JOB DESCRIPTION
PEER REVIEWER
STANDARDS FOR EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit
Organizations
Would you like to contribute
to advancing the ethical and accountability standards in the Nonprofit Sector in
Pennsylvania? Administered by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit
Organizations (PANO), the Standards for Excellence program provides standards
that assure accountability and trainings that build capacity for operations.
PANO is recruiting Peer Reviewers for voluntary certification process included
in the Standards for Excellence program. Peer Reviewer qualifications include a
minimum of five years of nonprofit administrative experience and attending the
Peer Reviewer training session.
Information about the next Peer
Reviewer training will be posted once one is scheduled. Trainings are free of charge. Peer Reviewers gain
greater knowledge of the Standards for Excellence as they review a nonprofit
organization’s Self Study Application. This provides an opportunity to use your
nonprofit management expertise and to gain additional insights into best
practices. Mail your application
to PANO, 777 East Park Drive, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17111.
What is a Standards for Excellence Peer Reviewer?
Peer reviewers are trained individuals responsible for evaluating an
organization’s compliance with the Standards for Excellence.
Using a peer review process ensures that individuals with diverse opinions
and expertise in the non-profit sector will review and judge the application
packages, and that the outcome will be fair.
Peer Reviewers restrict their opinions to documents, activities, policies and
processes that are covered by the Standards for Excellence. This ensures that
all organizations are being treated alike, and that any potential biases of Peer
Reviewers are avoided.
Peer Reviewers always have the opportunity to make suggestions to the Board
Standards Committee for addition, deletion or revision of existing standards.
Time Commitment:
Prospective reviewers will attend a free two hour peer reviewer training
session conducted by Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)
staff.
Peer Reviewers will not be expected to review more than two application
packages per year except
under unusual circumstances.
The total time commitment for a peer review is estimated at 10-12 hours per
organization.
Qualifications Needed:
• At least five years of experience working with a nonprofit organization in
a position of responsibility that involves development or execution of policy or
governance of the organization. - or -
• The equivalent of the above through experience as a consultant, trainer,
corporate service provider in the nonprofit field (CPA, attorney, etc.)
Overview of Peer Review Process:
Application packages from Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations are first
reviewed for completeness by PANO’s staff. They are then sent to three-trained
Peer Reviewers. Peer Review teams are chosen form a pool of available trained
Peer Reviewers who have no conflict of interest with the organization under
consideration.
Peer Reviewers review application packages individually, evaluating for
adherence to the Standards. An application checklist is provided to guide the
review process. Peer Reviewers spend an average of 4 – 6 hours reviewing
applications on their own.
The team of Peer Reviewers meets within 15 days of receiving application
packages, to discuss each individual’s assessment of the application package. A
PANO staff member attends and facilitates this meeting. Peer Reviewer meetings
take approximately 3 hours.
If additional information is needed, staff contacts the organization and then
shares any additional information with the Peer Review team.
The Peer Review team agrees on whether or not to recommend the organization
for Standards for Excellence, and on what requirements, expectations and
observations are to be recommended. Followup review takes place via email
and conference call.
The Board Standards Committee reviews the Peer Review Team’s recommendations
and takes final action on whether or not the organization will receive the Seal
of Excellence. If necessary, a representative of the Peer Review Team clarifies
recommendations.
Conflict of Interest/Confidentiality of Interest:
Members of Peer Review Teams perform their work anonymously. The organization
being evaluated does not know the name of the Peer Reviewers.
To avoid conflicts and protect the confidentiality of applicants, Peer
Reviewers agree to sign a Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Statement,
and fill out a Disclosure Form and Application.
For more information, please contact Tish Mogan at 717-236-8584 x1001 or
e-mail
tish@pano.org. Go to Peer Reviewers.
Current List of Peer Reviewers:
Click here for a list.
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