Title:  Professional Development Adviser

Project:  Australia Solomon Islands Partnership for Justice

Duration: Fixed, commencing October 2022- October 2024

Location: Honiara, Solomon Islands

Reports to: Team Leader

Background

The Australia Solomon Islands Partnership for Justice (ASIPJ) is the third program of Australian support to the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) justice sector, being directly preceded by the Australia Solomon Islands Justice Program (ASIJP). Its goal is to work closely with SIG to enable justice agencies to maintain delivery of their existing, core activities while clearly identifying and engaging with fundamental problems and critical issues affecting their ability to contribute to stability and offer access to justice for citizens.

Subject to a finalised design, ASIPJ will be delivered through four key outcome areas:

1. Improving core service delivery capacity;
2. Enhancing capacity for justice sector management and leadership;
3. Enhancing collaboration with state and non-state actors to improve access to justice, and
4. Increased sensitivity and responsiveness to those vulnerable to family and sexual violence. It is a four-year program with an option to extend to eight years.

ASIPJ aspires to be locally led, problem-oriented and learning driven. It will be pragmatic, practical, and adaptable, and will mainstream gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI). Deloitte is the Managing Contractor, leading an exciting coalition for change that includes Adam Smith International, providing the Operations Hub; Ninti One, for its Indigenous expertise; and The University of Queensland, to support critical research and knowledge generation.

Role Dimensions

Overview

The Professional Development (PD) Adviser will be responsible for leading the implementation of ASIPJ’s professional development program. Primarily, this role is expected to provide training, learning and professional development support to SIG personnel working in those agencies which ASIPJ partners with. The adviser will be based in the program office and will work across nominated agencies.

Summary of Responsibilities

 The PD Adviser will:

•   Support justice agency and cross-agency training and learning, including continuing legal education
•   Lead the review of ASIPJ’s twinning relationships and oversee the program’s twinning program
•   Develop and lead a regional mentoring program for select SIG staff

Activity One: Agency and Sector Training and Learning

The adviser will support justice agency and cross-agency training and learning.

In order to advance this element of this terms of reference, the adviser will:  

•   Build on work undertaken by former Australian-supported justice programs and assist justice agencies with the development and implementation of individual agency training needs analyses, being aware of the need to incorporate relevant GEDSI and human rights teachings.
• Draw on agency training needs analyses and training activities that are already taking place across the justice sector to support ASIPJ advisers and relevant SIG counterparts, including the Solomon Islands Bar Association, to develop continuing legal education training programs for staff/members. Where possible, this should be done with a view to ensuring cross-agency/organisation participation in individual CLE sessions and cross-agency/organisation learning.  
•  Work with ASIPJ coalition partners, including the University of Queensland, and others, to build the ability and capacity of select SIG and Solomon Islands-based training and research agencies to deliver professional development services to select justice agencies. This will likely involve forming a relationship with, and working with, SIG’s Institute of Public Administration and Management. In consultation with partner justice agencies, this will include ensuring heads of such agencies and middle-management staff members are afforded opportunities to partake in contextually relevant management, leadership and administration training.
•  Guided by the training needs analysis discussed above, assess the possibility of broadening ASIPJ’s professional development offerings for relevant SIG counterparts – including in the GEDSI, conflict management and cross-cultural communications spaces – through targeted, remote on-line training. Also determine the appropriateness and willingness of select ASIPJ advisers participating in such courses with their SIG counterparts.
•  Support SIG counterparts to improve the skills, knowledge and competencies of staff in justice agencies and relevant ministries to more effectively and efficiently manage their own training needs and functions.

 

Activity Two: Twinning

An element of Australia’s on-going support to the Solomon Islands’ justice sector has involved supporting twinning relationships with Australian-based organisations. The has entailed six arrangements that Australian government agencies at the Commonwealth, state and territory level have entered into with counterpart organisations in Solomon Islands. It has encompassed travel by both Solomon Islander staff and staff of overseas based agencies to each other’s workplaces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of these relationships were paused.

The adviser will examine the possibilities of re-starting twinning visits following the easing in COVID-19 travel restrictions, including assessing the willingness, capacity and fit of existing twinning partners to continue engaging with ASIPJ and their SIG agency counterparts.

In order to advance this element of this terms of reference, the adviser will:

 

• Consult with individual heads of agencies and agency-based advisers from those agencies which have maintained a twinning relationship to assess the status of these partnerships. This will include measuring the level of communication and engagement that has taken place since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Where relationships have been maintained during the COVID-19 period, the nature of the collaboration that has occurred will be examined, including the outcomes that this has contributed to. 
• Communicate with existing Australian-based twinning partners in order to determine their capacity and willingness to continue their engagement with counterpart organisations in Solomon Islands under ASIPJ. This will include determining the human and financial resources that they can dedicate to maintaining twinning relationships.
•  Produce recommendations for ASIPJ management and DFAT about which twinning relationships should be continued and which should possibly be ended. Where it is recommended that a twinning relationship be ended, examine the possibility and desirability of commencing a new twinning relationship or determine whether a mentoring relationship alone would suffice (see activity three below). Over the longer-term, undertake efforts to advance new twinning or mentoring relationships.  

   

Following consultation with program management, the adviser will advance other twinning-related activities. This will include:

1. i) Assessing the possibility ofdeveloping a network between Australian twins and Solomon Islands’ counterparts;
2. ii) Examining the option of certain twinning activities proceeding by means of remote engagement, and

iii) Making ASIPJ advisers practically as well as actively involved in twinning activities.

