INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS
NORTHERN IRELAND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
INFORMATION PACK
Completed application forms must be returned to;
IBM Recruitment Competition,
Room S5, Rathgael House,
Bangor
Email: [email protected]
CONTENTS
Page No.
Foreword – by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
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Role
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Responsibilities
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Fee
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Essential Criteria
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Shortlisting Criteria
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Recruitment Process
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Vacancies
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Submitting Your Nomination
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References
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Criminal Records Check
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Security Vetting
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Conflicts of Interest
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General Information
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Foreword by Bruce Robinson, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
Thank you for your interest in the role of Independent Board Member to Northern
Ireland Government Departments.
Departmental Boards have an essential corporate leadership role to ensure
Departments are effective, professional organisations with the capacity and
capability to deliver the Executive’s Programme for Government and Ministers’
strategic priorities.
Independent Board Members have an important contribution to make by providing
constructive advice and challenge across all of the Board’s business to ensure good
corporate governance and effective strategic management.
The experience,
expertise and external perspectives Independent Board Members have brought to
Departmental Boards in recent years has proved very beneficial. The challenging
context within which today’s civil service is operating reinforces the importance of the
contribution Independent Board Members can make.
This competition represents an exciting and challenging opportunity to contribute to
the good governance of a Northern Ireland Department and assist in our work to
support Ministers to deliver high quality, effective and efficient public services to the
citizens we serve.
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ROLE
The primary role of the Independent Board Member is to contribute to the good
governance of the Department. Independent Board Members should be prepared to
offer constructive challenge across all of the department’s business, with a view to
ensuring that all aspects of strategy and delivery of policy are scrutinised for
effectiveness and efficiency. Independent Board Members in particular will:

be involved in the monitoring of performance and progress of the department,
including the use of human and financial resource;

maintain a critical overview of the Department’s financial controls and procedures
for assessing and managing risk, drawing on their wider experience; and

depending on the responsibilities of the department, challenge the quality of the
policy formulation process.
Most appointments will be for an initial period of not more than four years, which may
be extended in further defined periods by agreement. The maximum total term of
appointment is six years. The time commitment is typically 20- 25 days annually.
This recruitment process may also be used in relation to Agencies of Departments.
Accordingly, any reference to Department should be taken to include Agencies.
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RESPONSIBILITIES
The role of an Independent Board Member entails specific responsibilities. These
can include:

active participation in the formulation of business planning, strategy development
and risk management;

active participation in the process of monitoring the Department’s progress
towards meeting agreed objectives and targets (Public Service Agreements
[PSAs], Reform Plans and Business Plans);

challenging the quality of policy formulation,

active participation in, and challenging, the financial planning of departmental
budgets and in decisions on budget bids and easements;

membership, or Chair, of the Departmental Audit Committee, Remuneration
Committee or similar;

representing the Department at events as required.
FEE
The fees payable in relation to these responsibilities will be in the region of £500 per
day plus expenses. One day’s payment will normally cover attendance at a
Departmental Board or equivalent meeting, including preparation time for meetings
and actions arising. All remuneration and expenses are subject to deduction of
income tax and national insurance.
Travel and subsistence expenses are payable at NICS rates.
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ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
Applicants must by the closing date have:
1.
a minimum of five years’ experience at Board level or equivalent in a
significant organisation(s) in the public, private or voluntary sectors;
2.
a minimum of five years’ experience of effectively managing complex
change in an organisation;
3.
a minimum of three years’ experience of corporate governance, financial
management and risk management;
4.
experience of analysing complex problems, evaluating and analysing
information and setting strategic direction;
5.
effective communication skills and experience of providing a
constructive challenge role; and
6.
an understanding of the role of Departments and Ministers, the setting
of Government priorities and the public sector expenditure processes.
Applications must include specific dates.
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SHORTLISTING
Should shortlisting be necessary, this will be done by considering the strength and
quality of the evidence provided in the candidate’s application form to assess:
A. how well he/she meets the eligibility criterion 1 above, taking account of the
nature and duration of the candidate’s relevant experience;
and should further shortlisting be required
B. how well he/she meets the eligibility criterion 2 above, taking account of the
nature and duration of the candidate’s relevant experience
It is essential therefore that the evidence provided by applicants includes sufficient
details, which clearly demonstrate how they meet all of the criteria and must include
reference to specific examples of actions and achievements.
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Recruitment Process
The recruitment of Independent Board Members will be a two-stage process. The
first stage will create a pool of qualified candidates which NI Departments will trawl to
fill vacancies as they arise.
In the first stage candidates are invited to apply demonstrating how they meet the
essential criteria for an Independent Board Member of a Northern Ireland
department. A pool will be selected based on the strength and quality of the
evidence provided in the candidate’s application form as to how well he/she meets
the essential criteria. The number of candidates in the pool may be restricted as
described in the shortlisting section.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the first stage selection.
In the second stage, individual Departments will run a selection process to fill
vacancies as they arise. The particular Department will notify all pool members of
the vacancy, setting out the particular requirements for the vacancy. Pool members
may then decide to apply for the vacancy, demonstrating their suitability against the
second stage criteria for the particular vacancy.
The pool will be kept live for two years from the time of its creation.
While most Independent Board Member vacancies will be filled in this way, some
may not, depending on the particular requirements. In such cases Departments may
recruit directly.
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Vacancies
The Northern Ireland Departments who expect to appoint Independent Board
Members through this process are:
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Department of the Environment
Department of Finance and Personnel
Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety
Department for Social Development
Information on the roles of all these Government Departments is available on their
websites under Government Departments at http://www.northernireland.gov.uk.
The Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of the Environment, and
the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers expect to fill Independent Board
Member vacancies in the first half of 2010. Vacancies may arise in the other
departments over the two- year life of the pool.
These are not public appointments, nor do they constitute employment, but they are
subject to civil service rules on conduct and political activity.
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Submitting your nomination

Completed applications must arrive at the address below not later than 12.00
noon on Friday 12 February 2010

All applications must use the official application form. Additional pages will not
be accepted. Forms must not be altered to allow extra space to demonstrate
suitability for role. Application form must be completed in either Arial, font size
12, or legible block capitals using black ink. CVs will not be accepted.

We would advise you to retain a copy of your application
References
Departments may ask for references at the second stage of the process.
Criminal Records Check
All successful applicants will to subject to a criminal records check.
Security Vetting
Security Vetting will be necessary at the second stage of the process.
Conflicts of Interest
The successful applicant must have no work related, charitable, voluntary, private,
representational or political interest which would be specifically relevant to the
department concerned. If admitted to the pool, you will be required to declare on the
second stage application form any personal or business interests which may be, or
could be perceived as, a conflict of interest with the potential to influence your
judgement in the particular post. Conflicts of interest are not necessarily a barrier to
appointment, but both real and perceived conflicts, if viewed as relevant, must be
explored by the selection panel to ensure that the public can have confidence in the
Departmental Board’s independence and impartiality.
Any applicant who has, in the past five years, held an elected or appointed position
at senior level in an organisation related to an associated department may not be
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eligible for appointment to that particular department. Serving and former Civil
Servants are ineligible.
General Information
If you require information about any aspect of the competition please email:
[email protected]
Or write to:
Gearóid Cassidy
IBM Recruitment Competition
Room S5 Rathgael House,
Bangor
BT19 7PR.
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