Human Rights Commission

Human Rights Education and Training (HRET) Project Support Officer

About the Irish Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission was established under the Human Rights Commission Acts 2000 & 2001. The Acts set out the Commission’s powers and functions conferring on it a wide-ranging remit to promote and protect human rights as defined both in international agreements to which Ireland is a party and in the Irish Constitution. The Commission consists of fifteen members and is independent of Government. The Commission has received ring-fenced funding from a Philanthropic organisation to allow for the engagement of independent contractors to assist in the performance of the IHRC Human Rights Education and Training Project (HRETP).

IHRC Human Rights Education and Training Project

The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Human Rights Education and Training Project has successfully completed Phase 1, a pilot phase running from March 2010 to August 2011 and will now begin work on Phase 2. The project aims to provide human rights education and training to the Civil and Public Service, in the short term this has focussed on increased awareness of applicable human rights standards and increased capacity to conduct internal training. Phase 2 aims to build on and continue this work.

HRET Project Support Officer

The HRET Project Support Officer will be contracted to support the development and implementation of the IHRC Human Rights Education and Training Project. They will report to the Project Manager of the Human Rights Education and Training Project under the overall supervision of the Director of Research, Policy and Promotion and the Chief Executive. The duration of the contract is 10 months with potential for renewal for a further 12 months.

Contract Description

The HRET Project Support Officer will be responsible for:

1.  supporting the Project Manager in the development and implementation of the IHRC’s Human Rights Education and Training Project (HRETP);

2.  providing administrative and organisational support for the development of human rights training materials;

3.  supporting the development of on-line e-learning and multi-media aspects of the HRETP, including camera use;

4.  seeking out opportunities to promote the HRETP to the target audiences, including staffing stands at conferences and identifying useful outlets including journals;

5.  event organising for training courses, conferences, seminars and other related meetings ;

6.  writing, managing content, reporting and collecting statistics for the HRETP microsite;

7.  liaising with stakeholder groups to gather inputs in respect of the HRETP;

8.  attending staff meetings and meetings of the Commission and of committees of the Commission, as directed by the Chief Executive;

9.  implementing Commission policy, as directed; and

10.  undertaking such other contract requirements as may reasonably be required by the Project Manager, Director of Research, Policy and Promotion and/or by the Chief Executive.

Contract Specification

Applicants for the contract of HRET Project Support Officer will be assessed in accordance with the following criteria. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide evidence of how she or he meets these criteria.

Essential Criteria

·  a primary degree in communications, law, social science or a related discipline;

·  Good knowledge of human rights and international law;

·  Experience in providing multi-media support, particularly in relation to education and training initiatives in human rights related fields;

·  Some experience in an education and/or training field related to human rights;

·  Strong administrative, writing, organisational and IT skills;

·  Some experience of event management;

·  Be a ‘self-starter’ who is enthusiastic about the promotion of human rights and can operate with limited direction / supervision;

·  Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work as part of a team;

·  Sound judgement and integrity;

·  A Valid Tax Clearance Certificate.

Desirable Criteria

·  Some knowledge and understanding of the public service and of statutory bodies and community and voluntary organisations in the human rights field nationally and internationally;

·  Ability to contribute to effective thinking on policy issues relating to education and training, including knowledge of the nature and variety of these sectors in Ireland;

·  Have a relevant postgraduate qualification in human rights law or education or other relevant discipline;

·  Other relevant experience in education, training, multi-media, IT, human rights or a related area;

·  An interest in the work of the Irish Human Rights Commission and some understanding of the role of National Human Rights Institutions.

Not Employment

For the avoidance of doubt, the HRET Project Support Officer will be an independent contractor and not an employee of the IHRC and has no entitlements to employment protection or benefits under statute, contract, common law or otherwise. It will be a provision of the service agreement entered into by the Contractor not to make any employment related claim of any nature against the IHRC during or after this Agreement, under statute, contract, common law or otherwise. Furthermore, the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2001 shall not apply to the termination of this contract either on the cessor of the term or otherwise.

Application requirements

Respondents are asked to provide the following:

·  a short up to date copy of their curriculum vitae (no more than 3 pages)

·  a letter of application

·  contact details for 2 referees

An up to date tax clearance certificate will be required to be provided by the successful contractor before engagement.

Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 12 August 2011.

Interviews

It is anticipated that interviews will take place in the last week of August for short-listed candidates.

Contract Payment

The hourly rate is circa €20 p.h (including VAT).

The Contractor will be paid an hourly rate and it is anticipated that the Project will be executed on the basis of services provided for 8 hours per day over the course of 10 months.

The Contractor shall not be paid a fee for any period in which services were not provided for whatever reason, including sickness, holidays or other commitments. Professional Services Withholding Tax (PSWT) will be deducted by the IHRC from all payments made to the contractor.

Any pre-authorised vouched travel and subsistence as is reasonably necessary for the performance of the services will be paid at public service rates.

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