Review Officer general position statement

• On this page:

• ERO purpose
• Group purpose
• Role
• Responsibilities
• Relationships
• Person specification
• General Accountabilities
• Review Officer Leadership Success Profile

Position:                                 Review Officer

Location:                                Regional Offices

Group:                                    Review and Improvement Services

Reporting to:                         Managers Review and Improvement Services or Manager Pacific Services

Issue Date:                            August 2018

Delegation Level:                   5

Staff Responsibility:              No

ERO purpose

Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa

The Child – the Heart of the Matter

The Education Review Office | Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga (ERO) is responsible for:

• evaluating the implementation of government education priorities, programmes and policies across the system
• evaluating the quality of education and care in schools and early learning services and across Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako
• supporting improvement in the performance and operation of our early learning services, schools, kura, Te Kōhanga Reo and Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako
• contributing to the evidence base about what works in support of decision makers and practitioners.

The driving force behind ERO is the belief that quality education is a right for every New Zealand child and young person.

The Education Review Office affirms its responsibility to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi through recognising the unique place of Māori in Aotearoa New/Zealand.

Group purpose

The purpose of the Review and Improvement Services Group is to deliver a programme of evaluations, reviews, inquiries and investigations into the quality of schools and early learning services across New Zealand. In addition the Group will also, from time to time, look into the provision of services, programmes and activity intended to support enhanced education outcomes in New Zealand’s school and early learning services.

The Group is also responsible for gathering data and intelligence to support national evaluation insights and enhancements to the system.

Through this activity the Group ensures that New Zealanders have confidence in our schools and early learning services and can be proud of New Zealand’s education system.

The group’s work ensures that:

• every school and early learning service is a great place to learn and is on a journey of continuous improvement
• every child is able to achieve to their potential
• Māori learners succeed as Māori within the education system.

In carrying out the programme of evaluations, reviews and investigations the Group will be focussed on raising sector capability organisational performance and responsiveness to Māori, Pacific and other learners at risk of not achieving.

Members of the Group will work closely with the regional and operational functions in the Ministry of Education, other sector agencies and stakeholders to ensure work programmes are complementary and efforts are co-ordinated.

Role

Review Officers evaluate the quality of education provided by schools and early childhood services and, from these evaluations, prepares reports that are made available to the public. Review Officers may also be involved in other ERO activities such as special projects and reference groups.

An evaluation involves:

• collecting, recording, triangulating, analysing and synthesising evidence
• making judgements based on this evidence
• communicating emerging findings orally
• preparing and maintaining field notes for the evidential file
• preparing the evaluation report
• undertaking follow-up action as required.

Responsibilities

Review Officers participate as required by their managers in evaluations of schools/kura, early learning services/kōhanga reo and Communities of Learning | Kahui Ako either as a review coordinator or review team member. In undertaking these evaluations they will be responsible for following the relevant review methodologies approved by the Chief Executive/Chief Review Officer.

Review Officers will follow all ERO’s policies and procedures and comply with the behaviours set out in the statement Expectations of Review Officers.

Relationships

A key feature of the Review Officer’s role is relationship management. Review Officers are required to work as members of teams and with a wide range of stakeholders in the education sector, from principals and managers to parents. Review Officers also need to gather information in a manner that is not prejudicial to the future relationships between the Education Review Office and the schools/early learning services.

To carry out their role, Review Officers must be able to:

• work effectively in teams to achieve results
• clarify for the school/centre personnel the purpose of evaluation, the review process, and their contribution to and involvement in the task
• manage both the roles of team member and coordinator
• be supportive and sensitive when in a leadership role and offer appropriate feedback to others
• speak clearly and confidently using language that is appropriate to the audience.

Person specification

Educational Qualifications

A university degree or tertiary equivalent. A review officer should be able to demonstrate a commitment to continuing their professional development.

Additionally, a review officer must hold a current driver’s licence.

