Staff - Non Union
Job Category
M&P - AAPS
Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Educational Programming, Level B
Job Title
Global Policy Project Advisor
Department
Student Academic Services | School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Compensation Range
$5,468.83 - $7,878.17 CAD Monthly
The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.
Posting End Date
June 6, 2023
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.
Job End Date
Jul 14, 2025
At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Job Summary
The Global Policy Project (GP2) Advisor contributes to the design and execution of established GP2 activity including scoping, recruitment, and ongoing stewardship of local, national and international client relationships. They also support GP2 Course Instructors and SPPGA Faculty Leads to ensure a successful delivery of the curriculum and productive student learning experience, and oversee all core program development and activity that supports student success in GP2, providing student-centred coaching and guidance on final deliverables (presentations, reports, policy briefs, etc.). The GP2 Advisor is also responsible for researching, and making recommendations to inform fieldwork management and planning. Establishing strong connections across the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs in work, practice, and community partnerships, the GP2 Advisor also contributes knowledge and experience in experiential and community-based learning programming, project management, and educational research to various projects, as needed in the Office of Regional and International Community Engagement.
Organizational Status
The incumbent reports to the Manager, Student Academic Services and receives supervision and general guidance and direction from the GP2 Course Instructors. The incumbent liaises closely and frequently with the MPPGA Graduate Program Manager, , Faculty Leads and clients, Teaching Assistants, and other SPPGA and UBC staff and faculty as required.
Work Performed
STUDENT MANAGEMENT & ADVISING
- The GP2 Advisor provides advising and support to students to effectively establish team charters, division of tasks and responsibilities, navigate team dynamics and professional client relationships over the course of these projects.
- Identifies team-related risks to project outcomes and mediates conflict and complex conversations between team members with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. Document and report on associated risks as requested.
- Provides guidance and direction for student peer-evaluation processes, to ensure that feedback is respectful and constructive.
- Provides leadership to students during research design processes, including liaising with UBC’s Office of Research Ethics where necessary in project development and research proposals, preparing BREB applications and securing approval for all GP2 projects.
- Provides expertise and evidence-based guidance to students in policy analysis across a very diverse set of subject matters (e.g. health, energy, rights-based development, economic development, resource management). This includes reviewing and providing constructive written feedback on various drafts of project proposals, presentations, policy briefs and final deliverables.
STRATEGIC CLIENT RECRUITMENT & ENGAGEMENT
- Manage an annual process of identifying strategic engagement opportunities related to global priorities, issues, and trends connected to SPPGA’s strategic goals and priorities. This may include the design, implementation, and evaluation of the strategic plan for the recruitment of prospective GP2clients and associated projects.
- Provides ongoing support and guidance to prospective GP2 clients during the proposal process, as project proposals are designed to ensure the scope is reasonable for this level and duration of a project
- Leads the development of each project’s ‘Letter of Intent’ and detailed project descriptions.
- When a project is with a First Nations community the GP2 Advisor, in liaison with IRSI, contributes to the development of community-led research agreements such as CRAs or ICRPs.
- Consult with prospective and current GP2 clients to understand the resources, tools, and supports needed to best operationalize their project and roles supporting MPPGA students in these projects.
Acts as a liaison between students and clients, providing guidance to students to accurately identify client needs and works with clients to provide sufficient support and engagement for student teams to progress in their research. Will liaise with GP2 Course Instructors and SPPGA Faculty Leads as necessary to resolve any misalignment of expectations.
Initiate and steward ongoing relationships with various community partners throughout the GP2 cycle, and beyond.
LEARNING RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
- Working closely with GP2 Course Instructors, Teaching Assistants, as well as MPPGA Program staff, to design, implement, and evaluate effective learning activities, tools, and resources intended to build the capacity of students to be successful in these projects through a variety of formats (workshops/conferences) on a breadth of topics including interpersonal conflict, team dynamics, project management, effective communication and others.
- Manages studio sessions involving multiple faculty members.
- Works closely with GP2 Course Instructors to develop an evaluative strategy and manage the evaluation of course outputs across multiple projects. Does not do any grading of assignments.
- Gathers informal and formal feedback throughout the GP2 process from students, Course Instructors and Faculty Leads and makes key recommendations to MPPGA leadership for improvement of GP2 design, delivery, and student and client experiences.
