Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator Recruitment Opportunity

Assembly Grade: 6

Salary: £39,442 – £40,625

Deadline: Completed Application Forms must be submitted no later than 12 noon (UK time) on Monday 5th June 2023.

Please retain a copy of this booklet for your reference throughout the selection process (you can download a PDF version of this booklet using the link above).

Foreword

Thank you for your interest in the position of Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator in the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (the Assembly Commission).

The Assembly operates in a dynamic and fast paced parliamentary and political environment, and as the newly appointed Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator, you will have the opportunity to make an important and valued contribution to Assembly business at Parliament Buildings.

Engaging with the public underpins all the work of the Northern Ireland Assembly. As Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator, you will have an important role to play in developing and delivering services that strengthen public engagement and participation in the work of the Assembly. You will play an important role in advancing and encouraging the public’s understanding of the Assembly and the democratic process in Northern Ireland.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-profile organisation, and to apply your skills, experience and knowledge in a challenging and very rewarding position.

In turn, we offer a competitive salary, excellent pension provision and a range of other employee benefits listed on the Recruitment website.

Please read the information provided in the Candidate Information Booklet carefully and if you are interested in this exciting post, I would encourage you to submit your application.

If you would like to find out more about the post before making an application please contact Stephanie Mallon or telephone 02890 521021.

Gareth McGrath
Director of Parliamentary Services

About Us

The Assembly is at the heart of political and public life as the democratically elected parliament that represents the interests of Northern Ireland and its people.

Established as a key element of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, the Assembly comprises 90 Members and has three main functions – making legislation, scrutinising the Executive and representing constituents.

In accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the staff, services and facilities which are needed to support the work of the Assembly are provided by the Assembly Commission, a corporate body comprising the Speaker and five Members of the Assembly. The day-to-day running of the Assembly is delegated to the Clerk/Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team.

The Assembly Commission therefore provides the infrastructure (including Parliament Buildings), facilities and staff to allow the Assembly and its Committees to meet and to encourage public awareness of, and engagement with, the parliamentary process. It also pays the salaries of Members and reimburses the expenses which enable them to undertake their duties both at the Assembly and in their constituency offices.

The Assembly Commission is a high-achieving and professional organisation providing impartial support to the Assembly and its Members. The Assembly Commission is independent of the Executive and the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

The Assembly Commission has approximately 370 staff and an annual revenue budget of £51m. Our organisational structure is illustrated on the Northern Ireland Assembly Recruitment website.

Contents

• About the Role
• The Person
• Core Responsibilities
• Essential Criteria
• Shortlisting Criteria
• Assembly Skills & Behaviours
• Equal Opportunities Statement
• Location
• Completing the form
• Recruitment and Selection Framework
• Stages of the Selection Process
• Employee Benefits
• Terms and Conditions of Appointment
• Equality Monitoring
• Merit List
• Communication during the recruitment process
• Further Information

About the Role

As Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator, you will report to the Participation and Outreach Manager within the Parliamentary Services Directorate and will be accountable for a Clerical Supervisor (AG7).

The Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator is a creative, diverse and dynamic role.  You will support the Participation and Outreach Manager to provide opportunities for inclusive and meaningful engagement between the Assembly and the general public through a variety of methods.  Alongside the wider Engagement team, you will have a significant role in the design, implementation, promotion and evaluation of such activities.

The Assembly Commission’s core values are Professionalism, Respect and Impartiality, and Integrity in all we do, and these values guide how we deliver our services.

The Person

As Engagement and Outreach Co-Ordinator you will need excellent communication and organisational skills.  The role is outward facing requiring you to engage with Members, the general public and with colleagues across other business areas.  An awareness and understanding of political sensitivity, and the management of relationships both internally and externally, will be important requirements of the post along with the ability to deliver excellent services within an often-complex political setting.

