The Roma Education Fund and the Roma Health Project of the Open Society Foundations are seeking an Ombudsman to resolve procedural problems and complaints related to scholarship programs.
Terms of Reference
REF Scholarship Ombudsman
A Word version of this document is attached at right.
Background
REF Scholarship Programs runs merit based academic competition in 16 Program countries under different schemes:
The Roma Memorial University Scholarship Program (RMUSP) being the largest scholarship scheme run in order to support the educational achievements of Roma students in tertiary education.
The Roma Health Scholarship Program (RHSP) is a complex program run in cooperation with the Roma Health Project of the Open Society Foundations in Budapest. The Program supports Roma students studying in the field of medicine in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia. The mandate of the Ombudsman under RHSP will cover scope of work of other implementing partners.
The Law and Humanities Scholarship Program (LHP) provides scholarships in Moldova, Russia and Ukraine with a support coming from the German EVZ Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future". This program supports students in Law and Humanities fields.
The Roma International Scholarship Program (RISP) provides Supplementary Scholarships to Roma scholars. The grants are provided to the scholars pursuing education outside of their home country or country of their residence.
The Roma Education Fund Scholarship Programs' mission is to serve the students in an effective, transparent and user-friendly way. We have in place a subsidiary system for processing the scholarship inquiries and the appeals but given the raising number of scholars (over 2,500) the program would like to establish an independent entity.
REF Scholarship Ombudsman
There is an established mechanism of Program administration in the scholarship schemes. The administration and processing starts with Country Coordinators in Program countries. The overall management, coordination and administration of all program scholarships schemes is conducted from REF Headquarters in Budapest.
The Ombudsman, as a neutral third party, will familiarize himself/herself with the policies and procedures of the Programs and help identify, investigate, and resolve procedural inadvertences and constituent complaints relating to REF Scholarship Programs.
Task of the Ombudsman
The primary task of the of the Ombudsman is to investigate, recommend solutions, mediate conflicts and monitor the implementation of the solutions proposed in relation with any complaints related to the scholarship program, maladministration and procedural failures.
The Ombudsman will perform the following tasks:
1. Related to individual complaints from beneficiaries
· Identify issues and maladministration of the processes or implementation on the basis of complaints submitted by beneficiaries
· Receive and register written complaints submitted by beneficiaries related to the procedural aspects of administering the REF scholarships
· Investigate and document registered complaints by consulting all involved parties—beneficiaries, REF, the Open Society Foundations, other implementing partners at her/his discretion. If a complaint is complex or serious, or if otherwise necessary, the Ombudsperson can conduct field visits to investigate and collect information[1]
· Prepare an assessment report analysing the findings for each complaint and inform all parties of his/her findings ( especially in joint programs such as RHSP, universities, etc)
· Propose recommendations for solutions to REF and its partners on the individual complaints
· Taking all possible measures to resolve complaints, including the use of conflict resolution tools such as mediation
· Keeping the beneficiary informed on the current status of her/his complaint
· Develop a “Questions and Answers” document that will be available on the internet with types of complaints and resolutions given[2]
2. Related to systemic programmatic problems identified
· Provide information as requested to all affected partners of REF Scholarship Programs (e.g. RHSP)
· Regularly communicate and distribute information to REF and partners in cases of joint programs, (e.g. RHSP)
· Recommend to REF specific procedures and rules for overcoming systematic problems identified
· Prepare for REF, and for relevant partners an interim and annual report specifying his/her recommendations on each systemic problem identified during the course of the previous year
· Communicateinstances of maladministration in the activities to the REF board
· Establish and maintain an up-to-date and timely communication with the program beneficiaries
REF supports the work of the Ombudsman by providing him/her with investigative assistance. REF will provide thenecessary documentation, access to Program files and procedural interpretations regarding the outstanding cases.
REF will provide program assistance in Head Office and/or Coordination Unit in Program countries.
Timeframe:
The consultancy term will start on May 1, 2011, and will end on May 1, 2012, with up to 50 working days during this period, including an estimated up to 15 travel days as required for effective investigation of complaints received. In case it is needed this might be extended.
Suggested working protocols:
· Get acquainted with the processes, rules, selection criteria, appeal mechanism of all the related scholarship programs in detail
· Prepare timesheet and expenses form,
· Activate e-mail account, fax number as well as PO Box for receiving complaints with the support of REF;
· Prepare working methodology;
· Establish minimal criteria needing investigation in form of field trip;
Working phase
· Responding to appeals received
· File complaints and recommendations in data base;
· Develop a Frequently Asked Question document that will be available on the web with types of complaints and resolutions given.
· Acknowledge by responding via e-mail in maximum 48 hours;
· Initiate investigation by contacting relevant actors by e-mail or phone;
· Record all information and correspondence In case a field trip is required, prepare pre-mission memo detailing the reasons, and planned activities of the mission and submit it to REF
· Conduct field mission;
· Prepare facts finding report with brief conclusions and suggestions to REF
· Inform constituencies on the resolution and steps taken. All parties should strive to find a resolution within 14 working days of receiving a complaint
· Establish and maintain up-to-date and timely Information with REF and relevant partners of the resolution and suggestions made
· Submit draft of interim and annual report to REF and partner organization/if the case
· Finalize annual report as requested
Personal and professional qualifications of the Ombudsman
· Having experience with scholarship or Roma education
· Not having been a beneficiary, grantee, consultant or employee of REF or the Open Society Foundations for the last 3 years
· Possession of Law or other relevant degree
· High level of communication and written English skills
· Romanes or other languages from the region would be an advantage
· High level of discretion
· Proved interpersonal and conflict management skills
· Excellent investigative and documentation and analytical skills
Applications for the position, containing a CV/resume and a cover letter, should be sent to the Financial and Administrator at REF, Mr. Jeno Zsiga at jzsiga@romaeducationfund.org, and to the Program Officer at the Roma Health Project, Ms. Alina Covaci at acovaci@osieurope.org.
The deadline for application is Friday, April 15, 2011.
[1] Such visits are justified in cases of written collective complaints received or in cases where a number of individual complaints received indicate systematic problems in a particular site.
[2] This document should comply with confidentiality and other private data protection rules present within REF Scholarship Programs.
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