Cross-cutting Competencies
NIRAS offer a wide variety of services including capacity-building and institutional strengthening, oversight of district and community development planning and budgeting, and the introduction of effective monitoring and evaluation systems. Our integration of gender perspectives across assignments is showcased in initiatives such as our leadership in gender-responsive budgeting. In managing an emergency response roster, we actively work towards security, peace, and stability. And – through several global training programmes – we build capacities of stakeholders in affected countries and regions with regards to human rights, gender, good governance, peace, and security. We add value through our cross-sectoral expertise and ability to deliver successful outcomes in large, complex projects. Following are some cross-cutting competences supporting our work:
Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation
In the context of project backstopping, based on its vast experience in implementing a vast variety of projects, NIRAS has developed a detailed procedure for monitoring the project implementation process in the context of both technical and financial aspects. These established internal processes will be adapted to the specific needs of the particular contract. We define project monitoring as the regular and systematic observation of progress against plans. It highlights areas working well and those requiring remedial action.
Quality Assurance
Our Project Management and Quality Assurance (PMQA) methodology and tools have been carefully designed to ensure that:
Best practices and internationally approved standards are utilised;
Outputs are delivered on time with quality and to the benefit of stakeholders;
A sound mixture of long-standing and project-learnt experience is applied for risk management;
Cost-effective solutions are applied.
NIRAS’ Quality Assurance System complies with the international standard ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Requirements.
Business Integrity Management
Conducting business with integrity is a fundamental principle at NIRAS and key to serving our clients in accordance with our values. Our unwavering ethical principles—based upon trust, respect, honesty and integrity—empower our employees to conduct business the right way. Our uncompromising ethical standards and Code of Conduct, which include a zero-tolerance policy to corruption, tax evasion and fraud as well as any form of modern slavery, discrimination and harassment, are central to everything we do, and we only do business with those who uphold the same standards. Fulfilling OECD recommendations, NIRAS has established an Integrity Management System (IMS), based on both the FIDIC model and Transparency International’s ‘Assurance Framework for Corporate Anti-Bribery Programmes (2012)
Communications & Visibility
In the context of project backstopping, our in-house communications team ensure a well-structured and thought-out approach to the communication and visibility process. Our staff have extensive experience in copywriting, strategic communications, graphic design, storytelling, video production, and social media. We offer support across projects around the world preparing and sharing impact stories, project write-ups and news, amplifying these on NIRAS’s own communications platforms. We ensure that all findings are accurately communicated and disseminated, and all outputs produced are drafted in a clear and concise manner, making use of high quality visuals, as appropriate.
NIRAS has a proprietary Communications Toolkit with step-by-step guidance on developing an effective communications plan, lots of do’s and don’ts of communications platforms and practical examples from our own development cooperation projects as well as other effective communications campaigns on the creation and implementation of strategies, tools and tactics.
Digitalisation
NIRAS has developed its own bespoke systems for project and data management – most notably our SmartME system that incorporates fund and monitoring data and presents progress made in contributing to the SDGs in a range of dashboards for different audiences. We also specialise in the deployment of a range of commercially available solutions which include statistical analysis and data visualisation packages (e.g. Tableau, PowerBi, GIS tools), project and grant management tools (e.g. WebMo, Flexigrant), Gateway One; Performance Hub (performance management), and webinar hosting platforms (Zoom, GoTo Meeting).
Knowledge Capitalisation
NIRAS has well-developed and tested knowledge capitalisation methods and tools that contribute to efficiency improvements (i.e. help prevent duplication of effort and identify synergies between components or other projects); help preserve institutional memory and intellectual property; generate information for external communications and ensure sustainability of project results. CVPT II – NIRAS’ cloud-based project management, quality assurance and knowledge tank tool – allows navigation around thematic areas and geographic locations as well as sharing the knowledge and best practices.