Chair of Trustee Board
Vacancy reference:
001
Sector:
International
Organisation name:
African Prisons Project
Date added:
06/02/2012 - 17:23
Vacancy type:
Chair
Location:
London
Vacancy background:
The African Prison Project works to bring dignity and hope to men, women and children in prison in Africa through healthcare, education, access to justice and community reintegration.
APP is seeking a Chair to guide the organisation through the next stage if its development. The Chair will lead and chair the charity’s Board of Trustees, represent APP at events and meetings and work closely with the Director General to ensure that Board decisions are carried out. This is an unpaid voluntary position.
For further information and a role specification, please email info@africanprisons.org
Primary duties:
1. To lead and chair the Board of Trustees and, in co-operation with other Trustees, to ensure that the Board fulfils its responsibilities of:
§ Ensuring that the charity acts in compliance with its governing document (i.e. its Memorandum and Articles of Association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
§ Ensuring that APP pursues its objects as defined in its governing document.
§ Ensuring that APP applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects.
§ Giving firm strategic direction to APP, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
§ Safeguarding the good name and values of APP.
§ Ensuring the financial stability of APP.
§ Protecting and managing the property of APP and ensuring the proper investment of APP’s funds.
2. To chair Board meetings, Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings.
3. To meet with each Trustee periodically to discuss their role and contribution.
4. Where appropriate to take a lead role in representing APP at events and speaking on APP’s behalf
5. To work closely with the Director General between Board meetings to ensure that Board decisions are carried out and to ensure that appropriate support is provided for him and that monitoring of his performance takes place.
6. To chair the Appointment Group for any future Director General.
Required qualifications:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The Chair should possess the following personal qualities:
§ Integrity and credibility
§ Effective representational and communication skills – to represent APP in a wide range of settings
§ Excellent communication and inter-personal skills.
§ Tact, diplomacy, political awareness and judgement.
§ Impartiality and fairness
§ Ability to listen
§ Ability to make difficult decisions when necessary
The Chair should also possess the following organisational abilities:
§ Sympathy with and understanding of APP’s values, aims and strategic priorities
§ Ability to articulate vision and gain commitment from Trustees, senior managers, employees and volunteers
§ Ability to think, and encourage the organisation to act, strategically and with a long-term view.
§ Ability and willingness to draw on and deploy the skills and experience of Board members effectively and efficiently.
§ Understanding of the separate but complementary roles of Board and Director General
- Post to:
Advice and support
- Funding and finance
- Coping with cuts
- Addressing needs
- Strategy
- Impact
- Managing change
- Planning for the future
- Involving people
- Public Service Delivery
- Governance and leadership
- Compact Advocacy programme
- Campaigning and influencing policy
- Collaborative working
- ICT (information and communication technology)
- Climate change
- Infrastructure
- Innovation
- People, HR and employment
