Human Resource Management: Manual

1. Introduction

Human Resource Management at many different levels is needed to maximize the performance of both staff and organization. This document outlines the approach to Human Resource Management (HRM) used by the Afghan Development Association (ADA)

2. Principles of HRM

Given the external environment and resources, an organization selects global objectives and a strategy to realize the objectives. These objectives influence the HRM-policy: for example, choosing agricultural activities instead of building roads will result different demand for skills or personnel.

In general, HRM activities can be both operational and strategic. Operational HRM concentrates on short- term efforts to meet current, immediate needs of the organization: "Next week we need a book keeper". These activities are carried out without regard to the organizations future tasks. In strategic HRM, all projects, activities etc. are related to the formulation and implementation of overall strategic plans. The organizational strategy, overall goals and this mission of the organization provides the basis for the HRM strategy, which in turn gives rise to the HRM operational activities.

Most organizations tend to concentrate on operational HRM, because operational tasks are easier to justify (current need) and because many people involved in HRM processes do not know what action is appropriate from the strategic point of view (because they were not involved in the strategic planning).

Often, strategic plans are not available, in which case HRM can not function strategically. In this case, it will not be able to prepare the organization for any future development, because it will have no basis for preparing its employees for the future, or for hiring personnel in time. This easily results in a qualitative and/or quantities human resource shortage.  
An overview of the HRM process is shown in the diagram overleaf.

Human Resource Management – Model

3. Staff Recruitment

3.1 Overview

It is obviously essential for any organization to have properly skilled and experienced staff, and this requires that from time to time the organization will have to recruit new staff. This section of the manual outlines the process for recruitment.  

3.2 Announcing Vacancies

When a project requires additional staff, the program director informs HR section about the vacant positions

• Vacancies are announced at ACBAR to be distributed to all NGO’s
• At the same time, the same announcement is posted at the ADA office
• The HR section collects the received C.V’s form different applicants when the announcement passed its closing

3.3 Shortlisting candidates

For purposes of comparison, the information for each candidate may be recorded as follows:

• Personal information. Name, age, date of birth, place of birth, marital status.
• Education. Institutions attended, courses taken, grades, academic qualifications.
• Professional experience. Work experience in years, organizations worked for, work titles, achievements.
• Skills. Languages, computer skills and other skills.
• Contact information. Email address, postal address, phone number.

Based on this assessment, the HR section makes a shortlist of applications and the short-listed applicants will then be invited for a selection interview. All interviews will normally take place on the same day)

3.4 Interviewing Candidates

Two to three people should be present at the interview: the direct manager of the new employee, the HR manager, and the deputy managing director. There may also be an additional observer. During the recruitment of female staff, one woman should be present as an observer to give confidence to the candidate.

The interview should be conducted using the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result). In this method the interviewee is asked to describe a situation in which they exemplified a characteristic that the job will require (e.g. leadership, knowledge of irrigation systems), the task that that they had to perform, actions they took, and what the result was.

The interview should take place in an appropriate location. In the case of women, a venue should be chosen that will allow the woman to feel at ease. 

The deputy Managing Director, direct manager and HR manager should score the candidate on each of the ten criteria below, from 1-10.

1. Quality of resumé/curriculum vitae

2. Level of relevant work experience

3. Awareness of policies and procedures for the position

4. Extent of computer skills

5. Extent of language skills

6. Suitability of personality

7. Degree of Confidence

8. Quality of previous training and professional qualifications

9. Level of commitment

10. Ability to cooperate and communicate with others

The average score of the three assessors should be calculated, and the candidate with the highest total (out of 100) should be selected.

3.5 Induction meeting

The employment period starts with an induction meeting at Head Office facilitated by HRM department, after which an introduction in the field follows. During the meeting new staff is introduce to the rules and regulations.

4. Firing

4.1 Overview

Firing means termination/closing of employee’s contract. There are three main reasons for which ADA closes the contract of an employee or fires him/her.

1. Closing/completion of  project (by donor, government or organization )
2. Not respecting/ following work ethics, rules and regulation of organization.
3. Disciplinary reasons

4. 2 Project Closing

There are several causes that a project can be stopped and the staff should be fired.

1. When the organization/ implementing agency be unable to answer donor's project requirements
2. When the project be in unsecured and remote areas
3. When the organization be disable to run the project
4. When the project is completed/ there is no extension for the said project

In each of above mentioned cases the staff will normally be fired

4.3 Staff weaknesses

After passing of hiring steps, when a person fills the vacant position he is expected to accept the organizational rules and regulations, be punctual, honest and initiative, but when he/she don't fully undertake the mentioned point(s) he/she can be fired.

