MANAGER : STRATEGY MANAGEMENT – BQA

Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Tertiary Education Research Science and Technology. It draws its mandate from the BQA Act No.24 of 2013. Its main objectives are to provide for and maintain a National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) and to coordinate the Education, Training and Skills Development Quality Assurance System.

BQA invites applications from qualified citizen candidates to fill the following positions:

 

MANAGER : STRATEGY MANAGEMENT

Job Summary

To plan, lead and coordinate the development, execution, monitoring and evaluation of the organisations medium and long-term strategies and operational plans, coordinate programme management and in order to ensure successful strategic planning and budgeting process, optimum delivery, and resourcing of the organisational portfolio of projects and strategic initiatives, and enable the BQA to successfully discharge its mandate.

Main Duties:

Divisional Strategies, Policies and Leadership

• Formulates, reviews and updates best practice, strategic planning and programme management framework and strategies for the BQA, and coordinates the development of medium and long term strategies and annual operating plans under the direction of the CEO.
• Leads the BQA strategic planning process and programme management, focusing on long-term trends and outlook in education and qualifications frameworks to ensure that BQA strategies and plans maintain focus on quality, access, competitiveness and global recognition of Botswana educational standards.
• Formulates the division’s operational plans and budgets, for the CEO’s approval and manages their implementation.
• Develops, reviews and implements cost effective and value driven systems, processes, standards, procedures, guidelines and instruments that are relevant for the conduct of the division’s work.
• Keeps abreast of international trends and changes in the operations of similar organisations to identify and recommend the adoption of relevant best practices to optimise BQA’s processes and operations.
• Acts as a key advisor to CEO, DCEO and Executive Management on issues pertaining to strategy and programme management. Corporate Strategic Planning and Performance Management
• Manages leads and coordinates the development of annual, medium and long-term strategic plans for the Authority, ensuring that the BQA strategy is driven through business intelligence, suitable business models and national policies.
• Oversees and leads the production of high-level strategy for presentation to the Executive Committee and the Board.
• Finalises and updates corporate strategy and scorecard under the direction of the CEO.
• Manages, coordinates and leads the process of cascading the corporate strategy to departments, divisions and units, operational plans and scorecards and provides guidance on execution by working collaboratively with Heads of Departments.
• Leads the BQA’s approach to measurement and evaluation with focus on the creation and maintenance of the Authority’s dashboard for impact and organisational effectiveness.
• Ensures that appropriate metrics are in place to measure performance and progress towards strategic goals.
• Works closely with the Human Resources Department to ensure that employee performance contracts and actual performance are aligned to the BQA corporate scorecard and corporate performance.
• Oversees and leads the communication of approved BQA strategy across the Authority, ensuring that all employees of BQA understand it.
• Builds relevant relationships within Government and other key stakeholders to identify and advise the Authority on any relevant changes of national policies that may impact on the BQA.
• Manages and coordinates the assessment of corporate performance against approved strategy and plans, and provides feedback to departmental heads.
• Follows up departmental heads to take action to bring performance to expected levels.

Programme Management

• Oversees the management and monitoring of all projects and programmes and enforce all policies and processes related to project planning, resourcing, implementation and quality assurance.

• Provides leadership for the project management function by managing, coordinating and developing appropriate strategies to ensure deliverables meet stakeholder expectations.
• Designs and continuously refines the programme management approach, tools and methodologies, based on project experiences and best practices.
• Oversees and coordinates projects performance monitoring and recommends remedial strategies to bring all projects to the expected performance levels.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• Formulates and establishes strong monitoring and evaluation data collection and analysis components, tools and reporting formats for the BQA that will facilitate effective performance tracking of BQA portfolio of projects.
• Reviews and validates regular reports compiled by the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for submission to the CEO. Ensures departments use outcomes of evaluation for effective decision-making.
• Continuously scans the internal and external environment to identify, justify and recommend projects that will assist BQA to effectively achieve its long and short-term objectives.
• Coordinates the preparation of the detailed and consolidated end of year M & E report on BQA projects portfolio in liaison with project owners with recommendations for closing any identified performance gaps.

