Appointment details

Smart Data Council - Co-Chair

Summary

• Organisation: Smart Data Council
• Sponsor department: Department for Business and Trade
• Location: London
• Sectors: Business and Trade
• Skills: Business, Commercial, Technology / Digital
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 20 day(s) per annum
• Length of term: 24 months
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 11 February 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   14 January 2025

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 11 February 2025

3. Sifting date

   3 March 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   31 March 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

This is a brilliant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of Smart Data, an innovative cross-government policy with wide reaching opportunities for businesses and consumers.

Smart Data is the secure sharing of customers' data, with their consent, to third parties to provide innovative services. Open Banking is a Smart Data-like scheme, and it enables customers to use third party services to securely move and manage their money. Open Banking services are used by over 11 million people in the UK and the ecosystem is worth more than £4 billion. Building on the foundations established by Open Banking, Smart Data seeks to explore and promote data-driven innovation and growth across a wide range of industries, such as energy, financial services, and home-buying.

New schemes will offer new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike, driving growth under the government’s growth mission – and improving access to data, as set out in the Industrial Strategy green paper. Taking these steps will reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in data-driven technology and innovation.

The government has committed to enabling Smart Data schemes so that customers can ask for help from authorised third parties to better use the data about them. Beyond the possibilities enabled by Smart Data in Open Banking, other potential initiatives highlighted by the recent Smart Data ‘Discovery Challenge’ include:

• More affordable and more nutritious grocery shopping. Mealia plans to revolutionise grocery shopping experiences and reshape the landscape of consumer choice, by integrating supermarket data with users’ financial transaction data.
• Ubiquitech Solutions propose the integration of electronic tracking of the contents of vessels and containers, with ownership of goods, to revolutionise the freight market.
• VoltView Ltd – a Smart Energy Marketplace that offers customized energy solutions and carbon footprint monitoring. By integrating smart meter data, retail tariffs, and financial history, it provides SMEs with insights into energy use and carbon emissions.

To help realise these ambitions, a dedicated team within DBT co-ordinates activities across Whitehall, as well as with public and private sector organisations, to advance Smart Data in priority sectors. This team will lead on progressing Smart Data legislation, negotiating institutional arrangements, and fostering long-term policy support. While the Co-Chair will not form part of this team, they will be supported by its expertise, enabling them to focus on providing strategic leadership, championing Smart Data, and guiding the Council in delivering its objectives.

The Smart Data Council Co-chair plays a crucial role in driving the progress of Smart Data initiatives. The Council, established in April 2023, brings together government departments, regulators, industry, and consumer groups to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in the position of Co-Chair of the Smart Data Council. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to shape the future of data-driven innovation in the UK and to contribute to the development of transformative Smart Data policies.

Smart Data represents a shift in how individuals and organisations access and use data. Data is at the forefront of any modern, dynamic economy – access to data drives investment and growth, and puts customers first. Smart Data empowers individuals and businesses to take control of their data, and provides innovators with the tools to deliver tailored, impactful services. Building on the tremendous success of Open Banking, the government is committed to expanding Smart Data initiatives across a range of sectors.

The Smart Data Council, established in 2023, brings together stakeholders from government, industry, regulators, and consumer groups to advance this agenda. As Co-Chair, you will lead Council meetings alongside me, driving progress on key objectives such as cross-sector collaboration, enhancing interoperability, and promoting open and accessible data infrastructure.

If you believe you have the experience, leadership, and passion to contribute to this important work, we look forward to receiving your application. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from under-represented groups.

Thank you for your interest in this exciting role and for considering this opportunity to play an important part in shaping the future of Smart Data in the UK.

Justin Madders MP

Minister for Business and Trade

Appointment description

As Co-chair, you will lead a series of planned meetings each year alongside Minister Madders, who will serve as the Government Co-chair, to drive the Council’s objectives, which include:

• Enhancing coordination and promoting knowledge sharing across sectors and stakeholders to improve governance and interoperability in Smart Data schemes.
• Engaging new sectors to explore their readiness for Smart Data and assessing its impact on business, the economy and consumers.
• Supporting the development of data infrastructure for an open and accessible Smart Data economy, while informing policy evolution and providing expertise to the government.