- Identifies and develops subject-matter resources for students (e.g. curating reading lists, identifying relevant policy networks/stakeholders).
- Researches and recommends external facilitators for various classroom sessions, and subsequently designs, implements, and assesses these sessions.
- Researches, recommends, and contributes to the design and development of specific reflective tools aligned with the experiential learning cycle, and explicitly draw connections between client-based project and disciplinary learning.
- Liaises with the MPPGA Program staff, faculty, and SPPGA management to ensure adequate resources and programming needs are met to ensure the ongoing success of GP2.
COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Provides ongoing oversight and management of all GP2 activity and logistics across student teams, GP2 Course Instructions, SPPGA Faculty-leads, and clients. Requires extensive project management abilities.
- Coordinates the team selection process including administering student surveys, coordinating the selection committee and communicating results to students.
- Liaises with various UBC departments to coordinate various programming details and logistics associated with GP2 (travel, accommodations, access to technology, etc.).
- Development and maintenance of program documentation, including but not limited to presentation of information and final reports of programs including synthesized assessment and evaluation data.
- Collect, synthesize and maintain data necessary for strategic MPPGA and SPPGA reporting and marketing.
- Ensures compliance with UBC, SPPGA, ORE, and community-based requirements for data storage and transfer of all information produced during these projects and after completion.
- Leads the design and implementation of annual SPPGA GP2 Symposium which includes developing the schedule of events, communicating with clients, confirming consent for recordings from all actors, ensuring student presentations are in compliance with UBC policies, working with course instructors to gather feedback, and preparing moderators for the events.
- Manages regional and international placement logistics and safety including negotiation and follow through on key dates and timelines with community partners, safety planning, and logistics management of in-country living, travel and placement arrangements.
CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR
Must exercise tact and diplomacy when interacting with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including: staff, students, alumni, faculty, staff within community and government organizations, individual community members, and others. Must be attentive to risk management in all situations; must be aware of the need to minimize risk to participants and maximize the perceived and actual sensitivity of programs/initiatives and the university to community issues. Errors in judgment or the disclosure of confidential information could have very public consequences resulting in embarrassment to the University of British Columbia.
Critical to the success of the MPPGA capstone course, this position has a direct impact on the quality of the programs and services to students and faculty. Errors in judgement may jeopardize students' academic progress, the quality of a student’s experience, as well as reflect negatively on the reputation of the School, academic programs or the university.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works independently with direction, guidance and consultation from the GP2 Course Instructors and Manager, Student Academic Services. The incumbent works independently, takes initiative and exercises considerable autonomy. Work is reviewed for achievement of university goals, and soundness of advice and judgment.
SUPERVISION GIVEN
None.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of four years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Professional overseas experience preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in experiential learning in a variety of settings.
- Experience with advising and coaching students in a variety of settings and projects.
- Demonstrated ability to envision and implement innovative programs and initiatives and to maintain connection between a long-range vision and day-to-day functions.
- Demonstrated ability to balance cycles of planning, action, and reflection: ability to plan, anticipate problems, and meet deadlines efficiently.
- Demonstrated ability to develop capacity of others to engage in collaborative community-based projects, utilizing community development theories, methods or approaches.
- Demonstrated experience in project management.
- Knowledge of research ethics and administering evaluative tools and analyzing data.
- Ability to handle confidential information, understanding and respecting the principles of confidentiality.
- Highly developed interpersonal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity. Ability to use these skills and sensitivity in working with students, staff, faculty and community partners throughout all stages of the program.
- Excellent judgment and decision-making skills to allow the assessment of needs, available resources and capabilities to resolve issues.
- Professional attitude, demonstration of integrity, confidentiality and excellent work ethic.
- Ability to manage the complexity inherent within a multi-faceted work environment focused on broad outcomes for participants.
- Proven expertise in designing and delivering educational workshops and information sessions.
- Ability to work as part of a team on projects as a member who will take initiative and support others in their initiatives.
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
- Ability to make thoughtful, informed, and thorough decisions.
- Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision.
- Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve them.
- Ability to exercise tact, discretion and diplomacy when dealing with faculty, students, and staff.
- Cross-cultural experience an asset.
- Knowledge of experiential learning and community partnerships including issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Competence or interest in developing competence in working with Indigenous students and clients, and colleagues.
- Ability to work flexibly on weekends or weeknights may be required.
- Off-campus travel required, domestic and international travel may be requested.