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Appointment details

Defra Non-Executive Directors

Summary

• Organisation: DEFRA Departmental Board
• Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Location: London
• Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
• Skills: Business, Change Management, Commercial, Technology / Digital, Major Projects, Regulation, Transformation, Cyber Security
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Time commitment: 20 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £15,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: 3pm on 7 October 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   5 September 2024

2. Application deadline

   3pm on 7 October 2024

3. Sifting date

   25 October 2024

4. Interviews expected to end on

   25 November 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department 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. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. We are a ministerial department that is supported by and works collaboratively with 34 agencies and public bodies. Together we are the Defra group.   

Defra is here to make our air purer, our water cleaner, our land greener and our food more sustainable. Our mission is to restore and enhance the environment for the next generation, leaving it in a better state than we found it. 

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,     

Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I am pleased to welcome at least two new Non-Executive Directors to bring additional expertise and different perspectives to the Board. The successful applicants will be pivotal in supporting me and the ministerial team to drive forward our priorities:   

• Cleaning up Britain's rivers, lakes, and seas     

• Creating a road map to move Britain to a zero-waste economy     

• Supporting our farmers to boost Britain's food security     

• Ensuring nature's recovery     

• Protecting communities from the dangers of flooding   

You will join Defra at a critical juncture - the work of change has begun. As a Non-Executive Director, you will be at the heart of this change. You will provide invaluable, independent scrutiny and challenge to drive transformational and long-lasting change for the citizens and communities we serve.   

Defra has a major contribution to make to the Government’s central mission – to grow the economy. From creating jobs and attracting investment in water infrastructure, enhancing economic resilience through better flood protection and nature-based solutions, to boosting food security, Defra is integral to this mission.   

I want to build a board rich in the diversity of its members’ skills, with Non-Executive Directors who can contribute wide and varied experience and expertise in advising, challenging and supporting the Government to meet its ambitions and to deliver, innovatively and collaboratively, for the whole nation. 

I look forward to receiving applications from a wide range of individuals and understanding the unique perspective you could bring to the Defra Board   

Steve Reed  

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  

Appointment description

Defra is seeking to appoint at least two new Non-Executive Directors   

Non-executive Directors bring external experience and expertise to Defra’s Board. Exercising their role through influence, scrutiny, challenge and advice, they act as a trusted sounding board to the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary.  

Role of Non-Executive Directors: 

 Provide independent scrutiny, support and assurance to the department;  

• Support, review and challenge the development of and progress against the departmental strategy and plans, including prioritisation decisions and the department’s strategic risk framework;  

• Provide scrutiny and support to the executive team to deliver the approved strategy and discharge their leadership responsibilities;  

• Scrutinise and challenge departmental performance reporting;  

• Provide advice on issues within their remit;  

• Support, scrutinise and challenge relevant departmental projects;  

• Where appropriate, advise on the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals, undertaking deep-dives into potential risks and mitigations, to inform the department’s decision-making process;  

• Advise and support ministers and senior officials in influencing cross-government initiatives and policies;  

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

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

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with a broad range of networks and stakeholders; and  

• Attend occasional government-wide meetings for non-executives to share best practice.   

More information on departmental boards and government NEDs can be found here.     

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

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 issues, 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.    

(4)  Skills and expertise that the candidate is able to demonstrate will add value to and diversify the perspective of the Defra Board.  

Desirable criteria

This recruitment will seek to fill at least two vacancies on the Board. Applications are welcomed from a diverse range of backgrounds and applicants are encouraged to apply if they meet the essential criteria above and can bring new skills and expertise to the Board. For example, we are interested in receiving applications from candidates with the following skillsets (this is not an exhaustive list) : 

• Senior leaders or chief officers of expert or technical functions, for example in digital, cyber, security, data, sustainability, or major programme delivery.      
• Senior leaders with experience in developing customer-centric cultures within large and complex organisations.     
• Senior leaders with a professional expertise in public engagement, co-delivery, partnership working, or sector coordination and engagement.      
• Senior, collaborative and influential thought leaders in the skills areas highlighted above, for example academics or sector leaders.  

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 07 October 2024 - quoting reference APPT12-24. 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    

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)

David Hill - Director General for Strategy and Water -Departmental Official – Panel Chair

Heather Hancock - Lead Non-Executive Board Member- Representative of Organisation 

Mike Kapur - National Forest Company Trustee – Independent Panel Member (IPM)

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 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 ‘essential 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.

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

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

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.

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 team 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

Contact details: publicappts@defra.gov.uk    

Attachments

• 1_Defra NED Candidate Pack

• 2_PAT Privacy Notice

• 3_Public Appointments Guidance Notes