Chief Executive Officer October 2021
Letter from the Chair Dear Prospective Candidate Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive Officer with Rwanda Action. As you will gather, our inspirational Founder-CEO, David Chaplin is stepping down after thirteen years at the helm of the organisation,. David has taken this charity from small beginnings to create a dynamic and hugely committed organisation serving the needs of the local communities where we operate in Rwanda. As David steps down as CEO this is a pivotal moment for us as we prepare to embark on the next exciting chapter of our journey under new leadership. Rwanda Action is a small and highly impactful organisation working to alleviate poverty in South West Rwanda, and we do this through a diverse portfolio of education, livelihoods and social
protection projects. We are fortunate to have very strong supportive relationships with local and national government agencies, a committed group of generous donors, and most importantly a very capable and highly motivated staff team in Rwanda and the UK. Since 2008, we have supported 37 community enterprise initiatives, provided organic farming and livestock training to 1,700 farmers, and distributed over 250,000 trees from the ten tree nurseries we have established. In partnership with the Rwandan education authorities, we have supported 48 school-based mentors working across 250 schools, as well as sponsoring over 100 students a year, and building 76 classrooms and 14 toilet blocks. Our disability centre, The Alivera Centre, has supported almost 50 young people with disability each year and this provision
will be enhanced with the imminent completion of The Alivera Village which will provide training for young people living with disability. Through our work with street children, we have helped 415 children back into education, and successfully reintegrated 79% of children in residential care back into a nurturing family setting. Our committed team in Rwanda work closely with our Operations Director to deliver these projects to the very highest standards and, through rigorous evaluation, we are able to assess our impact across all areas of service delivery. We are extremely proud of what Rwanda Action has achieved to date, and very excited by the potential we have to scale our impact over the coming years.
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We hope that you will bring dynamic and inspirational leadership, coupled with a proven expertise in cultivating and nurturing strategic funding relationships. You will have a strong passion for community-based, localised and sustainable development approaches, and an understanding of the good governance modalities, including the financial and legal requirements of a charitable company, that are the hallmark of an effective and robust charity. Together with my fellow trustees, I very much look forward to meeting you as we progress through the recruitment process. Yours sincerely Deborah Clayton Hatfield Chair of the Board of Trustees 22 October 2021
About Rwanda Action Rwanda Action was founded in 2008 by David Chaplin under the name Rwanda Aid, which reflected the humanitarian needs of the community at that time. Over the past 13 years we have worked with local communities to identify and meet the needs of the communities in the two districts of Nyamasheke and Rusizi. At the core of our mission to relieve poverty in this remote area of Rwanda has been our commitment to devise and pilot innovative initiatives with the potential for these initiatives to be replicated at scale.
Mission in Rwanda To empower communities to reduce poverty.
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• Rwanda Action’s purpose is to relieve the burden of poverty and suffering in the south west region of Rwanda. We have done this through various priority areas such as providing homes, farm training, tree nurseries, education, teacher training, vocational training, supporting enterprise schemes,and by supporting street children and young people living with disability. For more information on Rwanda Action, visit our website: www.rwanda-action.org
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To reduce poverty, we work with the community to identify the most pressing challenges. Together we devise and pilot innovative solutions to those challenges Through careful monitoring and evaluation, we produce the evidence to show that these solutions are working We encourage and help the community and government to adopt and run with these solutions This gives our work scale and sustainability
Key Projects Areas Rwanda Action currently focuses on four key project areas namely:
Building Communities
Education
Disability
Street Children
Drawing together the learnings from multiple livelihoods projects over the past thirteen years, Rwanda Action has developed a portfolio of impactful small scale initiatives covering enterprise, livestock and tree nurseries which provide training and income opportunities at the community level.
Working in close collaboration with the Rwandan Ministry of Education, Rwanda Action provides training for a SchoolBased Mentor Scheme supporting teaching at the right level. Associated initiatives include student sponsorship, school kitchen gardens and classroom construction.
Rwanda Action is committed to changing perceptions about disability and provides education support to children with additional needs through its residential and outreach training and care centre The Alivera Centre. Rwanda Action is also supporting the establishment of The Alivera Village, a residential centre for 32 young people with disability, which will provide livelihoods training to develop their skills and confidence.
Rwanda Action has worked for many years to support the reintegration of street children into caring family homes, through the Baho Neza Mwana centre.In 2020 the Rwandan authorities decided to phase out residential care for street children so the centre has now been renamed The Rusizi Social Care Centre which provides a base for outreach work and training for parents and key community members to improve the care of vulnerable children.
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Finances
Governance
Staff
Rwanda Action is currently financed in a number of ways including through grants from trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors, as well as community-based fundraising through a network of UK schools.
The work of Rwanda Action is overseen by a highly engaged board comprising 9 Trustees.
The vast majority of Rwanda Action’s staff are Rwandan nationals based in Rwanda, under the leadership of Felicien, our Country Manager.
The charity currently requires approximately £350,000 per annum to deliver its programmes.
Our programmes and country activities are supported and guided by Janyis, our Operations Director, and our fundraising, governance and finance responsibilities are discharged by the Chief Executive Officer and the small UK team. The Chief Executive Officer line manages all UK staff and reports into the board of trustees via the Chair.