The adviser will be the key program contact with overseas-based twinning partners and counterpart Solomon Islands justice agencies and will be responsible for leading all agreed upon twinning activities, including communicating with SIG agencies, DFAT and overseas twinning partners.     

As an element of this activity, the adviser will also liaise with the Legislative Draftsperson and others concerning the possibility of forming a new twinning relationship for the Legislative Drafting Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

 

Activity Three: Mentoring

The adviser will explore avenues for developing new approaches to mentoring SIG counterparts (at the agency-head level, as well as nominated emerging leaders), examining the possibility of peer support from like professionals across the Pacific region. This will be undertaken to advance efforts to ensure that current and emerging leaders in partner justice agencies have enhanced capacity to lead and manage. In undertaking this activity, the adviser will be cognisant of past efforts that have been undertaken in forging regional mentoring relationships, particularly by ASIJP. They will also be aware of the possibility of overlap in the twinning and mentoring spaces.

In order to advance this element of this terms of reference, the adviser will:  

• Following engagement with relevant SIG counterparts, actively seek out suitable individuals located within the Pacific region who are capable and interested in playing a mentor role for nominated Solomon Islander peers, consulting with a variety of regional organisations and Pacific Islands governments. 
• Determine how such relationships are best structured, progressed and monitored.
•   Assess the possibility of other bilateral DFAT-funded justice programs in Melanesia (namely Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea) being involved in regional mentoring activities.

 

Other

• Work with ASIPJ’s Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Adviser to advance the training recommendations contained in ‘Step-by-Step’, Solomon Islands’ Justice Sector’s Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy, and the Family Protection Act 2014 (FPA) review (once tabled in parliament).
• Work with ASIPJ’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Adviser to ensure that outcomes and changes brought about because of ASIPJ’s professional development program are appropriately captured, recorded and shared. This will include working with the MERL Adviser on establishing relevant baselines related to professional development. 
•   In collaboration with heads of justice agencies and/or their delegates, support development and implementation of training programs and initiatives in support of agency leadership succession planning. As concerns Correctional Services of Solomon Islands (CSSI), this will entail working closely with the ASIPJ CSSI Professional Development Adviser (remote, short-term adviser).
• Assess opportunities for ASIPJ advisers to be activity involved in professional development activities relevant to their agencies and examine opportunities for advisers’ own professional development which ASIPJ can support.
•  Other tasks as agreed upon.

 

In undertaking the above, the adviser will work in a collaborative manner with SIG counterparts, donors, advisers, civil society organisations, private-sector service providers and others who work on professional development issues. The adviser will work closely with ASIPJ’s cross-cutting advisers, specifically, those working on communications; GEDSI, MERL and the Justice Information Management System (JIMS).

Program Deliverables

1. Workplan: An individual annual workplan to reflect the contents of this TOR to be completed on a date to be agreed upon.
2. Exception reports: as required.
3. Exit report, one week prior to completion date: Outlining a concise situational analysis and a frank assessment of the challenges and successes of the adviser’s inputs. The Exit Report should contain recommendations for future ASIPJ engagement on professional development issues. 
4. Regular Program Reporting and Professional Development Reports: as required, including contributing to weekly program updates and briefing DFAT/others as requested.

All reports will be provided to the Team Leader, ASIPJ.

Reporting and Performance Management

The Professional Development Adviser will report to the Team Leader, ASIPJ, who will monitor performance and delivery of outputs in accordance with this TOR and with the adviser’s approved workplan.

Selection Criteria

Qualifications

Tertiary qualifications in human resources development; capacity development; training, teaching and learning; or a related field.

Key Skills and Experience

•   Experience in adult learning and the concepts underpinning adult learning.
• Experience in developing and delivering training packages, undertaking comprehensive training needs analyses and working in partnership with training providers, including external training organisations, to achieve quality training products and sustainable outcomes.
• Experience in developing capacity in a professional context, including a demonstrated ability to effectively share knowledge and mentor/coach, in a culturally appropriate way.
• Knowledge of Solomon Islands and/or comparable Pacific Islands or developing country contexts.
• Proven ability to coordinate across agencies and organisations and develop strong and active working partnerships, including at the senior management level.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders including cross-culturally and remotely. Tok Pisin, Bislama or Pijin language skills will be an advantage.

Travel Requirements

Provincial travel within Solomon Islands may be required.

COVID-19

ASIPJ team members are required to adhere to COVID-19 policy requirements for the purposes of entry to Solomon Islands’ government offices. This includes being double vaccinated.

 

How to apply

Please submit your application before 02 September 2022 11:59pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) to: hr.asipj@asipj.com.sb and copy Rami Alkhatib at Rami.Alkhatib@adamsmithinternational.com

Please use the following title: Application for PD Adviser, ASIPJ Program

Applications should include two pages cover letter addressing the job specifications and relevant qualifications and experience and a CV of no more than four pages and two professional referees.

ASIPJ is committed to building a diverse team. Applications from Solomon Islanders, citizens of other Pacific Island states or indigenous Australians are strongly encouraged, even where you do not meet all of the stated criteria.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, we encourage you to reach out to ASIPJ HR Team via hr.asipj@asipj.com.sb or call ASIPJ Office +677 26530.