The Co-chair will bring leadership, expertise in Smart Data, and a commitment to encourage collaboration within a diverse group of stakeholders.

The role of the Co-Chair includes:

• Co-chairing Smart Data Council meetings to create and maintain a high standard of discussions.
• Encouraging both government and non-government members of the Council to create productive partnerships, take tangible action and ensuring measurable progress on agreed initiatives.
• Maximising the contributions of non-government Council members - aligning with Council objectives, providing them with constructive challenge, and coordinating external materials representing the collective views of the non-government Council members (e.g. in response to government consultations).
• Acting as an ambassador for the Smart Data Council - develop key relationships at the highest levels in government, Parliament, regulators, and industry (including investors) to both explain and advocate for Smart Data but also to bring salient advice back to the Council for it to act on.
• Maintaining a focus on opportunities, challenges, and risks, and excelling at helping the Smart Data Council materialise the opportunities, address the challenges, and mitigate the risks.
• Collaborating with DBT Minister Justin Madders to align priorities between government and non-government Smart Data Council members.
• Adhering to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies and the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles).

Personal attributes:

• Integrity, probity and high ethical standards.
• An ability to maintain a sense of perspective and to pick out critical issues, and to question intelligently, debate constructively and challenge rigorously.
• Independence of mind and sound judgement, together with the ability to provide impartial, objective and pragmatic advice.
• Effective communication and relationship building skills, including the ability to negotiate, influence, challenge and listen sensitively to the views of others.
• A commitment to the Seven Principles of Public Life together with the willingness and availability to devote the necessary time to understand the business dynamics and context.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Strong strategic leadership skills – a proven background in helping to develop strategic perspective and long-term thinking.
• Strong personal influencing skills - able to rapidly build a relationship and network of influence with senior leaders in industry, regulators, and the wider Civil Service.
• Experience of operating on a senior board or committee, with an understanding of corporate collegial behaviour and the ability to provide constructive challenge and independent judgement.

Desirable criteria

• A good understanding of Smart Data policy aims and objectives.
• Proven experience chairing boards or committees with diverse stakeholders, including government departments.

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) which provides your contact details, details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any relevant publications or awards; 
• a supporting statement (no longer than two pages) setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role. Please note that the Supporting Statement is an important part of your application and is as much the means by which you will be assessed as your CV.
• 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. 

Application guidance 

Please ensure your CV includes: 

• Your full name, title, contact number and your personal email address. 
• Maximum two sides A4, minimum 11 Arial black font, setting out your career history in chronological order, and including the dates you occupied these roles. 
• Does not include any information that can identify children or any of your Sensitive Personal Data. 

Guidance on Supporting Statement format: 

• The supporting Supporting Statement is your opportunity to demonstrate to the Advisory Assessment Panel how you can demonstrate the skills and experience outlined. 
• Please provide subheading and separate paragraphs in relation to how you meet each criterion. 
• Write all acronyms in full when first used. 
• Ensure your full name and the title of the post are clearly noted at the top of your Supporting Statement. 
• The maximum page limit for your Supporting Statement is two sides A4, minimum 11 Arial font black. 
• Does not include any information that can identify children or any of your Sensitive Personal Data. 

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. 

You will be asked to prepare some identification documents if you are invited to interview - further information will be provided closer to the time.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process. 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.

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 proposed panel will consist of senior DBT officials, and a senior independent member. 

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by Ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAPs 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 dbtappointments@businessandtrade.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. 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

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. 

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. 

The role requires a time commitment of up to 20 days per year, with a series of planned meetings each year. Meetings will be approximately 90-minutes long and primarily in London. Other work (online and in person) will be required throughout the year, as set out in the ‘role of the co-chair’ section.

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

The role is unpaid. 

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 public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at dbtpublicappointments@businessandtrade.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.

The Department for Business and Trade's privacy notice can be found on gov.uk. 

Contact details

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Smart Data Team at smartdata@businessandtrade.gov.uk.