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Appointment details

Member - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales

Summary

• Organisation: Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
• Sponsor department: Welsh Government
• Location: Wales
• Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
• Skills: Regulation, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 2 day(s) per month
• Remuneration: £198 per day
• Length of term: 2 years
• Application deadline: 4pm on 27 January 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   6 January 2023

2. Application deadline

   4pm on 27 January 2023

3. Sifting date

   9 February 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   17 March 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Appointment description

Members will:

• Develop the Policy and Practice and Council Size Methodology for the next Electoral Review Programme, reflecting learning from the previous programme and commissioning research on specific issues.
• Ensure there is wide ranging consultation with Welsh Government, county and county borough councils, community and town councils, and all other stakeholders as part of this.
• Assess a range of options for the numbers of councillors and the areas they represent, taking into account the complexities, and often contradictions, of the demography and infrastructure of the area under review and a wide range of opinions from consultation feedback.
• Act collectively in making draft and final decisions on individual electoral reviews.
• Work with principal councils to ensure community boundaries and electoral arrangements are regularly reviewed and coordinated with the programme of electoral reviews.
• Act collectively in making orders on individual community reviews.
• Be aware, at all times, of the risks, reputational and other, associated with the reviews and the potential consequences for the Commission, its members and Welsh Government.
• Provide governance and support to the Commission as it adopts new methodology in carrying out electoral reviews and expands its remit to carry out the work of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.

Lead Commissioner  

Each Member is assigned responsibility for overseeing a number of specific electoral reviews as Lead Commissioner. In carrying out this role a member will: 

• Lead presentations and address engagement meetings with county and county borough councils including the leader, cabinet members, ward councillors, political group leaders, and senior council officers; community and town councillors and clerks; the public and other groups who will be interested in the review.
• Undertake visits to the locality under review.
• Participate in engagement events e.g. workshops, seminars.
• Assess an initial range of options for the numbers of councillors and the areas they represent.
• Propose preferred options and the reasons for those decisions to the Commission.
• Oversee the quality assurance process for the production of draft and final reports.

Corporate Governance

 Members must also:

• Ensure that the organisation is run well and is accountable.
• Monitor the budget monthly, (£1,205,000 in 2022/23). This includes the  Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities budget for the Boundary Commission for Wales (relating to parliamentary reviews).
• Ensure that the Commission is working in line with legislation, its plans, procedures and policies and that these are regularly reviewed.
• Be aware of the Welsh Government’s aims and objectives and ensure that its principles in respect of sustainable development, equality and diversity and the Welsh language are embedded in the Commission’s work.
• Provide leadership and focus for the organisation in the delivery of its objectives and discharging its duties and ensuring the Minister’s Remit Letter is fulfilled.
• Support the Chief Executive in respect of HR matters, ensuring that the skills of the staff are developed and maintained.
• Work closely as a team of Commissioners and with the staff.
• Constantly engage with stakeholders to maintain a reputation for excellence. 

In addition, a member might join the Audit and Risk Assessment Committee or the Workforce Sub Committee, both of which would involve a further time commitment.

Organisation description

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”) is an independent Welsh Government Sponsored Body whose statutory duties are set out in the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013.

 These duties include: 

• Ensuring principal area electoral arrangements are fit for purpose – developing and delivering a ten-year rolling programme of electoral reviews. 

• Making Orders in relation to proposals from principal councils for changes to community areas following their reviews of community boundaries and electoral arrangements. 

• As appropriate, ensuring the boundaries of principal council areas are fit for purpose. 

• Maintaining a high level of Corporate Governance for the Commission.

In addition to its statutory duties the Commission may conduct reviews or provide advice and information at the request of local authorities or as directed by the Welsh Ministers.

In respect of principal area arrangements, the Commission makes recommendations to the Welsh Ministers, which it considers are in the interest of effective and convenient local government.

