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Appointment details

Lead Non-Executive Director/Chair Government Legal Department

Summary

• Organisation: Government Legal Department
• Sponsor department: Attorney General's Office
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Public Administration
• Skills: Business, Change Management, Commercial, Human Resources, Major Projects, Regulation, Transformation, Consumer Advocacy
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 15 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £20,000 per annum
• Length of term: Three years, but can be extended to six years
• Application deadline: 5pm on 20 October 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   22 September 2023

2. Application deadline

   5pm on 20 October 2023

3. Sifting date

   24 November 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   15 December 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

About the Government Legal Department

The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the largest provider of legal services across government, working with all the main Civil Service departments. We are a non-Ministerial department sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office / the Law Officers for England and Wales.

Our core mission is as simple as it is profound: we help the Government to govern well, within the rule of law. To do that we provide legal services in relation to matters of the highest importance to the UK. These are matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament, the Courts and by the media, including expert advisory, litigation, commercial and employment law services; and advising on Ministers’ policy, giving effect to it through secondary legislation we draft on their behalf and instructing Parliamentary Counsel to draft Bills which we take through Parliament to Royal Assent.

GLD is a vibrant, dynamic, and diverse community of lawyers and wider professionals. The Department has almost 3,000 employees, around 2,000 of whom are solicitors or barristers. We have advisory teams working at the very highest levels of government as the primary legal advisers for Ministers and senior officials on the most significant issues of the day. From the cost-of-living crisis to the coronation, from national security to transportation, from healthcare to human rights, we provide the legal advice which underpins the government response, often working in concert with private sector legal providers. Our expert legal teams operate at the cutting-edge of contemporary legal practice and are acclaimed across the profession for their expertise, regularly winning and being shortlisted for awards including those presented by the Bar Council, The Lawyer, and the Financial Times.

In addition to this, as Civil Servants, we are steeped in the values and culture of the UK Civil Service and dedicated to the finest traditions of public service as can be seen in the fact that we are driving the work of all current public inquiries which are some of the most significant in recent years (the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Infected Blood Inquiry). Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism. We’re at a pivotal moment as an organisation, as we refresh our strategy to equip us to tackle future challenges in line with the government reform programme.

We are a unique legal organisation, combining the practice of law with the running of a Government department and we want to make sure that GLD is a brilliant place to work, where we can all thrive and fulfil our potential.

We invite you to join us in our crucially important work of upholding the law, advising Government, and serving the nation.

Appointment description

Following a comprehensive review of our governance arrangements, including our relationship with the Attorney General’s Office, and the redefining of the role of NEDs within the Department, we are now looking for a highly experienced person to be our inaugural Lead NED and Chair of the GLD Board. The creation of this role reflects our determination to attain the highest standards of professionalism in our work and is in keeping with best practice in corporate governance.

As our inaugural Lead NED/Chair, the successful candidate will need to work with the Permanent Secretary and the other members of the Board to ensure that the Board develops a way of working that meets our governance ambitions and so there is scope to influence right from the outset.

Key responsibilities

Chairing the Board

• As Chair of the GLD Board, sharing responsibility with the Permanent Secretary for driving the high performance of the Board, setting out a clear vision for the leadership of GLD.

• Shaping the Board and ensure that it gives clear strategic direction to the organisation through effective agenda planning and use of Board time.

• Promoting a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion on the Board as well as more widely throughout GLD.

• Promoting and exercising the highest standards of corporate governance.

GLD’s departmental Strategy and objectives

• Work with the Permanent Secretary and the Board to set and develop GLD’s key objectives and targets and support the delivery of a portfolio of Departmental priorities.

• Work with the Board to deliver the GLD Strategy and hold the Executive to account for its delivery.

Advising, guiding and performance managing fellow Board members

• Provide GLD with an external perspective, guidance, and constructive challenge on key issues for the Department, including but not limited to the departmental strategies, the Business Plan, its Principal Risks, its structure, and the performance of the organisation.

