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Candidate Information Pack
Candidate information pack for the position of Member of the Board of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England
September 2016
Job Advertisement
Post:
Member of the independent Parliamentary body the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Appointing Body:
Members of the Commission are appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Secretary of State.
Department/Sector: Department for Communities and Local Government.
Location:
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission) is based in London where monthly Commission meetings take place but the work involves visiting local authorities across England on a regular basis.
Number of Vacancies: Up to 3
Remuneration:
Commissioners are remunerated on a basis of days worked on Commission business plus reasonable travel and subsistence expenses. Commissioners are expected to be able to work flexibly up to 5 days per month. The full daily fee is £329 (£164.50 for each half day). Appointments to the Commission are not pensionable.
Closing Date: 21 November 2016
Interviews Start: Interviews will be held early December.
Vacancy description:
The role of the Commission is to sustain local democratic fairness and keep the map of English local government in good order. It is the body that consults on, and decides, the most appropriate electoral arrangements for local government.
As well as making decisions about the number of councillors and ward/division boundary arrangements in relation to individual reviews, Commissioners are responsible for setting the strategic goals of the Commission and securing their attainment and for ensuring that it discharges its functions economically, efficiently and effectively.
Within this overall framework, collectively they are responsible for amongst other things:
· Taking decisions on key policy, regulatory and other issues (with advice from staff), principally concerning local authority electoral arrangements (i.e. the number of councillors and the number and boundaries of electoral areas) and administrative boundaries.
· Representing the Commission externally participating in public meetings and discussions and engaging with local political leaders and officials in those areas undergoing electoral and boundary reviews.
Individually, members act as lead Commissioner for specific reviews, working alongside staff who prepare recommendations for collective decision by the Commission. This entails visiting areas under review, engaging in meetings with Council Leaders and members, and with others, and being in a position to offer fellow Commissioners advice or assurance on the recommendations before them. Further background information on the Commission can be found as part of the Application pack.
Person Specification
The ideal Commissioner can contribute effectively to the strategic direction of an organisation that, while independent of Government and wholly non-party political, operates in an intensely political environment and works closely with both local and central government. We’re looking for someone who can:
· show a strong track record of independent, impartial and evidence-based decision-making at a senior level, ideally within a regulatory framework;
· cut through significant amounts of evidence, particularly in the form of written text and maps, identifying and assessing key lines of argument;
· work constructively with others from different professional backgrounds to reach collective decisions;
· demonstrate a strong commitment to the Principles of Public Life as published by the Committee on Standards in Public Life;
· be comfortable serving as the public face of the Commission, where appropriate, with credibility and authority; and
· ideally demonstrate a deep understanding of the democratic framework of England, with a focus on the structure, form and role of local government.
It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you’re from or what school you went to – in fact we’re particularly keen to hear from people who reflect the full diversity of 21st century England.
The only restriction is that Commissioners cannot, in the last ten years, have been an elected politician (other than a parish or community councillor), an officer or employee of a political party, or a reported donor or lender to a political party. Being a member of a political party is not a barrier to becoming a Commissioner. However, if you are appointed you must resign your membership.
Terms and Conditions
Time Requirements
The appointment will be made on a part-time basis. The expected overall time commitment is expected to be up to 5 days per month. While the Commission’s regular meetings are held in London, Commissioners have to be ready to travel to areas under review throughout England, often entailing overnight stays.
Remuneration
Commissioners are remunerated on a basis of days worked on Commission business plus reimbursement of reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred, on the same basis as staff. The full daily fee is £329 (£164.50 per half day). Appointments to the Commission are not pensionable.
Start Date
Early 2017 for a period of four years.
Additional Information
The Commission is independent of both central and local government. It is a body directly accountable to Parliament whose funding is approved by the House of Commons and provided directly from the Consolidated Fund. The budget is agreed and presented to Parliament by the Speaker’s Committee – a committee of nine Members of Parliament, chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons. As a result it is directly accountable to Parliament for the upkeep and review of electoral and administrative boundaries of counties, districts and London boroughs in England.
Broadly speaking its functions are:
· To review and implement changes to the electoral arrangements of local authorities – the number of councillors for an individual authority and so the number of councillors and boundaries for wards and divisions - having regard to the statutory criteria of equality of representation, community identity and effective and convenient local government.
· To review the administrative boundaries between local authority areas, either on its own initiative or at the request of a local authority or the Secretary of State, making any recommendations to the Secretary of State; and
· to respond to requests for advice from the Secretary of State on matters relating to proposals for a single-tier of local government made by local authorities to the Secretary of State.
The Commission implements its recommendations on electoral arrangements by orders laid in Parliament in draft before being made. The Secretary of State makes Orders for structural or boundary change, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Composition of the Commission
The Commission Board presently consists of a Chair and 4 ordinary members, one of whom may be designated by the Secretary of State as Deputy Chair.
Members cannot, in the last ten years, have been an elected politician (other than a parish or community councillor), an officer or employee of a political party, or a reported donor or lender to a political party. In addition a member, once appointed, may not be a member of a political party.
The Commission has a staff of 25. The average annual expenditure is in the order of £2.5m.
How to Apply:
If you are interested in applying please complete the application forms and ensure you provide the following:
o A supporting statement. Please read the person specification carefully and highlight how, from your current and previous roles and experience, you meet the criteria set out and reasons why you believe you have the ability and skills to fulfil the role. Your statement of suitability should address all the key criteria listed above.
o A short introductory statement demonstrating your motivation for the role.
o Details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer, and let us know whether you would be happy for us to contact them as part of the process. Referees will not, of course, be contacted without your prior consent.
o A comprehensive CV including details of your achievements in each role.
o Complete the Declaration Form, the Political Activity Questionnaire and the Personal Information Form. You may also, if you wish, complete the Diversity Monitoring Form* and Guaranteed Interview Scheme Form.**
* The completion of the diversity monitoring form will help to follow the recommendations of the Equality and Human Rights Commission - that employers should monitor selection decisions to assess whether equality of opportunity is being achieved. The information on the form will be treated as confidential and used for statistical purposes only. These forms will not be treated as part of your application.
** We are committed to actively encouraging applications from people with disabilities. Applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. The job description gives you the minimum criteria. Declaring a disability for the purposes of a guaranteed interview is your decision and is entirely voluntary.
Equality and diversity
We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all and appointments made on merit. We believe that the best boards are those that reflect the communities they serve.
General
Although these appointments do not come within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, they are being made using a process which follows the Commissioner’s Code of Practice as best practice. This means that the recruitment process and the management of all related activities will meet the highest standards of propriety, integrity and objectivity. It is therefore important that any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest which may affect the conduct or outcome of any public appointments is identified. Candidates are obliged to declare any potential conflicts of interest.
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