Policies
Crèche Policy.(Read) Gender Policy.(Read) Interns Policy and Procedures. (Read) Code of Conduct-Conflict of Interest Policy. (Read) Anti Harassment Policy. (Read) Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy. (Read) Zero Tolerance Policy. (Read) Compensation Policy. Consultancy Policy. Finance Policy & Procedures. Hiring & Termination Policy. Hiring of Consultants Policy. Leave Policy. (Read) Procurement Policy. Property Management Policy. Staff Training & Development Policy. Training Unit Policy. IT Policy. Governance Policy. Grievance Settlement Policy. Travel policy and Procedures. Security Guidelines. Whistle Blowing Policy
Contributors
SPO began life as a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) supported organization. However, it soon started attracting more funding and sponsorships from a wider range of contributors. These include bilateral and multi-lateral aid givers like British High Commission (BHC) Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), European Commission (EC), Embassy for the Kingdom of Netherlands (EKN) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) etc. and International NGOs like Action Aid, Save the Children UK, Save the Children US, Oxfam GB, Oxfam Novib, Care International and The Asia Foundation. SPO has also been successful in generating its own resources. SPO is increasingly on the look out to increase its financial strength and reduce its dependence on donor funds. SPO is actively pursuing expansion in its indigenous resource base. In terms of the scope of work and outreach, approach, impact and institutional strength, it is hard to think of a comparable NGO in Pakistan. SPO has carved out a niche for itself that puts it on the pedestal of prominence in the development sector.
Staff Training and Development
In order to achieve the desired impact of our programme the organization needs to develop its human resource that can then guide and facilitate its partners to carry forward the rights and development agenda for economic and social change. Objectives: Human Resource Development (HRD) plan provides a framework for the identification of skill needs, both current and for the future, and for the identification and incorporation of the learning needs of individuals. The ultimate aim and vision is a workforce that has the skills and knowledge to undertake the tasks required of staff, and a workforce that is eager to learn new skills in order to be able to meet future challenges. In other words, SPO aims to become a learning organization. Systematic planning to support organizational mission Increased capacity to achieve the organization’s goals Clear definition of each employee’s work responsibilities and link to organization mission Greater equity between compensation and level of responsibility Defined levels of supervision and management support Increased level of performance and efficient utilization of employees skills and knowledge Cost savings through improved efficiency and productivity. Organizational Investment during the last Five Years: During the last five years, organization spent PKR 30m (approx.) for the development of its human resource. The in-house staff development initiatives included PRM and TOTs that had a 14% and 23% of the total HRD expense; in-country initiatives had 17% of the total HRD expense; initiatives abroad had 44% of the total HRD expense; and 2% of the total HRD budget was invested in study grants. In addition, SPO has made a tremendous contribution in HRD by training the fresh University graduates in various fields. The internship programme provides them a platform for professional exposure with certain learning objectives. Almost 40 youngsters were benefited in the last five years. This intervention has been very helpful in providing talented human resource not only in SPO but to the Social Sector, Government departments and Corporate Sector in general. SPO appointed 15 interns as their regular staff members in the last five years. Future Strategy SPO will continue investing in its human resources through rotational exposures, trainings, study grants, seminars, conferences and international trainings and exposures. International Training and Exposures for Staff 2010-11: Training Institute /Countries Type of Event Management Accounting for Non Governmental Organizations (MANGO), Bangkok Financial Management Trainings for Senior Management and Finance Staff Management for Development Foundation (MDF), Tanzania Humanitarian Staff Training on Project Cycle Management Beijing China, guided exposure and one day conference on “moving from HRD to Culture of Performance” Annual Trainers Retreat arranged by HRDN, Three staff members attended the event University of Western Sydney, Australia International Human Rights Education Conference “Education for Human Rights, Peace and Intercultural Dialogue” Attended by a woman staff member CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures of School Of International Training South Asia Peace building Training and Education Program for SAARC Emerging Leaders, Attended by two women staff members Gwangju Asian Human Rights Folk School, Korea Memorial Foundation -South Korea Short Course on Human Rights, Attended by a Woman Staff Member Organized by Church World Services in Bangkok Thailand Regional Risk Management Conference attended by CEO International Training Centre, of ILO Turin Italy. Competency Based HRM–Job Profiling and Performance ManagementCombination of distance and face to face training course attended by Head of HR Annual Trainers Retreat organized by Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) Conference on-“Building Human Resources for Sustainable Development” and networking opportunity organized by HRDN attended by SPO senior management staff in Malaysia and Singapore.
