Information pack for applicants
Contents Page
Making an Application 2
Annex A: Vacancy Description and role of Non-Executive Member 4
Annex B: Role and Responsibilities of the Audit and Risk Assurance
Committee 6
Annex C: The Selection Process 8
Annex D: How we will manage your Personal Information 9
Non-Executive Member, Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (Ref Number AC 2016 - 1)
Making an application
Thank you for your interest in the appointment of Non-Executive Member for DFID’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (Audit Committee). The attached Annexes provide details on the role, the person specification, the functions of the Audit Committee and the selection process.
If you wish to make an application please send a CV, supporting letter and completed Monitoring forms (attached) to the address below:
quoting the reference in the subject field before 2300 hours on the 20 May 2016.
In making an application please note the following:
Supporting letter
The supporting letter is your opportunity to demonstrate how you would approach this role drawing on your relevant experience. How you choose to present the information is up to you. However, you should aim to provide specific and detailed examples that demonstrate how your knowledge and experience matches the role.
Declaration of interests and ensuring public confidence
If you have any business or personal interests that might be relevant to the work of the Audit Committee and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interest were you to be appointed, please provide details in your supporting letter. Should you be successful in your application, if there is anything in your professional history, that if brought into the public domain, may cause embarrassment or disrepute to the organisation, please provide further details in your supporting letter.
Please ensure your name and the name and reference number for the post are noted at the top of your letter and please limit your letter to two pages, and type or write clearly in black ink.
CV
Please ensure your CV includes:
· your full name, title, home address, personal contact telephone numbers (land line and mobile) and personal email address
· brief details of your current or most recent post, the dates you worked in the roles you highlight and whether any roles you currently hold are Ministerial appointments.
Monitoring form
Please complete the monitoring forms. Diversity monitoring information will not be seen by the panel assessing your application.
All applications will be acknowledged by email after the closing date.
Closing date for applications: 2300 hours on 20 May 2016
Key facts about the post
Location: Meetings are held in London and occasionally East Kilbride
Remuneration: £3000 per year is available
Time Commitment: Approx. 5 meetings per year, with ad hoc meetings if required. The formal meetings usually take half a working day but preparation time will be needed in advance of the meetings.
Contacts:
For further information regarding the selection process, please contact:
Please quote reference Ref Number AC 2016 - 1 on all correspondence. If you choose to apply, we would like to thank you in advance for your time and effort in making an application.
Annex A Vacancy Description, Non-Executive Member
1. Appointing Body: DFID
2. Department: DFID
3. Location: meetings are held in Whitehall and occasionally East Kilbride
4. Number of vacancies: 1
5. Remuneration: £3000 per year is available
6. Time requirements: approx. 5 formal meetings per year, each lasting approximately half a working day with preparation work being required in advance. Ad hoc meetings as necessary.
7. Closing Date: 20 May 2016
8. Interviews: will be held at DFID, 22 Whitehall, London. Dates to be confirmed.
Additional Information: The appointment will be for an initial term of 2 years which can be extended to a maximum of 6 years.
Vacancy Description
DFID is seeking a new Non-Executive member for its Audit Committee.
The role of the non-executive member is to act as a full member of the Audit Committee and participate and assist through utilising their expertise and experience in the effective discharge of the Audit Committee’s terms of reference; more broadly, in assisting in the discharge of the Executive Management Committee’s responsibilities for effective internal control, financial reporting and governance.
Key responsibilities
Each non-executive member should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the Audit Committee achieve its objectives. This will involve acquiring sufficient knowledge about relevant matters in order to contribute to broad discussions on subjects, scrutinising and evaluating Audit Committee papers, focussing on key issues and making a particular contribution in areas where the non-executive member has special expertise.
Person specification
The successful candidate may be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and be able to provide a range of skills and experience including:
· Senior level experience in the private or public sector with an international perspective, preferably with strategic knowledge of operating in challenging environments
· Significant experience in government finances and reporting
· A good communicator and a willingness to challenge constructively
· Strong analytical skills, judgement and decision-making
· Board level experience is desirable but not essential
· An appreciation of DFID’s objectives, culture and structure
Remuneration
· £3000 per year is available plus reasonable travel expenses
Conflict of Interests
You should particularly note the requirement for you to declare any private interests which may, or may be perceived to, conflict with the role and responsibilities as a Non-Executive Member of the Audit Committee including any business interests and positions of authority outside of the role.
