Chair

The Role

The Chair will hold the Board of Trustees and Executive Director to account for delivering INASP’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board, ensuring that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for effective governance. The Chair will also support and, where appropriate, challenge, the Executive Director and, ensure that the Board functions as a collaborative unit and works closely with the Senior Management Team to achieve shared objectives. S/he will act as an ambassador and a public face of the charity in partnership with the Executive Director.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

• • Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to INASP, its strategic objectives and cause.
  • Personal knowledge and experience of guiding the leadership of a comparably sized international organisation.
  • Strong inter-personal and relationship building abilities and comfort in an ambassadorial role.
  • Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively.
  • Strong personal networks with knowledge of key actors in the sector, in the Global South and an understanding of their perspectives.
  • Strong networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of the charity.
  • Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment.
  • Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events out of office hours.
  • A commitment to INASP’s values, especially a decentralised and non-hierarchical approach to knowledge generation and dissemination.

Experience

• • Experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level within a relevant sector and organisation, such as university, government, or international development organisation or NGO.
  • Practical experience of successfully guiding organisational transformation during a period of rapid change.
  • Successful track record of achievement throughout your career.
  • Experience of governance and working with, or as part of, a Board.
  • Experience of external representation, delivering presentations and managing stakeholders.
  • Significant experience of chairing meetings, fundraising, and events.

Knowledge and skills

• • Broad knowledge and understanding of the international development space, particularly in ‘knowledge for development’.
  • Deep understanding of the changing development funding and operational landscape, and skill to identify nascent opportunities for INASP to progress its strategy.
  • Strong leadership skills, ability to motivate staff and volunteers and bring people together.
  • Good understanding of governance issues.

Principal Responsibilities

A. Governance and Strategic leadership

• • Ensure that appropriate, efficient, and inclusive governance arrangements are in place.
  • Develop the knowledge and capability of the Board to provide good governance.
  • Ensure that Trustees are fully engaged and that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of INASP, and that the Board takes collective ownership for its decisions.
  • Work closely with the Executive Director to ensure that Board meetings are well planned, meaningful and reflect the challenges and opportunities of INASP.
  • Chair Board meetings, bringing both expertise and objectivity into the discussions.
  • Ensure that the Board regularly reviews major risks and associated opportunities and is satisfied that systems are in place to take advantage of opportunities, managing and mitigating the risks.
  • Ensure that the Board is fully aware of the charity’s financial health and that appropriate scrutiny and controls are in place and observed.
  • Ensure that decisions taken at meetings are implemented.
  • Address and resolve any conflict within the Board.
  • Appraise the performance of the Trustees and the Board on an annual basis.
  • Ensure that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead the charity effectively and is representative of the wider knowledge sector population.
  • Work within any agreed policies adopted by the charity.

B. External Relations

• • Act as an ambassador for INASP.
  • Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in collaboration with the Executive Director.
  • Act as a spokesperson when appropriate, including representing INASP at external functions, meetings, and events.

C. Relationship with the Executive Director and the wider management team

• • Establish and build a strong, effective, and constructive working relationship with the Executive Director, ensuring s/he is held to account for achieving INASP’s strategy, and that the strategy is regularly reviewed and updated.
  • Support the Executive Director, whilst respecting the boundaries which exist between the two roles.
  • Ensure regular contact with the Executive Director and develop and maintain an open and supportive relationship within which each can speak openly about strategic priorities, performance, concerns, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Liaise with the Executive Director to maintain an overview of INASP’s affairs, providing support as required.
  • Conduct an annual appraisal with the Executive Director and make recommendation of any salary changes to the Safeguarding and HR Sub-Committee.
  • Ensure that the Executive Director has the opportunity for professional development and the opportunity to seek appropriate external support if required.

This list is indicative and not exhaustive. The Chair will be expected to perform all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.