This unit may be applied in a range of development and/or humanitarian assistance work contexts and should reflect the concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development (i.e. ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability) as embodied in the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action (AAA)

These skills and knowledge are to be applied within the scope of the person's role and authority

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Manage delivery of relief and/or development services and programs

1.1 Use appropriate management strategies and practices to ensure services provided address concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development

1.2 Align management practices with the goals and objectives of the organisation and/or program

1.3 Develop, maintain and apply knowledge and understanding of development strategies, institutions and procedures of partners in guiding delivery of services and programs

1.4 Support partners to develop effective policies and strategies to achieve identified goals and objectives

1.5 Support partners to exercise effective leadership in the implementation of their development policies and strategies

1.6 Support partners to coordinate development actions to achieve identified goals and objectives

1.7 Support personnel involved in service delivery, ensuring their safety and security in the field

1.8 Manage changing teams effectively to support service delivery

1.9 Make rapid situational assessments and complex and difficult decisions associated with service delivery, taking into account cultural and ethical considerations, power structures, organisation requirements and international standards and conventions

2. Use high level communication and interpersonal skills to manage effectively

2.1 Maintain and enhance skills in communication and interpersonal relationships as an ongoing priority to support effective management of aspects of development and/or humanitarian assistance work within scope of own work role

2.2 Exercise discretion in oral and written communication in relation to sensitive issues such as those of a personal, political, cultural and economic nature

2.3 Develop and apply protocols and procedures relevant to each particular situation to support accuracy and understanding of information provided and received

2.4 Take into account individual and cultural differences of stakeholders including differences related to disadvantage and/or disability

2.5 Ensure all communication is targeted to facilitate the achievement of identified outcomes and maintain an appropriately open and inclusive approach

2.6 Manage communication issues in a manner that enhances a community-centred approach consistent with development and/or humanitarian assistance work role requirements

2.7 Take appropriate measures to resolve conflict and interpersonal differences

3. Manage stakeholder relationships

3.1 Manage stakeholder relationships in a manner that supports achievement of identified development outcomes for partners

3.2 Establish and maintain relationships with other development and/or humanitarian assistance partners as a basis for more effective service delivery

3.3 Collaborate with partners to develop strategies and practices that add value and result in more effective development and/or assistance outcomes

3.4 Role model effective stakeholder relationships and support all workers to take a collaborative approach to development and/or humanitarian assistance work

4. Manage resources, systems and practices to achieve identified outcomes

4.1 Monitor and review aspects of development and/or humanitarian assistance work on an ongoing basis

4.2 Work with partners and other contributing organisations, where appropriate, to regularly evaluate ongoing effectiveness of the program in achieving identified outcomes

4.3 Contribute evaluation results for use in ongoing decision-making to ensure the most effective outcome possible in delivery of services

4.4 Adjust or amend systems and practices as required to improve development and/or humanitarian assistance outcomes throughout the 'life' of the program

4.5 Communicate evaluation results widely to provide all stakeholders with an evidence base to support effective decision making in the field

4.6 Use open and transparent participatory processes and practices in the use and management of resources for development and/or humanitarian assistance work

5. Manage risk in a development or humanitarian assistance context

5.1 Put in place appropriate measures to establish safety and security of personnel and manage their ongoing safety and security throughout development and/or humanitarian assistance work

5.2 Manage specific risks in relation to development or humanitarian assistance work

5.3 Manage risk associated with adverse publicity that may impact the success of the program relating to issues

5.4 Manage risk associated with personnel working under pressure and in difficult conditions, especially over extended periods of time

5.5 Manage risk associated with working in highly complex and rapidly changing contexts and needing to respond quickly and effectively to largely unpredictable and challenging issues

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes:

A range of management strategies and practices appropriate for use in development and/or humanitarian assistance contexts and their contribution to aid effectiveness

Values, principles and ethics underpinning work in the sector

International conventions and legal obligations and responsibilities arising from them

Legal and ethical responsibilities, including occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental regulations, equal employment and anti-discrimination requirements as well as responsibilities in the field context

Development strategies, institutions and procedures of partner countries

Effective approaches to address communication issues and achieve identified outcomes in a management role in a development and/or humanitarian assistance context

Donor priorities and requirements

Detailed knowledge of theoretical thinking and topical issues related to development and/or humanitarian assistance

Project management

The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Relief (The Sphere standards)

Agency guidelines, such as:

Australian Agency for International Aid (AusAID) guidelines, including Development for All (Disability) Strategy and Child Protection Policy

U.S. Agency for International Development Field Operational Guide (USAID FOG)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines, especially on specific projects for vulnerable groups

other relevant agency guidelines

Common field operational practices

Partner country's national development strategies, institutions and procedures

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Manage the delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement of services in a development and/or humanitarian assistance context

