Organisational Development and Learning Manager Recruitment Opportunity
Candidate Information Booklet
Assembly Grade: AG5
Salary: £50,684 – £52,213
Deadline: Completed Application Forms must be submitted no later than 12 noon (UK time) on Monday 30 September 2024.
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 Organisational Development and Learning Manager in the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (the Assembly Commission).
The Assembly operates in a dynamic political and parliamentary environment, and as a newly appointed Organisational Development and Learning Manager you will be provided with an excellent opportunity to make an important and valued contribution to Assembly business at Parliament Buildings.
Working at the Assembly offers a rewarding career. You will have lead responsibility for developing and implementing a range of Organisational Development and learning interventions to support the successful implementation of the People and Culture Strategy. This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-profile organisation with a dedicated and inclusive team.
In turn, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent pension provision where you contribute between 4.6 and 8.05% of salary and the Assembly Commission will contribute a further 34.25%.
We offer an annual leave allocation 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. We also offer 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 Diane Lamont, Senior HR Manager, at diane.lamont@niassembly.gov.uk or telephone 02890 525917.
Sinead McDonnell
Head of Human Resources
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 (SMT).
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 £58m. 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 and Behaviours
- Equal Opportunities Statement
- Location
- Completing the form
- Recruitment and Selection Framework
- Stages of the Selection Process
- Disability Confident
- Key Employee Benefits
- Terms and Conditions of Appointment
- Equality Monitoring
- Merit List
- Communication during the recruitment process
- Further Information
About the Role
You will be responsible to the Head of Human Resources for the effective management and delivery of an Organisational Development (OD) and Learning service to the Assembly Commission.
You will have lead responsibility for the development and implementation of a range of modern, effective learning and OD approaches and interventions, under the auspices of relevant Assembly Commission strategies including the People and Culture Strategy.
Working in collaboration with colleagues within the Human Resources Office and across the Assembly Commission, you will ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient OD and Learning service and contribute to the overall Human Resources service.
The Assembly Commission is committed to providing the best possible development opportunities and programmes for its staff and this role will be key to delivering this aim.
The Person
As an OD and Learning professional, you will have the skills to effectively guide the Assembly Commission through change, improve performance, and foster a positive and productive organisational culture. Such skills will include being strategic and understanding the big picture and leading and managing change.
You will have strong communication skills and be able to articulate ideas clearly, listen actively and engage with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation. This will be crucial for building trust and facilitating collaboration.
Core Responsibilities
The main duties and responsibilities are:
OD and Learning responsibilities
- Adopt and deliver an effective consultancy approach to all required OD and learning requests or initiatives, tailoring this to situations as appropriate and ensuring outcomes, return on investment and maximisation of resources are at the core.
- Provide expert advice and prepare and present proposals to senior leaders on the OD and learning interventions needed to progress the delivery of the People and Culture Strategy and to support overall corporate change activity, ensuring our Corporate Values are embedded throughout.
- Support the Head of Human Resources and OD in the development of strategies, policies, work plans and communications demonstrating the added value of OD and learning activities / interventions. This will encompass organisation-wide learning approaches and OD activities tailored to the needs of different business areas.
- Plan, develop and deliver a full range of OD and learning initiatives, ensuring that innovative, modern and flexible approaches are developed and implemented.
- Work in partnership with Human Resources and other colleagues across the Assembly Commission to fully understand key business needs and provide expert advice and guidance on OD and learning interventions. This will include creating the conditions for collaborative working in the Assembly Commission.
- Work with a range of stakeholders internal and external to the Assembly Commission regarding OD and learning including contracting with external partners as required.
- Develop a shared understanding of a Learning Environment which will include fostering a culture of continuous learning through a coaching and mentoring framework and enhancing knowledge exchange across the Assembly Commission.
- Champion professional and personal development through OD and learning activities to support the resilience and health and wellbeing of staff.
- Work with relevant colleagues to enhance communications around OD and learning, ensuring that our offering is visible and easily accessible to staff.
- Participate on relevant internal working groups and professional OD and learning networks and keep abreast of new OD and learning developments and practices and present proposals as necessary.
- Implement a robust evaluation framework and be responsible for the quality management of OD and learning activities, ensuring that key performance indicators are established, monitored and achieved.
- Provide expert advice in relation to the accreditation of OD and learning initiatives ensuring that all appropriate quality assurance mechanisms are implemented and maintained.
- Establish and monitor arrangements to ensure equality of opportunity and access of uptake for OD and learning activities.
Management responsibilities
- Lead, manage and support the OD and Learning Team to deliver a high-quality service.
- Participate fully and effectively in performance management conversations with team members and provide direction on personal development requirements.
- Take responsibility for own performance and the identification of own personal development.
- Promote the Assembly Commission’s Corporate Values and lead by example to support a strong parliamentary culture of delivering quality services.
Corporate responsibilities
- Manage available resources in an effective way.
- Comply with all Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.
- Carry out any other duties which may be required by the Assembly Commission.
Essential Criteria
Applicants must, by the closing date for applications, have:
- The CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development or People Management (or an equivalent qualification), and at least three years’ experience of the areas detailed at a) – d)*.
OR
- At least five years’ experience of the areas detailed at a) – d)*.
a) Demonstrating a clear working knowledge and understanding of effective OD methodology, models and diagnostic tools, understanding how to identify, apply and interpret the most appropriate methodology/model/tool for each situation.
b) Designing and delivering OD interventions and activities, particularly in support of enhancing management and leadership capability across the organisation.
c) Demonstrating a track record of planning and successfully delivering multiple OD projects concurrently and to deadlines through the engagement of teams or working groups and with limited resources.
d) Leading, supporting and developing an OD / Learning Team.
*Please note this experience must have been gained from working in a HR & OD function.
If the successful applicant has applied under the ‘experience only’ route, they will be required to complete the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development within a set timeframe.
Shortlisting Criteria
Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied in the order as listed below:
I. Experience of implementing a coaching culture in an organisation.
II. Hold current professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development at Associate Membership or above.
Assembly Skills and 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.
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.
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 Monday 30 September 2024.
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, Technical and Assembly Skills and Behaviours 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 at page 5 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.
Interview Stage
Applicants invited to interview will be assessed using the Essential Criteria, and Assembly Skills and Behaviours as outlined above. Part of the interview process will be the delivery of a presentation the subject of which will be advised to the applicant in the invite to interview letter.
Interviews are planned for Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 October 2024.
Further Interview Stage
The Selection Panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary.
Disability Confident
The Assembly Commission is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and for our recruitment, we have committed to:
- ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible;
- communicating and promoting vacancies;
- offering an interview to disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job (the Guaranteed Interview Scheme); and
- anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required.
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 by offering an interview to disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. 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.
If you wish to submit your application under the GIS, or if you require adjustments to enable you to participate in any part of the selection process, please indicate this on the application form or contact us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk. Please note that you will be required to provide written confirmation of your disability or long-term health condition from a general practitioner or an appropriate specialist, by the closing date for applications.
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.
Key Employee Benefits
We offer a competitive salary, excellent pension provision and generous annual leave allowance.
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 with the successful applicant about the possibility of flexible working in this role.
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 pre-appointment enquiries which include an Access NI basic check and 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 taking of annual leave may be influenced by the Parliamentary timetable.
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 521741 or email us at recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.
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.