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We’re Hiring! Project Manager – Ability Awards International

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Job Title: Project Manager, Ability Awards International

Reporting to: Programme Manager, Ability Awards International

Purpose of Job: To support, co-ordinate, track, manage and implement
projects. These projects include (but not limited to) the Ability Awards Spain and the Ability Awards International Development. To ensure that the Ability Awards Projects integrate and supplement Kanchi’s overall strategic and operational goals.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Develop, plan, implement and support our partners in the; implementation and development of the Ability Awards.

2. Manage and track the “Project Budget” and all associated project expenditure

3. Manage and co-ordinate the “Project Team” and external Consultants, to ensure maximum efficiency of all project resources

4. Communicate the effectiveness and benefits of the projects to all stakeholders

5. Ensure all project deliverables meet the agreed quality standards

6. Build and protect the Ability Awards & Kanchi’s Brand, Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Strategy

7. Provide Partners, Sponsors, Funders, Steering Committees and Programme Manager with appropriate reporting, and communications

8. Effective Event Management and Media Relations

9. Contribute to the ongoing strategic and operational development of Kanchi

10. Any other reasonable task as requested

Essential Criteria

- Innovative, pro-active and goal oriented approach to delivering projects

- Experience of organising and prioritising a demanding workload

- Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills

- Ability to engage in a multi-disciplinary environment at senior leaders

- Negotiation skills

- Fluent Business Spanish

- Willingness to travel

- Ability to develop strong professional relationships and influence peers, managers and other teams

Desirable Criteria

- Knowledge of the Employment of People with Disabilities / or Human Resources Best Practice

- Technical expertise of Assessment Design, Audit design and development, Audit System process management, Business Analysis & Quality Management

- Qualification in Project Management

- Experience of international project management

- Fluent Business German

Personal Qualities:

- A commitment to the Employment of People with Disabilities

- An engaging and open personality

- A willingness to interact with all sectors of the community (e.g. people with disabilities, government organisations, disability organisations & the corporate sector)

- An ability to be a pro-active team member and leader

- Be self motivated, flexible and able to work on own initiative

Terms and Conditions:

The successful candidate will be offered a one year fixed term contract in the first instance. Subject to satisfactory performance and continued funding of our projects Kanchi will be prepared to make a permanent appointment. Salary will be negotiated commensurate with skills and experience.

The successful candidate will be required to commit to abiding by, and complying with Kanchi policies and procedures.

If you are interested in applying for the role, please submit a covering letter and CV to careers@kanchi.org by 5pm on Monday, 8^th August 2011.

Kanchi is an equal opportunities employer and particularly welcomes applications from people with disabilities.

Tags: ability awards, Ability Awards International, Project Manager, Recruitment
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Telefónica Ability Awards – Fiesta Time!

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Telefonica Ability Awards - Launch

Timing is everything and recognizing a good opportunity when it arises is key. Telefónica knows a good idea when it sees one – just take the Ability Awards.

In 2007, a team of senior Telefónica executives attended the O2 Ability Awards ceremony during an early visit to Telefónica O2 Ireland. What they saw left a lasting impression.

Now, three years on, the groundbreaking model has been extended to Spain in the form of the Telefónica Ability Awards Spain.

Similar to the Irish version, the initiative aims to raise awareness of the positive impact that people with disabilities can have in business, as well as highlighting examples of best practice.

Telefónica O2 Ireland CEO Danuta Gray said:

“The expansion to Spain marks the first franchise of the Awards internationally and is a historic achievement for us and for our partner charity, Kanchi, highlighting the strength and innovation of Irish Social Entrepreneurship.

Our Awards have come a long way since 2004 and I am very proud of what we’ve achieved. We’ll continue to support Telefónica and Kanchi as they take their first steps together in Spain.”

Kanchi Programme Manager Ian Elliott said:

“When we first had the idea for the Irish Awards I don’t think we ever imagined the impact it would have or dreamed of it spreading to other countries.

But the response we got since the 2005 Awards was overwhelming and, when O2 was acquired by Telefónica, this took the scope of the Awards to the next level.

We worked very closely with Telefónica to assist them in the implementation of the Awards and supported and advised them on all stages of the Awards from assessment to the Awards event itself.”

Since the idea for extending the Ability Awards franchise to Spain was first mooted, Kanchi has been working with Telefónica and its partners in Spain to tailor the model for the Spanish market.

Ian Elliot said:

“We went through all the due diligence and research needed to adapt the Awards for a new country and a totally different culture.

That included everything from looking at legislation with their Assessment Partners PriceWaterhouseCoopers and their Disability Partners to adapting the whole process to ensure it fits culturally in Spain.”

Applications for the Awards opened earlier this year, 273 companies applied for the Telefónica Ability Awards representing 458 individual category entries. Customer service was the most popular category at 34% and accessibility the second most popular, at 20%. Of the 273, 48% were small and medium enterprises, 23% were large companies, 12% were non-profit organisations, 9% were universities and 5% were public bodies.

Ian Elliot said:

“Telefónica launched the Awards with a big direct marketing campaign.They reached approx 1.6 million contacts and have contacted 13,000 organisations; The success of the Awards so far, both here and in Spain, is fantastic.Compared to Telefónica, Kanchi is a tiny organisation, but this partnership is allowing us both to make a real difference.”

The Telefónica Ability Awards is an extraordinary achievement. From the outset, Spain has proved an unmatched commitment to the inclusion of people with disability through business, one that will be fundamental in leading a global business movement. Not only do we have over a hundred Ability Companies in Ireland, we now have 48 more in Spain, companies that demonstrate best practice for disability equality within their businesses, thereby creating examples for others to follow.

The Telefónica Ability Awards ceremony is taking place in Madrid, Spain this Monday 17th January. We are honoured to join Telefónica in welcoming her Royal Majesty the Queen to celebrate those 48 companies that recognise the benefits that people with disabilities bring to their organisations, be it employees, customers or members
of the community.

For all you Spanish speakers the Awards ceremony is being streamed live at 6.30pm on www.telefonicaabilityawards.com

About Telefónica

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts to 265 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth on strategy. Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4,563,996,485 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in London, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. Visit the website: www.telefonica.com

Tags: ability awards, Awards, Disability, kanchi, Madrid Spain, o2 ireland, Telefonica
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International Day for People with Disabilities

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Happy International Day for People with Disabilities! This day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and benefits of integration in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.

Here at Kanchi, we are celebrating by recounting the success thus far of the O2 Ability Awards 2010. This year, 105 eligible organisations registered to participate in the O2 Ability Awards 2010. Of these registered organisations, 85 submitted final detailed application forms. A record breaking 70% of these were new organisations: organisations which had not been deemed an “Ability Company” by Kanchi’s O2 Ability Awards before. Organisations from across 25 different industry sectors and 21 Counties applied.

It should be noted the standard of applications was incredibly high this year. Therefore, 42 organisations will receive on-site assessments. This is a testiment to the commitment Irish companies are making to the business case for disability.

Gaby Murphy, Kanchi’s Managing Director said: “It is fitting that we can today announce details of the growing level of interest in the O2 Ability Awards which reflects Ireland’s commitment to the United Nations International Day of Disabilities. The quality and calibre of entries this year is significant in terms of organisations not only embracing disability policies put putting them into action – there is clear evidence of a positive shift in practice when it comes to accommodating both employees and customers with disabilities”.

A full list of companies shortlisted will be released during February 2010. A televised series documenting a selection of organisations that participate in the O2 Ability Awards will be broadcast on RTÉ in May.

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