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Appointment details

Departmental Audit & Risk Assurance Committee: Non-Executive Director (NED)

Summary

• Organisation: DWP Departmental Board
• Sponsor department: Department for Work and Pensions
• Location: London
• Sectors: Finance and Audit
• Skills: Audit and Risk
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 20 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £15,000 per annum
• Length of term: Up to Three Years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 15 January 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   6 December 2023

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 15 January 2024

3. Sifting date

   16 February 2024

4. Interviews expected to end on

   15 March 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, DWP administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. 

We are responsible for: 

• Helping people to move into work and supporting those already in work to progress, with the aim of increasing overall workforce participation.

• Helping people to plan and save for later life, while providing a safety net for those who need it now.

• Providing effective, efficient, and innovative services to the millions of claimants who rely on us every day, including the most vulnerable in society. 

• Improving their experience of our services while maximising value for money for the taxpayer.

Our priorities, set by the Secretary of State, are to: 

• Maximise employment, reduce economic inactivity and support the progression of those in work.

• Provide financial support to people who are entitled to it. 

• Enable disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work, and get financial support. 

• Support financial resilience in later life.

To make sure that we are well placed to achieve these, we will continue to deliver high quality services, work on reducing fraud and continue to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. 

Read the DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023 to find out more about how we are delivering against our objectives. 

Read the DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023 to find out more about how we are delivering against our objectives. 

Introduction from the Chair

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Non-Executive member of DARAC.

I joined the DARAC as Chair in March 2023 alongside my full-time role as Group Chief Financial Officer of a multinational, FTSE 250 business. DARAC is a key component of DWP’s senior governance structure and provides support to the Permanent Secretary (who is also the Accounting Officer) on the comprehensiveness and integrity of assurances in the areas of corporate governance, risk management, audit, security, accounting and reporting. Whilst DWP is the largest government department by expenditure at over £250bn per year, it is also the largest operational department in government, employing over 80,000 people directly and interacting directly with over 20 million citizens, around a third of the UK population.

We are looking for a new None-Executive Director who is committed, engaged and enthusiastic about supporting DWP’s agenda, and in particular we need an individual who will share our vision and future direction for DWP and can help us in tackling challenges during an exciting and rewarding time to help steer DWP in the coming years.

Given the expansive activities of the Department, part of the success of DARAC relies upon a wealth of experience, backgrounds and perspectives; as a result we are committed to promoting as much diversity as possible within DWP, which includes DARAC. We need expertise on DARAC that extends beyond audit, into technology, risk, security, governance, HR, economics, transformation. Furthermore, as someone who personally had no experience of anything in government before taking up a role within DWP, I can see that the thought of applying may be daunting. I can however assure you that this is a highly rewarding role which also involves working with some of the smartest, most dedicated and wonderful people in government. I have personally both learned so much and enjoyed being part of UK public service, and hope that you will consider joining me, the rest of DARAC and everyone in the Department on our exciting and challenging journey.

Appointment description

Alongside sitting on the Departmental Board, you will also sit on DARAC as a Non-Executive Director. You can expect to work with both officials and ministers on programmes, priorities, and reviews. The role will depend on the needs of the department but could include:

• Supporting the Minister, Permanent Secretary and other Non-Executive Directors in their leadership of the department.
• Exercising their role through influence, scrutiny, challenge and advice about the implications of policy, delivery and transformation proposals by:

1. Reviewing the department’s business plans and challenging progress.
2. Scrutinising reporting from the department on performance and challenging the department on its appropriateness as well as progress.
3. Providing advice on issues within their remit.

• Supporting and ensuring appropriate approval processes are followed, identifying, and mitigating risks, and ensuring pragmatic governance is followed.
• Undertaking deep dives into departmental risks and material delivery challenges.
• Giving advice on the operational/delivery implications of policy proposals and potential risk mitigants, which informs the department’s decision-making process.
• Being involved in the recruitment and appraisal of senior executives, and succession planning within the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission.
• Offering and providing mentoring support to individuals within the department.

attending occasional government-wide meetings for non-executives to share best practice and to ensure their department learns from the successes and failures of comparable organisations.

The role of Non-Executive Director on the Departmental Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (DARAC)

The committee plays a key role in supporting the wider Departmental Board and generally meets five times a year. Its purpose is to provide an independent view as to the appropriateness, adequacy, and overall value for money of the governance, risk, control and associated assurance processes that are in place in DWP. It does this by:

• Reviewing the comprehensiveness of assurances on governance, risk management and the control environment in meeting the Board and Accounting Officer’s assurance needs.
• Reviewing the reliability and integrity of these assurances.
• Reviewing the integrity of the financial statements.
• Advising the Board and Accounting Officer about how well assurances support them in decision-taking and in discharging their accountability obligations.

New committee members will have the expertise, skills and ambition to contribute to DWP’s continuing development at this important time. They will report to the Chair, who is also a member of the Departmental Board, which is chaired by the Secretary of State.

Key Responsibilities

• To act as an independent advisor, challenging the department on its audit and risk management processes.
• To advise on the adequacy and efficacy of governance, risk, control, and related assurance processes.

·       To make recommendations to the senior team on potential risks and vulnerabilities and support the department to improve.

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

Essential Skills and Experience

• Board Level senior leadership experience, as an executive or Non-Executive in large and complex organisations.

• Expertise in one or more of the following:
• Accounting and audit
• Cyber security and information governance
• Management of risk frameworks
• Delivery of large IT transformation projects
• Management of large organisations that are directly customer-facing

• Excellent analytical and intellectual capability, with the ability to analyse and assimilate complex information/policy proposals and reach sound strategic judgements.

• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to conduct and develop diverse partner relationships at all levels while providing constructive challenge.

• Experience of best practice approaches to Audit and Risk Management in a range of private, public or third sector organisations.

Desirable criteria

The following criteria are also desirable:

• Experience of being a senior executive in an operational delivery organisation with a broad and challenging customer base, with a focus on developing business transformation whilst sustaining coherent organisational efficiency.

• Experience of oversight and assurance of autonomous subsidiary businesses, or Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs).

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement
• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

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)

The panel will consist of three members:  

Chair – Lead Non-Executive Director

Member – Catherine Vaughan – Finance Director General (DWP Official)

Independent Member – TBC

The panel will ensure that appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code. The DWP Public Appointments Team will keep you updated on the progress of the competition. 

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 DWPNEDS@DWP.GOV.UK  

Security clearance

Successful candidates selected by the Secretary of State for appointment will have to undergo checks to attain National Security Vetting (NSV) at Security Clearance (SC) level. This is due to the proximity to Ministers and senior officials that will be granted by these vacancies, as well as access to OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE information. Any successful candidates that already have this, or a higher, level of NSV will have to have their clearance transferred to DWP.

The checks involved in gaining SC can be found at the following link:

National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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 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 DWP Departmental NEDs Recruitment team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at dwpneds@dwp.gov.uk

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.

The Department will process personal data relating to you in accordance with relevant departmental data protection policies.  The Department’s data protection privacy notice and relevant policies are available on the Department’s Personal Information Charter: Personal information charter - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Contact details

Please call on 07880 080856 or email dwpneds@dwp.gov.uk if you have any questions or concerns.

Attachments

• Candidate Pack