Vacancy -- Interim Environmental Protection Assessor, Wales

Vacancy details

Interim Environmental Protection Assessor, Wales
Flexible working location within UK
£425 (day rate) plus other reasonable expenses within agreed limits.
20
year

Function of body

Background

Upon the end of the transition period between the UK and the EU (currently scheduled for 31 December 2020), the oversight of the European Commission in relation to environmental governance in the UK will cease. As environmental protection is devolved to Wales, it is a matter for the Welsh Government to determine future arrangements.

In order to bridge the gap between the end of the transition period and the implementation of a permanent environmental governance mechanism for Wales, the Welsh Government intends to establish an interim complaints system which will become operational from 1 January 2021. This will ensure that the rights of the citizens of Wales to report concerns about failure to implement or comply with environmental law are upheld throughout the post-transition period.

The operation of the interim approach will be robustly monitored and evaluated, providing valuable information to inform the design of the permanent body, enabling a smooth transition to a refined, robust and resilient model of environmental governance for the people of Wales, one which complements our existing framework of environmental legislation.  

Role description

The Interim Environmental Protection Assessor will provide a platform whereby possible instances of failure to implement or non-compliance with environmental law in Wales may be reported by individuals, private businesses and other organisations.

The primary responsibilities of the Interim Assessor will include: 

  • receipt and logging of complaints during the post-transition period;
  • vetting of complaints;
  • redirection of complaints to other bodies where necessary; 
  • escalation of complaints deemed ‘serious’ or urgent and;
  • the reporting of the volume of complaints on an annual basis.

Wales’ interim environmental governance arrangements will be headed by the Interim Environmental Protection Assessor, who will be supported in their role by an expert panel. Panel members will be engaged on a case-by-case basis allowing the Interim Assessor to draw on relevant expertise when necessary.

Welsh language skills

The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.  The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.
Desirable
Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding
Can write basic messages on everyday topics
Can understand parts of a basic conversation
Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh

Person specification

To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment.

Essential Attributes

  • A legal qualification at a standard of the below:

    i. An LPC and a period of recognised training of at least 2 years; or
    ii. A postgraduate masters in a related field' ;

  • Knowledge of current Welsh legislation relating to the environment, namely the Environment (Wales) Act and the Well-being of Future Generations Act, the SMNR (Sustainable Development of Natural Resources) and the SD (Sustainable Development) principles which underpin the legislative and operational framework in Wales';

  • An understanding of the current roles and responsibilities of National Resources Wales (NRW) as well as the interdependencies between other Welsh public bodies in environmental matters; and

  • Knowledge of wider national and international environmental law and how the body of law relates to that of Wales.

Desirable Attributes 

  • Strong interpersonal skills with personal impact, resilience and credibility to be an effective manager of relationships with Ministers, Senedd Members, stakeholders and other public bodies in Wales;

  • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to be clear and succinct and to facilitate understanding of complex issues;

  • Ability to evaluate complex evidence within a short time frame to make reasoned decisions on the potential severity of an issue;

  • An understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of public life (Nolan Principles)

  • A clear understanding and commitment to equality and diversity and a willingness to challenge discriminatory practices.

Interview dates

12 November 2020
16 November 2020

Closing date

11/10/2020, 16:00

Additional information

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button below. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on  PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments

This vacancy is closed to applications.