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Appointment details

Maritime & Coastguard Agency - Non-Executive Chair

Summary

• Organisation: Maritime & Costguard Agency
• Sponsor department: Department for Transport
• Location: South East
• Sectors: Transport
• Skills: Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 35 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £23,333 per annum
• Length of term: 3
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 2 February 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   8 January 2024

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 2 February 2024

3. Sifting date

   23 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 Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT). 

The MCA is responsible for developing and implementing the Government’s strategy for maritime safety and environmental protection, in close collaboration with the DfT and with a wide range of customers and other stakeholders. This is achieved through education, prevention, regulation, inspection and - when required - by initiating and coordinating maritime Search and Rescue through HM Coastguard and other emergency responders.

In addition, the Agency runs the economically vital UK Ship Register and certifies seafarers. It provides survey and inspection capabilities to check the safety of ships operating in British waters and UK-registered ships abroad and administer the law in relation to wreck and salvage.

The MCA’s vision is to provide the best coastguard and maritime regulator services in the world, to grow the UK maritime sector through its services and the UK Flag, and to show leadership in shipping decarbonisation.

It has a dedicated team of some 1,100 professional staff and 3,500 Coastguard volunteers, and an annual budget of around £441m plus £175m for Search and Rescue helicopters. Many of the activities of the MCA support the UK’s wider maritime sector which makes a direct contribution of at least £11bn to the economy while directly supporting more than 113,000 jobs and 6,600 businesses.

Examples of the MCA’s work include:

• HM Coastguard responding to more than 33,000 incidents in 2020.
• Marine surveyors carrying out more than 2,800 inspections and almost 3,000 surveys on United Kingdom registered ships; and close to 1,500 port state control inspections of foreign registered ships which can lead to around 40 ship detentions each year.
• Setting standards to protect over 11,000 miles of coastline and being ready to respond to pollution incidents.
• Encouraging safe behaviours from over 200 million coastal tourist visits.
• Promoting and enforcing better safety amongst the 12,000 workers on 5,700 fishing vessels. 
• Facilitating the implementation of trials and projects, support regulation updates and drive forward change in industry in the uptake of innovative technologies in both emission reduction and autonomy.

Further information regarding the MCA can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency

Appointment description

The DfT is seeking an MCA Non-Executive Chair to help lead the organisation through a period of transformational change.

The Non-Executive Chair will help the Agency to meet its challenging objectives and to strongly support the delivery of DfT’s ambitious Maritime strategic priorities. It offers the right candidate the opportunity to play a major role in an ambitious agenda of internal transformation and external impact in support of DfT. 

The Non-Executive Chair is accountable to the Secretary of State for Transport and will hold the following responsibilities

Strategic development and policy oversight

• Work proactively with the board and the Department to keep the strategic objectives under continual review so that the MCA has clear direction and leadership.
• Build strategic consensus across the board and guide strategy development and delivery by shaping strategies and plans which help put into practice and support the Maritime Minister’s priorities and long-term direction for the maritime sector.
• Provide strong and constructive challenge to the executive, ensuring policy delivery follows the strategic direction of the department.
• Whilst the MCA operates in a complex, technical and safety-critical environment, you should ensure that commercial considerations and risks are fully considered in policy and implementation decision making, formation and delivery.

The board members

• Manage the Non-Executive board members to ensure strong performance and engagement. 
• Maintain a well-informed, authoritative, and cognitively diverse board.
• Make optimum use of board members’ skills and experience through appropriate allocation to sub-committee of other work. You will develop their skills and appraise their performance, as well as lead on succession planning and induction.
• Work closely with the Remuneration Committee to review and secure the performance of the MCA and be a full partner with other members of the Board, senior officials and Ministers whilst acting at all times for the wider good of the organisation.