ADA has a clear policy for firing of staff, for example if one of the causes occurred (Step 1) or if a staff fails to meet the expectations of ADA employees (Step 2). In such cases the head of relevant department holds a meeting with him/her, in second they gives him/her time so that he/she may improve his/her performance to meet expectations, and in third the management team holds a meeting about him/her. If he/she has not yet reached a satisfactory level then the member of staff is given a final warning, under which he or she will be fired if performance does not reach a suitable level. .

5. Staff Transfer to other positions

All organizations try to keep their qualified staff, as the same, ADA also has a policy to keep its experienced and professional staff.

1.      When a project comes to its end the staff are adjusting in other project.

2.       Transfer base on management decision.

3.      Sometimes transfer is using for rewarding and punishment of the staff.

6. Primary Labour Conditions

Primary labour conditions are those labour conditions that are mentioned in the contract with employee, such as position, reporting lines, salary, duty station, termination and extension of contracts and the duration of the contract. There is reference to the fulfillment of the job description, adherance to ADA’s procedures and policies. The employee commits that he/she will conduct him/herself in an ethical and honest way. The employee, the Managing Director and the HR Manager sign the contract and a copy is kept at the HRM and finance departments and in the personal files of the employee kept by HRM Assistant

7. Value Proposition for Staff of ADA

Working for ADA gives staff the opportunity to work in development and to help Afghan people who are in need. ADA gives both male and female staff the opportunity to improve their skills and responsibilities, and ensures that men and women treat each other with respect.

8. Appraisal of employee performance

Performance appraisal motivates employees to maintain high working standards and provides important management information.

There are three types of performance appraisal system.

·         Self assessment of performance by the employee

·         Appraisal of performance by the manager.

·         360° assessment by colleagues using the 20 capabilities

The following are the 20 capabilities using during the 360° appraisal system.

The score for each capability is from 1 to 10 (1-3= poor, 4-6= satisfactory= 7-9= good, 10= excellent

9. Career Development and Personal Development Plan

A career is the sum of a person’s work-related experience throughout his or her lifetime. A career development plan can be individual or organizational and includes planning for career development, based on the performance and the aspiration of staff. A personal development plan can include steps (action points, learning opportunities, coaching, etc) to improve you in your present position and steps towards desired positions.

At the moment there is no explicit career planning or use of personal development plans in ADA, although there are a great number of employees who have had various positions in the organization. Employee moves from one position to the other based on the needs of project and the impression they give to their managers. In the future, there is a possibility that that discussion of short-term and long-term career goals could be added into the appraisal process, and to feed this discussion and performance information into an explicit, properly-funded Capacity Building function.

10. Salaries

Salary for staff members is based on agreements in projects and the salary scales of ADA. Contracts are from 1 year from 1^st January till 31 December and are renewable if projects funds available. Core staff also depends on projects but ADA tries to keep them in ADA. Core staff includes Management at HO and provinces, department heads, finance and admin staff, and middle management.

The discussion on the renewal of contracts is organized every year from January till March, through a contract committee, comprising the Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, Finance Director, Program Director (Capacity Building and Education) and Program Director (IRD). From January-February members of the committee do an assessment of staff enquiring provincial heads or supervisors on performance of employees and ask advice from provincial managers. Based on available project funds, renewal of contracts takes place, usually in March.

The Managing Director of ADA has prepared a salary scale that all staff should be benefited with the same percentage and has a safety factors which will be multiplied by their former salaries. Through this safety factor they will get new salary, which will be applicable for the rest of the year.

11. Gender in HRM in ADA

For an analysis of the gender composition in ADA we have compared the number of staff in July 2006. During the analysis in July 2006, the total numbers of staff member of ADA is 688, of which 612 are male and 76 are female. The total percentage of male in July 2006 is 88.95% and the female is 11.04%.

The participants in gender mainstreaming in project and programmes course advised to have 30% female staff by December 2010 and also during the debriefing of the MDF mission it was confirmed by the management

ADA has set annual targets for female employment: end 2008: 23%, end 2009: 27% and end 2010: 30%. The chart below shows gender balance in each of ADA’s offices at the end of 2006:

12. Leave Policies in ADA

ADA gives staff leave on reasonable occasions. The forms of leave may be classified as follows.

Regular Leave. They are classified as following:

a) Friday: Weekly holiday for all working staff in allover the Afghanistan.

b) Saturday: It is a holiday for all working staff in ADA (Head Office)

Maternity Leave. Maternity Leave is available for female staff through a written  application addressed the head of concerned department. The maternity leave will be granted for maximum 40 days and her salary will be paid as regular for 40 days.

Un Paid Leave. Additional Leaves required by any staff member is unpaid leave. This leave can be granted during working day by filling a request form and writing a reasonable cause. The maximum leave is as shown