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Appointment details

Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body - Public Sector - Member

Summary

• Organisation: Armed Forces Pay Review Body
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Defence
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Defence
• Skills: Audit and Risk, Change Management, Human Resources, International Experience, Major Projects
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 35 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £300 per day
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 11pm on 19 September 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   22 August 2022

2. Application deadline

   11pm on 19 September 2022

3. Sifting date

   10 October 2022

4. Interviews expected to end on

   14 November 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Thank you for expressing an interest in applying to join the Armed Forces Pay’ Review Body (AFPRB).

The AFPRB provides independent advice to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defence on the pay and charges for members of the Naval, Military and Air Forces of the Crown. Appointments are made in accordance with the 2016 Public Appointments Governance Code and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

When reaching its recommendations, the AFPRB considers:

• the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people taking account of particular circumstances of service life;

• Government policies for improving public services, including the requirement on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to meet the output targets for the delivery of departmental services;

• the funds available to the MOD as set out in the Government’s Departmental expenditure limits and inflation target;

• the need for the pay of the Armed Forces to be broadly comparable with pay levels in civilian life;

• evidence submitted by the Government and others.

Members of the AFPRB bring their considerable and senior experience to bear when making judgements about pay for the Armed Forces. It is a rewarding role which brings Board Members into close contact with a wide range of people serving in Her Majesty’s Forces both at home and overseas.

The AFPRB’s recommendations have a direct impact on all Service Personnel who value the dedication and independence of the Board.

I wish you every success with your application.

Air Cdre Adrian Bettridge

Head Armed Forces Renumeration

Appointment description

The Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) is currently recruiting for a Public Sector Member with board-level experience.

The AFPRB provides independent, evidence-based advice on Armed Forces’ pay to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Defence on the pay and charges for members of the Naval, Military and Air Forces of the Crown. In making recommendations, it takes into account the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitable people in the context of Service life, Government policies for improving services, funding, the inflation target and the need for Armed Forces’ pay to be broadly comparable with civilians.

Communications between the Review Body and the Secretary of State for Defence will generally be through the Chair, except where the board has agreed that an individual member should act on its behalf. Nevertheless, any committee member has the right of access to the Secretary of State on any matter which he or she believes raises important issues relating to his or her duties as a board member. In such cases the agreement of the rest of the board should normally be sought.

As part of its evidence gathering activities the Review Body visit Service units across the UK and overseas, this will include some travel to operational theatres. Visits normally take place between April and October and, depending on the location, can range in length between a single day and up to a week. On some occasions travel at weekends or the day before a visit is due to start may be required, in this instance the daily fee will be paid as it will be considered a working day.

Travel will primarily be undertaken by commercial carriers, however, there will be occasions where travel will need to be undertaken in military vehicles. It should be noted that travel in some types of military transport, such as Royal Naval vessels, can be rigorous and physically demanding.

All meetings and visits will be conducted in accordance with the Government’s current Covid-19 guidelines.

The successful candidate will need to undertake security vetting before taking up their post.

The successful candidate must abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life (Annex A) and the Code of Conduct for Board Members

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate all the following:

Essential Criteria:

• Proven Public Sector experience at a senior level with the ability to evaluate large amounts of detailed and sometimes contradictory verbal and numerical information, and to use it for developing recommendations.

• The ability to work collaboratively and effectively on a Board, providing considered and evidence-based arguments, and ability to think clearly, debate and listen to the views of the other members.

• Strong influencing and communication skills; in particular, the ability to relate to a diverse range of stakeholders, and gain their confidence, including those within the remit group Ministers, Review Body colleagues, Senior Government officials.

• Understanding of the broader context of changes in public sector management and pay, and the ability to assess how these might affect Service personnel.

Application and selection process

How to apply

For information about the role, please view the information pack here. In order to apply you will need to provide:

1. A  Curriculum Vitae which provides your contact details, details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any relevant publications or awards;

2. A supporting statement setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role;

3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/51836_AFPRB_PUBLIC+SECTOR+MEMBER_EXPRESSION+OF+INTEREST_OSP.pdf

4. Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/51836_AFPRB_PUBLIC+SECTOR_MEMBER_Diversity+Information+Form_OSP.pdf

5. Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme; https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/51836_AFPRB_PUBLIC+SECTOR+MEMBER_Disability+Confident+Scheme+Declaration_OSP.pdf

6. Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Please provide the information at points 3-6 above on the relevant form, or as part of your supporting statement.

Completed applications should be submitted to  DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk quoting reference number 51836 and making it for the attention of Jeni Parsons.

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all of the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Chair: Mr Julian Miller

Representative of Organisation: Air Commodore Adrian Bettridge

Departmental Official: Mr David Fry

Senior Independent Panel Member or Independent Panel Member: Ms Moi Ali

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact  [ADD CONTACT DETAILS]

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2. These are:

1. SELFLESSNESS - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends;
2. INTEGRITY - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties;
3. OBJECTIVITY - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit;
4. ACCOUNTABILITY - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office;
5. OPENNESS - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
6. HONESTY - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
7. LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the DBS public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Ministry of Defence privacy policy can be found here.

Contact details

DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk