Public Appointment:
Council Members for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Information pack for applicants and details of how to apply
Closing date for applications is:
5 January 2015
Interviews to be held on:TBC
Date of commencement of appointment: End March 2015
ContentsPage
IntroductionESRC2
Role of Council Members3
Candidate profile4
Details of the appointment5
How to apply7
The Seven Principles of Public LifeAnnex 1
Links
ESRC Website
Council Code of Practice
Handbook for Council, Board, Panel and Committee Members
Current membership of ESRC Council, previous Council Agendas and Minutes
RCUK Diversity Policies and Statements
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (ESRC)
The Council
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is a public body with a Royal Charter operating as an executive non-departmental public body accountable through the Director General Knowledge and Innovation (DGK&I) to the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills and the Minister of State for Universities and Science.
The ESRC’s primary purposes as set out in its Royal Charter are:
- To promote and support, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research and related postgraduate training in the social sciences.
- To advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists who meet the needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of the public services and policy, and the quality of life.
- To provide advice on, and disseminate knowledge and promote public understanding of the social sciences.
The ESRC is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. We support independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and civil society. Our total budget for 2014/15 is £213 million.At any one time we support over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.
Research: The ESRC is committed to supporting the very best social research, with scientific excellence the primary criterion for funding. All our funding opportunities are highly competitive and only those proposals judged by experts in the field to be of the highest scientific quality are supported.We are committed to the principles ofQuality, Impact and Independence.
Training: ESRC has a key role in promoting and supporting training for the UK social science community throughout their careers. We invest in high-quality research training and development opportunities to produce skilled researchers who are able to tackle the most pressing social and economic challenges and have a broader impact on society.
Partnerships: Partnerships bring a wealth of opportunities to the social sciences, from the development of researchers skilled in knowledge exchange to creating maximum impact of our research on society’s most complex challenges. Building strategic partnerships with academia, the public and private sectors, and civil society is a key aspect of our work.
Infrastructure: Researchers require access to world-class data and pioneering research methods to deliver high quality research and maximise impact. We take a strategic lead in driving the expansion of the UK's data infrastructure and supporting cutting-edge methodological developments.
International leadership: The ESRC is an international leader in the social sciences. We foster international collaboration with a wide range of international partners and, through joint schemes, we enable UK social scientists to collaborate on challenging global issues with the very best international researchers from around the world.
Public engagement: The ESRC works to raise public awareness of social science and encourage involvement in research that will translate into benefits for society and individuals.
ESRC also works closely with other Research Councils through Research Councils UK (RCUK) to:
•create a common framework for research, training, knowledge exchange; and
•harmonise, wherever possible, services to the academic and stakeholder communities and other science funders (both UK and international).
Further information is available on the ESRC’s web site
THE ROLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
Council Members have corporate responsibility for all the Council’s actions and those of the organisation’s staff. The Chair, members of the Council and the Chief Executive are appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who sets broad guidelines within which Council members are expected to work.
Council members are drawn from the academic and user communities served by the Council. They should be able to reflect and express authoritatively the perspective and views of their research or user community, while contributing corporately to the Council’s successful pursuit of its mission. They must at all times observe the highest standards of probity, impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to stewardship of public funds and management of the organisation and ensure that high standards of corporate governance are observed at all times (candidates are expected to observe The Seven Principles of Public Life at Annex 1).
CANDIDATE PROFILE
The Secretary of State is seeking to make one appointment.
Public Sector Vacancy (ESRC 1)
Local government/ executive agency/ NDPB/devolved administration
Essential Skills
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- An in-depth understanding of the public sector.
- Demonstrable appreciation of the economic, policy and societal issues that are relevant to the public sector, society and to the wider economy and the ability to exercise sound judgement on these issues.
- Effective leadership skills.
- The ability to address and resolve difficult issues with energy and diplomacy.
- Ability to work effectively within financial constraints.
- Ability to work effectively with stakeholders.
Desirable Skills
The following attributes would also be desirable
- An understanding of how to operate within senior levels of local government, executive agencies, NDPBs or devolved administrations.
