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Appointment details

Natural England - Board Members

Summary

• Organisation: Natural England
• Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
• Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Business, Commercial
• Number of vacancies: 5
• Time commitment: 36 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £328 per day
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: Midday on 20 October 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   21 September 2023

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 20 October 2023

3. Sifting date

   25 October 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   7 December 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

At Natural England, our vision is ‘Thriving Nature for people and planet’ and we aim to achieve this through the mission ‘Building partnerships for Nature’s recovery’. 

We’re hiring Board Members to secure a healthy natural environment for everyone, wherever they live and whatever their background.

Who we are:

We are the Government’s statutory adviser, independent regulator and central delivery body for the natural environment in England. We help to protect and restore our natural world for present and future generations through sustainable development.

We were established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 with the aim of ensuring that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced, and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Natural England is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. 

We work on a wide range of projects and partnerships, recovering nature, wildlife, access, landscapes, cultures and developing our scientific evidence to inform future decisions.

Our purpose:

After the UK Government helped to forge global common cause at the Biodiversity Conference of the Parties ‘COP 15’ in December 2022, it set out the new Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).

The EIP combined with new powers and duties from the 2021 Environment Act, Agriculture Act and Fisheries Act, provides the foundation for halting and then reversing the decline in nature. This enables the transition to a high nature, low carbon economy, where a healthy and resilient environment will be fundamental to providing the services that people need and want.

The urgency of the associated targets means we need to continue to develop a nationwide Nature Recovery Network (NRN) across land and sea through targeted action with partners.  

We use all the levers at our disposal – incentives, advice, regulation, and enforcement - to help restore protected sites, recover species and create new places for nature to thrive and people to enjoy. 

We aim for:

• a well-managed Nature Recovery Network across land, water, and sea;  

• people connected to nature;

• nature-based solutions contributing fully to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss;

• improvements in the natural capital to drive sustainable economic growth;

• evidence and expertise being used to achieve Nature recovery.

NE building partnerships for nature outlines how we work with others through our four programmes to recover nature. For more details about Natural England’s responsibilities and priorities see the latest annual report and the Natural England website and blog.

A healthy natural environment is fundamental to our wellbeing, prosperity and happiness, our science and evidence programmes have shown that.

That’s why we collaborate with scientists, lawyers, projects managers, experts, community groups and wider members of the public with lived experience to shape science based decision-making and environmental policy for the better. Our people enjoy rewarding careers and work to improve the lives of everyone who uses England’s green spaces, wherever they live.

Introduction from the Chair

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Board Member of Natural England.

At the heart of Natural England’s mission is the recovery of Nature with the clear understanding that a thriving natural world is fundamental to the future of everyone, from all walks of life and of our planet. We are a non-departmental public body with a statutory responsibility for ensuring that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations. Building partnerships for Nature’s recovery is at the core of our mission, with four delivery programmes themed around Greener Farming and Fisheries, Sustainable Development, Connecting People with Nature, and Resilient Landscapes and Seas driving impact on the ground.

Natural England is committed to working in partnership with the Defra Group, other government bodies and key national and local partners to achieve our shared ambition to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better condition than we found it. Natural England will be a leading player in delivering the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, Environment Act targets and Net Zero ambitions.

Restoring Nature has a multitude of benefits from local solutions to flood, pollution, public access and wellbeing as well as restoring biodiversity and carbon capture at landscape scales. The landmark legislation through the Environment Act, Fisheries Act and Agriculture Act has provided the foundation for aligning the money and tools to deliver Nature recovery through the Nature Recovery Network. Natural England will be concentrating on helping to deliver these aspirations through our on the ground Operations teams.

As a Natural England Board Member your leadership will be essential in driving this ambition with the senior leadership of the organisation, enabling the organisation to navigate very challenging pressures, demands and complexities at a time of rapid organisational growth. At Natural England we see that our national ambitions for Nature as inextricably linked with our ambition to be a more diverse and inclusive organisation and to be more representative of the communities we serve. That is why we are making efforts to recruit future Board Members from a wide diversity of backgrounds.

If you have the skills and experience and lived experiences to help lead and support Natural England, whatever your background, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Tony Juniper CBE

Chair, Natural England

Appointment description

Board Members play an important role in steering, supporting and encouraging the executive team in further improving Natural England’s delivery for the natural environment.

As an organisation we work to four core values, being ambitious, being inclusive, acting with integrity and working in collaborative way, and alongside this we value the health and wellbeing of our staff.

As a board member your lived experiences will help us to become more inclusive and diverse as we deliver an Equality Diversity and Inclusion action plan which supports our people and enables them to work in an inclusive and safe environment where their wellbeing is paramount.

The Board plays a central role in reviewing and overseeing organisational delivery, in steering ambitious change (for example to improve customer service, value for money or diversity) and in ensuring that the organisation operates to the standards required of all public bodies (for example in terms of health and safety, management of public money, management of data and information).

