HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 8
Directorate: Strategy, Planning and Performance
Job Description -Standards Audit and Programme
Manager
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
06/04/20
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
Standards Audit and Programme Manager
Directorate
Strategy, Planning and Performance
Band
8
Overview of the job
The Operational and System Assurance Group (OSAG) provide the necessary
operational audit and quality assurance service to HMPPS and MOJ stakeholders as
required. This service provides assurance on delivery of service outcomes and
value for money across the offender system.
Standards Audit & Programme Managers are responsible for contributing to an
assurance function to support HMPPS programmes/projects. The Standards Audit &
Programme managers will contribute to providing professional expertise in assuring
projects or programmes with a number of different streams, levels of risk and
complexity.
The Standards Audit & Programme Managers will have knowledge and experience of
Agency business. They will work in collaboration with OSAG Senior leaders and
other colleagues, and will be responsible for supporting the operational and system
assurance of Contracted and Public Sector offender services in custody and the
community, amounting to a total estimated value of around £1 billion per annum.
The Standards Audit & Programme Managers will report to the Standards Audit
Senior Manager and will have line management responsibility for a mix of Band 6
Senior Auditors and Band 5 Auditors, around 12 in total.
This is a nationally based role and a large amount of travelling will be required.
Summary
The job holder will manage a programme of audits, assigned by the Standards Audit
Senior Manager, to the required standards, providing support and advice to the
Standards Audit Senior Manager.
They will be responsible for producing reports on the audits they manage to a
standard that requires only one review before publication.
Audit & Programme Managers are responsible for managing relationships with HQ
Policy leads and Governors. They will also have contact with Directors and Group
Directors.
They are responsible for continually working to promote understanding of risk
management and audit within HMPPS, building and sustaining the necessary
working relationships and networks, seeking to realise the long term vision of the
Group.
Responsible for ensuring that their staff are kept up to date with developments in
the group, feeding any concerns they may have up to their senior manager and for
ensuring that staff are encouraged to input to Group policies and procedures. They
should encourage their staff to report any risks they identify.
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
To maintain the Standards Audit Programme:
?
Produce a Quarterly Programme for publication 4 weeks in advance.
?
Ensure Audits are delivered in line with the plan.
?
Prioritise work; reacting to in year changes in resources and business need.
?
Assign Senior Auditors and Auditors to audit assignments.
?
Assign resources to provide best value where possible (travel & hotel).
To provide support and advice to the Standards Audit Senior Manager.
Monitor progress against the plan and ensure that the management information is
available to the senior management team to complete the balanced scorecard and
to produce quarterly and thematic reports within agreed timescales for the
Standards Audit Senior Manager.
Quality check data and validating information as necessary.
To contribute to and have a good understanding of the HMPPS Assurance Strategy
to provide ongoing assurance to the organisation that its risk management and
control strategy is working.
To actively support the SMT with the implementation of any changes to structure
and working practices.
To contribute to the development of periodic work plans for the Agency which
reflect OSAG’s assurance strategy with regard to the provision of assurance to the
HMPPS Agency Board.
To manage the delivery of an assigned programme of audits of prisons to the
required standards within budgeted days and on time.
To conduct reviews of specifications and standards being developed to ensure that
they are designed in such a way that operational risks are effectively managed.
To represent HMPPS OSAG at meetings and provide written feedback to either the
Standards Audit Senior Manager or the Head of Custodial Assurance and Delivery
where appropriate.
To contribute and support the Standards Audit Senior Manager in improving audit
processes by:
? Proposing enhancements to the design, development and documentation
of the work processes.
? Managing exercises designed to moderate the work processes and outputs
of OSAG.
? Managing and contributing to quality assessments and, where possible,
taking part in external quality assessment.
? Contribute to the development of a risk based audit approach.
? Spot signs of things going wrong and provide a decisive response to
significant delivery challenges.
? Weigh up priority and benefits of different actions and activities to consider
how to achieve effective outcomes.
? Monitor and manage the use of resources in line with organisational
procedures and plans and hold the team to account.
? Work confidently with performance management data to prepare forecasts
and manage and monitor programme against agreed plans.
? Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise
the need to collect new data when necessary from internal and external
sources.