Over the next two years, the Commission will be undergoing a period of significant change, the details  can be found in the Welsh Government’s Electoral administration and reform White Paper Electoral administration and reform White Paper | GOV.WALES

Commission meetings are held monthly. Typically the role involves one to two days a month but could be three to four days a month during the review programme. Meetings are held in person as well as via video conferencing.   

The Welsh Ministers may appoint up to five members to the Commission, which comprises of a Chair, Deputy Chair and up to three other members.  The quorum for meetings is three.

The secretariat to the Commission is provided by a chief executive and nine staff members. The staffing structure changes in line with the Commission's work programmes.

The Commission holds hybrid meetings and members can choose to attend in person at the Commission office at Hastings House, Cardiff, or virtually via MS 

Teams. All Commissioners are provided with ICT equipment and support to enable them to attend meetings. Due to the nature of the work of the Commission, there may be occasions when in person meetings are required throughout Wales.

The post of members will be remunerated at £198 per full day, £99 per half day.

Members of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales are regarded as holders of an office for tax and National Insurance purposes.  Fees payable are chargeable to tax under Schedule E of the Taxes Act and subject to class 1 National Insurance contributions and will be paid through the Commission’s payroll. Fees are not subject to VAT.

Travel and other reasonable expenses that might be incurred in carrying out work on behalf of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission can be claimed at rates approved by the Welsh Government. Members may also be eligible to claim reimbursement for costs in relation to childcare/care of the elderly/assistant carer, whilst carrying out work on behalf of the Commission.

Every effort will be made to provide whatever reasonable support members who have a disability need to help them carry out their duties.

The Commission and Welsh Government will provide induction sessions for the successful candidate.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The skills and experiences we are looking for are set out below. When submitting your personal statement you should show how your skills and experiences could be used in this role. 

Essential specification

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

• a reasonable knowledge and understanding of how local government operates in Wales; 
• strong interpersonal and communication skills - be able to engage with a wide range of people on a one to one basis and collectively;
• the ability to exercise independent judgement – make decisions and explain how you have come to that decision; 
• the ability to identify and formulate solutions using a methodical and analytical approach; 
• the ability to evaluate a wide range of information, including geographical data, and formulate a reasoned conclusion;
• an understanding of the importance of effective corporate and financial management of an organisation;
• collective corporate responsibility and an understanding of risk; experience of working in organisational change management; and 
• experience of utilising research and analysis to support effective decision making.

Desirable criteria

Welsh language skills are desirable but not a pre-requisite for appointment. However, all candidates will be expected to display an empathy towards the language.

The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing its bilingual workforce, and welcomes applications for any post from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh. The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Welsh Language Skills: Desirable

Reading: Can read simple material on everyday topics with understanding

Written: Can write simple work-related correspondence

Understanding: Can understand basic conversations about everyday topics

Spoken: Can hold simple work-related conversations

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button on the Welsh Government online recruitment centre. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on: PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments.

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. Welsh Ministers are responsible and accountable to the Senedd Cymru 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 Welsh 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 Welsh 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.

1. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Welsh Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Welsh Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Welsh Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

1. Welsh 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.

1. 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.

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.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The selection panel will be chaired by Lisa James – Deputy Director, Local Government Democracy, Welsh Government and will also comprise Beverley Smith, Chair of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, Frances Duffy, Chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales and [to be confirmed] as an Independent Panel 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)

If you need further advice, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales

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 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 Welsh Government 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 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2. These are:

1. 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;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. 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;
5. 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;
6. 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;
7. LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

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.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, 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 Welsh Government public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments@gov.wales. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Welsh Government will use your data in line with their privacy policy.

Contact details

For queries about your application, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales. If you are not completely satisfied Welsh Government will aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy. If you have any complaints about the way your application has been handled, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales. Additionally you can write to: Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments G/08, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ

Attachments

• Document 3b - Information for Candidates - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (2)

• Information for Candidates - Welsh