References and Security Clearance
If selected you will be required to obtain baseline security clearance and, as part of this process, provide references.
Annex B The Role and Responsibilities of the Audit Committee
DFID Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is a key part of DFID’s corporate governance. The purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Accounting Officer to review decisions and processes designed to ensure sound systems of internal control, management and governance and to ensure the integrity of financial reporting. In addition, the Committee will also review other aspects of Corporate Governance as required. The Committee has no executive responsibilities. The Committee is a sub-committee of the Departmental Board.
The Committee meets approximately five times a year. Membership consists of two non-executive directors of DFID’s Departmental Board and three non-executive members.
The following officials regularly attend meetings:
• Permanent Secretary
• Director General (DG) Corporate Performance
• Director, Value for Money
• Head of Finance and Control
• Head of Internal Audit
• National Audit Office representative
• Head of Better Delivery Team
Annex C The Selection and Recruitment Process
All appointments are made following an open competition.
The Appointments Team will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will advise you of the likely timetable at each stage. After the closing date for applications:
· the panel will assess candidates’ CVs and supporting letters to determine who it believes best meet the criteria for the role, and who will be invited to interview. The panel will rely only on the information you provide in your CV and letter to assess whether you have the skills and experience required. Please ensure that you provide evidence to support how you meet all of the criteria;
· the selection panel will be chaired by the Chair of the Audit Committee with the Director General Corporate Performance and will also comprise an independent official from Human Resources;
· your application may be “long-listed”, subject to the volume of applications received, before it is passed to the shortlisting panel for consideration. You should be aware that in this situation, your application might not be considered in full by all members of the panel;
· the panel will select for interview only the strongest applicants who they feel have demonstrated that they best meet the criteria set out in the person specification;
· the Appointments Team will write to let you know whether or not you have been invited to be interviewed. It is our intention that interviews will take place at DFID, 22 Whitehall, London. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed to candidates who attend for interview. Applications for reimbursement should be made to using the form provided at interview.
· if you are invited to interview and if you are unable to attend on the set date then an alternative date can only be offered at the discretion of the panel;
· if invited to interview, the panel will question you about your skills and experience, asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post;
· if you are unsuccessful at interview, you will be notified by the Appointments Team. We appreciate it takes a lot of time and effort to apply for roles and that feedback is a valuable part of the process. The letter will provide the details of who you may approach for feedback on your interview and application, if you so wish;
For further information on how we will manage the personal information that you have provided to us through your application, see Annex D
Queries
For queries about your application, please contact
If you are not completely satisfied
DFID will aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy. If you have any complaints about the way your application has been handled, please contact
If after receiving a comprehensive response from the Department you are still concerned, you can write to the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Please contact:
The Commissioner for Public Appointments 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ Tel: 0207 271 0849 Email: 13
Annex D How we will manage your personal information
Your personal information will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. You will not receive unsolicited paper or electronic mail as a result of sending DFID any personal information. No personal information will be passed on to third parties for commercial purposes.
When we ask you for personal information, we promise we will:
· only ask for what we need, and not collect too much or irrelevant information;
· ensure you know why we need it;
· protect it and insofar as is possible, make sure nobody has access to it who shouldn't;
· ensure you know what choice you have about giving us information;
· make sure we don't keep it longer than necessary;
· only use your information for the purposes you have authorised.
We ask that you:
· provide us with accurate information;
· inform us as soon as possible of any changes or if you notice mistakes in the information we hold about you.
If you apply for a post, we will share some of the information you provide with the members of the selection panel for the post to which you are applying, so that your CV and supporting letter can be assessed.
The diversity monitoring information you provide will not be used in the selection process and will therefore not be shared with the selection panel assessing your application at any stage. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments requires that selection panels review the political activity response at the interview stage. This in no way acts as a bar to appointment. Further information on this is provided in the attached Monitoring form.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates and monitors appointments to public bodies to ensure procedures are fair. The Department for International Development is required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments to retain information about the people who apply for public appointments within his remit, and make this information available to him for audit purposes, if requested to do so. Information you provide in your application may therefore be made available to the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Commissioner’s auditors on a confidential basis in order to help fulfil either the Commissioner’s formal complaints investigation role or for audit purposes.
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