Core Responsibilities

Reporting to the Participation and Outreach Manager, the main roles and responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering engagement plans/events/activities to support the Assembly and its committees, including working collaboratively with relevant groups or individuals to design activities or services with a common purpose.
• Using a variety of engagement techniques including delivering online and offline engagement sessions with external groups.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with community organisations and businesses, including identifying opportunities to increase participation levels.
• Presenting and promoting information about the Assembly to wide-ranging audiences including assisting with the development of marketing, website and social content targeting a range of stakeholders.
• Delivering a number of projects or pieces of work at the same time, whether this is smaller-scale unrelated projects, or more complex standalone projects.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of activity and implementing changes and improvements as required.
• Working on your own initiative, to deliver an agreed set of outcomes.
• Managing and developing individual staff members or a small team to ensure the delivery of team objectives and services.
• Carrying out research and producing work that is clear, correct and suited to the target audience and purpose.
• Assisting in the management of financial budgets.
• Complying with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.
• Managing information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements.
• You may also be required to carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

Essential Criteria

Applicants for the post must, by the closing date for applications, have:

1. At least a primary degree, minimum 2.2 classification, in any subject. Applications will be considered from applicants with formal qualifications of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.

AND

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications have at least three years’ experience in the areas specified at a)-d) below:

(a) Event management and project management, with experience of managing multiple events/projects at one time.

(b) Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders to deliver successful outcomes.

(c) Oral and written communication with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including developing written material (e.g. articles, reports, online communications and presentations) and delivering presentations to a diverse audience.

AND

(d) Planning, developing and implementing a range of engagement activities with the aim of informing, educating and encouraging audiences to participate

OR

2. At least five years’ experience in the areas outlined at points a) to d) above.

Shortlisting Criteria

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

One years’ experience of using a range of engagement techniques to reach new audiences.

Assembly Skills & Behaviours

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Delivering a quality service

…is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.

Building relationships and effective communication

…is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Initiating improvement and delivering change

…is looking for and being open to new and innovative ideas and improvements to the service provided. It is being flexible and adapting positively and professionally to sustain performance when the situation changes, workloads increase or priorities change. It is about forming sound, evidence-based decisions and being accountable for results.

Managing and leading self and others

… is setting high standards for ourselves. It is about guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance. It is about engaging others in delivering a corporate vision of excellence, expertise and innovation in support of the Assembly as a legislature.

Parliamentary & Political Understanding

… is displaying an appropriate understanding of the wider political environment; what the Assembly does and how our role fits in; and the level of public scrutiny to which the actions and decisions of Assembly staff are exposed. It requires impartiality, integrity and political sensitivity. 

Equal Opportunities Statement

The Assembly Commission is committed to equality of opportunity in employment and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified applicants irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, race, age, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or people with dependents or without. All applications for employment will be considered on the basis of merit.

Location

The successful applicant will be based in Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Access to a form of transport is necessary as travel to venues throughout Northern Ireland will be required from time to time.

The Assembly Commission operates a Hybrid Working Policy and the balance between working in Parliament Buildings and working at home will vary depending on the post, business need and the preference of the member of staff within the parameters of the Policy. 

Completing the form

Only the information presented in the application form will be considered by the selection panel. CVs or other supplementary material will not be accepted in place of, or in addition to, completed application forms. Completed online forms must be submitted by 12 noon (UK time) on 5 June 2022.

Launch the application portal and complete the application form.

Application forms submitted after the closing time and date will not be accepted.

Recruitment and Selection Framework

There are five elements within the Recruitment and Selection Framework:

Experience – the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Ability – the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard.

Technical – the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours – the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

Strengths – the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.

The elements that will be assessed for this role are Experience, Ability, Technical, Assembly Skills and Behaviours and Strengths and the selection method(s) that will be used are detailed below. Further information on the Recruitment and Selection Framework are included in the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Stages of the Selection Process

Eligibility Sift

The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post.

