Section 4: Guidance for Interchange Managers

• What is my role in the Interchange programme?
• How should I advertise Interchange?
• Why do I need to monitor opportunities?
• What is the purpose of evaluating opportunities?
• Do's and Don'ts

What is my role in the Interchange programme?

Your role is to:

• promote interchange opportunities, i.e. people and ideas - inward and outward - within your own organisation and at whatever level your organisation considers appropriate;
• provide a direct channel of communication between your organisation, the Interchange Unit in Central Personnel Group, the individual and his/her line manager and the host organisation;
• assess requests for interchange opportunities and make whatever arrangements are considered appropriate;
• track and evaluate interchange opportunities;
• liaise with the Interchange Unit in Central personnel Group for advice and feedback on interchange activity in your organisation;
• represent your organisation at Interchange Manager meetings.

Back to the Top

How should I advertise interchange?

How you decide to market the interchange programme and specific opportunities will be a matter for your particular organisation. In the case of inward opportunities, you may also wish to consider their relevance to the business needs of your organisation. For outward interchange opportunities, individuals and their line managers are required to define the associated business and personal objectives using the model pro-forma at Annex 2. You will be responsible for signing off the pro-forma and forwarding it to the Interchange Unit in Central Personnel Group.

Back to the Top

Why do I need to monitor opportunities?

You should maintain a record of all opportunities – inward and outward – that are processed through the interchange programme. In doing so, you will be able to monitor progress and provide feedback to the Interchange Unit in Central Personnel Group. In keeping a record of people in your organisation who have first hand experience of interchange, you may wish to engage some of them to advertise interchange.

Back to the Top

What is the purpose of evaluating opportunities?

Individuals and their line managers are primarily responsible for evaluating specific interchange opportunities and for determining progress against the agreed business and personal objectives. However you have a role to ensure evaluation takes place and in this way be better placed to assess opportunities across your organisation and whether it would be worthwhile using the same or similar opportunity in the future.

Back to the Top

Remember:

Don't take short cuts at the preparation stage. The wrong person in the wrong place can sour existing or potential relationships and damage credibility;

Do be flexible. The format of each placement should suit the individual and the organisation. They don't always have to be project-type opportunities.

© Interchange 2004