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Appointment details

Defra Non-Executive Directors, including Chair of the Defra Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC)

Summary

• Organisation: DEFRA Departmental Board
• Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Location: London
• Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
• Skills: Accountancy, Audit and Risk, Change Management, Technology / Digital, Major Projects, Transformation, Cyber Security
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Time commitment: 20 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £15000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years.
• Application deadline: Midday on 26 February 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   22 January 2024

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 26 February 2024

3. Sifting date

   5 March 2024

4. Interviews expected to end on

   26 March 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Defra is responsible for improving and protecting the environment. We aim to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities. We also support our world-leading food, farming and fishing industries.

The role of a Non-Executive Board Member (NEBM) is an exciting opportunity to be part of this.

The NEBMs are members of the departmental Board on appointment. Departmental boards are advisory bodies that support and challenge ministers and Accounting Officers. Policy will be decided by ministers alone, on the advice of officials.

Non-executives bring external experience and expertise to the decisions and processes of the Defra Board by providing collective strategic leadership to the department. Exercising their role through influence, scrutiny, challenge and advice, they act as a trusted sounding board to the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary, as appropriate, on any specific agreed specialist areas and other matters more generally.

The ARAC Chair specifically advises the Board and Principal Accounting Officer and provides oversight, scrutiny, challenge, and leadership as Chair of both the ARAC and the collective Defra ARAC Chairs group.

For more information on departmental boards and government non-executives please see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-executive-directors

Introduction from Heather Hancock, Defra Lead Non-Executive Director

Thank you for your interest in becoming a non-executive board member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

I joined Defra’s Board in September 2023 as the Lead Non-Executive Director alongside my roles as Master of St John’s College Cambridge and Chair of the Royal Countryside Fund.  The work that Defra does makes real and lasting improvements to the lives of everyone in the UK – adapting to climate change, protecting homes from flooding, protecting and restoring nature, supporting high quality and resilient agriculture and rural communities, and ensuring food security. Since joining the Board, I have been struck by the passion and dedication of Defra’s people to deliver across all these critical functions, and more.

Defra has a broad and complex portfolio of change programmes to deliver across its remit.  That’s why this is such an exciting time to get involved as a non-executive, advising, scrutinising and challenging the work of the department into order to get further, faster and fairly, with the Government’s priorities.

I am looking for new non-executive board members who are passionate, committed and experienced to bring diverse perspectives to the Board.  We wish to appoint a new chair for our Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, grounded in a robust base of finance or audit experience, and able to bring depth and breadth of experience to support the full range of Defra’s activities, and plan to appoint one or more additional non-executive board members.  In both roles, I would particularly value applications from individuals who can bring proven experience in delivering high-impact change in complex environments or in digital transformation, or offer a track record in innovation or customer engagement. Most importantly you will have a deep interest in and commitment to Defra’s remit and be ready to demonstrate how your own experience can add value to achieving Defra’s mission.

Appointment description

Role of Non-Executive Directors

·     Reviewing business plans and challenging progress;

·     Scrutinising and challenging departmental performance reporting;

·     Providing advice on issues within their remit;

·     Supporting, scrutinising and challenging departmental projects and how they are prioritised and aligned with ministerial ambition and providing advice to the executive team on delivery;

·     Support the department to deliver its plan by providing independent scrutiny, support and assurance;

·     Providing strong and constructive challenge and supporting the executive team to ensure that they deliver the approved strategy and discharge their leadership responsibilities;

·     Advising on the operational/delivery implications of policy proposals undertaking deep dives into potential risks and mitigations, to inform the department’s decision-making process;

·     Advising and supporting ministers and senior officials in influencing cross-government initiatives and policies; 

·     Participating in the Board’s annual effectiveness review and ensure the Board acts on recommendations and builds its own capability;

·     Participating in the recruitment of senior appointments for the department and succession planning, in line with the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission;

·     Attend a minimum of four departmental Board meetings per year, and contribute effectively to its subcommittees, as required.

·     Building and maintaining effective working relationships with a broad range of networks and stakeholders.

·     Attending occasional government-wide meetings for non-executives to share best practice.

Role of ARAC Chair

Their role is to advise the Board and Principal Accounting Officer and provide oversight, scrutiny, challenge, and leadership as Chair of both the ARAC and the collective Defra ARAC Chairs group.  The post holder will:  

·       Effectively Chair the Defra ARAC to deliver on its agreed Terms of Reference, including the scrutiny of the Annual Accounts.

·       Make sure the ARAC oversees the compliance with the corporate governance code and to report to the Defra Board.

·       Ensure effective representation of Defra within Whitehall, for example at the Government wide Lead ARAC meetings.

·       Support and bring together the Defra ARAC Chairs group to build greater coherence and spread best practice.   

The Chair of the ARAC should be independent, possess a good understanding of governance, risk and control, together with knowledge of accounting and business, and have broad experience of organisational change in large businesses / corporations, together with the ability to grasp complex issues very quickly.

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

All candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the following essential criteria: 

1.   The ability to contribute effectively at Board level whilst proactively supporting and challenging the executive on achieving results, with a focus on performance against targets.

2.   Strategic thinking with the ability to analyse complex strategic issues and promote innovative thinking and help the Board to think through risks and mitigations.

3.   Sound understanding of working with the public sector - including insight into the public bodies landscape - and the key challenges it faces. The ability to adapt quickly to fast moving situations and handle complex, sensitive issues effectively and pragmatically.   

In addition to the criteria (above) successful candidates must also demonstrate expertise in the following specified areas:  

Role 1: Audit and Risk Committee Chair  

Financial accountancy or audit expertise and experience of serving on or chairing an Audit and Risk Assurance Committee for a complex organisation. Experience in or understanding of central government accounting. 

Role 2: Non-Executive Director

Senior leadership experience in large or complex organisations, with desirable experience in:

• Digital / cyber / innovation: Senior leadership experience in driving innovative practices, advising on risk associated with data and technology (including issues such as cyber security), or leading a digitally enabled business transformation, for a complex or data-led organisation. 

           Or

• Major programme delivery: Senior leadership experience in driving a major change programme in a large and complex organisation in similar delivery environments to Defra group’s areas of focus (e.g. infrastructure, land etc).

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 midday on 26 February 2024 quoting reference APPT15-23. 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:  

·      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). 

·      equality information 

·      information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

For further information please email: publicappts@defra.gov.uk

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)

Nick Joicey - Defra Second Permanent Secretary – Panel Chair and Departmental Representative 

Sir William Worsley - Forestry Commission Chair - Other Panel Member 

Sarah Mukherjee - Environment Agency Board Member - Independent Panel Member 

No political activity declared

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 publicappts@defra.gov.uk.

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 ten years in any one post. 

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.

£15,000 per annum with an extra £5,000 for the ARAC Chair.  

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 public appointments team publicappts@defra.gov.uk if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. 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.

Contact details

Please email: publicappts@defra.gov.uk. 

Interviews: 

• 19 March 2024

• 20 March 2024

• 26 March 2024