NZAF Executive Director Shaun Robinson In a far-reaching change in its upper management structure the NZ AIDS Foundation is to create a single General Manager of Operations position to replace the separate heads of its prevention and health support sections. The Foundation is hoping the new role can be filled by a person with "very strong connections with the gay and bisexual men’s communities in New Zealand." The new position will report directly to the Executive Director while the managers of the NZAF Burnett, Āwhina, NZAF South/Te Toka centres, and the Social Marketing and Community Engagement teams will report to the new position. The possibility of introducing a General Manager of Operations has been in discussion between the Board and Executive Director Shaun Robinson for some time, according to the NZAF, but no decision had been made before the recent resignations of Preventions and International manager Simon Harger-Forde and Health manager Eamonn Smythe. "The Board and Shaun both feel that a General Manager position is the best way to improve collaboration and co-ordination within the NZAF and to respond to the financial pressures caused by the loss of Ministry of Health inflation-linked funding," the NZAF says. The new General Manager of Operations will be primarily focused on "supporting the operational delivery of the strategic and annual plans," a spokesperson for the NZAF says. "They will of course contribute to the strategic and planning work as will the regional and programme managers, others in the leadership team and the whole organisation. As Executive Director, Shaun will lead overall strategy development." The changes are hoped to break down some of the inter-departmental barriers which observers have long said resulted from the previous structure and appointments. "There will be opportunities to work collaboratively across NZAF Health Services and HIV Prevention and to think as one organisation," the NZAF says. "This means we will learn from each part of the NZAF together, communicate more, be as fully effective as we can be, and that the new General Manager will share an overview of the key activities of the organisation with the Executive Director." The management change will also create a financial saving to help balance the loss of inflation-adjusted funding which occurred as a result of recent recession-related government spending constraints. It is anticipated that the recruitment for the new role will begin "shortly" with an appointment by April. In the meantime, Robinson will act as the Director of both NZAF Health Services and, when Harger-Forde leaves in Late January, HIV Prevention.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 16th December 2011 - 1:36pm