Board business

• Set the MCA Board agenda, giving guidance, support and challenge to the strategic direction of the Agency ensuring the Board has the skills, knowledge and experience it needs to robustly meet future challenges.
• Chair board meetings to deliver collegiate decision-making and consistent application of policy. 
• Be fluent at interpreting a wide range of financial and performance information and use this to determine policy and strategy delivery.
• Ensure robust board scrutiny of executive recommendations. Drive shared understanding of complex issues and deliver decisions informed by appropriate papers, well-founded through balanced engagement between board and executive. This will permit the Board and CEO to appropriately meet their statutory duties and accounting officer functions.
• Plan and lead the board’s business according to strategic priorities and support the Board to be accountable.
• Understand and balance the MCA’s various duties set out in legislation.
• Ensure good governance is in place, maintained and reviewed.
• Lead the MCA Board, developing this high-performing team and lead by example.

Stakeholders

• Ensure that the MCA’s responsibilities to Parliament are delivered.
• Maintain and develop relationships within the Department and relevant parliamentary bodies to further the interests of the MCA, consumers, and other key industry stakeholders.
• Deal effectively with parliamentary, media and public scrutiny and where necessary adopt a public profile as MCA’s spokesperson.
• Maintain a network of agreed stakeholder relationships both across the UK and internationally to support MCA’s strategic and business objectives. To include maintaining strong and effective relationships with government ministers, senior officials, Parliamentary members and committees and international institutions.

Senior leadership through change

• Ensure appropriate succession planning is in place for key executive and board roles.
• Challenge plans, systems, and governance to ensure effective change.
• Make sure board members (particularly non-executives) understand and deliver on their roles and responsibilities, especially during periods of change or uncertainty.
• Drive and deliver a culture that emphasises continuous improvement, efficiency, and value for money.
• Role model strong leadership, influence, and accountability for the achievement of commercial outcomes relevant to organisational goals.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The DfT is looking for someone who has proven recent experience and success in working at board level in a non-executive role within a large, complex organisation who will challenge and support the Agency as it progresses its strategy and turns it into delivery. The breadth to communicate and influence across a wide range of stakeholders is essential.

Successful candidates for the Non-Executive Chair position must have the following demonstrable experience:

•  Ability to chair the board of a complex and technical agency with a wide range of responsibilities.
• Experience of complex organisations including change management, ideally working within Central Government, an international body, or a major regulated organisation.
• Ability to understand and represent the customer/client perspective, whilst understanding the interactional impact of decisions across the public and private sectors - putting it at the heart of board discussions.
• Influence and build effective relationships with stakeholders across the Maritime industry sector including Ministers, senior officials, industry and other regulators.
• Demonstrate both commitment and ability to make evidence-based and transparently arrived at decisions across complex, cross-sector issues.
• Possess a well-developed strategic understanding and strong tactical sensibility.

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply for this position, you will need to complete the online application process by 12.00 on Friday 2 February 2024.

This is a public appointment made by the Department for Transport, upon the nomination of the Secretary of State for Transport. The MCA and the DfT are committed to the principles of appointments based on merit with independent assessment, openness, and transparency of process.

In particular, they are committed to addressing the under representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities who have the required skills and experience. All applicants are expected to adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life. This process is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ (OCPA‘s) Code of Practice.

You must submit in your application:

• A comprehensive CV outlining your education and professional qualifications and a full career history, paid or unpaid and any relevant achievements.
• A statement of suitability (max 2 pages, min font size 11) evidencing the knowledge, experience, personal attributes, and competencies to meet the requirements of the role as described in the section of this document entitled Person Specification.
• All candidates are requested to complete an online Diversity Monitoring Form which will be found at the end of the application process. Any information collated from the Diversity Monitoring Forms will not be used as part of the selection process and will be treated as strictly confidential. 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 preferred method of application is online at www.odgers.com/90738 where the documents above can be uploaded and the online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form should be completed.

If you are unable to apply online, please email: 90738@odgersberndtson.com.

All applications will receive an automated response. If you have not received an acknowledgement within five working days or if you have any issues with the online process, please contact Callie Foster: callie.foster@odgersberndtson.com. 

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)

TBC

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 Callie Foster: callie.foster@odgersberndtson.com.

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 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 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 ten years in any one post. 

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 Callie Foster in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at callie.foster@odgersberndtson.com.

Data protection

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

Contact details

Callie Foster: callie.foster@odgersberndtson.com.

Attachments

• Candidate Brief Published_Maritime - Coastguard Agency (The)_Non-Executive Chair