Reporting

• Reviews and ensures the establishment of database that will ensure availability of reliable information for timely reporting to the CEO, Executive Committee, the Board MOESD and other key stakeholders.
• Reviews periodic reports submitted by heads of units and engages them on operational issues with a view to improving divisional performance and optimising strategic planning processes within the BQA.
• Prepares quarterly reports on the implementation of corporate strategic plans and the performance of the division for review and approval by the CEO.
• Produces detailed consolidated annual reports on the activities and performance of the division against approved plans and budgets, with appropriate recommendations for improvement and submits and presents them to the CEO.

People Management

• Participates in the recruitment and on-boarding of the staff of the division
• Manages and ensures that team members have performance contracts, and that performance assessment are done in accordance with BQA Performance Management system and agreed schedules.
• Monitors the performance of the division and ensures that all team members meet or exceed their performance contracts.
• Resolves disciplinary and grievance issues in accordance with Botswana labour legislation and BQA disciplinary codes and best practice.
• Demonstrates commitment to the transformation of BQA into a high performing organisation by ensuring the division’s contribution to cross functional work teams as and when required, and reflecting the Authority’s vision, mission and values in daily wok and interactions
• Undertakes any other duty/duties required to meet the objectives of the Authority

Key Performance Indicators:

• Existence of relevant and best practice strategic planning and programme management strategies, policies and methodologies.
• Timeliness, effectiveness and quality of divisional policies, systems, processes and procedures.
• Approved divisional plans, budgets, and level of implementation thereof.
• Quality and timeliness of advice and applied research.
• Approved corporate plan by 31 March each year.
• Clear linkage between departmental, divisional and unit plans and scorecards with corporate strategic plans.
• Effective corporate performance measurement system in place.
• Availability of an up-to-date dashboard.
• Clarity of corporate targets and measures.
• Understanding of corporate strategies by employees.
• Effective implementation of corporate plan.
• Quality and timeliness of performance assessments.
• Adoption or adherence to relevant Programme management methodologies.
• Projects delivered within scope, budget and on time.
• VMS in place and effectively maintained.
• M&E policies, tools, formats and templates available and effectively utilised.
• Quality and timeliness of M&E reports
• Level of Utilisation of evaluation outcomes.
• Annual M&E report on projects produced within timeframes agreed with the CEO.
• Availability of accurate and reliable database.
• Timeliness and quality of divisional reports.
• Level of implementation of divisional plans and strategies.
• Competent and engaged staff.
• Individual Performance Contracts for the staff signed off and assessments done within agreed BQA deadlines.
• Members of the unit meet or exceed their performance targets.
• Disciplined and engaged staff.
• Portrayal of BQA values.

Position requirements:

Education:

• At least a Master’s Degree in Strategy Management from a recognised institution or any other relevant qualification acceptable to BQA.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of Programme Management and/or Strategic Planning experience including at least 3 years’ experience at supervisory level.
• Exposure to similar functions in an Education and Training environment would be an advantage.

Required Competencies:

Technical competencies:

• Knowledge of the Education and Training sector (policy, strategy, legislation, regulations)
• Knowledge of research and strategic planning process and principles
• Computer literate – experience with systems and applications in the specific work area Other competencies:
• Creativity, innovation, flexibility and analytical thinking.
• Results Oriented and performance driven.
• Decisiveness and assertiveness.
• Communication, influence, impact.
• Service Oriented and client focus.
• Team building, leadership and motivation.
• People Management and interpersonal skills.
• Planning, organizing, budgeting, resource management.
• Emotional Intelligence

The following information applies to all positions: Remuneration

BQA offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with the responsibilities and challenges of the job.

Terms of employment

Fixed term contract of 1-5 years for Managerial Positions and above and Permanent and Pensionable terms for officer positions and below.

 

Application procedure

 

Applications with CVs, list of referees and certified copies of certificates and Omang should be forwarded on or before Friday 15 February 2019 to:

 

The Chief Executive Officer

Botswana Qualifications Authority

Private Bag BO 340

Gaborone

Physical Address:

BQA Offices

Office No. S33 (2^nd Floor)

Plot 66450, Block 7, Gaborone Tel: 365 7200