Team member recruitmerny & responsabilities

HR&S Sweden establishes HR&S Country Branches in Sub-Sahara African countries. The Branches represents HR&S Sweden in the country, and develop relations with Institution managements, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders. The Branches also manage RISE Centres, which provide support to local social entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators to offer their products and services to the local community.

Intrinsic motivation & Agency for change

The HR&S Country Branch team members are very, very special people. They are the fore-front of HR&S in each country; respected, appreciated and trusted by HR&S Sweden to represent HR&S in our target countries.

  1. The HR&S Local Branches Operations team members must make an effort to understand the core values of HR&S and then make a well-informed decision on if they want to become members.
  2. The HR&S Local Branches Operations team members must be active, they must take own initiatives. They are free to improvise. Free to make mistakes. In HR&S we see mistakes as an opportunity to learn. If we do not make mistakes, then we also do not try new things. What we are proud of is that we learn from our mistakes, make informed decisions, and do not repeat the mistake.
  3. Cross-cultural understanding. In every country can it be difficult for the formally educated community and the illiterate community to understand each other. Thereby we may lack trust and respect and efficient communication may become a problem. In HR&S we depend on the coordination between groups with different capacity and experience, all being equally important, when improving livelihood for the under-served community; may it be the capacity to perform according to university education or to manage a programme within an under-served community. HR&S therefore depends on establishing teams of members with cross-cultural skills.
  4. As a result of the Aid industry, the expectation of persons seeking to become members of the local HR&S team of operations many be the donor-driven structure. Persons may expect that their salaries and other programme running costs shall be paid for by foreign donors, that foreign donors shall provide administrations services, pieces of training as well as equipment, consumables, service and maintenance, free of charge. But HR&S team members must agree with that salaries are not paid for by HR&S, training is not given for free by HR&S, programmes are not funded by HR&S. Instead the HR&S local RISE centres are social enterprises that generate the income required to do local social good, in deep, close and caring collaboration with HR&S Sweden. HR&S benefits from the Lean startup model, the Lean business model and the Agile strategy.

Assigning new HR&S Country Branch team members: Potential new members must be able to answer a few questions about HR&S proving they have studies carefully and understood HR&S very well.  Potential new members are also assign on trial for six months before becoming full team members. During the six months of trial they will get assignments to deliver on and join a few meetings with partners. They have to prove that they will take initiatives, be active and attend meetings, show cross-cultural respect with other communities and not be judgmental, and accept that RISE are social enterprises that pay costs and reimburses team members from income generated by the Branch itself.

HR&S runs webinars, where our practical strategies and core values are addressed. This is a good opportunity for new and potentially new  operation’s team members to understand HR&S, our Local Branches and RISE Centres.

HR&S is not an aid institution but a social enterprise that establishes country representation. The Branches provide training to members, as well as, manages the centre and generates income. It is a slow but firm process to establish a new Local Branch, where the team members with time understands the concept and the meaning of the different assignments. It is a trial and error. All information is available on the website. The transitions from theory to actual practice can only be made organically.

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Each team must include

  1. A team-leader
    • who calls for and chairs team meetings
  2. An accountant
  3. A person who handles legal matters.
  4. A TestE survey officer
  5. A 22RISE programme officer
  6. An ActionInvest programme officer
  7. Other assignments

One person can have more than one assignment and one assignment can be shared between two or more persons, depending on the needs and the capacity of the team-members. 

We have three Directors of the business, who are also the signatories the bank account, together.

Each team must also assign an external auditor when the capital exceeds EUR 10,000.

  • The Team of operations works together to achieve high levels of accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting and strategic planning.
  • They address efficiency, effectiveness, risk management, internal and external control, management and governance, internal and external communication and other topics of concern.
  • The Team of operations ensures communication around problems encountered.

Meetings & interactions

  • All members of the Country Branches attend all monthly meetings:
    1. Internal Branch meetings.
    2. On-line meetings between each Country Branch and HR&S Sweden
    3. On-line meetings between all Country Branches together, HR&S Sweden and Action10, ActionTalks
  • All members of the Country branches attend every second month:
    1.  RISEtalks between all RISE members and Country Branch members.
  •  Each Country Branch is also always on a capacity strengthening programme through weekly interactions with HR&S Sweden through WhatsApp chat groups.
  • Each capacity (team-leaders, accountants, evaluation planers, survey managers, etc) interacts with the same capacity in other countries through WhatsApp chat groups.

