INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS

NORTHERN IRELAND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

INFORMATION PACK

Completed application forms must be returned to;

IBM Recruitment Competition,

Room S5, Rathgael House,

Bangor

Email:

CONTENTS

Page No.
Foreword – by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service / 3
Role / 4
Responsibilities / 5
Fee / 5
Essential Criteria / 6
Shortlisting Criteria / 7
Recruitment Process / 8
Vacancies / 9
Submitting Your Nomination / 10
References / 10
Criminal Records Check / 10
Security Vetting / 10
Conflicts of Interest / 10
General Information / 11

Foreword by Bruce Robinson, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service

Thank you for your interest in the role of Independent Board Memberto Northern Ireland Government Departments.

Departmental Boards have an essential corporate leadership role to ensure Departments are effective, professional organisations with the capacity and capability to deliver the Executive’s Programme for Government and Ministers’ strategic priorities.

Independent Board Members have an important contribution to make by providing constructive advice and challenge across all of the Board’s business to ensure good corporate governance and effective strategic management. The experience, expertise and external perspectives Independent Board Members have brought to Departmental Boards in recent years has proved very beneficial. The challenging context within which today’s civil service is operating reinforces the importance of the contribution Independent Board Members can make.

This competition represents an exciting and challenging opportunity to contribute to the good governance of a Northern Ireland Department and assist in our work to support Ministers to deliver high quality, effective and efficient public services to the citizens we serve.

ROLE

The primary role of the Independent Board Memberis to contribute to the good governance of the Department. Independent Board Members should be prepared to offer constructive challenge across all of the department’s business, with a view to ensuring that all aspects of strategy and delivery of policy are scrutinised for effectiveness and efficiency. Independent Board Members in particular will:

  • be involved in the monitoring of performance and progress of the department, including the use of human and financial resource;
  • maintain a critical overview of the Department’s financial controls and procedures for assessing and managing risk, drawing on their wider experience; and
  • depending on the responsibilities of the department, challenge the quality of the policy formulation process.

Most appointments will be for an initial periodof not more than four years, which may be extendedin further defined periods by agreement. The maximum total term of appointment is six years. The time commitment istypically 20- 25 days annually.

This recruitment process may also be used in relation to Agencies of Departments. Accordingly, any reference to Department should be taken to include Agencies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The role of an Independent Board Member entails specific responsibilities. These can include:

  • active participation in the formulation of business planning, strategy development and risk management;
  • active participation in the process of monitoring the Department’s progress towards meeting agreed objectives and targets (Public Service Agreements [PSAs], Reform Plans and Business Plans);
  • challenging the quality of policy formulation,
  • active participation in, and challenging, the financial planning of departmental budgets and in decisions on budget bids and easements;
  • membership, or Chair, of the Departmental Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee or similar;
  • representing the Department at events as required.

FEE

The fees payable in relation to these responsibilities will be in the region of £500per day plus expenses.One day’s payment will normally cover attendance at a Departmental Board or equivalent meeting, including preparation time for meetings and actions arising. All remuneration and expenses are subject to deduction of income tax and national insurance.

Travel and subsistence expenses are payable at NICS rates.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Applicants must by the closing date have:

  1. a minimum of five years’ experience at Board level or equivalent in a significant organisation(s) in the public, private or voluntary sectors;
  1. a minimum of five years’ experience of effectively managing complex change in an organisation;
  1. a minimum of three years’ experience of corporate governance, financial management and risk management;
  1. experience of analysing complex problems, evaluating and analysing information and setting strategic direction;
  1. effective communication skills and experience of providing a constructive challenge role; and
  1. an understanding of the role of Departments and Ministers, the setting of Government priorities and the public sector expenditure processes.

Applications must include specific dates.

SHORTLISTING

Should shortlisting be necessary, this will be done by considering the strength and quality of the evidence provided in the candidate’s application form to assess:

A. how well he/she meets the eligibility criterion 1 above, taking account of the nature and duration of the candidate’s relevant experience;

and should further shortlisting be required

B. how well he/she meets the eligibility criterion 2 above, taking account of the nature and duration of the candidate’s relevant experience

It is essential therefore that the evidence provided by applicants includes sufficient details, which clearly demonstrate how they meet all of the criteria and must include reference to specific examples of actions and achievements.

Recruitment Process

The recruitment of Independent Board Members will be a two-stage process. The first stage will create a pool of qualified candidates which NI Departments willtrawl to fill vacancies as they arise.

In the first stage candidates are invited to apply demonstrating how they meet the essential criteria for an Independent Board Member of a Northern Ireland department. A pool will be selected based on the strength and quality of the evidence provided in the candidate’s application form as to how well he/she meets the essential criteria. The number of candidates in the pool may be restricted as described in the shortlisting section.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the first stage selection.

In the second stage, individual Departments will run a selection process to fill vacancies as they arise. The particular Department will notify all pool members of the vacancy, setting out the particular requirements for the vacancy. Pool members may then decide to apply for the vacancy, demonstrating their suitability against the second stage criteria for the particular vacancy.

The pool will be kept live for two years from the time of its creation.

While most Independent Board Member vacancies will be filled in this way, some may not, depending on the particular requirements. In such cases Departments may recruit directly.

Vacancies

The Northern Ireland Departments who expect to appoint Independent Board Members through this process are:

Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

Department of Education

Department for Employment and Learning

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Department of the Environment

Department of Finance and Personnel

Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety

Department for Social Development

Information on the roles of all these Government Departments is available on their websites under Government Departments at

The Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of the Environment, and the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers expect to fill Independent Board Member vacancies in the first half of 2010. Vacancies may arise in the other departments over the two- year life of the pool.

These are not public appointments, nor do they constitute employment, but they are subject to civil service rules on conduct and political activity.

Submitting your nomination

  • Completed applications must arrive at the address below not later than 12.00 noon on Friday 12 February 2010
  • All applications must use the official application form. Additional pages will not be accepted. Forms must not be altered to allow extra space to demonstrate suitability for role. Application form must be completed in either Arial, font size 12, or legible block capitals using black ink. CVs will not be accepted.
  • We would advise you to retain a copy of your application

References

Departments may ask for references at the second stage of the process.

Criminal Records Check

All successful applicants will to subject to a criminal records check.

Security Vetting

Security Vetting will be necessary at the second stage of the process.

Conflicts of Interest

The successful applicant must have no work related, charitable, voluntary, private, representational or political interest which would be specifically relevant to the department concerned. If admitted to the pool, you will be required to declare on the second stage application form any personal or business interests which may be, or could be perceived as, a conflict of interest with the potential to influence your judgement in the particular post. Conflicts of interest are not necessarily a barrier to appointment, but both real and perceived conflicts, if viewed as relevant, must be explored by the selection panel to ensure that the public can have confidence in the DepartmentalBoard’s independence and impartiality.

Any applicant who has, in the past five years, held an elected or appointed position at senior level in an organisation related to an associated department may not be eligible for appointment to that particular department. Serving and former Civil Servants are ineligible.

General Information

If you require information about any aspect of the competition please email:

Or write to:

Gearóid Cassidy

IBM Recruitment Competition

Room S5 Rathgael House,

Bangor

BT19 7PR.

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