Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Strategic Plan 2015-2020 10.16.3 Lean and Responsive Structure – Notwithstanding the decentralization strategy and the need to be accessible to people countrywide, the ZHRC will maintain a lean structure that is driven by international best practice and benchmarked against comparable National Human Rights Institutions (“NHRIs”) in the region and beyond. (Action Plan Ref: Output 8A) 10.16.4 Adequate Staff Establishment - ZHRC is generally understaffed in key areas, resulting in serious operational bottlenecks, inefficiencies and delays in the investigation and conclusion of cases, as well as other key administrative functions. In order to achieve appropriate and sustainable staffing levels in line with the intention to create a lean, flat and responsive structure, the Commission will carry out an assessment of staffing levels and will, on this basis, adopt an appropriate recruitment plan, having taken into account process flows and critical vacancies. (Action Plan Ref: Output 8D) 10.17 CAPACITY BUILDING WITHIN THE ZHRC The ZHRC is a relatively new organisation, with new Commissioners and officers. In order to effectively deliver on its mandate, the ZHRC should capacitate itself with relevant diverse skills. ZHRC will recruit highly qualified and experienced staff, competent to do the job prescribed. The Commission will train all key staff and develop relevant technical capacity to exploit modern information and communication technologies necessary to enhance institutional performance. The strategic plan provides for continual professional development and technical skills capacity building programs; and where resources allow, ZHRC officials will visit peer institutions in other jurisdictions to gain global exposure. As part of its capacity building strategy, ZHRC will work together with other local institutions that already possess years of institutional experience in promoting human rights, or other administrative expertise. 10.17.1 Training Needs Assessment – The Commission will undertake skills audits to identify capacity gaps and training needs. ZHRC will ensure that all its members are adequately qualified and experienced. (Action Plan Ref: Output 8C) 10.17.2 Induction and Orientation of Staff - ZHRC will ensure that induction and orientation courses and related initiatives are carried out for all new, promoted and transferred staff members. (Action Plan Ref: Output 6B) 10.18 GENDER SENSITIVITY The ZHRC is a gender sensitive institution and will maintain gender balance at all levels of its staff establishment and in all its operations. (Action Plan Ref: Output 8D) 32