Vacancy -- Appointment of a Chair - Agricultural Advisory Panel

Vacancy details

Agricultural Advisory Panel
Typically meetings are held in Mid Wales
£300 per day plus reasonable expenses
12
year

Function of body

The Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales is an independent body that advises Welsh Ministers on fair rates of pay and other terms and conditions of employment for agricultural, horticultural and forestry workers in Wales. It also promotes careers in agriculture, the development of an appropriately skilled workforce and provides additional advice to Ministers as required.

Annually, the Panel review the Agricultural Minimum Wage (AMW) policy, propose all changes necessary and consult on their proposals before submitting a draft Agricultural Wales Order (AWO) to Welsh Ministers for consideration. Once passed by the Senedd, the Order has legal authority in Wales.

In arriving at their decisions, the Panel draw on their expertise and consideration of the economic conditions in the industry at the time, as well as all legal requirements (such as the National Minimum Wage). This ensures agricultural workers receive fair, regularly reviewed, wages and allowances, further contributing to the Welsh Government’s tackling poverty agenda by safeguarding household incomes, especially within rural communities.

The Panel is supported by a mandatory sub-committee that advices on matters related to skills development, training opportunities and career progression. The Panel may establish other sub-committees on specific issues as required.

The Welsh Government sponsorship division provides the secretariat function for the Panel, and an external law firm advise the Panel on any arising legal issues including drafting Orders.

The Panel may also commission studies and research on any specific areas they wish to inform their decision-making process. The approval of the Welsh Ministers is required for obtaining any advice that may incur costs.

Role description

The Panel Chair will provide strategic direction and oversight for the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales. Developing and maintaining a close relationship with the Minister and key members of the Welsh agricultural sector is a crucial part of the Chair’s role.

The Panel Chair need not be an expert in the field of agriculture, he or she must have senior level experience in the private, public or voluntary sector.

The Panel Chair will have the following strategic leadership responsibilities:

  • Lead the formulation of the Panel’s strategy and business plans, monitoring in-year performance and examining change proposals with rigour to maintain delivery;
  • Ensure issues are brought forward in a timely manner for effective resolution;
  • Ensure that the Panel’s decisions are informed and fair, taking proper account of guidance provided by the Welsh Ministers and Welsh Government officials;
  • Maintain a considered oversight to other developing policies within the agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors both in Wales and other UK regions, ensuring any decisions being made by the Panel harmonise with the overarching strategic direction of government policy;
  • Consult on draft proposals and ensure the Panel give due consideration to responses;
  • Submit draft Orders to Welsh Ministers accompanied by a report setting out how and why the Panel arrived at their decisions, including consideration of available evidence, consultation responses and recommendations from stakeholder groups, other Government commissions and consultees;
  • Remain accountable for the decisions made by the Panel and to monitor the effectiveness of the annual Agricultural Wages Order to ensure it remains fit for purpose as the agricultural industry adapts to change;
  • Inform Welsh Ministers of any changes which are likely to impact on the strategic direction of the Panel or on the attainability of its targets, and determine the steps needed to deal with such changes;
  • Negotiate and manage the Panel’s relationship with stakeholders;
  • Represent the views of the Panel to agricultural employers, other appropriate bodies and the general public, including via the media;
  • Assess the performance of Panel members on an annual basis, including when they are being considered for re-appointment to the Panel, or for appointment to another public body;
  • Deliver high standards of regularity and propriety;
  • Ensure that the Panel meets at regular intervals throughout the year.

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

Essential Criteria

  • The ability to demonstrate vision, innovation and effective leadership skills to deliver positive outcomes;
  • Evidence of analysing complex issues, including financial and economic information, to reach balanced and independent judgements;
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build consensus with Panel Members and strategic working relationships with all stakeholders, including, but not limited to Ministers and Government, employers, employees and the press and media;
  • An understanding of or the ability to grasp issues surrounding employment policy, including wage rates, labour market and the impact on businesses and business competitiveness;
  • A commitment to equality issues and challenging discriminatory practices when appropriate;
  • Understanding of financial and corporate governance issues at a Panel level.

Desirable Criteria

  • The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable but not essential. All candidates are expected to display an empathy towards the language;
  • An interest and/or knowledge of the agricultural industry;
  • An understanding of economics, particularly in relation to the labour market, would be an advantage.

Interview dates

18 January 2021
29 January 2021

Closing date

04/12/2020, 16:00

Additional information

For further information regarding the selection process, please contact:

Public Appointments Team

Public Bodies Unit

Email: publicappointments@gov.wales

 

For further information regarding the role of the Agricultural Advisory Panel and the roles Members please contact Ryan Davies, Agriculture – Sustainable Development Division

Tel: 07743 046673

Email: Ryan.Davies@gov.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.