As set out in the Natural England Framework Document they are specifically responsible for:

• establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of Natural England consistent with its overall strategic direction within the policy and resources framework determined by the Secretary of State; 

• setting the long-term direction for the Executive team and the tone and pace needed to deliver the agreed strategies and plans; 

• ensuring that the responsible Minister is kept informed of any changes which are likely to impact on the strategic direction of Natural England or on the attainability of its targets, and determining the steps needed to deal with such changes; 

• ensuring that effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, governance and internal control and demonstrating high standards of corporate governance at all times; 

• ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with; that the Board operates within the limits of its statutory authority and any delegated authority agreed with Defra, and in accordance with any other conditions relating to the use of public funds; and that in reaching decisions, the Board takes into account any relevant guidance issued by Defra or by the Government more broadly; and  

• Approval of all matters not delegated to the Chief Executive under the Natural England Schemes of Delegation. 

• The current membership of the Natural England’s management both Board and Executive is at Annex C of the candidate pack. 

• The Board structures and processes are key to Natural England’s governance.

Board Members should complement each other in terms of their skills and experience. They are specifically responsible for:   

• Establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of Natural England consistent with its overall strategic direction within the policy and resources framework determined by the Secretary of State;  

• Setting the long-term direction for the Executive team and the tone and pace needed to deliver the agreed strategies and plans;  

•  Agreeing an Action Plan for each year that sets out Natural England’s specific delivery commitments and approving the appropriate allocation of resources;  

• Receiving and reviewing regular performance information concerning the ongoing delivery of Natural England against its agreed Action Plan; 

• Ensuring that the responsible Minister is kept informed of any changes which are likely to impact on the strategic direction of Natural England or on the attainability of its targets, and determining the steps needed to deal with such changes;   

• Ensuring that effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, governance and internal control and demonstrating high standards of corporate governance at all times;  

• Ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with; that the Board operates within the limits of its statutory authority and any delegated authority agreed with Defra, and in accordance with any other conditions relating to the use of public funds; and that in reaching decisions, the Board takes into account any relevant guidance issued by Defra or by the Government more broadly; and  

• Approval of all matters not delegated to the Chief Executive under the Natural England Schemes of Delegation. 

• Following a Board skills review, two areas of expertise were identified that could strengthen future direction and decisions: engaging diverse communities with nature and place-based delivery.

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 Secretary of State and Natural England are seeking to attract high-calibre applicants from a range of diverse backgrounds who can discharge the full range of board member responsibilities. 

Candidates must be able to demonstrate all the following essential criteria: 

• An interest in the future of our natural word. 

• An ability to understand commercial and financial considerations. 

• An ability to analyse issues at a strategic level in ways which are impartial, creative and focused on finding solutions. 

• An ability to provide constructive and independent leadership, challenge and support within a complex organisation.  

• Exceptional communication skills, along with the ability to influence, engage, and inspire confidence across a strong and diverse network of stakeholders nationally. 

Desirable criteria

A working background in one or more of the following areas:

• Strong business/commercial acumen gained within a large business and/or organisation with proven experience of leading organisations through significant growth and change.  

•  A chartered accountant with proven experience in risk, performance and financial management as a Chair or member of an Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.  

• Farming/ land management/ land ownership experienced in meeting the challenges and opportunities for farming to remain profitable while producing healthy food and delivering key environmental outcomes (which can include biodiversity, water, air and climate). This experience can be in either:         

    o    A large scale (potentially mixed) farm environment and/or a lowland environment 

    o    A smaller scale farm and/or an upland

• Local authority and/or housing sector representatives with experience of the challenges of delivering projects in a nature sensitive way.  

We aim to maintain an appropriate geographical spread of Board Members; hence we welcome candidates from throughout England and in particular, from the north of the country. 

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply you will need to create an account or sign in to Apply for Public Appointment Service gov.uk by the deadline of noon on 20 October 2023 quoting reference APPT10-23. Once logged onto your account, click on ‘apply for this role’ and follow the on-screen instructions. 

To apply, all candidates are required to submit:  

• equality information

•  information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues  

• A CV of no more than two sides of A4 with education, professional qualifications and employment history and the names and contact details for two referees, together with their statement of suitability.  

• A statement of suitability should give evidence of the strength and depth of your ability to meet the essential criteria for this role. Please provide specific examples to demonstrate how you meet each of the criteria (max two pages please).  

For further information please email: If you have any questions about the appointments process, please email the Public Appointments Team at publicappts@defra.gov.uk. 

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Sean Cornall, Director of Corporate Governance on sean.cornall@naturalengland.org.uk   Tel: 07769 368 281

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)

David Hill – Director General for Environment, Rural and Marine - Departmental Official – Panel Chair.

Tony Juniper – Chair of Natural England - Representative of Organisation.

Elizabeth Buchanan – Independent Member

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)

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Sean Cornall, Director of Corporate Governance on sean.cornall@naturalengland.org.uk   Tel: 07769 368 281

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. These are:

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. 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.
3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

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 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

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, 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 publicappts@defra.gov.uk public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

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

Contact details

If you have any questions about the appointments process, please email the Public Appointments Team at publicappts@defra.gov.uk  

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Sean Cornall, Director of Corporate Governance on sean.cornall@naturalengland.org.uk T: 07769 368 281