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
To work collaboratively with other Audit & Programme Managers to provide an
effective and consistent operational audit resource that will inform and support
prison management and system development activities.
Accountable for making informed judgements about security and safer custody
practice and service delivery based on audit and assurance findings.
Liaise and collaborate with management teams and HMPPS support functions to
ensure that local operational audit activities are effective and efficient.
Standards Audit Manager & Programme Managers are responsible for improving the
performance of their staff by:
? Providing constructive feedback to team members on their work; their
professional and personal development needs.
Programme Managers should take responsibility for their own development by:
? Adopting a programs of ongoing self-development.
? Actively seeking opportunities for keeping up to date.
? Contributing to/participating in relevant training/educational and
development programs.
Recommendations made as a result of audits will often impact on corporate systems
and may involve the re-design or enhancement of elements of those systems.
Weaknesses identified could amount to significant sums of money - or significant
exposure in terms of operational risk.
Standards Audit & Programme Managers will agree and issue draft reports, subject
to the required reviews, which meet Group standards and to lead in feedback
meetings, negotiating contentious findings to an agreed conclusion. Audit managers
should also produce final reports for sign off by the Standards Audit Senior Manager
and it should not be necessary for any significant amendments to the report or to
the agreed ratings to be necessary at that stage.
Standards Audit & Programme Managers will contribute effectively at meetings -
both internal and external. They should be able to comment on operational risk and
control issues without seeking advice from a senior manager unless the issue is a
complex one.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not
intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable
alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant
adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall
be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Behaviours
? Changing and Improving
? Making Effective Decisions
? Communicating and Influencing
? Working Together
? Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
Standards Audit & Programme Managers should be able to demonstrate recent
operational experience and engagement with managers at a senior level in public
sector delivery. They must be able to demonstrate a good understanding of HMPPS
Standards, Specifications and self-audit.
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
The essential requirements for this post would include:
? Experience of working in prisons or a comparable operational environment
(e.g. within the criminal justice system or involving delivery of
offender/public services), at management level.
? In depth operational knowledge of prison service delivery.
? Knowledge of contract and performance management and/or service
development and commissioning of custodial services.
? Knowledge of operational audit policy, practice and procedures, such as
inspection and audit, preferably in a criminal justice setting.
? Experience and skills in relation to audit and/or assurance activity.
? Experience and skills in relation to analysing and implementing findings from
inspections and audits.
? Practical ability to achieve demanding objectives.
? Vocational experience.
? Proven experience of working with the standard suite of Microsoft Office
programs and the ability to use automated audit software.
Technical
N/A
Requirements
Ability
? Sound judgement, and good communication and analytical skills.
? Ability to influence and negotiate with stakeholders at a management level
in a complex and multi layered delivery landscape.
? Project management experience and skills.
? Excellent communication skills - both written and oral.
Minimum Eligibility
? All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
? All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are
subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within
HMPPS.
? All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or
organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Changing and Improving
Sound judgement, and good
Recent operational experience and engagement with N/A
communication and analytical skills.
managers at a senior level in public sector delivery.
They must be able to demonstrate a good
understanding of HMPPS Standards, Specifications
and self-audit.
Making Effective Decisions
Ability to influence and negotiate
Experience of working in prisons or a comparable
with stakeholders at a management
operational environment (e.g. within the criminal
level in a complex and multi layered
justice system or involving delivery of
delivery landscape.
offender/public services), at management level.
Communicating and
Project management experience and
In depth operational knowledge of prison service
Influencing
skills.
delivery.
Managing a Quality Service
Excellent communication skills- both
Knowledge of contract and performance
written and oral.
management and/or service development and
commissioning of custodial services.
Working Together
Knowledge of operational audit policy, practice and
procedures, such as inspection and audit, preferably
in a criminal justice setting.
Experience and skills in relation to audit and/or
assurance activity.
Experience and skills in relation to analysing and
implementing findings from inspections and audits.
Choose an item.
Practical ability to achieve demanding objectives.
Choose an item.
Vocational experience.
Proven experience of working with the standard
suite of Microsoft Office programs and the ability to
use automated audit software.
HQ-JES-2405 Standards Audit & Programme Manager v2.0