Role details

Independent Chair of the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group (DLUMG)

Application deadline 3 September 2024

Summary
About the role
Person specification
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
Attachments

Summary

Organisation: Dartmoor Land Use Management Group
Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Location: Various
Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
Skills: Business, Communication, Regulation, Transformation
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: 4 day(s) per month
Remuneration: £419.06 per day
Length of term: Initial 18-month period, with the possibility for an extension of up to another 18-months
Application deadline: Midday on 3 September 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

31 July 2024
Application deadline

Midday on 3 September 2024
Sifting date

6 September 2024
Interviews expected to end on

27 September 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) invites applications for the position of Chair of the Dartmoor Land Use Management Group (DLUMG). The DLUMG has been created and funded by Defra to deliver on the government response to the Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor. The DLUMG will play a key role in delivering a Land Use Framework and land-use plan for Dartmoor, as well as the other recommendations attributed to the group in the government response.

On 10 April 2024, Defra published its response to the Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor. Central to the government response, and a key recommendation of the Review, was the creation of a Dartmoor Land Use Management Group (DLUMG), to reinforce Dartmoor’s existing governance to provide a platform of cooperation and collaboration between key stakeholders and government arm’s length bodies.

Role description

The independent Chair of the DLUMG will be responsible to the Defra Secretary of State for delivering the aims and objectives of the DLUMG, as well as ensuring effective ways of working throughout.

The Chair will be supported by a Secretariat (provided by Dartmoor National Park Authority, funded by Defra), who will assist in the day-to-day running of the group.

Objectives of the DLUMG

Land Use Framework and land-use plan for Dartmoor

The Chair will be responsible for delivering a land use framework and land use plan for the Dartmoor National Park.

The land use framework and plan presented to the Secretary of State should include at least the following:

A vision and objectives for land use management across Dartmoor and specific areas of Dartmoor at a future point in time

A description of the pressures, challenges and opportunities anticipated over that period and how they differ in different parts of the moor.

A description of the role of specific areas in supporting the delivery of the vision and proposals for how those areas should best manage pressures, challenges and opportunities.

An implementation plan (Dartmoor wide and for specific areas as needed) including milestones against which delivery can be monitored against the themes/recommendations as cited in the Dartmoor Review

As part of this, the Chair will ensure that the framework and plan are deliverable, meaning that they are practical and that it is feasible that those responsible for delivering the framework and plan support it and its implementation.

The Chair will ensure the members of the group support the framework and plan. The Chair should ensure sufficient public and stakeholder consultation on the framework and plan to assure the Secretary of State it is deliverable.

Delivering the government response

As well as the land use framework and land use plan, the Chair will also be responsible for the oversight and delivery of the 25 recommendations attributed to the DLUMG in the government response.

The Chair will be supported by and work closely with the Secretariat to develop a work programme for these recommendations, in terms of how they are best managed/prioritised through group meetings and associated activities.

Role specification

Other roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

chairing group meetings

setting the content and order of the agenda for meetings

ensuring that the DLUMG and its members receive accurate, timely and clear information

keeping track of the contribution of individual members and ensuring that they are all involved in discussions and decision-making throughout

directing discussions towards the emergence of a consensus view and summarising discussions so that all members understand what has been agreed

deciding how to run meetings and whether sub-groups are needed to progress specific workstreams and issues

ensuring a neutral, safe space where key issues can be discussed and resolved

independently mediating between key stakeholders

ensuring the group is effective in implementing and delivering on the actions attributed to it in the government response

being responsible for the reporting of the group’s progress via quarterly progress reports and engagement with the Defra Secretary of State

ensuring that there is a formal induction programme for new members and ensure that each member knows what is required for them to fulfil their role

managing key risks e.g., poor attendance or lack of momentum against the aims and objectives, and is responsible for controlling/mitigating these risks, as appropriate

Person specification

Essential criteria

Candidates must be able to demonstrate all the following essential criteria:

experience of chairing complex high-profile meetings, with the ability to draw out the views of all group members, arriving at consensus, being clear on uncertainty and producing relevant and clear outcomes.

effective communication and engagement skills, engaging with members in a respectful and inclusive way

experience of working with a wide range of stakeholders and the ability to bring stakeholders together to identify compromises and solutions

experience of conflict resolution management

existing knowledge of the issues and/or the ability to be guided/informed by subject matter experts

Desirable criteria

Ideally, the proposed chair should:

have the respect of and be seen as credible by both the farmers and eNGOs/other lobby groups

experience of formal public consultation processes

be based in the south west region

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply you will need to create an account or sign in to “Apply for Public Appointment Service” gov.uk by the deadline of midday on Tuesday, 03 September 2024. Once logged onto your account, click on ‘apply for this role’ and follow the on-screen instructions.

To apply, all candidates are required to submit:

(1) A CV of no more than two sides of A4 with education, professional qualifications and employment history and the names and contact details for two referees.

(2) A supporting statement setting out why your skills and experience are suitable for the role.

(3) Equality information

(4) Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

(5) Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel;

(6) Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme;

(7) Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

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.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Jonathan Baker - Deputy Director for Policy Engagement & Strategy, Farming and Countryside Programme - Departmental Official

Claire Northridge - Deputy Director, Legal Standards Policy, Farming and Countryside Programme -. Representative of Organisation

IPM - tbc

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 Joe.Phoenix@defra.gov.uk.

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 ‘essential 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. When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

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 may be payable under certain criteria. Please contact joe.phoenix@defra.gov.uk if you wish to discuss further before applying.

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.

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 Joe.Phoenix@defra.gov.uk if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. 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.

Contact details