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Financial Management Lecturer

Thimphu, Bhutan

This assignment has been negotiated in good faith with the Partner Organisation, and the information

contained was correct at the time of acceptance of the request.

However, while we take responsibility for matters under our direct control, all assignments and

arrangements are subject to change. This assignment may be amended or withdrawn to reflect changes

in circumstances.

GENERAL DETAILS

Assignment Title Financial Management Lecturer

Partner Organisation Royal Institute of Management

Website of Partner Organisation NA

Duration of Assignment 12 months

Proposed Start Date 24th February, 2020

1. PARTNER ORGANISATION OVERVIEW

The Royal Institute of Management (RIM) was established as Bhutan’s “apex management training

institute” and has been mandated to “impart, promote and improve professional knowledge and skills

in management and public administration in both public as well as private sectors in the nation”

towards complementing the achievement of national goals. The Institute was established in 1986 and

was incorporated as an autonomous body in 1990 under the Royal Charter with a Board of Directors as

its governing authority. RIM aspires to become an international and regionally significant institution

providing management education, training and research. As a development strategy, RIM is aiming to

build its human resource capacity though developing the quality of its faculty and staff. Human resource

development is one of the key priorities of the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) during the 11thFive

Year Plan and is being continued in the forthcoming 12th Five Year Plan (2018 – 2023). Towards this

end, RGoB has been giving priority toward developing the capacities of in-country education and

training institutions with the objective to maximize the available resources and deliver programs to

wider coverage of the population.

The education and training services of the Institute are delivered through four departments;

Department of Finance and Business (DFB), Department of Management Development

(DMD),Department of Research Consultancy (DRC) and Department of Information Communication

Technology.

RIM plays a crucial role in the areas of:

Training capacity development of the civil service in close coordination with the Royal Civil

Service Commission.

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Fulfils capacity development needs of local governance institutions and agencies aimed at

facilitating the decentralisation initiative of the Royal Government

Supports the private sector development though niche training interventions in support of their

human resource development initiatives

RIM is located at Semtokha, 7 km west of Thimphu City Centre and takes approximately 15 minutes

by car.

2. ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

As per the Academic Wheel of Law, it is required that professors have a degree higher that the

program they teach i.e. if a Master’s program is being taught, the professor must have a degree

higher than Masters. Thus, to enable the institute to deliver the Masters level Financial

Management and Practices program under certification from Canberra University (Australia), the

Royal Institute of Management requires a PhD qualified lecturer in Financial Management and

Practices. The institute has already sent two of its senior staff from the Accounting, Economics and

Finance programs to Australia for doctoral studies and intends to send another 3-4 in the near

future. In the interim, the qualified volunteer will deliver the program, mentor junior staff and lead

research in their areas of expertise which will enable the institute to continue to provide and

expand the Canberra University programs and establish good practice in preparation for the return

of these senior faculty members.

3. ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES

To teach Financial Management and Practices in the following programs – MBA, CPA and

Post Graduate Diploma programs.

Assist and develop faculty capacity in research programs.

To include all people directly affected by the volunteer assignment in the Partner Organisation and community using strategies that promote:

a. Gender equality b. Inclusion of Youth c. Inclusion of People with Disability (PWD) d. Child protection and child safeguarding e. Inclusion of other marginalised groups

4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VOLUNTEER

In consultation with their line manager and relevant stakeholders, Australian volunteers

complete an assignment plan in the first eight (8) weeks of their assignment. The duties below

are an indication of the type of work that may be involved in meeting the Assignment

Objectives:

Teaching Financial Management and Practices in MBA program

Teaching Financial Management and Practices in CPA program

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Teaching Financial Management and Practices in two PGD – Financial Management and

Public Administration program

Co-partner and conduct research with an RIM faculty in one of the areas of interest by RIM

faculty

Review and comment on the unit outlines of the unit in the MBA, CPA and PGD programs

5. SELECTION CRITERIA

Qualifications, Essential Skills & Experience

PhD Degree or equivalent (e.g. CPA with 5 years of work experience) is required

6. ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

Line Manager

Karma Pema Loday, Head of Department, Department of Finance and Business (is also a Senior

Lecturer)

Working Relationships

Chonga Zangpo, Lecturer will be the main counterpart

Volunteer will work as co-faculty and co-research with faculty under the Department and also

work across other relevant departments

Hours & Days at the Partner Organisation

Summer hours (March to October) 9am-5pm, Winter hours (November to February) 9am-4pm,

Monday to Friday and other times if required.

Leave Entitlements

All volunteers are entitled to 20 days leave per 12 months, unless otherwise advised.

Same conditions and terms as local colleagues apply, including national holidays.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional indemnity insurance is required for all volunteers who are acting as a medical,

allied health or legal professional whilst on assignment. On these assignments professional

indemnity insurance must be provided by the partner organisation, Australian organisation

(if applicable) or self-arranged by the volunteer as part of ongoing professional obligations.

For all other assignments, professional indemnity insurance is not automatically provided for

Australian volunteers. You should consult your partner organisation about the need for

professional indemnity insurance for your role prior to your departure. Where required

and/or you consider it essential for you to hold this insurance, please discuss this with the

Volunteer Services Manager in Melbourne prior to your departure.

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This assignment is not deemed to require professional indemnity insurance.

Other Conditions

If required to work after hours, volunteer is entitled to time off in lieu because there is no

overtime pay provisions.

