Executive Level 1

Work Level Description

Employees at this level manage the operations of an organisation or functional team under limited direction to achieve results in line with the corporate goals of AusAID. Management of a program or activity in Central Office or an overseas post may be a feature of the work undertaken at this level. Staff or team supervision is normally a major feature of the work and may involve the exercising of technical or professional skills or judgement, particularly in information systems and public affairs and librarian positions at this classification level.

Characteristics of the Work

An employee at the Executive Level 1 in AusAID may occupy a position in one of the following areas: country programs, multilateral/community/humanitarian programs, corporate policy, program support, corporate services or an overseas post. A brief description of the type of work involved in each of these areas is provided below:

Country programs - involves managing and supervising staff involved with a country, regional or sectoral program. Typically this involves strategy development and monitoring; research, analysis and preparation of papers, correspondence, briefs and/or submissions; identifying and implementing aid delivery innovations; maintaining awareness of political issues affecting the program; activity preparation including project design and participating in contract negotiations; financial management; liaising with stakeholders; and providing advice to senior management, the Parliamentary Secretary or to the Minister.
Multilateral/Community/Humanitarian programs - work may relate to: multilateral organisations (including development banks, United Nations and other international organisations), non-government organisations and emergency and refugee programs. The type of work would involve analysis of information, preparation of complex papers, consultation with a range of stakeholders (eg. the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, other Commonwealth Government Departments, UN agencies, media organisations), presentation of results and representational work.
Corporate policy - work may relate to organisational, development and sectoral policy and planning. The type of work would involve analysis of information, preparation of complex papers/briefs/submissions, consultation with a range of stakeholders, presentation of results and representational work.
Program support - involves providing services in regard to contracts including preparing tender documents in consultation with other staff, responding to enquiries, chairing Technical Assessment Panel meetings, contract negotiations, preparing contracts and seeking legal advice as appropriate, in program quality areas the work would involve researching information, preparation of complex papers, evaluation and review, and liaison with a range of stakeholders. In public affairs, an Executive Level 1 may be employed as a journalist and be required to prepare press releases, publications and respond to media enquiries.
Corporate services - this would normally involve managing and supervising staff involved in the delivery of any one of a number of corporate services. Corporate services include: services to the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary; provision of statistical reports; financial administration and preparation of budget documents; library services; internal audit, staff training and development; personnel services and information systems development. The type of work in most areas would involve analysis, coordination and/or preparation of materials, advice and information, liaison with a range of people and implementation of systems, policies and/or procedures.
Overseas posts - some employees at the Executive Level 1 are the sole AusAID employee in an Australian mission overseas. However, Executive Level 1 employees are more commonly part of a small AusAID team. The type of work involves: examining requests from recipient authorities for development assistance; undertaking negotiations with authorities on the formulation and implementation of approved development cooperation programs; managing a range of contracts with a focus on performance monitoring and financial management; and monitoring the delivery of Australian development cooperation and advising AusAID of its effectiveness.

Specific tasks

Specific tasks at the Executive Level 1 in AusAID may include several of the following:

Tasks involving supervision and leadership:

manage the work of a sub-section, work unit or work team;
provide feedback to staff where necessary;
supervise staff involved in the delivery of program or corporate services; and
lead a small team in the development of policy.

Tasks involving written communication skills:

coordinate and prepare complex briefings and correspondence for the Minister, Parliamentary Secretary, AusAID Executive and Australian delegations; and
draft country or regional papers, policy papers, complex correspondence, briefs and submissions on a wide range of matters.

Tasks involving oral communication, representation and negotiation skills:

represent the Agency at meetings, conferences and seminars;
negotiate and liaise with relevant authorities and development cooperation interest groups on specific activities/issues;
negotiate and maintain liaison at senior levels with counterpart officials and representatives concerning the formulation and implementation of development cooperation programs;
liaise with other bilateral development cooperation donors, regional bodies, and multilateral development cooperation agencies on the programming/delivery of development cooperation within the country/region; and
prepare and deliver occasional lectures and talks.

Tasks involving formulating, implementing, monitoring and reviewing projects, activities and/or policies:

formulate program/project/policy objectives, specific proposals and priorities;
implement program/project activities, monitor the performance of projects and develop efficiency/effectiveness indicators;
formulate proposals and advice for the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary on matters relevant to the work area;
evaluate and review requests, information and proposals from recipient governments for Australian development programs, projects and technical assistance;
monitor and assess the delivery of all forms of Australian development cooperation and provide advice on its effectiveness;
develop, review and interpret policies; and
monitor programs in respect of gender, sectoral, geographic, environmental and commercial impact.

Tasks involving financial administration:

prepare budgets and monitor expenditure;
exercise financial delegations; and
prepare project financial estimates, coordinate budgets, maintain financial records and analyse/monitor expenditure.

Tasks involving the provision of advice and/or services:

advise AusAID management on: the impact of development cooperation programs; the importance to national/regional planning programs, the desirability of Australian participation; and any expected difficulties/problems;
provide advice on developments likely to affect the cost and scheduling of programs/projects;
provide advice on the effectiveness of the various categories of development cooperation and of the types of programs to be undertaken;
advise on international development issues and their implications for the Australia development cooperation program;
provide advice on AusAID relations with other development cooperation donors and the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD;
provide advice on corporate management of the development cooperation program including budget considerations, corporate planning, program issues and personnel management; and
provide Cabinet, Ministerial and Parliamentary liaison services for AusAID.