- An awareness of and demonstrable understanding of the ESRC’s work.
- An understanding of knowledge exchange activities and user engagement.
DETAILS OF THE APPOINTMENTS
It is essential that applicants are able to commit the necessary time and attention to the role and have the full support of their employer and organisation to do so. Appointment to ESRC Council is a part-time position for which an honorarium of £6,850 per annum is paid. Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed.Civil servants would not receive any honorarium or expenses from the Council. Any Civil servant who is appointed would normally have to give up their appointment if they leave their civil service employment.
The Council usually meets four times per year, with some of these meetings requiring attendance over consecutive two days, at locations and venues deemed appropriate for the meeting. Where applicable, ESRC will consider the reimbursement of reasonable childcare or other carer costs and the reimbursement of additional expenses incurred as a direct result of attendance at meetings which requires a reasonable adjustment for members with a disability.
Council members are also required to contribute according to their expertise and abilities through membership of Council’s Boards and Advisory Groups. The total commitment is expected to be 20-25 days per year.
All vacancies have a start date of end March2015 and appointments are for four years.In exceptional cases members may be considered for re-appointment, more details about this can be found below.
Appointments to the Council are made on merit and with independent assessment, taking account of the need to balance the Council in terms of institutional and geographical experience.
Applicants are asked to declare any potential conflicts on application and all members of Council are required to declare any private, professional or commercial interests that might conflict with the interests of the Council, or which might be perceived by others as creating a conflict of interest.
Reappointments
Public appointments are normally made for a fixed period. It is possible for appointees to be considered for reappointment for a further term of office in the same role without open competition. Reappointments are considered on a case by case basis and are not automatic; there should be no presumption of an entitlement to be reappointed.
Council meeting dates in 2015:
Friday 16 October 2015 (London)
Council member induction date:
To be confirmed.
HOW TO APPLY
Expressions of Interest should be sent to:
Ms Marie Lloyd
Council Secretariat
Economic and Social Research Council
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon
SN2 1UJ
Or via email:
The closing date for applications is 5 January 2015. All applications will be acknowledged.
You should submit the following:
•a covering letter of not more than two A4sides it totaldetailing:
- why you are applying for this vacancy
- how you meet the criteria set out in the candidate profile and role specification. Please use supporting examples
- any other information you think may be pertinent to this vacancy
•a supportingCV of not more than two A4 sides
•your completed detachable candidate summary form and equal opportunities monitoring sheet.
The appointment process will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and will be independently assessed. Details of OCPA, including the complaints process, can be found at the website:
BIS is committed to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessment, openness and transparency of process and to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and working patterns. All applications will be acknowledged and put before a duly constituted Appointment Panel including an independent member. Following interviews, the Panel will in due course make recommendations to the Secretary of State. The appointment must also be approved by the Prime Minister.
We are very keen to obtain more diversity in appointments to Council. Applications from women, people with disabilities and members of minority ethnic groups, who are currently under-represented on the Council, are particularly welcome.
Interviews will be held on TBC at the TBC.All reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending an interview will be paid.
Enquiries about the process including matters relating to conflicts of interest should be directed to theESRC Council Secretariat (Ms Marie Lloyd)by telephone on 01793 413132 or email
Disclosure of Information in the Candidate Summary
Candidate Summary forms may be passed, in confidence, to the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Commissioner’s auditors for the purposes of complaints investigation and audit. Anonymised information on the composition of boards and councils of public bodies is published by the Cabinet Office in Public Bodies and by the Commissioner in the Annual Report of the Commissioner for Public
Appointments. This information and similar statistical data on age, ethnic origin and disability may also be reproduced in response to Parliamentary enquiries and other public enquiries. Information about particular individuals will not be divulged without their consent in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. The information you provide will be held confidentially and can only be used for any other purpose if you give us your consent.
ANNEX 1
The Seven Principles
The principles of public life apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the civil service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, NDPBs, and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also have application to all those in other sectors delivering public services.
- Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
- Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
- Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
- Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
- Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
- Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
- Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
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