Support partner countries to exercise effective leadership in implementing and coordinating their development policies and strategies to achieve identified goals and objectives

Use high level communication and interpersonal skills to manage effectively

Manage stakeholder relationships in the context of a development and/or humanitarian assistance project or program

Manage and promote effective team work in a context where team composition may change rapidly and frequently

Actively seek to collaborate with partners to create added value and greater development effectiveness

Work with partner countries and other contributing organisations to monitor and evaluate development and/or humanitarian assistance work on an ongoing basis

Continuously improve systems to manage for development results at all stages of program delivery and support evidence-based decision making

Demonstrate full transparency and accountability for the use of development resources in program delivery

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to:

Use high level communication and interpersonal techniques

Provide leadership in line with work role

Manage problem solving and implementation of solutions

Efficiently manage project or program in line with work role responsibilities

Manage personnel from a wide range of cultural backgrounds

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

The application of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace

Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints

Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace

The circumstantial or unsolicited testimony of project participants, governments or other non-government organisations regarding ethical behaviour should be considered as significant evidence in relation to this unit

Access and equity considerations:

All workers in development and humanitarian assistance should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in their own area of work

All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment

In particular workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues facing the people and culture in which they are working

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues relating to the culture in which they are working

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

This unit may be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other related units of competency is encouraged

Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context

Resources required for assessment include access to:

workplace location or simulated workplace

specifications and work instructions

policy manuals and procedure manuals (international and local, including sector specific manuals)

relevant documents (such as staff assessments, memos, leave records and performance reviews)

relevant equipment (such as vehicles, office equipment and communications equipment)

managers, co-workers and other staff

Method of assessment:

Assessment needs to take into consideration the practical difficulties associated with attempting on-job assessment in the field

Given the nature of this unit, candidates should be expected to present evidence from within a real field environment

If this is not possible, demonstration of some performance criteria in this unit may be achieved through observing the behaviour and responses of the candidate under a stressful situation similar to those likely to be encountered in the field

While it is unethical and inappropriate to place a candidate in real danger, a life-like simulation may provide the best opportunity to observe 'near-real' responses

Underpinning knowledge may be assessed through:

written assignments

project reports

debriefings

action learning projects

Assessment should be supported by supplementary evidence from a wide range of sources, preferably including evidence from one or more field situations

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development include:

Ownership, including:

using delivery processes that support partner countries to exercise effective leadership over their development policies and strategies

coordinating development actions

involving communities and local government in decision making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

encouraging community's and local government's contribution to problem solving

Alignment, involving maintaining a comprehensive understanding of partner countries' national development strategies, institutions and procedures to guide program delivery

Harmonisation:

actively seeking to collaborate with other Official Development Assistance (ODA) partners to create added value and greater development effectiveness

Managing for results, including continuous improvement of systems to:

manage for development results

support evidence-based decision making

Mutual accountability, involving demonstration of:

full transparency and accountability for the use of development resources in program delivery

Partners may include:

Host governments

Donor agencies

Project participants

Other government and/or non-government organisations

Complex and difficult decision may include:

Decisions involving complex cultural and ethical considerations such as dealing with corruption, treatment of women, treatment of people with a disability

Managing issues relating to power structures and conflict between social, political, religious or ethnic groups

Responding to highly complex and rapidly changing contexts and challenges

International standards and conventions may include:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)

European Convention on Human Rights (1950)

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)

American Convention on Human Rights (1969)

The four Geneva Covenants of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977

Convention on the Status of Refugees (1951) and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1976)

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979)

African Charter on Human and People's Rights

Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

Convention on the Status of Refugees (1994)

Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998)

The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Relief (The Sphere standards) organisational policy and procedure documents

The Oxfam Gender handbook (while not a formal standard or convention is clearly a well respected benchmark for many non-government organisations)

Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

Principles of Aid effectiveness as embodied in the Paris Declaration (2005) and Accra principles (2008)

Monitor and review program or project may include:

How identified ethical issues are considered and incorporated in the program design
For instance, in designing a project in a conflict environment, considering if provision of aid will:

have a positive effect on the conflict (i.e. help people to stop fighting)

add to the conflict (i.e. increase competition and mistrust)

How identified culturally sensitive issues are considered and incorporated in the program design
For instance, in designing a program efforts are made to ensure that:

the program assists the affected people without political, religious or gender discrimination

programs are carried out in a way that uses and enhances local knowledge and skills

Program goal and purpose

Program outputs

Project activities

Implementation plan and schedule,

Program inputs or resources required

Program impacts,

Management of risks

Constraints and assumptions

Program sustainability

Management structure and staffing requirements

Addressing principles of development and/or aid effectiveness

Specific risks may include:

Issues that may impact infrastructure, including transport, food security and communication systems

Emergency situations

Political instability and/or corruption

This unit contains employability skills