HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 6
Directorate: Custodial Contracts Directorate
Description: Contract Support Officer (Education)
Document Ref.
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
14th November 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
Contract Support Officer (Education)
Directorate
Custodial Contracts Directorate
Band
6
Overview of the
Accountable to a designated Senior Contract Manager the CSO
job
will support efficient and effective Education contract
management within their team.
The post holder will ensure the efficient and contractually
compliant delivery of the education contracts including; Prison
Education Framework (PEF), Dynamic Purchasing System
(DPS), Common Awarding Organisations (CAO) and Libraries
within their respective geographical region. In doing so they are
required to work collaboratively with other key stakeholders in
the delivery process. The job sits within Education, Employment
and Industries Group (EEIG) which is part of the Directorate of
Safety and Rehabilitation.
This is a HQ role, located in geographically dispersed teams
across England. The post is regionally based as the post holder
is required to visit prisons, education provider’s premises to
frequently assess the delivery of the contracted service provided.
The post does not have any direct line management
responsibilities.
Summary
The Contract Support Officer will drive improvements to
contractual outcomes by supporting the contract management
team through management and adherence to effective contract
management governance, by providing; secretariat and
administrative support and data analysis to validate provider
performance to assure the delivery of value for money services
and drive positive outcomes for service users. The post holder
will ensure a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of contract
management by both the Contract Management Team, HMPPS
stakeholders and partners within the Criminal Justice System
(CJS) ensuring effective delivery of contracts by providers of
Prisoner Education in prisons.
Working alongside the Senior Contract Manager (SCM) and
Education Contract Manager (CM), the CSO will support the
delivery of the contract management governance processes in
relation to designated providers and Lots. They will provide a
secretariat support as directed by the SCM and CM.
Being responsible for a portfolio of contract management across
HMPPS business areas the post holder will form close working
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
relationships with Managers and teams, (internal and external),
to implement/maintain common principles and processes across
projects which will include risk management and planning,
timeliness and opportunity realisation.
The geographical base for the CSO post can be flexible within
their contract management Lot and will require some work in
London and other locations.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Providing secretariat support to the Senior Contract
Managers and Service Managers at; Quarterly Lot level
meetings, Quarterly national provider meetings, Change
Protocol Group, Invoicing pre meets, Education Delivery
Group, National Learning and Skills Board and any other
meetings convened by them.
• Arranging and distributing the agenda and papers with
direction from the relevant chair.
• Producing first draft minutes and action logs.
• Maintaining formal documentation, Terms of Reference,
membership and distribution lists.
• Following‐up with action owners for updates.
• Filing, archiving and enacting version control on all relevant
documentation.
• Support Senior Contract Managers and Service Managers in
the delivery of on‐going contract management activities, e.g.
following‐up requests for information, scheduling of ad hoc
meetings.
• Support the delivery of operational contract compliance
activity such as data collection and analysis, research and
observation of education practice and performance. This will
include working within a prison environment and engaging
with service users to support organisational understanding of
the impact of the Education service on individuals.
• Undertake research and analysis activities as required which
will demand initiative and self-motivation. E.g. review of
stakeholder surveys and opinions, development of 'good
practice' case studies, reporting on risk and monitoring the
provision of third-party commissioned services.
• Ensure that changes to data requirements are approved by
the Data Gateway Services protocol.
• Enable the National Prison Education Team to deliver their
annual programme of assurance activities to operationally
audit and analyse provider delivery data including: regular
sample testing of provider performance information and
validation of reported data; involvement in periodic process
review activities; and observation of provider activities.
• Lead on the Provider Performance Report process for your
contracts and preparation and recommendations for
reconciliation meetings.
• Leading the administrative management of the RIO system
for Lot level Education Contracts including; Register assignee
for the Risk, Issues and Opportunities (RIO) process,
risk/opportunity owner and control owner, where appropriate.
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
• Lead the coordination of Benefits realisation, CREAM
organisation and input, Contract Management Plan
ownership and RIO updates/review for the team.
• Facilitate and develop excellent working relationships with
colleagues across Education, Employment and Industries
group, promoting and instigating improved ways of working to
achieve improved outcomes for prisoners.
• Develop effective working relationships with Commercial
colleagues to support the administrative management and
tracking of Commercial obligations.
• Draft responses to correspondence and briefings, including
FOI, PQs, ministerial/DG visits.
• Lead the co-ordination of Lot level scorecard completion by
working collaboratively with finance and commercial
colleagues to ensure a robust and complete approach to
national performance reporting.
• Manage an effective HMPPS - stakeholder communications
framework ensuring integration across Directorates by acting
as a first point of contact for the dissemination of nationally
led communications to Education Contract Providers,
following up requests for information and tracking the delivery
of agreed actions.
• Project manage specific projects as directed. Prepare,
recommend and monitor project plans, with input from other
participating stakeholders.
