Introduction from the Chair
I am delighted that you want to know more about appointments to the Civil Service
Commission. We are seeking at least four- new Commissioners. The present
Commission is made up of individuals from the public, private and third sectors and
from across the United Kingdom. The Commissioners who are due to leave in May
and October 2022 have a mix of private and public sector experience and in order to
maintain the balance in the experience of Commissioners overall I am particularly
keen that we should replace this, if we can.
I would also like to encourage applications from across Great Britain to better reflect
and support the Government’s levelling up agenda and increased diversity in the civil
service.
Why would you want to be a Commissioner? First, you will be motivated by the
importance of preserving the highest standards of conduct in public life and by
playing a role in promoting and upholding the enduring Civil Service values of
honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality.
Secondly, you will be strongly committed to the principle of appointment on merit to
the Civil Service and, as chair of appointment panels, your priority will be to help get
the best people into the top Civil Service jobs.
Thirdly, you will be interested in what makes good regulation and how a regulator
(which is what the Civil Service Commission is) can act as a spur to improving
practice and influencing change in Government Departments and agencies.
I have greatly valued the broad range of expertise that the current Commissioners
bring to our Board and want to preserve the diversity and depth of expertise in the
new appointments we make. Thank you for taking the time to consider contributing to
our work.
The closing date for applications is midnight 19th June 2022.
Rt Hon Baroness Gisela Stuart of Edgbaston, First Civil Service Commissioner
Appointment description
Civil Service Commissioners:
- chair recruitment competitions for the most senior-level appointments in the
Civil Service;
- support Government Departments in promoting the Civil Service values of
impartiality, objectivity, honesty and integrity;
- provide advice and challenge on how the wider system could be strengthened
to reinforce the Civil Service values;
- adjudicate on complaints (about recruitment and about breaching the Civil
Service standards);
- set standards for recruitment into the Civil Service.
The Commissioners form the Board of the Civil Service Commission and bring a
range of experience of the private, public and voluntary sectors. They bring an
independent perspective to ensure a high performing Civil Service is well placed to
meet the challenges of the future.
Further information about the Commission’s work can be found at
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
Organisation description
The Commission is a high profile body whose work can attract considerable public
and media interest. It is independent of the Government and of the Civil Service.
Civil Service Commissioners were first appointed in 1855 following the Northcote Trevelyan report, which identified patronage as one of the main reasons for the
inefficiency of the mid-19th century Civil Service. Since 2010, the Commission has
existed as an independent executive Non-Departmental Public Body with its powers
and responsibilities confirmed in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.
The Commission regulates recruitment to the Civil Service by providing assurance
that appointments are on merit after fair and open competition.
It also helps promote the Civil Service values of Honesty, Integrity, Objectivity and
Impartiality, and hears complaints under the Civil Service Code.
Essential criteria
The successful candidates will have:
● Recognition of the challenges facing the country and the Civil Service’s role
in addressing these challenges and efficiently delivering demonstrable
improvements to the lives of citizens;
● Appreciation of the skills required in the Civil Service to address such
challenges, both generally and those specific to the wide variety of
departmental and professional contexts in which competitions will take
place;
● Understanding of the importance of effective leadership, which challenges
the status quo and established thinking, to the success of an organisation,
and the ability to work with vacancy holders to interpret what leadership
capability is required for the given context and how to assess for that
leadership capability;
● The ability to command trust at the highest levels, demonstrating
commitment to ethical standards and good governance, including fairness
of process and outcomes while acting independently;
● Strong skills in judgement, based on the ability to assimilate a range of
evidence and perspectives, while being willing to take calculated risks and
do things differently;
● Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well within a diverse
team of influential people;
● Appreciation of the legislative, constitutional and public policy context of the
role.
Desirable criteria
In addition, they will also need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
● commercial expertise, gained at senior levels in large and complex
organisations;
● strong leadership skills, with a particular focus on leading innovation and
transformational change, improving delivery and maximising benefits from
technology and data;
● experience of recruitment and/or HR issues at a senior level in the private,
public or voluntary sectors;
● substantial experience in regulation, particularly in supporting ethical
standards and good governance;
● evidence of supporting diversity and inclusion, including diversity of
thought, experience and background.
It is desirable for applicants to have experience in several of these additional criteria
to support the breadth of appointments that the Commission faces at any given time.