Shortlisting

The Selection panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this post. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed in the Job Specification will be applied. The selection panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion and/or to only invite those who score highest in the shortlisting criterion to the next stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.

Assessment Stage

As part of this stage of the selection process, applicants will be required to complete:

(a) a written exercise;

(b) an interview, which will address the information contained in this booklet and will assess elements of the Recruitment and Selection Framework; and

(c) the preparation and delivery of a presentation to the selection panel. The subject of the presentation will be advised to the applicant on the day of the interview and the applicant will be expected to present information to the selection panel.

Written exercises are planned for week commencing: 19 June 2023

Interviews are planned for week commencing: 26 June 2023

Further Interview Stage

The selection panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary. 

Further information on the Recruitment and Selection process is available in the Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

The Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) supports applicants with disabilities or those with a long-term impairment or health condition, that is expected to last for at least 12 months and which means that they cannot meet the shortlisting criteria. In these instances, provided that they have demonstrated in their application form that they meet the essential criteria for the role, the applicant will be invited to interview. If you are applying under GIS it is therefore important that you include all relevant information in your application form. You should refer to the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants for more information.

If an assessment or test is used as a shortlisting tool then applicants applying under GIS will not be required to complete the assessment or test and will be offered a guaranteed interview, provided that they demonstrate in their application form that they meet the essential criteria for the role.

In instances where an assessment or test forms part of the selection process and is not a shortlisting tool, then all applicants must meet the minimum standard required for that assessment or test, including those applying under GIS.

When considering applications made under GIS, the Human Resources Office reserves the right to request medical information from the applicant’s general practitioner (through the applicant and with their consent).

If you are disabled and consider that you require reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate in any part of the selection process, please indicate this on the application or contact us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.

You can get advice or assistance with making an application from your local Jobs and Benefits Office – contact details are available on NIDirect:

Find contact details for your local Jobs and Benefits Office.

Employee Benefits

We offer an annual leave allowance of 25 days, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days. In addition, we offer 12 days of public and privilege holidays.

The Assembly Commission will enrol you into the Civil Service Pension Scheme from the first day of employment. Staff contribute between 4 and 9% of salary and the Assembly Commission contributes a further 28 to 35% of salary, depending on your rate of pay.

We also offer a range of non-salary benefits which include hybrid working; supportive family friendly policies; flexi-time; health and wellbeing initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme; supported learning and development; Cycle to Work Scheme; Payroll Giving; and volunteering opportunities.

The successful applicant will be given suitable training, including formal specialised courses as necessary.

As an equal opportunities employer, we are happy to talk about the possibility of flexible working in this role with the successful applicant.

View further details of our employee benefits.

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

This is a permanent appointment. The successful candidate will be an employee of the Assembly Commission. All appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

The standard working week is 37 hours, (excluding meal breaks). Working hours will be dictated by the mode of operation of the Assembly and may involve work into late evenings and on occasions, at weekends and on public holidays.

The post-holder will, from time to time, be expected to undertake travel to events in the UK and to work hours that are conducive to the needs of the Assembly and this may mean, for example, attending events into late evening. The timing of annual leave may be restricted and will be determined by the business of the Assembly.

Equality Monitoring

Under Fair Employment legislation, we are required to monitor the community background and gender of those applying for jobs. You must therefore complete the equal opportunities monitoring section of the application form when applying for the post.

Merit List

The merit list of applicants deemed to be appointable will remain “live” for 18 months from the date it is signed and may be used to fill any further permanent or fixed term opportunities for the same post.

Communication during the recruitment process

The Assembly Recruitment Team will issue most communication electronically. You should therefore regularly check your email account to make sure you do not miss any important communication. Please note, sometimes the Recruitment Team emails are automatically filtered as spam by email providers.

Further Information

If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Assembly Recruitment Team on 02890 418365.

Further information about the Assembly can be obtained on the Northern Ireland Assembly website.

The Candidate Information Booklet does not constitute any term or condition of employment.