IRRI Proposal Specialist

MANILA: I am a registered member of LinkedIn, and I have just received on 21 September 2016 an email that says, "Frank: Texas Instruments, Viventis Search Asia, and NetSuite Inc. are looking for candidates like you." And underneath that email subject is this:

"10 jobs that match your preferences"

I logged in and got interested in the need of IRRI for a "Proposal Specialist" (as posted by Brian Carlo Hipolito). I clicked on "Apply on company website," and here I am, at irri.orgreading the whole package.

I'm smiling because I know IRRI and I also know that I am way beyond retirement age, having just celebrated my 76th birthday less than a week before today.

So I'm out of the question, but since I'm in the mood for light, if not love, and the Closing Date for application is 07 October 2016 yet, a good 2 weeks from now, let me indulge in a bit of speculation.

The exact position called for by IRRI is "Senior Officer – Proposal Development." I'll simply call him IRRI Proposer. (Yes, I anticipate that it will be a he, not a she.) If he proves to be good, I will call him an IRRI Professor. They don't make professors like they used to anymore.

IRRI describes itself in these words for the purpose of this job search:

IRRI is a nonprofit independent research and training organization and is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. IRRI’s research is being done under the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Rice, also known as the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), which the Institute leads.

I'm in search of beauty in proposals. Those 45 words above is a good example of a poor proposal. You are proposing that I consider you as my employer but you are not very good at describing yourself in a few words. In fact, you confound me with CGIAR and GRiSP, not to mention your name, IRRI.

What is the exact role of IRRI in the international scheme of rice? Those introductory 45 words should have addressed that. Remember, in the Philippines, there is the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). You cannot ignore PhilRice; you have to contextualize IRRI with PhilRice. (Now look at the image again and see what I mean.)

With those 45 words, the poor job applicant cannot fully appreciate, cannot even begin to appreciate IRRI, starting with the IRRI assumption that the applicant knows that IRRI is the International Rice Research Institute based in Los Baños. IRRI is known but is not that popular. Those 45 words instead should entice him to work there, some 65 km from the heart of Manila.

Job Purpose
Under the general direction of the Director for External Relations and minimal supervision of the DRPC manager, leads a full range of activities required to prepare, develop, write, submit, and manage grant proposals to funding organizations/agencies.

Not a bad construction. But what is the DRPC?

And I would have rewritten that last part and just say, "to draft, develop and manage grant proposals..." But if details are necessary, it should read, "to prepare a draft and develop the same into a full-pledged proposal, write the proposal in proper format, submit and manage all grant proposals to..."

If truth be told, I can see that the whole package of "Senior Officer – Proposal Development" is much too much that it scares people to apply, not entice them!

Look, in 426 words, including title, the Senior Officer (SO) Package lists down these:

6 responsibilities under the 1st role, which is described in 12 words
3 responsibilities under the 2nd role, which is described in 34 words
2 responsibilities under the 3rd role, which is described in 2 words (very good)
0 responsibilities under the 4th role, which is described in 15 words
4 responsibilities under the 5th role, which is described in 9 words.

Verbosity is not one of the qualities of the one IRRI is looking for in this Senior Officer, but here it is showing him what verbosity is.

If I were the IRRI writer of this package, I would have stated each of those 5 roles 5 words max. And no responsibilities listed – I would have asked the applicant, in a proper interview, what he understood as his responsibilities under each of those roles. The one who gives most of the best answers? That's my man!

Under Qualifications, I am not going to quarrel with a "Bachelor's degree in Communication... or related field." But I know they don't teach proposal development in schools, or at the office. So, I think "Minimum 5 years of work experience in proposal development or project management support" should add the words at the end, "or equivalent experience." I did not learn my skill at developing proposals anywhere but at work when I had to. A writer has an advantage as a packager of proposals. And so, if truth be told, Madecor has the experience like this:

Many, many years ago, Pids Rosario, Madecor President, overheard at the USAID office in Manila a USAID officer telling another Filipino consulting group, "You should learn from Madecor. They make the best proposals!"

He, he. At that time, I was the one packaging those Madecor proposals.

Yes, by the way, the best way to describe it is not "to write a proposal" but "to package a proposal." It is the packaging that sells it. You should learn from Madecor – they make the best proposals!

Now, now, If I'm so smart, why am I not applying? I'm reading the list of 5 Skills Required and I know I will get only 4 stars out of 5, not good enough for IRRI and, in the first place, not good enough for me.

Yes, even assuming that IRRI will consider a senior citizen applicant if he happens to be Outstanding, I will not apply because I have already failed myself:

(1) I have a good understanding of international donor agencies.

(2) I have good computer skills (MS Office: Word and Excel). I am a guru of Windows 10 and Word 2013 and PowerPoint (IRRI forgot to mention PowerPoint) – you won't believe what I can do with an app until you see me at work and at play – and I can learn Excel in half a day, or instead ask someone to do the calculations for me, why not?! My little knowledge of Excel will be a dangerous thing.

(3) I have good oral and written communication skills. My hundred or so blogs should attest to that. I write like I speak and anyone can see that. And I'm no stranger to IRRI.

(4) I have good interpersonal skills. I used to be a shy guy, but I have gained self-confidence. Which by the way should be one of the qualifications for that Proposal Specialist.

(5) I always take initiatives, but really, I am not a team player: I am a one-man band. I have always been that since I was that high.

All in all, do I love myself? Despite my imperfections, yes. If truth be told, I love everybody, despite their imperfections. I hate average performance, which IRRI has shown above with its Proposal Specialist package. I myself hate to get 4 stars out of 5. Be warned: Know that I hate the sin but not the sinner!

One last thing, which I think is a better idea: If after the hiring, IRRI sees the need for the conduct of a workshop on how to package proposals, I propose to teach it. If they want the best, let them call. They've got my number.

21 September 2016. Essay word count, excluding this line: 1273