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The Role
Summary
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Location:
London, UK
Salary:
Competitive with statutory benefits
Reports to:
Board of Trustees, through the Chair
Direct Reports:
All UK staff
This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to lead this highly impactful, innovative organisation on the next stage in our journey, taking on the reins from our inspirational founder, David Chaplin.
We are seeking a dynamic and purpose-driven leader, who can further build and diversify our funding base, continue to grow Rwanda Action’s impact, and continue to develop our strategy for the benefit of the communities we support in south west Rwanda.
Purpose • Develop and grow income generation capacity, proactively seeking to diversify funding sources to securely fund all projects • Provide inspirational leadership and direction, set, and imbed a high performing culture with a focus on outcomes
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• Work with the Operations Director and Rwandan staff to build capacity leading to a future of self-determination that is progressive and sustainable • Lead and manage all external relations activity, building Rwanda Action’s voice, reputation, and profile
Key Responsibilities Strategy and Resources
Governance
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Ensure long term sustainability by developing income from a blend of major donors, trusts/foundations, events, schools, and corporate partnerships with excellent feedback to all stakeholders. Work with the Operations Director, Board and Rwandan team to develop Rwanda Action’s strategic plan, business plans, budgets, and performance targets. Work closely with the Operations Director, local and national government, and the Rwandan team to produce a rolling fiveyear development plan identifying new areas of opportunity when appropriate. Together with the Operations Director develop a thriving and increasingly autonomous team in Rwanda. Be responsible to the Board, Finance Director and Company Secretary for Rwanda Action’s overall financial health; ensuring that income is maximized, and expenditure is controlled in line with budgets.
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Work with the Chair of the Board to ensure high standards of governance and that the Board fulfils constitutional and legislative requirements in the UK and Rwanda. Provide appropriate and accurate management information and other guidance to the Board of Trustees to ensure they have a clear and accurate understanding of the health and performance of the organisation and are able to take informed decisions. Support the Chair in ensuring the continued engagement and development of all Trustees. As appropriate, monitor and advise on the composition of the Board, its committees and the process of selfassessment and development.
Leadership and Management
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External Relations •
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volunteers are inspired, motivated, valued and performing to their full potential. Ensure that Rwanda Action has in place effective policies and procedures to manage safeguarding, human resources, associates, finance, information, communication, premises, and other resources and that these meet relevant legislative requirements and agreed quality standards. Liaise with professional advisers as required.
Provide excellent leadership to Rwanda Action ensuring all staff and
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Ensure strong and positive relationships with key external stakeholders to ensure that the organisation builds a reputation for excellence and that opportunities are maximised. Clearly articulate the value and impact of Rwanda Action to a diverse range of audiences and stakeholders. Represent the interests of Rwanda Action externally, developing the charity’s brand and profile.
Service Delivery and Impact •
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Ultimately be responsible for ensuring that all programmes are developed and delivered in accordance with the action plan. Lead on the evaluations strategy to demonstrate programme effectiveness in delivering agreed outcomes.
Person Specification Experience Required • • • •
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Proven track record in fundraising Identifying and securing new income streams to enable strategic growth Proven track record as a strategic leader, ideally with experience of working in International Development or with sound understanding of the sector Developing/achieving strategic plans whilst managing a wide range of shorter-term operational demands. Building success through partnerships, influence, and diplomacy Developing and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of
clients, stakeholders and partners including other charities, schools, businesses, and funders Supporting a Board of Trustees and effectively engaging the skills and experience of trustees in the development of strategy
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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities •
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Knowledge of the governance, constitutional and legal requirements of a charity and company limited by guarantee The ability to drive a ‘best in class’ culture and sustain a positive working environment with high morale
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Ability to negotiate with, influence and develop relationships with a wide range of diverse stakeholders Ability to process a large quantity of information and to communicate effectively with customers, trustees, staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders A good understanding of and commitment to Equality and Diversity across all areas of work with clear understanding of the local culture Able to work flexibly from home and travel to Rwanda as required when travel restrictions do not apply
Personal Qualities and Attitudes •
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Passion and enthusiasm for transforming the lives of Rwandan communities facing poverty and deprivation Committed to excellence Open, transparent, honest High degree of Personal Initiative Resilience and tenacity Inspiring and highly professional Excellent communicator who is able to be an effective ambassador and engage donors and sponsors Ability to mentor the Rwandan managers and inspire/promote their autonomy
How to Apply All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. You should give the names, positions, organisations and telephone contact numbers of two referees, relevant to this role. References will only be taken once your express permission has been granted. Finally please ensure that you have included mobile, work and home telephone numbers, as well as any dates when you will not be available or might
have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.
Selection process
The documents should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First Name-Your LastName-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV102021-RwandaAction or Pat-JonesCoverLetter-102021-RwandaAction.
All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.
Timeline
Equality Statement
Closing Date: 12th December 2021
Equality and diversity are at the core of Rwanda Action’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.
First stage interviews: December 2021 Final interviews: January 2022
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Rwanda Action is an equal-opportunity employer, allowing no discrimination on any grounds including those of race, creed, or sex.
Queries If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at rwanda-action-ceo@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.
About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.
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Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.
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