systems, infrastructure and ways of
working to manage the organisation,
meeting the responsibility to be a
“good employer” of the staff;
o Manage the organisational finances,
human and other resource allocation;
These responsibilities and functions are
part of the job description of the Secretary
who is responsible for:
• Providing strategic advice;
• Internal and external relationship
management;
• Resource management.
activity or project;
• Manage the staff member(s) in the
implementation of the activity or
project, to the agreed brief;
• Consult on any changes to the agreed
brief with the Commissioner;
• Facilitate resolution of any issues that
arise between the Commissioner and
the staff member.
If any issue arises between a Commissioner
and a Director, they should attempt to
resolve the issue themselves in the first
instance. If it remains unresolved, the
issue should be raised with the Secretary.
The Chairman may be involved if the
issue cannot be resolved through the
involvement of the Secretary.
PART
FOUR:
MANAGEMENT
SUPPORT OF COMMISSIONERS’
4.2 Operational Engagement
ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVITIES
4.1 Strategic Engagement
In support of a Commissioner’s
responsibility to provide advice, leadership
and high level guidance or input into
substantive activities, the appropriate
Director will hold a briefing meeting with
the Commissioner and assigned staff at
the beginning of an activity or project to:
• Agree and define the task with
the
Commissioner,
including
consideration of the substantive
issues and of strategic approaches;
• Allocate adequate resources and
redefine the task if resources are not
available;
• Ensure that the purpose, content,
standards, points of communication
and deadlines are clear and that
assigned staff fully understand what is
required of them.
The Director will communicate a written
note of this meeting. Following this
briefing meeting, the Director will:
• Be accountable for the delivery of the
60
When a Commissioner delivers activities
alone or with external partners, the Director
need be engaged only to provide strategic
advice. At other times, a Commissioner
may engage in the delivery of an activity
or project alongside Directors and staff
members. Once the Commissioner has
set the brief, he or she in effect becomes a
member of the project team.
The Director’s role in providing support to
the Commissioner in such instances is:
• To agree and communicate the brief
for the project following the same
process as in 5.1 above;
• To manage the project, or assign a staff
member to manage the project;
• To ensure the Commissioner is
included in operational project team
meetings at points of engagement
identified in the brief
• To manage the delivery of the project
following the same process as in 5.1
above.