Vacancy -- Appointment of 2 Members - Natural Resources Wales (Welsh Essential)

The natural resources we have in Wales – our trees, seas, hills, fields, water and wildlife - are vital for our future. Without them we would have no clean air to breathe or water to drink. They are a major driver in our economy and help sustain the health and wellbeing of our people and attract visitors to Wales.

 

These resources face increasing demands – from environmental factors such as climate change, and from social and economic factors. It is therefore essential that we ensure that our environmental resources are managed in the best way possible, to ensure value for money and achieve the best outcomes. This needs to done in ways which are sustainable, so that Wales’ natural assets are not squandered and are maintained for future generations.

 

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the first organisation in the world that brings together many of the tools needed to ensure that the natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained, sustainably enhanced and sustainably used, now and in the future. NRW was established on 1 April 2013 when the responsibilities, assets and staff from Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales and the Forestry Commission Wales were brought together as Natural Resources Wales becoming Wales’ ‘largest Welsh Government Sponsored Body.

 

Alongside a wide range of operational and regulatory responsibilities, NRW is the principal adviser to Welsh Government about natural resources.

 

Natural Resources Wales as a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, is accountable to the Welsh Ministers through the Sponsorship Ministers (currently the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs and the Minister for Environment) and subject to scrutiny by the relevant Assembly Committees. The Board has accountability for ensuring NRW exercises its legislative functions appropriately and effectively.  It is also responsible to Welsh Ministers for the ways in which it delivers against the annual remit letter. 

 

The NRW Board

 

The Board consists of a Chair and eleven members, one of whom is the Chief Executive. It provides effective leadership, defining and developing strategic direction and setting challenging objectives. The Board also promotes high standards of public finance upholding the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money. It ensures that NRW’s activities are conducted efficiently and effectively, monitoring NRW’s performance to ensure that it fully meets its statutory duties, aims, objectives and performance targets.

The Board of NRW is appointed by Welsh Government Ministers and is responsible for ensuring that the environment and natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained; sustainably enhanced and sustainably used.  It is responsible for developing, approving and monitoring the long-term strategy for NRW in order to meet its statutory duties.  
 

The Board, collectively and individually, adhere to the Nolan seven principles of public life. They are:

• Integrity;
• Selflessness;
• Objectivity;
• Accountability;
• Openness;
• Honesty; and
• Leadership.

 

In addition to the Nolan principles, the Board will also need to ensure that the organisation meets the requirements of The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.  The Act puts in place a well-being duty, which is to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales.

 

The key elements of this include:

• Ensuring that the organisation is setting well-being objectives, to contribute to all of the seven well-being goals included in the Act, and taking steps (including through allocating resources) to meet these objectives;
• Ensuring that the organisation is taking account of the Sustainable Development Principle through making decisions for the long term, considering preventative approaches, considering integrated approaches, collaborating with other organisations and involving key stakeholders.

 

Collectively, the Board should possess a blend of skills which meet NRW’s current business needs and future goals.  Ideally, Board members are pragmatic, strategic, tough-minded, able to offer critical review, and adept at giving direct guidance and feedback, as well as support when required.  They speak their minds and question rather than accept; with the courage to ask difficult questions in a constructive way but with the awareness that NRW is a large and complex organisation that needs to be led day-to-day by the Executive.  Therefore Board members must be interested in making a meaningful contribution to organisational development and be able to deal with the pressure of operating in the public eye. 

 

The Board should operate as a team and once decisions are made, individual members must behave collegiately and support the decisions of the Board as a whole and the Executive as they implement the Board’s direction, whatever the challenges.

 

Becoming a member of the Board of NRW offers you the chance to work with, and on behalf of, people who are passionate about the natural resources of Wales and are constantly seeking improvement to create a high performing organisation that fulfils its ambitious purpose.  Essentially, we are looking for people with ambition, energy and ideas and who can commit to attend six Board meetings a year. Board members will also be expected to be members of statutory subcommittees which meet 4 - 6 times a year. The meetings will be held in public in different locations around Wales, some of which may require an overnight stay. Other Board meetings enable the Board to develop as a team and to discuss issues at a development stage with the Executive will also be held throughout the year, although these will be arranged to minimise the travel implications for the Board as a whole.

 

We are looking for people with the following skills at a senior level:

 

• Finance/commercial
• Science
• Communications/marketing/customer service
• Environmental conservation/biodiversity
• Landscape management  

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.

 All candidates need to demonstrate the following skills and behaviours: 

• Respect for and understanding of the principles of accountability and good governance
• Self and organisational awareness
• Judgement in complex decision-making
• Strategic thinking
• Active listening, open mindedness and independent thinking
• Initiative and insight, logic and creativity
• Experience in advising from own experience base, but comfortable and confident engaging in discussion on a broad range of issues
• A demonstrable commitment to the principles of equality and diversity
• A history of forming strong and collaborative relationships with individuals and organisations
• Strong corporate behaviours and advocacy skills
  
  

Welsh Language 

• Welsh language skills are essential for two of these posts.

09/08/2018, 23:55

Key facts about the post

Location:                                            Locations all over Wales          

Time commitment:                            36 days per year

Tenure of office:                                 Initial appointment of 2 or 4 years

Remuneration:                                  £350 per day plus reasonable expenses  

 

Eligibility

 

A person shall be disqualified from appointment if he/she: 

a)    Has within the preceding 5 years been convicted in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and has received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine;

 

b)    Is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order or has made a composition or arrangement with creditors;

 

1.           i.    persons who have had an earlier term of appointment with a health service body terminated on the grounds that it was not conducive to the interests or good management of the body that the person should continue to hold office

 

1.          ii.    that the person failed to attend a meeting of the body on three consecutive occasions

 

1.         iii.    that the person failed to declare a pecuniary interest or withdraw from consideration of a matter in respect of which the person had a pecuniary interest

 

1.         iv.    of misconduct or failure to carry out the person’s duties

 

1.          v.    anyone who is under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;

 

c)    Is an employee of Natural Resources Wales

 

Any other information that may materially affect your application for appointment should be declared in the application form under the Conflict of Interests section. 

Applicants should be persons who conduct themselves at all times in a manner which will maintain public confidence. 

 

Applicants should also note that being a member of the Body is a disqualifying post for membership of the National Assembly for Wales under the National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) order 2015. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1536/contents/made

 

Conflict of Interests

You will be asked to declare any private interests which may, or may be perceived to, conflict with the role and responsibilities as a member of Natural Resources Wales, including any business interests and positions of authority outside of the role in Natural Resources Wales.

 

Any conflicts of interest will be explored at interview. If appointed, you will also be required to declare these interests on a register which is available to the public.

 

Standards in public life

You will be expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. All successful candidates will be asked to subscribe to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies; you can access this document at:

 

http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/governance/blboard/Board%20Code%20of%20Practice%202011.pdf

 

 

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 a full, up to date CV which should be no more than 2 sides of A4 an document.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  Your CV 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 Unit on PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

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