July 2015

Members of the CAA Consumer Panel – application pack

Introduction from the Chair of the CAA Consumer Panel

The CAA seeks to improve choice and value for the flying public by promoting competitive markets, protecting consumers, and ensuring that consumers can make informed decisions. There’s little doubt that air travellers in the UK benefit from a very diverse, competitive aviation industry, offering a good range of choice across different price levels. But anyone who reads the papers regularly knows there is room for improvement.And there are times when competition in the industry is simply not sufficient to deliver the right level of protection for the wider consumer interest.

The creation of the CAAConsumer Panel almost three years ago was a major step forward in giving consumers a louder voice in the CAA’s regulatory process.We were set upto provide expert advice on how to understand the“consumer interest”, and we have had a significant impact on the CAA’s thinking in a number of key areas. Theseinclude how airports are economically regulated, the strategic importance of consumer research and reforming consumer complaints handling and redress. The Panel acts as a “critical friend”, supporting the CAA in its role to protect air passengers, providing a consumer perspective on all aspects of the CAA’s work, and regularly sharing information and ideas with the CAA.

The success of the Panel depends entirely on the quality of its membership.The Panel needs to be informed, in touch, engaged, and independent, providingthought-leadership to the CAA on issues that affect present and future consumers of air services and ensuring that there is the correct balance in the CAA’s work between market solutions and regulation.

Our legitimacy in holding the CAA to account comes from our ability to understand what the priorities are for passengers and the everyday problems they encounter. The Panel does not campaign publicly. Nor does itdeal with individual complaints from the public or correspond directly with air travellers.Instead our focus is on making sure that the CAA delivers choice and value for consumers in all areas of its work, that it understands and takes full account of the interests of consumers in its policy development, in its strategic planning, in the practical way it applies its regulatory and enforcement powers, and in the way it helps and guides consumers and the industry.

Because the Panel scrutinises all areas of the CAA’s work,it needs individuals who can bring their own direct and practical knowledge of a range of issues to create that important collective expertise. These issues includehow economic tools can be practically applied to the regulation of the activities of dominant airports;how information for consumers makes markets work better; how complex consumer rights can best be protected through awareness-raising, compliance and targeted enforcement activities; and how consumers’ interests are traded off against those of other stakeholders in complex areas like noise and other environmental concerns.

In brief, the Panel draws on its members’ experience and knowledge of consumer issues to encourage the CAA to place the needs of current and future aviation consumers at the heart of its work.I expect my fellow Panel members to be able to shine a light on the problems consumers face and give the CAA an insight into the priorities for passengers and the everyday problems they encounter. I also expect members to be able to suggest practical,constructive and realistic solutions to these problems.In addition, members are expected to play a significant part in shaping the Panel’s role.

Finally, the Panel is now widely seen within the CAA as a key source of independent, trusted, consumer-focused input – this is a testament to the quality of input provided by the current members over the past three years. However, the CAA believes that the Panel can contribute even more to its work. So – acknowledging the level of engagement this will require – the CAA has decided tomake the next set of Panel Member appointments paid positions, an important step towards ensuring that the CAA meets its goal to put consumers’ interests at the heart of everything it does.

Keith Richards

Chair, CAA Consumer Panel
About the role

Role of the CAA

As the UK's independent, specialist civil aviation regulator, the CAA safeguards the public interest by regulating safety and security in the sector, managing the UK’s airspace and promoting choice, value and fair treatment for aviation consumers.

For more information about the CAA, including the latest corporate reports, please visit

Role of the CAA Consumer Panel

The primary objective of the Panel is to “understand how aviation can deliver choice and value to consumers, and help the CAA deliver regulation that promotes the interests of consumers and the public.”

The Panel largely focuses on the following activities.

  • To help the CAA to understand fully, and take account of, the interests of consumers in its policy development and decisions.
  • To use existing CAA research, request the CAA to undertake new research, and to gather intelligence, to understand the aviation consumer experience.
  • To provide the CAA with feedback from a consumer perspective on the

effectiveness of its policies and practices

  • To help the CAA develop its approach to consumer engagement
  • To challenge the CAA on behalf of aviation consumers, as appropriate, and if required, through publicly available written notices, in order positively to influence outcomes for passengers
  • To consider developments in the aviation market from a passenger perspective, and developments affecting consumers in other markets

For more information about the Panel, including biographies of current members visit

Independence of voice

The CAA is committed to ensuring that the Panel has sufficient independence to make a difference, through having an ability to speak with authority and to challenge the CAA if appropriate. This “internal independence” from the CAA is secured in a number of ways, including the Panel reporting directly to the CAA Board and being able to request and publish written responses from it, publishing an annual report, and the Panel having its own area on the CAA website.