• Support, advise, and provide constructive challenge to the Permanent Secretary and hold the Executive Team to account for the management, delivery, performance and financial reporting provided to the Board.

• Be responsible for the performance management, development, and objective setting for the other GLD NEDs, as well as the Board’s collective development.

• Report to the Cabinet Secretary on the leadership performance of the Permanent Secretary, including mid-year and end-of-year appraisals.

Stakeholder engagement across government, the Civil Service and beyond

• Represent the work and views of GLD to key external stakeholders (where applicable). Play a critical role as an ambassador for GLD, engaging with key stakeholders across Government – including at Ministerial level, the legal profession and wider stakeholder community as an advocate for the Department, to highlight the importance of its work, the quality of the legal services it delivers and further raise its profile.

• Work with the Government Lead Non-Executive Director to learn from the experiences of other departments and share this with the GLD Board. This includes leading the Department’s team of Non-Executives ensuring that they can fulfil their roles effectively.

• Support the Law Officers as Ministers accountable to Parliament for the work of GLD.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Experience of being a Lead NED and/or Chair of a Board in a high performing and complex delivery-focused organisation, with the ability to deliver effective strategic direction and drive a long-term organisational vision.

• A collaborative and inclusive style with the ability to develop an effective and constructive relationship with the Permanent Secretary, other Executive and Non-Executive Board members and other key external stakeholders and influencers.

• Experience of leading an organisation through major change that might include digital, business efficiency, commercial and people change strategies, whilst maintaining high standards of delivery.

• Evidence of instilling a culture which promotes diversity and inclusion.

• Strong understanding of governance, finance, risk management, internal control assurance and compliance.

• An understanding of government and public sector governance requirements and the way of working; or the ability to quickly gain this understanding. Direct experience of the public sector is not required.

Desirable criteria

Experience of the legal sector would be an advantage but is not essential.

Application and selection process

How to apply

Overview of the recruitment process

Application:

To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23.55 Wednesday 18 October 2023. All applications must be submitted via the following link: http://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe102805

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

• A supporting statement (no longer than two pages) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification and your motivation for applying.

• A completed Disclosure Form declaring potential conflicts of interest and conduct matters.

• Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Please complete the relevant parts in the application system if applying under this scheme.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Diversity and Inclusion objectives. You will also be required to provide the details for two potential referees. References will be requested for those candidates invited to interview.

Failure to submit all documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. Please ensure that all documents contain your full name. Your application will be acknowledged by GatenbySanderson’s online system. Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with mary.dempsey@gatenbysanderson.com.

For a confidential discussion about the role to help you determine your suitability for application and/or to answer any questions you might have, please contact one of our recruitment advisors at GatenbySanderson:

• Rusell Brandon, russell.brandon@gatenbysanderson.com

• Julie Myers, julie.myers@gatenbysanderson.com

If you have any questions about the appointments process, you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, or require additional assistance to support you in your application, please email mary.dempsey@gatenbysanderson.com

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The selection panel will be chaired by Susanna McGibbon, Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary and additional panel members will be confirmed to those invited to interview.

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

Eligibility criteria To be eligible for appointment, you must have the right to work in the UK. You cannot be considered for a public appointment if: • you become bankrupt or make an arrangement with creditors; • 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; • you are disqualified from acting as a company director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; • you have been convicted of a criminal offence, the conviction not being spent for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (c. 53); • you become subject to a debt relief order or a bankruptcy restrictions order; • you have been disqualified as a charity trustee; • you fail to declare any conflict of interest.

Security clearance

If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance initially to BPSS level and a willingness to move to Security Check (SC) level whilst in post, if necessary. More information about the vetting process 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 the department.  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 Government Legal Department's resourcing team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at james.wood@governmentlegal.gov.uk . They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Government Legal Department is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information and does so in accordance with data protection law including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All the information you provide will be used to proceed with the public appointment listed in this information pack and in the case of diversity monitoring information may be anonymised and used solely for monitoring purposes.

Contact details

mary.dempsey@gatenbysanderson.com 

Attachments

• GLD Chair Candidate Information Pack