Active Travel England - Non-Executive Directors
Application deadline 15 August 2022
Summary
- Organisation
- Active Travel England
- Sponsor department
- Department for Transport
- Location
- Various
- Sector
- Transport
- Skills
- Number of vacancies
- 5
- Time commitment
- 20 day(s) per annum
- Remuneration
- £400 per day
- Length of term
- In order to stagger reappointments, the first intake of Active Travel England Non-Executive Directors will be recruited for differing lengths of tenure: two, three or four years.
- Application deadline
- 11:59pm on 15 August 2022
Timeline for this appointment
-
Opening date
18 July 2022
-
Application deadline
11:59pm on 15 August 2022
-
Sifting date
2 September 2022
-
Interviews expected to end on
30 September 2022
Person specification
Role description
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the Non-Executive Director positions on the Board of Active Travel England (ATE).
ATE will deliver on the Government’s vision for half of all journeys in towns and cities in England to be walked or cycled by 2030. This is a vital part of the Department’s work to improve transport for the user and reduce environmental impacts, maximising on opportunities for a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 period.
The over-arching objectives of ATE are to:
· raise design standards and hold local authorities to account for the infrastructure they design, build and maintain.
· be a repository of expert advice on how cycling and walking provision can be improved, including through the planning system.
· increase skills and capacity in local authorities, promoting best practice and enabling authorities to learn from each other.
ATE will inspect, and publish annual reports on highway authorities, grading them on their performance on active travel and identifying particularly dangerous failings in their highways for cyclists and pedestrians. These standards are set out in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/20.
You can find out more about the Government’s strategy for active travel, Gear Change, here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/904146/gear-change-a-bold-vision-for-cycling-and-walking.pdf
We are looking for talented Non-Executive Directors to steer ATE towards achieving this vision for active travel. The successful candidates will have a real commitment to achieving a step change in active travel and be able to demonstrate a track record of success in their given field in addition to experience of operating at Board level.
As part of the Department’s commitment to diversity, we believe our staff should reflect our customers - the travelling public. That means we want to attract candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds. We welcome applications from people irrespective of their disability, ethnicity, or gender, who can bring wide experience and dynamic ideas to our boards. We are open to fresh talent, expertise, and perspectives, to help us better understand the needs of the communities we serve.
If you are interested in the role and work of Active Travel England, I would like to encourage you to apply. Our dedicated DfT Public Appointments Team would be happy to talk through the process and answer your questions.
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Secretary of State for Transport
o the framework documento any delegation letter issued to the bodyo any elements of any settlement letter issued to the sponsor department that is relevant to the operation of ATE.
Application and selection process
In order to apply you will need to provide:
A Curriculum Vitae which provides details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any publications or awards;
A supporting statement setting out how you meet the eligibility criteria;
Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues;
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.
Disability Confident – If you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme, please state this when submitting your application.
Reasonable adjustments - If you wish to submit items 1 and 2 above in an alternative format, or for any other queries about the application process, please contact the DfT Public Appointments Team at DfTPATApplications@dft.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.
If you have any questions about the appointments process, please contact DfTPublicAppointments@dft.gov.uk
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
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.
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.
At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.
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.
The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The names of all appointable candidates are provided to Ministers. 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.
The Panel’s recommendations will be provided to Ministers in a report which details the assessment method used and the outcome of each interview. They will then be asked to agree on the candidate(s) who should be appointed.
Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.
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)Additional information for candidates
- 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 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.
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:
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- 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;
- LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.
- 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;