Australia Awards – Mongolia will soon conduct interviews with applicants (Category II) from the private sector, civil society, and non-government and international organizations for an Australia Awards Scholarship Intake 2024.

Australia Awards-Mongolia is now seeking to engage the services of an Independent Selection Interview Panelist (ISIP) to assist with the selection interview of Scholarship Awardees for the 2024 intake. The panel will be chaired by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Between 7 and 10 days of inputs will be required from ISIP. The timetable for selection interviews is very strict and the selected Interview Panelist must commit to providing full-time team-based input during this period.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Undertake preparatory work to ensure familiarity with:
•     – the aims and objectives of the Australia Awards
•     – the aims and objectives of the Australia Awards – Mongolia
•     – the Australia Awards Scholarships Assessment and Selection Guide
•     – the country context, including the Aid Investment Strategy, the Country Profile, development priorities, and the higher education system.
• Actively participate in induction and panel moderation activities.
• Adhere to all timetables as advised by the Panel chair always maintaining strict punctuality.
• Participate in panel interviews, contributing to fair and transparent processes to assess applicants.
• Contribute to discussions on the relative merits of applicants, following guidelines agreed with the panel Chair.
• Ensure that social inclusion factors (as advised before the commencement of the interview process) are addressed appropriately and fairly across all candidates.
• Prepare and submit an evaluative report on the selection exercise.
• Execute the highest degree of professional integrity, including neutrality and confidentiality throughout and after the selection exercise.

Person specification:

The panelist will demonstrate many of the following attributes:

• Demonstrated familiarity with and understanding of the social, cultural, and economic development context of Mongolia including the private sector, and civil society development.
• Experience in one or more of the following: (i) awarding of scholarships, grants, or other awards based on interviews and written assessments of applicants (whether individual or organisational); (ii) relevant human resources management activities, for example interviewing candidates for employment or promotion; (iii) involvement in technical assessment panels, including interviews.
• Demonstrated relevant subject matter skills and/or qualifications: Postgraduate qualifications or work experience in a discipline relevant to Mongolia’s priority sectors and/or in a relevant generalist or development field will be highly regarded.
• Awareness of and commitment to principles of social inclusion, and the ability to incorporate this understanding into interviews to ensure fairness.
• Knowledge of and experience in the Australian higher education sector.
• Ability to communicate effectively and sympathetically with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• High-level cross-cultural negotiation skills and ability to manage conflict.
• Demonstrated sound professional ethics and value.

Expression of Interest:

To submit an Expression of Interest, please send an email with the subject “ISIP: Expression of Interest”. The email should contain a copy of your CV attached, along with a cover letter in which you state your claims against the attributes listed above, and should be addressed to info@australiaawardsmongolia.org.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted no later than 1 July 2023.