Governance
SPO’s governance lies in the hands of a 14 member Board[1] of Directors which comprises of 13 elected members and the Chief Executive. The Board is elected for a three-year term from a General Body[2] with equal representation from all four provinces of Pakistan and reserved seats for the Federal Capital Territory. Members of the Board as well as the General Body are carefully selected to include a wide range of citizens with relevant social development experience and to equally represent all provinces while maintaining a gender balance. The commitment of the members of the General Body and the Board of Directors of SPO to the cause of development goes beyond a ceremonial form to become a practical and purposeful contribution in actual work situations. All this support provided on a voluntary basis combined with the full-time professional attributes of SPO staff makes for a truly special and highly effective combination.
Equal Opportunities
SPO is committed to promoting equal opportunities within the organization. SPO values diversity and encourages fairness and justice. The organization has an ongoing commitment to affirmative action and the creation of a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. In seeking to achieve this vision, SPO will strive to: Ensure that SPO communicates Encourage equality of opportunity for all people and actively promote good relations. Eliminate any conditions, procedures and individual behaviour that can lead to discrimination even where there was no intent to discriminate, with particular regard to: Race; Gender; Disability; Sexuality; Age; Religion and beliefs. Ensure that Gender Balance is Maintained and Managed at all Levels of Organization: (Ref: SPO Gender Policy) Use Gender Awareness and Understanding as one of the Criteria or Promotion and Recruitment (Ref: SPO Gender Policy) All advertisements shall continue to present SPO “as an equal opportunity employer”. Whilst recognizing that individuals may experience disadvantage on more than one level. Offer services fairly to all people, ensuring that anyone in contact with the organization is treated with respect, making provision for those groups within the community whose needs and expectations are less well met. Ensure all employment policies procedures, guidelines and memos and publications reflect and reinforce SPO’ commitment to equality. Ensure mechanisms are in place for responding to complaints of discrimination and harassment from employees and the community. Will take affirmative action in recruitment, promotions and training and development Make this policy known to all employees, job applicants, and partner organizations. Operate procurement practices and partnership arrangements that ensure others commissioned to provide services for SPO to have similar policies that cover equal opportunities. Job opportunities to all sections of the community. It will scrutinize the recruitment process to ensure that it does not discriminate or discourage applications from any section of the community. Ensure that all its employees who are part of the recruitment selection panel are trained on equalities issues. Seek to ensure that all employees are developed by the provision of appropriate and accessible learning opportunities in line with organizational needs. Periodically review the Equal Opportunities policy. Responsibility: At SPO, we are committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team. The Equal Opportunities Policy is developed by the Human Resource (HR) Unit and approved by the SMC. Overall responsibility for the implementation of the policy lies with the HR Unit.
Organizational Structure
SPO is a national civil society organization. Its national centre is in Islamabad, but it has eight regional offices in Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Turbat and Dera Ismail Khan. Besides that one project office in Muzafarabad and six temporary project offices are contributing to achieving SPO’s goals. The national center’s role is to co-ordinate activities of all the regional centers and in addition to its corporate functions provides technical support and guidance on issues such as programme policies, strategies, funding and networking. The regional centers are directly responsible for implementing SPO’s strategy in the field. SPO is a not-for-profit organization, with well-laid policies and procedures to facilitate the work. SPO is an equal opportunity employer with staff strength of 141 permanent staff along with 110 short-term project staff, volunteers and interns. SPO is among the few organizations that have a special job quota for physically challenged individuals. SPO has an elaborate Human Resource Development plan for the professional growth of SPO staff. It includes trainings, both at home and abroad, exposure visits, conferences, seminars, study grants etc. SPO has formulated around twenty policies and procedures along with five manuals that guide the team in administrative and programmatic functioning. The systems and procedures reflect upon the stress laid by the organization on transparency and accountability. SPO has been able to reach out to people in more than sixty districts of the country thus reaching out to fifty five percent of the geographical area of the country through various interventions. Implicit and inherent in the struggle for improvement is the stress on quality. Not aiming for immediate, short-term results, but doing the spadework that is building capacities, fostering networks, raising awareness for long-term, sustainable impacts. SPO’s stress on quality can be witnessed both in its program work, and in its own operations and processes.