• Lead, co-ordinate or support project implementation,
including using the team’s resources, prepare reports,
manage, promote, co-ordinate and facilitate meetings and
reports on performance, outputs and outcomes. Reviewing
and monitoring performance data in relation to designated
providers within designated Lots.
• Support and contribute toward Competition and competitive
exercises and inform Specification.
• Work collaboratively with all HMPPS funded service
Providers to ensure Integration of services within a
geographical footprint.
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.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence
through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.
Behaviours
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
• Relationship management.
• Strong Business support and/or secretariat experience.
• Experience of co-ordinating, organising, reviewing and taking
minutes of high level meetings in a politically sensitive
environment involving a wide range of senior representatives.
• Experienced at initiating challenge(s) to provider(s) where
appropriate.
Technical
No specific qualifications are essential but experience and skills
Requirements
relevant to business support, contract management, operational
audit and commissioning are desirable.
Ability
• Ability to negotiate data in a variety of forms and have well
developed research and evaluation skills to make informed
judgements about areas of concern and highlight gaps in
provision.
• Good understanding of HMPPS strategic direction with an
ability to influence others with professionalism and diplomacy.
• Confidence to represent the organisation in a professional
manner to external and internal stakeholders including,
strategic, senior management and operational teams.
• Sound skills to enable management of effective relationships
in a contractual and political environment.
• Sound knowledge of Project and Programme management
techniques.
• Sound problem solving, planning and communication skills.
• Strong numerical and IT skills with strong presentation skills
(written and verbal).
• Strong networking capabilities enabling the development of
productive working relationships across organisational
boundaries and across all levels of an organisation.
• Strong analytical skills and research and evaluation skills to
make informed judgements on concern and gaps in provision.
• Sound ability to work in a dispersed team and be a self-
motivator with the capacity to organise and prioritise based on
organisational reputation/ financial risk.
• Strong commitment to valuing and promoting diversity as the
vehicle for achieving successful business outcomes.
• Strong commitment to excellence within a changing landscape
with the ability to innovate and adapt working style.
• Ability to maintain professional integrity and adherence to
organisational priorities in the face of competing pressures.
• Ability to prioritise the management of a portfolio of projects at
risk through support, advice, guidance and ability to take a
task through to completion.
• Strong Business support and/or secretariat experience.
• Experience of co‐ordinating, organising, reviewing and taking
minutes of high level meetings in a politically sensitive
environment involving a wide range of senior representatives.
• Demonstrable influence, negotiation and analytical skills to
derive best value from the provider base.
• Ability to manage uncertainty and respond flexibly with the
ability to provide intervention at short notice.
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Minimum
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
Eligibility
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 hour working week.
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Success Profile
Strengths
It is advised
Behaviours
strengths are
Ability
Experience
Technical
chosen locally,
recommended
4-8
Working
Ability to negotiate data in a variety of
Relationship management.
No specific
Together
forms and have well developed research
qualifications are
and evaluation skills to make informed
essential but
judgements about areas of concern and
experience and
highlight gaps in provision.
skills relevant to
Communicating
Good understanding of HMPPS strategic
Strong business support and/or
business support,
and Influencing
direction with an ability to influence others
secretariat experience.
contract
with professionalism and diplomacy.
management,
Changing and
Confidence to represent the organisation in Experience of co-ordinating,
operational audit
Improving
a professional manner to external and
organising, reviewing and taking and
internal stakeholders including, strategic,
minutes of high level meetings
commissioning
senior management and operational
in a politically sensitive
are desirable.
teams.
environment involving a wide
range of senior representatives.
Managing a
Sound skills to enable management of
Experienced at initiating
Quality Service
effective relationships in a contractual and
challenge(s) to provider(s)
political environment.
where appropriate.
Delivering at
Sound knowledge of Project and
Experience of co‐ordinating,
Pace
Programme management techniques.
organising, reviewing and taking
minutes of high level meetings
in a politically sensitive
environment involving a wide
range of senior representatives.
Sound problem solving, planning and
communication skills.
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0
Strong numerical and IT skills with strong
presentation skills (written and verbal).
Strong networking capabilities enabling the
development of productive working
relationships across organisational
boundaries and across all levels of an
organisation.
Strong analytical skills and research and
evaluation skills to make informed
judgements on concern and gaps in
provision.
Sound ability to work in a
dispersed team and be a self-motivator
with the capacity to organise and prioritise
based on organisational reputation/
financial risk.
Strong commitment to valuing and
promoting diversity as the vehicle for
achieving successful business outcomes.
Strong commitment to excellence within a
changing landscape with the ability to
innovate and adapt working style.
Ability to maintain professional integrity
and adherence to organisational priorities
in the face of competing pressures.
Ability to prioritise the management of a
portfolio of projects at risk through support,
advice, guidance and ability to take a task
through to completion.
Strong Business support and/or secretariat
experience.
Demonstrable influence, negotiation and
analytical skills to derive best value from
the provider base.
Ability to manage uncertainty and respond
flexibly with the ability to provide
intervention at short notice.
HQ JES 2715 Contract Support Officer (Education) v2.0