Language Skills and Level Required

Level of Local Language Competency required is low.

Language Support

Language support is provided during the in-country orientation period. Most often, additional

resources for further development later in the assignment will be available if required.

7. LIVING AS A VOLUNTEER

Thimphu is a small capital city, with a lot of hills and cobbled paths. The country’s strong focus on

gross national happiness reflects a strong commitment to, and interest in, the humanitarian needs

of people and society as a whole. Foreign visitors living in Bhutan are viewed positively and are

accepted within the community. Bhutan is a strongly Buddhist society and is it expected that

volunteers will respect this. Bhutanese culture is an important element of Bhutanese life. The

preservation of promotion of culture is of fundamental importance to Bhutan and a core pillar of

gross national happiness.

There are a few shopping centres that sell a variety of imported goods. There is a farmers market

located in the town centre and little supermarkets are readily available. Food is affordable, however

not consistently of high quality. Most food products, including vegetables, are imported from India.

Seafood is rarely eaten, and chilli is considered a staple. There is a high influx of tourists to Bhutan,

and as such there are 2 5-star hotels and numerous 3 and 4 star hotels. Local taxis and buses are

readily available in Thimphu. Most destinations within Thimphu city are within walking distance

(30-40 min). Some volunteers purchase bicycles upon arrival for commuting or recreation, and

good second hand ones are readily available.

The Bank of Bhutan and the Bhutan National Bank have branch offices nationwide. ATMs are

available, though not always reliable. Volunteers are able withdraw money from ATMs or from the

bank directly. International credit cards are not widely used or advisable to rely on. Fixed line

telephones are available and mobile phone coverage is fairly strong. Internet usage and coverage

is also fairly good, and does not cost a lot.

Cultural Tips

The currency of Bhutan is the Ngultrum (BTN). Internet banking is not widely available and can

only be used to view balances and transfer money between accounts within the Bank of

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Bhutan. Bhutanese people wear their national dress (Gho for men and Kira for women) almost

every day, in all offices (strictly in government offices), religious places, schools and functions.

Western clothes are preferred outside of work and foreigners are not expected to wear the

national dress Bhutanese society is hierarchical. Volunteers willbeexpected to treat their

workplace superiors and important dignitaries respectfully and to refer to them by title, not

name.

Social relations and maintaining relationships form a core part of Bhutanese society. It is

important to be polite, diplomatic and patient in your communications, as straightforwardness

can be perceived as being rude.

Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion and Buddhist values guide daily lives of the Bhutanese.

Dzongkha is the national language but several local dialects are also spoken. English is one of

the two official working languages and is widely used. English is used in offices and schools.

8. ALLOWANCES & SUPPORT

These allowance levels are based on the Cost of Living in the host country location. Allowances

will be reviewed periodically and may increase or decrease. Volunteers will be given notice of

any change to the allowance level.

Living Allowance

AUD $ 620

Accommodation Allowance

AUD $ 590

Housing

Assistance with the identification of suitable, secure and affordable accommodation will be

provided by the In-Country Management Team.

Other Allowances & Support

All Australian Volunteers program volunteers receive the following:

Pre-departure Briefing in Melbourne

In-country Orientation on arrival

Pre-departure vaccination expenses

Visa expenses

Pastoral care, assignment monitoring and security guidance

Return airfare to country of assignment

Psychological and medical advice and support services

Re-entry support services

Settling in allowance (assignments longer than 6 months)

Re-settlement allowance (assignments longer than 6 months)

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9. PREPARING YOUR APPLICATION

As a part of your online application you will be required to answer the following questions

through a video recording (if you are unable to submit through the online video due to

accessibility please contact the Recruitment Coordinator).

Response to Selection Criteria

a) Why do I feel that volunteering internationally is the right thing for me to be doing at this time in my life?

b) What are the biggest personal adjustments I’m likely to have to make to be accepted as a useful colleague and engaged community member in this assignment?

c) The Australian Volunteers Program is committed to ensuring the inclusion of all people directly affected by the volunteer assignment, such as the partner organisation and host community. What is your personal experience and/or understanding of social inclusion.

d) How do I match the Qualifications, Essential Skills & Experience? Include your most relevant experiences, results and achievements responding to each of the selection criteria in Section 5.

Personal Circumstances Constraints

The Australian Volunteers Program recognises and values the enhanced skills and expertise of

returned volunteers as a result of their volunteering experience. The program is also designed

to maximise international volunteering opportunities for all Australians. With this in mind, if a

returned volunteer and a candidate who has not volunteered previously apply for the same

role, preference will be given to the latter, providing they meet the personal and professional

selection criteria for the role.

We are NOT able to accept applications from people with the following personal circumstances

due to security, cultural, legal or visa restrictions in this location:

Same sex partners who wish to accompany applicants as part of the program may face

issues in applying for and being issued with a visa

Applicants with partners to whom they are not legally married and who wish to accompany applicants as part of the program may face issues in applying for and being issues with a visa

Applicants with a criminal record where a criminal conviction may be relevant to the inherent requirements of the assignment.

10. HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be submitted online through the Australian Volunteers Program website.

If you haven’t already done so, you will need to register on our website prior to applying.

The Australian Volunteers Program is committed to increasing Indigenous participation, and we

actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. If you would like

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more information or support with your application, you can contact our Indigenous Programs

Coordinator on indigenous.programs@australianvolunteers.com.