Head of Legal Services Unit at South African Human Rights Commission

Job Purpose

• Brief statement outlining the overall purpose/reason for existence of the post (one or two sentences).
• To lead, direct and ensure the provision of an effective legal service in the protection of human rights.
• This includes the provision of an advisory service to the Commission on human rights complaints by
• setting the direction, standards, and ensuring inter-programme collaboration management.

Key Responsibilities

Activity Description

• Provide leadership, direction, advice and support to the Legal Commission. Services Unit
• Lead and manage the unit's participation in the development of the Strategic and Annual Performance Plan (APP) of the
•  Manage the development of the operational plan for the unit in line with the strategic and annual performance plan of the Commission.
• Manage, monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation of the unit's operational plan, taking corrective actions where necessary.
• Manage the unit's budget in line with requirements.
• Oversee and manage human resources within the unit in an efficient and effective manner.
• Ensure good governance within the unit in line with relevant legislation, regulations and policies.
• Manage and ensure compliance with asset management and IT policies and procedures.
• Manage the performance of all direct reports.
• Monitor and ensure the effective coordination of with good practice.national legal projects. 
• Ensure the development of the complaints handling and investigation processes, procedures and manuals in accordance

Ensure the effective development, coordination and completion of all training programmes (including complaints handling and litigation).

• Monitor the impact of such training programmes and recommend improvements where necessary.
• List major activities and contribution to the organisation for which this post is held accountable
• Provide advice and support on litigation and investigation challenges and strategies to Provincial offices and relevant stakeholders as required.
• Monitor the uniform application of the complaints handling and investigation processes across the provincial offices and recommend improvements where required.
• Overall responsibility for the development of reporting templates and the consolidation of monthly, quarterly and annual reports submitted by provincial offices.

External stakeholder relationship management

• Stimulate, encourage and facilitate partnerships between the SAHRC and external role players.
• Develop and continuously review policy and processes to guide
• any approaches to law firms to conduct pro-bono work.
• Manage Volunteers.
• Attend seminars and conferences in order to stay abreast of sector changes. Share knowledge and lessons with provincial teams.

Manage complaints 

• Develop/ Review and monitor implementation of complaints handling procedures and practices.
• Oversee and monitor the implementation of statistical reporting and flow centric case management registration and workflow systems.
• Ensure appropriate complaints records and reports are kept at all times and dissemination to the relevant channels.
• Monitor and ensure effective analysis and reporting of trends and patterns on human rights violations and complaints.
• Develop and manage a system to monitor and track the implementation of recommendations to resolve complaints.
• Oversee and ensure the effective functioning of the legal services call center.
• Ensure that all complaints received are effectively distributed to relevant provincial offices for further investigation.

Manage the provision 

• Provide in-house legal opinion and advice as required. of in-house legal service. 
• Provide litigation services on in-house legal matters as required.
• Liaise with legal practitioners, both internal and external, in respect of litigation.
• Ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures.

Inherent requirements of the Post

Skills/ Knowledge/ Behaviour:

Key competencies

• Financial management
• Strategic capability and leadership
• Programme and project Management
• Problem solving and analysis
• People management and empowerment
• Knowledge management
• Change management
• Service delivery innovation
• Honesty and integrity
• Client orientation and customer focus
• Analytical thinking
• Conflict resolution skills
• Stakeholder management and liaison, interpersonal relations

Knowledge and education 

• An LLM degree or a relevant legal qualification with specialisation in human rights law
• Right of appearance in the High Court with proven litigation experience of at least 5 (five) years
• Knowledge of human rights Law and complaints handling an added advantage
• Knowledge of PFMA

Should be able to:

• link various related components of performance monitoring and evaluation together (for example, the
• inputs, processes, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts that constitute projects, programmes, and services), to form an integrated whole or system;
• set up & manage the PMER system for their Programme, including the ability to -
• identify performance information requirements;
• design performance reports (including systemreports) to provide high quality performanceinformation for all reportable areas under their control;
• design performance measurements & scores;
• analyse, interpret & evaluate performance reports;
• communicate performance information effectively;
• produce the performance results to the standard, & within the timeframes required.

Applied understanding of:

• the statutory and regulatory requirements regarding performance monitoring, evaluation & reporting, including: Section 38(1)(a)(i) & (b) Section 40(3) (a) of the PFMA, & National Treasury Regulation 5.3.1 forConstitutional Institutions; 
• Government Guide to the Outcomes Approach (2010);
• Framework for Managing Programme Performance Information (National Treasury, 2007);
• New Framework for Strategic Plans & Annual Performance Plans (National Treasury, 2010);
• Statistics SA Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (2008);
• National Archiving & Records Service of South Africa Standards for Records Management (NARSSA, 2007).

Understand the electronic system/s used in their area of responsibility, in order to:

• ensure the quality of the data;
• set access levels & authorise data corrections;
• maintain the integrity of the system; and
• identify/specify required system design changes to match the operational process & reporting requirements.

Experience 

•  Admission as an Attorney in terms of section 15 of the (Please list all relevant experience required Attorneys Act No. 53 of 1979 or admission as an Advocate in for the post) terms of section 3 of the Admissions of Advocates Act No. 74 of 1979 with a minimum of 7 (seven) years’ appropriate post- admission experience with 5 (five) years’ management experience preferably in a public institution