 Reporting

  • Each team member submits an annual activity report, due 31 January

Team-leader

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Empowers team-spirit.
    • Within the Team of Operations.
      • Support team of operations members to manage their tasks.
      • Calls for internal monthly meetings where mile-stones and related other issues are addressed.
    • Within the RISE Centre together with RISE members.
    • With HR&S Country branches, HR&S Sweden and Action10.
  • Business management
    • Run the HR&S Branch as a business according to rules and regulations of the country.
    • Implements a business plan that targets a sustainable economy for the Branch within a few years.
    • Finance administration and accounting
      • Manages the Branch local bank account as signatory together with the accountant.
      • Ensure that requests for withdrawal of funds from the HR&S Branch account is sent to and approved by HR&S Sweden, before withdrawing funds.
  • Seeks opportunities
    • Reaches out to Institution managements to link with HR&S Sweden for coaching purposes.
    • Seek local tenders to be managed by HR&S Sweden and the branch together.

Empowers the physical infrastructure of the RISE Centre.

A person who handles legal matters

Empower law and accountability

Accountant

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Manages the Branch local bank account as signatory together with the team leader.
  • Makes payments after approval from HR&S Sweden, using the HR&S template.
  • Ensures that coordinators and auditors are paid according to contract, when funds are available.
  • Manages the Branch bookkeeping.
    Please note that the HR&S Branch ledger is kept separate from the Action10 ledger. ActionInvest is received from Action10 and can only be used as capital to give out loans. The loans are paid back to the ActionInvest ledger. The 10 % annual interest goes to the HR&S Branch ledger as an income.
    • Ensure that the finance and administration is performed according to international standard and as presented in the Terms of Reference with the Auditor.
  • Manages internal financial control of the Branch.
  • Develops annual Branch Financial reports, and quaterly financial narratives. The HR&S fiscal year is the calender year; 1 January – 31 December.
  • Supports the RISE members with financial administration and accounting procedures in order for the business to develop a sustainable economy and autonomy.
    • Arrange bi-annual training events with all RISE members on finance administration and accounting, RISEtalks.
    • Overview that the bookkeeping is well managed and prepare for efficient auditing by the end of the fiscal year.
    • Support the development of internal financial control systems.
    • Expected outcome: Clear books, Well recorded receipts, Well managed internal and external financial transactions, Well managed bank account where all programme related funds are kept, Monthly bank account reconciliation, Properly managed procurements, Respected business plan, Well prepared business plan for the coming fiscal year, Well prepared financial annual reports.
  • Indicators related to ActionInvest
    • Each loan taker has a book that contains every financial transaction, The Branch has a general book for all the loan takers. 
    • Every receipt should be signed in two sample (one with the loan taker and the other with the Branch for reporting or auditing).
    • A financial report is compiled and shared with the Branch quaterly.
    • Trust and truth should be maintained between the RISE members and with the Branch Team of Operations.
  • Joins when procuring items and ensure good and correct price in accordance with what is presented on the receipt.
  • Supports the Impact Measurement Coordinator with collecting financial monitoring data.

Deputy team-leader

Supports the team leader.

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Compiles and ensures that agreements are respected.
    • Collects signatures and files the contracts for:
      • Team of Operations members
      • Auditors.
      • RISE members.
  • Develops and shares with HR&S Sweden an annual Branch & RISE Centre programme and financial report, due 15 February.
  • HR&S Network
    • Helps coordinate one of the the four HR&S networks.
  • Arranges six RISEtalks per year, every second month.
    • Set dates, make invitations, ensure participants have access to internet and zoom, take notes from the meetings, distribute and compile notes. Learn lessons.
    • RISEtalks calls together the Branch and the RISE members. During RISEtalks potential RISEmembers pitches the business or business scale up and the Branch team selects RISE members with intrinsic motivation. The Branch arranges for that RISE members understands and signs the HR&S RISE member agreement; manages the business and the business loan according to the agreement; and pays back the loan on time with interest.

