Vacancy -- Chair - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales

Vacancy details

Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
Cardiff or virtually via MS Teams
£268.91 per full day, £134.46 half day (Banding under review).
2
month

Function of body

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales is an independent Welsh Government Sponsored Body whose statutory duties are set out in the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013.

These duties include: 

  • Ensuring principal area electoral arrangements are fit for purpose – developing and delivering a ten-year rolling programme of electoral reviews.
  • Making Orders in relation to proposals from principal councils for changes to community areas following their reviews of community boundaries and electoral arrangements.
  • As appropriate, ensuring the boundaries of principal council areas are fit for purpose.
  • Maintaining a high levels of Corporate Governance for the Commission. 

In addition to its statutory duties the Commission may conduct reviews or provide advice and information at the request of local authorities or as directed by the Welsh Ministers.

In respect of principal area arrangements, the Commission makes recommendations to the Welsh Ministers, which it considers are in the interest of effective and convenient local government.

Role description

The Chair will provide leadership for the other Commissioners and the secretariat and will line manage the Commission’s Chief Executive.

The Chair will also lead on the Commission’s responsibilities in meeting Welsh Language standards, equalities duties, sustainable development and partnership working.

The Chair will have oversight of the Commission’s:

 

Review Programme

  • Developing the Policy and Practice and Council Size Methodology for the next Electoral Review Programme, reflecting learning from the previous programme and commissioning research on specific issues. 
  • Members will also ensure there is wide ranging consultation with Welsh Government, Principal Councils, Community and Town Councils, and all other stakeholders as part of this.
  • Assessing a range of options for the numbers of councillors and the areas they represent, taking into account the complexities, and often contradictions, of the demography and infrastructure of the area under review and a wide range of opinions from consultation feedback.
  • Acting collectively in making draft and final decisions on individual electoral reviews.
  • Working with principal councils to ensure community boundaries and electoral arrangements are regularly reviewed and coordinated with the programme of electoral reviews.
  • Acting collectively in making orders on individual community reviews.
  • Being aware, at all times, of the risks, reputational and other, associated with the reviews and the potential consequences for the Commission, its members and Welsh Government.
  • Ensuring Commissioner’s responsibilities for overseeing a number of specific Electoral Reviews as Lead Commissioner carry out their role in leading presentations and addressing engagement meetings with Principal Council councillors, including political group leaders, and senior council officers; Community and Town councillors and clerks; the public and other groups who will be interested in the review.

 

Corporate Governance

  • Ensuring that the organisation is run well and is accountable
  • Monitoring the budget monthly, (£1,411,000 In 2021/22).  This includes the Cabinet Office budget for the Boundary Commission for Wales (relating to parliamentary reviews).
  • Ensuring that the Commission is working in line with legislation, its plans, procedures and policies and that these are regularly reviewed.
  • Being aware of the Welsh Government’s aims and objectives.
  • Providing leadership and focus for the organisation in the delivery of its objectives and discharging its duties and ensuring the Minister’s Remit Letter is fulfilled.
  • Supporting the Chief Executive in respect of HR matters, ensuring that the skills of the staff are developed and maintained.
  • Working closely as a team of Commissioners and with the staff.
  • Constantly engaging with stakeholders to maintain a reputation for excellence.
  • Ensuring the Audit and Risk Assessment Committee and the Workforce Sub Committee, fulfill their requirements.

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 simple material on everyday topics with understanding
Can write simple work-related correspondence
Can understand basic conversations about everyday topics
Can hold simple work-related conversations

Person specification

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

Candidates should:

  • be highly-skilled in leading a small team to deliver a programme of work on time and to a high standards and demonstrate proven skills in chairing meetings/panels;
  • be able to demonstrate commitment to managing budgets effectively and efficiently within the framework of ‘Managing Welsh Public Money’;
  • be able to work both independently and as part of a small team;
  • be able to evaluate information and come to a reasoned conclusion;
  • be skilled in communication and negotiation;
  • be able to take an independent, evenly balanced view and demonstrate political neutrality;
  • have a clear understanding and commitment to equality issues and challenging discriminatory practices and a clear understanding and commitment to Nolan’s ‘Seven Principles of Public Life’.

Welsh language skills are desirable but not a pre-requisite for appointment. However, all candidates will be expected to display an empathy towards the language.

Interview dates

2 May 2022
6 May 2022

Closing date

28/03/2022, 16:00

Additional information

For further information regarding the selection process, please contact: 

Public Appointments Team, Public Bodies Unit

Email: publicappointments@gov.wales

 

For information about the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales you may wish to visit the Commission’s web site: Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales or contact the Chief Executive of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, Shereen Williams,   

Telephone: 02921 052501

email: shereen.williams@boundaries.wales.

 

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales.

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

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

Commissioner for Public Appointments logo

This vacancy is closed to applications.