Knowledge, experience and skills

• knowledge of effective pedagogical practice
• up-to-date curriculum knowledge
• up-to-date knowledge of assessment, analysis and use of achievement information
• up-to-date professional knowledge of evaluation for improvement
• a well-informed appreciation of the importance of the law and legal processes
• a good understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its implications for the education sector and the work of the Office
• tikanga Māori and biculturalism
• an informed understanding of the needs and expectations of Māori and other ethnic and cultural groups
• a practical level of computer literacy and familiarity with standard business tools
• a good understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its implications for the education sector and the work of the Office
• previous experience at middle or senior management level within the sector in a substantive or acting capacity
• experience in school, early learning service, and/or kohanga or kura evaluation
• a high level of analytical skills
• common sense and thoughtful judgement
• the ability to:

    - form sound decisions based on evidence

    - relate positively to a wide range of people

    - plan and organise resources effectively and efficiently

    - assess risks and alert managers where appropriate

    - produce written reports that are appropriate, interesting and fluent and correct in terms of grammar, syntax and spelling

    - write reports that are logical, based on evidence, draw conclusions that are explicit and direct and that can withstand public scrutiny.

Personal Qualities and Attributes

The Review Officer role requires:

• good interpersonal skills, including the ability to work in a leadership role with other staff, providing and responding to practical and appropriate feedback
• adaptability and the ability to anticipate, identify, analyse and resolve problems in an innovative manner
• effective decision making, based on analysis, common sense, experience and judgement
• the ability to handle uncertainty and remain confident when confronted with criticism or intellectual challenges, whilst remaining respectful of others
• integrity and a well-developed appreciation of what counts as ethical conduct
• respect for the law and legal process
• self-motivation and the ability to set and work to priorities
• emotional maturity and self-reliance
• a commitment to updating personal and professional knowledge
• active commitment to ERO’s purpose and whakataukī.

General Accountabilities

Conditions of Position

The Review Officer must hold a current driver’s licence and be prepared to undertake travel including overnight stays.

Leadership Success Profile

The Leadership Success capabilities for this position are below.

The key capabilities for this role are:

Leading with influence

Leads with purpose (i.e. chart a clear direction for a team).

Persuades and inspires others (i.e. engages others in initiatives).

Communicates clearly (i.e. tailors messages so that they resonate with a range of different audiences).

Communicates with impact (i.e. conveys energy, urgency, confidence, and a sense of ease).

Engaging others

Connects with others (i.e. makes a personal connection with people, puts them at ease, and shows an interest in them and their wellbeing).

Listens (i.e. allows others to space to speak, and shows a keen interest in and understanding of others’ point of view).

Reads people and situations (i.e. picks up on ‘what is not being said’ in situations).

Communicates tactfully (i.e. conveys potentially sensitive messages in a diplomatic way).

Enhancing system performance

Builds internal relationships (i.e. contributes to their team [of peers], works collaboratively with others across the organisation, and takes an organisation-wide view).

Builds external relationships (i.e. interacts effectively with customers and other external stakeholders).

Enhancing team performance

Sets clear team objectives and expectations (i.e. clearly communicates their team's objectives and works with the team to define the team player behaviours they expect).

Monitors team cohesion and performance (i.e. understands the strengths and weaknesses of how their team works together to deliver outcomes).

Strengthens team cohesion and performance (i.e. cultivates team player behaviours among their direct reports).

Managing work priorities

Manages and delivers on work priorities (i.e. plans and organises self to self to deliver work commitments to required timeframes and quality standards).

Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures

• Active commitment to and demonstration of ERO’s policies and procedures and the ethos of the Public Service standards of integrity and conduct, being fair, impartial, responsible and trustworthy.  Familiarity and compliance with the ERO’s policy and procedures relating to the functions of the position held.  This includes responsibility for signing up to, and ensuring any direct reports/contractors have signed up to, the current ICT user policy.

Health and Safety

• Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, all staff must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and ensure that their actions do not cause harm to themselves or others.  They must also comply with any reasonable instructions, policies or procedures in how to work in a safe and healthy way.

Other duties and responsibilities

• All employees are expected to perform other such other duties as can reasonably be regarded as incidental to their job description, and other such duties that fall reasonably within their experience and capabilities as may be assigned from time to time to meet business requirements.

Review Officer Leadership Success Profile

Note: More detail about the key capabilities for this role are included in the Position Statement