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  • Branch team-building events
  • Ensures RISE Centre services.
    • Collects RISE membership fees.

Evaluation Planning coordinator

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Evaluation planning
    • Develops and maintains a SfC for the Branch.
    • Performs stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management.
  • Offers bi-annual ROPE/SfC trainings during RISEtalks.
  • Develops a SfC road-map for each RISE member.
    1. Designing programmes and performing evaluation planning according to ROPE.
      • At the start of a support period, goals are set and indicators developed according to the SfC.
      • Output, outcome and sustainable impact are measured real time.
    2. Stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management.
    3. Developing and implementing a business plan that ensures a sustainable economy within a few years.
      • Pay attention to signed ActionInvest loan agreements.
    4. Collect of information for the measurement of impact.

Impact Measurement coordinator

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Photos & videos
    • Collects photos and videos showing evidence based impact to be used for fundraising campaigns. Ensure consent.
  • Performs surveys according to TestE, thus based on scientific evidence.
  • Develops and implements a survey manual.
    • Micro survey management; Compiling baseline data. Compiling monitoring data and evidence according to TestE. 
    • Macro survey management; Compiling baseline data collected from the Programme management. Compiling baseline data collected from the national development plan and related information. Compiling baseline data collected from regional and international documents. Do state-of-the-art research benefiting from the scientific literature.

Branding & Public Relations coordinator

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Social good & visibility.
    • Ensure good relation with the surroundings and visibility.
    • Connect the programme with the local community and share awareness about how this programme shall benefit the whole community. Invite the community member and leaders to make suggestions about the local benefit and sustainability of the programme.
  • Branding.
    • Develop and implement a branding strategy.
    • Performing an analysis on how our brand is currently perceived among supporters and customers, then proceed to plan on how the brand should be perceived if it is to achieve its objectives and continue with ensuring that the brand is perceived as planned and secures its objectives.
    • Ensure branding that exposes HR&S Sweden, HR&S Local Branches and RISE Centres as high quality and professional.
  • PR & Marketing.
    • Develop and implement  a marketing strategy.
    • Benefits from PR management to protect, enhance, and build reputations through the media, social media, and self-produced communications.
    • Social media & crowdfunding
      • Manage a Branch Facebook page as well as LinkedIn page.
      • Develops stories for crowd-funding campaigns, with photos and videos.
      • Shares the link to Action10 crowd-funding campaigns on social media reaching out to the local and international community that may have an interest in that specific opportunity.

Supports the RISE members with their Branding and PR

Business management coordinator

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Helps the team-leader to ensure the Branch reaches a sustainable economy.
  • Arrange bi-annual training events during RISEtalks, when sharing knowledge on all aspects of social business management.
  • Assess the competition on the market for the RISE members.

Research & Laboratory management coordinator

Branch

RISE Centre

  • Link HR&S to scientific institutions and laboratories.
  • Coordinate the local nodes of the HR&S Network of Researchers and the HR&S Network of Technicians.
  • Offer expert advice to RISE members linked to the HR&S Research management and Laboratory management programmes.

Auditor

Independent auditors are  assigned for both the Branches and RISE members when the capital exceeds EUR 10,000, or when requested specifically by HR&S Sweden and/or the Branch.

  • Accuracy of the bookkeeping according to international standard. Verify that there is supporting documentation related to costs.
  • Accuracy of that all funds related to the programme are kept at one separate bank account, agreed on by HR&S.
  • The accuracy of the monthly bank account statements are reconciled.
  • Review that the outgoing balance for the previous period is the same as an incoming balance for the current period.
  • Adequacy of internal control related to disbursement procedures.
  • Follow up whether salary costs debited to the project/programme are recorded throughout the duration of the year in a systemized way.
  • Examine whether foreign exchange gains and losses are disclosed.
  • Compliance with the applicable tax legislation in regard to taxes and social security fees.
  • Follow up whether procurement guidelines have been respected.
  • Adequacy of internal control related to disbursement procedures.
  • Review whether there is an unbroken chain of audited financial reports.
  • Ensure communication around problems encountered.