Non Executive Directorships

£10,000 for 17 days work

Vacancy Description

Applications are invited for a forthcoming vacancy as an external member of the House of Lords Commission. The current external member’s term concludes at the end of 2020 so the successful candidate is expected to assume this post in early 2021.

House of Lords Commission

The House of Lords Commission provides high-level strategic and political direction for the House of Lords Administration on behalf of the House. It agrees the annual Estimate, supervises the arrangements relating to financial support for members and works with the Management Board to develop, set and approve the strategic business plan, the annual business and financial plans for the Administration and monitors the performance of the Administration against agreed targets.

The Commission is chaired by Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker. The other
members of the Commission are:

• The Senior Deputy Speaker: Lord McFall of Alcluith;
• The Leader of the House and the Leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups: Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Baroness Smith of Basildon and Lord Newby;
• The Convenor of the Crossbench Peers: Lord Judge;
• The Chairmen of the Services Committee and the Finance Committee: Lord Laming and Baroness Doocey (these members will change from February 2021);
• Two backbench members: Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Lord Wakeham (these members will change from February 2021);
• Chair of the Audit Committee: Mathew Duncan, external member (Chair of the Audit Committee from 2021); and
• One further external member.

Person Specification

It is essential that in your covering letter you give examples of proven experience against each of the criteria set out below in Part One of the person specification. These responses will be developed and discussed with you if you are invited for interview, together with the other criteria in Part Two.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Part One:

Essential

• A Board -level record of achievement within a complex organisation in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.
• Experience of non-executive work on public or private sector boards or working closely with non-executive directors.
• Excellent analytical skills combined with strong decision-making skills that have been tested and proven on complex and sensitive issues.
• Extensive experience of successfully managing relationships with a range of senior stakeholders, which demonstrates the ability to work in a complex political environment.
• Independence from political affiliation and with no commercial link to Parliament (see page 8 for further details).

Desirable

• Familiarity with the workings of Parliament.
• Experience of leading and managing major programme of organisational change, or experience of digital projects, programme and governance.

Part Two:

• The highest levels of personal integrity, fairness and independence.
• The ability to inspire confidence and respect.
• Tact, discretion and excellent interpersonal skills.
• The ability to forge relationships of trust while retaining independence of thought.
• Respect for Parliament’s Values and Behaviour code and a
  commitment to inclusive working practices.

Additional Information

The Commission is supported in its work by the Services Committee, the Finance Committee, the Audit Committee and the Management Board.

Services Committee

The Services Committee agrees day-to-day policy on services for members of the House of Lords, provides advice on strategic policy decisions when sought by the Commission and oversees the delivery and implementation of both.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee considers expenditure on services from the Estimate for the House of Lords, and with the assistance of the Management Board prepares the forecast outturn, Estimate and financial plan for submission to the Commission. The Committee also monitors the financial performance of the House Administration and reports to the Commission on the financial implications of significant proposals.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee examines and monitors audit arrangements in the House of Lords and provides advice to the accounting officer on the exercise of his responsibilities.

Management Board

The Management Board makes decisions about the management and delivery of services in the House of Lords within the strategy agreed by the House of Lords Commission. The Board is chaired by the Clerk of the Parliaments, who is the head of the House of Lords Administration. The Management Board supports and advises the House of Lords Commission and together they provide the corporate leadership for the House of Lords.

House of Lords Governance Structure 

The current governance structure was implemented following a report from the House Committee, the predecessor committee to the House of Lords Commission, in July 2016. The report of the Committee can be read here.

How to Apply

The external member of the Commission will be selected on the basis of a combination of a written application and interview. All applicants are required to provide the following:

• A CV (maximum two pages) with your full employment history as well as any unpaid or community achievements.
• A short covering letter, of no more than three pages, giving evidence of the strength and depth of your ability to meet the criteria for the role.
• The names and contact details for two referees should be provided as an appendix to your CV. These must be people who know you in a professional capacity who are able to comment on your suitability for the post and who will be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of your achievements. References will be taken by telephone after the interview. Referees should be advised accordingly.
• Appointment depends on satisfactory references and security checks and where necessary proof of qualifications.
• The House of Lords (along with Government departments) has to comply with a Baseline Security Standard. The standard requires that we ascertain the identity of the applicant, their right to work in the UK, their employment or academic history over the last three years, and their address history over the last three years.

If you are selected for interview you will be asked to complete:

• A conflicts of interest form: This should give details of any business or other interests or any personal connections which, if you are appointed, could be misconstrued or pose a risk to the
  reputation of the Commission or the House. Any particular conflicts of interest detailed here will not prevent you going forward to interview but may, if appropriate, be explored with you
  during your interview to establish how you would address the issue(s).
• The political activity declaration: This information will only be provided to the panel for those applicants selected for interview.

CVs and letters should be submitted by email at HLCommissionApplications@parliament.uk

Inclusion and Diversity

The House of Lords Administration is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender/sex, gender reassignment/trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. The Administration will also consider flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments.

We particularly welcome applications from groups which are currently underrepresented within the Commission membership, including applicants who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), disabled candidates, and candidates who identify as women.

Attachments
	House of Lords Commission External Member Application Pack November 2020