Structure

The Panel operates at arm’s length from the CAA in order to ensure its ‘internal independence’ within the CAA corporate structure. It reports directly to the CAA Board and is supported by a small secretariat. The Panel Chair produces an annual report for the CAA Board, which provides a strategic review of the CAA’s consumer focus and indicates the proposed plan and priorities for the coming year. The Panel has no statutory basis and governance of the Panel will fall within the corporate structure of the CAA.

Remuneration

From October 2015, Panel Members will be paid a competitive daily rate and will be expected to commit to 12 days of Panel work per year, including attendance at six half-day Panel meetings. General daily expenses (lunch etc.) are covered by the daily rate. The CAA will reimburse reasonable travel expenses for members making extensive journeys to meet Panel commitments.

Appointment terms

The Chair and Members are required to work towards the objective of the Panel, and not promote their own interests or those of any group or organisation for which they work, or of which they are members. No employee of the CAA may be Chair or a Member of the Panel.

Appointment of Members will be made by the CAA on the advice of the Chair of the Panel. Appointments will be for a term of three years which may be renewed for a maximum of one further term of three years.

It is desirable that the Panel maintains a degree of continuity at all times, so it is unlikely that a completely new set of Members will be appointed in any recruitment round. However, this is not intended to discourage new applicants: the Panel also needs to maintain its dynamism, and the challenges that new members bring are a key part of this goal. As such, all applications – including those from existing members – will be assessed on their merits and, if reappointments are made in this round, it is envisaged that some will be on a reduced term of 18 months. This means further opportunities to join the Panel are likely to arise around Spring 2017.

Person specification

We are looking for members who are committed to helping us shape the CAA’s regulatory activity around the needs of current and future aviation consumers.We want people who will ensure that the Panel’s advice is evidence-based.We want people who can combine their expertise and experience of consumer issues with an understanding of the commercial world, and apply these in a practical way to the range of regulatory issues the CAA deals with.

The CAA wishes to attract applicants with a strong intellect, commercial acumen and the ability to understand complex economic and business issues, whilst being independent in thought. Candidates should also have a keen interest in consumers’ experiences and an understanding of how regulatory and public law processes interact with technical and commercial factors to shape real-world outcomes.

Background and experience

Panel members are expected to have relevant, senior-level experience, and meet most, if not all, of the following criteria:

  • Track record of significant achievement in, or relevant experience of, consumer issues, in particular of how they are shaped by regulation and policy
  • Understanding of how and when competition can work in the interests of consumers
  • Understanding of the law relating to the CAA’s area of regulatory responsibility
  • Strong communication skills to make an effective contribution to the discussions of a high level public body, ideally gained from Board-level roles at a national body of a similar size and influence
  • Track record of commissioning or producing independent research
  • Knowledge or experience of the issues facing consumers who find it difficult to get the products and services they need from 'mainstream' providers

Skills and qualities

You will be required to demonstrate that you:

  • Are able to contribute to Panel discussions, in a manner that establishes and maintains the independence and authority of the Panel, while working constructively with the CAA and other stakeholders
  • Communicate clearly and authoritatively
  • Have strong intellectual ability, including using qualitative and quantitative evidence and drawing conclusions from research and market data, and identifying creative and innovative solutions to complex problems
  • Are able to understand complex consumer, citizen, regulatory, economic and wider business issues – while knowledge of aviation issues is an advantage but not a requirement, those new to the industry should be able to demonstrate their capability to build quickly an effective understanding of unfamiliar sectors or industries
  • Have proven ability to identify issues and influence policy development

Applying for the role

To apply please email a CV and covering letter setting out how you meet the above person specification and why you would like to join the CAA Consumer Panel to James Tallack, Consumer Panel Secretary().

We will advise all applicants whether they have been selected for interview at the CAA’s offices in Central London or not.

Closing date for applications is28 August 2015.

Interviews to be held on 15 September 2015.

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, please contact James by email or on 020 7453 6734.

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