DFID ensuring the collection and
collation of information required to satisfy their requirements. In particular the postholder
will need to use the ongoing improvements to SHG’s programme and project management
frameworks to help define the relationship more fully e.g. method of reporting, relationship
between DFID’s specialists and SHG’s programme and project managers
9. To help identify and remove blockages to the effective delivery of individual projects and
the Capital Programme as a whole
10. To be responsible for a small Programme Management Team including a local Deputy
Programme Manager and Programme Assistant including building their capacity
4.
Qualifications and experience
The geographical isolation of St Helena makes it difficult to pull in short term expertise in
specialist areas. The Programme Manager will therefore be expected to have a strong
management and leadership background with professional high level experience in at least one
of the key relevant professional areas and be able to work with minimal external support while
maximising inputs from within the Physical Environment Directorate.
4.1
Essential
1.
A degree and/or professional qualification in an appropriate technical discipline such as
surveying, civil engineering, planning or architecture
2.
Additional specialist training in project management systems such as Prince II
3.
At least 10 years broad relevant experience of Project and/or programme management
within an appropriate context e.g. physical infrastructure, regeneration, redevelopment or
development.
4.
Experience of establishing and ensuring the implementation of programme
management systems, including appraisal, monitoring and evaluation systems.
5.
Experience of working successfully across a range of disciplines and achieving results
through partnership working
6.
Experience of preparing and managing financial budgets
7.
Experience of producing performance management reports to a Board or Committee
8.
The ability to manage people effectively through positive relationships and by
establishing and maintaining the trust and support of colleagues. He/she must be an excellent
resources manager with strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to
motivate staff at all levels.
9.
The ability to communicate effectively with senior SHG officials and the Legislative and
Executive Councils on issues related to management of the Island’s physical environment and
show a high degree of political astuteness.
10.
Be computer literate and have good report writing/reviewing skills.
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4.2
Desirable
1. A professional qualification in management.
2. Membership of a relevant professional institution
5.
Outputs, Timing and Reporting
1. The Programme Manager shall provide to the Director of Physical Environment biannual reports on progress against key indicators to be agreed in advance with the
Director
2. The post will be for 2 years. Performance will be measured with respect to the
Programme Manager’s overall performance in service delivery, increases in
operational effectiveness and efficiency. A probationary report will be completed
after 6 months.
3. The Programme Manager will report directly to the Physical Environment Director
4. The Programme Manager will be responsible for a small Programme Management
Team including a local Deputy Programme Manager and Programme Assistant. (S)he
will provide training to both the Deputy Programme Manager and the Programme
Assistant to ensure there is a succession strategy in place and implemented before
the end of the contract.
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