£10,500 pa 2 days/month
Vacancy Description
The Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate (‘The Inspectorate’) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and has been an Executive Agency since 1992, although our history can be traced back to 1909. The Inspectorate operates within a sponsorship arrangement with the department, which is documented in the Framework Agreement and in accordance with Her Majesty’s Treasury Green Book requirements and Managing Public Money.
The Inspectorate provides an invaluable service in making decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State, or recommendations to Government departments, on schemes ranging from complex, major national infrastructure investments through to local householder appeals, as well as supporting Local Government to put in place effective Local Plans.
Through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, the Inspectorate will support the Government’s manifesto to level up the UK and its goals to reverse geographical disparities. Planning is seen as one of many leavers to enable regeneration and improve socio-economic growth across the UK.
The Role of the Planning Inspectorate Board
The role of the Planning Inspectorate Board is to provide collective strategic leadership to the organisation. The Board is an advisory Board and is responsible for ensuring the Inspectorate fulfils the aims and objectives of the Strategic Plan, our work reflects the priorities set by the Secretary of State and complies with the requirements relating to the use of public funds.
Non-Executive Directors are expected to attend meetings of the Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (Committee) or Strategic Assurance Panels (Panels) once a month. Meetings are held virtually with plans to meet annually in Bristol. The number of meetings scheduled are:
Seven Board meetings
Five Committee meetings
11 Panel meetings
26 NED briefings with the Chief Executive
Board, Committee and Panel meetings are combined to make these full day commitments of 11 a year. NED briefings are held bi-weekly on a Friday for an hour (virtually). NEDs are also invited to attend events such as OnePINS Live (organisation wide event), project show and tells and All Staff Briefings. The Inspectorate is an evolving organisation and NEDs need to remain flexible in meeting demands on their time. NEDs should expect to attend all Board, Committee and Panel meetings to fulfil their responsibilities.
Board members are responsible for:
- Ensuring an effective business planning and performance management framework is in place
- Ensuring that the Planning Inspectorate’s work and priorities reflect the priorities of the Secretary of State and that its affairs are conducted with probity, consistent with Managing Public Money
- Delivery against its strategic objectives and ensuring sufficient resources are available to achieve those objectives
- Setting and communicating the Planning Inspectorate values, purpose and objectives to inspectors, other staff and stakeholders whilst protecting and enhancing the Planning Inspectorate’s reputation for professionalism, effectiveness, integrity and efficiency
- Monitoring and continuously improving performance and quality
- Ensuring an adequate risk management framework is in place and reviewing strategic risks
- Ensuring best practice accounting procedures are in place, in compliance with the government financial reporting manual (FReM)
- Providing advice to the Chief Executive on the performance of the Executive Directors, and advice to DLUHC on the performance of the Chief Executive.
- Through ARAC offer advice, insight and challenge in relation to risk management policies and assurance framework, accounting policies and financial reporting including the annual report and accounts and internal and external audits.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria for all three roles:
1. Experience of operating in a senior leadership/ Board role or other Board level experience/ equivalent i.e. charity Board, Trustee/ University/ Council.
2. Excellent communication, interpersonal and engagement skills with the ability to contribute constructively, listening to others and earning the respect of colleagues.
3. Demonstrable skills in winning the confidence of and delivering for Government Ministers or senior stakeholders;
4. Experience of collaborating with multiple stakeholders to build relationships and effect whole system change.
5. Experience of cultural and operational change in a professional environment.
6. High level of data literacy with ability to absorb complex information, strategically challenge and prioritise and scrutinise management performance;
7. Sound judgement, high level of integrity and familiarity with data protection legislation.
8. Familiarity with ‘best in class’ techniques for driving improvements and innovation in operational performance, with a track record of supporting executive teams to raise performance and thereby improve customer experience.
Essential Criteria for individual roles:
9. We are looking for one person to Chair the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) with a financial/ accounting qualification and ARAC Chair/ member experience or senior professional finance/ audit experience e.g. Chief Finance Officer;
10. We are looking for one person with a digital and data delivery background with a significant track record of leading and delivering digitally-led system transformation and significant expertise in data and its role in shaping the user experience, improving efficiency to speed up operational performance and enabling strategy delivery; and
11. We are looking for one person with a customer focus with expertise in improving operational performance for the end user to support the levelling up agenda by delivering a quality service that meets the needs of all customers.
Desirable Criteria for all 3 roles:
1. Familiarity of the current planning regimes and the impact on economic growth and communities at both a local and national level;
2. An understanding of central or local government and government agencies.
Additional Information
See the Candidate Pack accompanying this advert for full details of this role and links to Planning Inspectorate corporate publications.
How to Apply
Please submit the required documentation listed at 1-3 below to PublicAppointments@levellingup.gov.uk by 11.00 pm on 16 February 2023. If not provided, your application will not be taken forward. Late applications will not be considered.
Please ensure you include ‘Planning Inspectorate’ and the role you are applying for, e.g. ‘ARAC Chair’, ‘Digital and Data Delivery’ or ‘Customer Focus’as the subject line of your email and your Supporting Letter.
1. Your Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages). Include your education, professional qualifications and full employment history.
2. An accompanying Supporting Letter (maximum 2 pages). Please tailor setting out your suitability for the role(s) and how you meet the Selection Criteria. We suggest you use specific examples to demonstrate how you meet the Criteria. If you can offer the experience in more than one of the areas referenced above, there is no need to submit more than one supporting letter against the criteria – just clearly reference and example those Criteria in a single supporting letter.
3. Application and Diversity Information Form. This is an online form at https://forms.office.com/e/8ywy6K1u2Y . You should declare any potential issues including conflicts of interest (perceived, potential or actual), this includes your personal or professional history that could, if you were appointed, be misconstrued, cause embarrassment to the Planning Inspectorate, DLUHC or HM Government, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised. The Panel will explore your declarations during the interview process. Failure to disclose such information could result in an appointment either not being made or being terminated.
Candidates should note that ‘due diligence’ will be carried out as part of the assessment process if you are called to interview and will be shared with the Panel and Ministers, this will include searches on social media, blogs and/or other publicly available information.
Diversity data will be treated in confidence and is used for data gathering information only and will not affect your application. Please complete the Disability Confident section if relevant.