Candidate Information Booklet s1

CANDIDATE INFORMATION BOOKLET

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Open Competition for Appointment to the Role of
Archaeologist Grade III
in the
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is committed to a policy of equal opportunity.

This competition will be run in compliance with the Codes of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). Codes of Practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.cpsa.ie.

______

Contact: Competitions & Recruitment Section Tel: 0761 064453

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Eir Building

Knockmay Road

Portlaoise

Co. Laois

Candidate Information Booklet

Please Read Carefully

Contents

Section 1: Overview of the Department and Vacancy 3

Section 2: Job Specification 4

Section 3: Person Specification 5

Section 4: Application and Selection Process 6

Section 5: Eligibility to Compete 8

Section 6: Principal Conditions of Service 9

Section 7: Important Information 13

Archaeologist Grade III

in the

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Section 1: Overview of the Department and Vacancy

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is a multi-functional organisation which provides a wide range of services both directly and through specialist state agencies operating under its aegis. The Department has a wide and diverse customer base which includes farmers, taxpayers, consumers, food processers and other commercial operators, those involved in sea fishing, forestry, bio-energy, research as well as diverse EU institutions, other State Bodies and special interest groups. The Mission Statement of the Department is ‘to lead the sustainable development of the agri-food, forestry and marine sector and to optimise its contribution to national economic development and the natural environment’.

The Department seeks to employ an Archaeologist Grade III. The successful candidate will be attached to the Department’s Forest Service and will be responsible for providing advice on the protection of archaeological heritage in the context of the development of forestry in Ireland.The post will be located at Agriculture House, Kildare Street Dublin 2.

The Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is responsible for ensuring the development of forestry within Ireland in a manner and to a scale that maximizes its contribution to national socio-economic well-being on a sustainable basis that is compatible with the protection of the environment. Amongst other things this includes responsibility for national forestry policy, promotion of afforestation, administration of planting and other forestry grant schemes, forest protection, control of felling and promotion of research in forestry and forest produce.

Following an assessment process, candidates who achieve the qualifying standard will be placed on an Order of Merit from which one appointment will be made. The post will be offered to the candidate ranked first and, if refused, to the remaining candidates in sequence until the post is filled. The Order of Merit will remain in place for a period of up to two years and will be used to fill further vacancies, if any, that may arise during that period.

Temporary Vacancies

In the event that temporary vacancies for this post arise during the lifetime of the Order of Merit, the Department reserves the right to offer such temporary posts on the basis of the results of this competition. Candidates who accept such a temporary post retain their placing on the Order of Merit and the acceptance of such a temporary appointment in no way interferes with the normal process of appointing candidates to permanent posts that may arise.

Section 2: Job Specification

Principal duties

·  To assess initial afforestation or forest road development proposals or felling licence applications where they have the potential to impact on archaeological sites, monuments or features and to provide advice and recommendations in respect of the protection of such archaeological sites, monuments or features;

·  To carry out site inspections in connection with imposed archaeological conditions to ensure adherence to conditions and where appropriate to ensure proper archaeological standards are being applied;

·  To analyze technical information on archaeological sites, monuments or features where presented in environmental impact statements and to prepare reports concerning the development proposals and the associated archaeological issues where required in the environmental impact assessment process;

·  To assist senior management in the assessment of draft forestry circulars, guidelines, scheme documents, plans etc. in respect of their archaeological content and to advise the Minister accordingly;

·  To work closely with senior management and all other relevant staff and provide support for the implementation of the afforestation programme to the best environmental standards;

·  To provide specialist archaeological advice on specific policy issues as required;

·  To assist senior management in engaging and consultation with other Government Departments and Agencies, environmental and cultural heritage NGO's, and the general public;

·  To prepare and deliver internal and external training courses or assist therein, as required; and

·  Any other duties appropriate to the grade as the Minister may decide.

Working Environment:

Work will be a mix of office and outdoors depending on the duties assigned. Outdoor work may involve travel to various parts of the country on official duties. Approved travel is paid for at the appropriate standard official rates.

Section 3: Person Specification

Essential Requirements

Candidates must:

I.  On or before the closing date for receipt of applications, hold a minimum of a Level 8 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (Honours Bachelor Degree level) in Archaeology or a qualification that is acceptable to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as equivalent;

II.  Have at least three years satisfactory working experience as a professional archaeologist including assessing and evaluating archaeological sites and archaeological excavation, such experience having been gained after attaining their Level 8 qualification and not including time spent in post-graduate study;

III.  Hold a full driving licence and/or access to a car (which shall not be a hired vehicle) on the date of appointment.

IV.  Demonstrate that they possess the required standard in the competencies identified as being important for the role as set out below

Desirable Requirements

I.  Post graduate qualification in archaeology or in a complementary field

II.  Excellent interpersonal and communications skills;

III.  Willingness to work as part of a team;

IV.  An ability to work on own initiative

V.  A commitment to updating and broadening professional knowledge and skills on a continuing basis.

VI.  Ability to work to rigid timelines while maintaining standards of scientific excellence

Candidates should note that admission to the competition does not imply that they meet the eligibility criteria. Therefore candidates should satisfy themselves that they meet the eligibility criteria for this competition.

Section 4: Application and Selection Process

How to Apply

Application forms may be downloaded from

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/customerservice/customerservice/careers/currentcompetitions/

·  All sections of the form must be fully completed.

·  One hard copy of your application form must be submitted.

Closing Date

Your application must be submitted no later than 4pm on Thursday 9th November 2017 to;

Karl Brogan

Competitions & Recruitment Section

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Eir Building

Old Knockmay Road

Portlaoise

Co Laois

Applications will not be accepted after this date.

Selection Process

The methods used to select candidates for this post may include some or all of the following:

·  completion of online Assessment Questionnaire(s)

·  online and/or paper-based assessment test(s)

·  shortlisting of candidates on the basis of the information contained in their application

·  a competitive preliminary interview

·  presentation or other exercises

·  a final competitive interview which may include a presentation and/or additional assessment exercise(s)

·  any other tests or exercises that may be deemed appropriate

Competencies

Applicants should have all the attributes required of an Archaeologist Grade III and in particular they must demonstrate, by reference to specific examples from their career to-date, that they possess or have the capacity to acquire, the qualities, skills and knowledge required for the role as identified in the following competency framework.

1.  Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development

·  Has a depth and breadth of knowledge, experience and expertise in the field of archaeology relevant to the position.

·  Demonstrates an understanding of forests and the forestry sector in Ireland and Europe with insight in particular into the policy and regulatory framework

·  Is proactive in keeping up to date on issues and key developments in the field of archaeology and related areas

·  Has a commitment to updating and broadening professional knowledge and skills on a continuing basis

·  Consistently reviews own performance and sets self challenging goals and targets

2.  Analysis & Decision Making

·  Is skilled at policy analysis and development, challenging the established wisdom and adopting an open-minded approach

·  Quickly gets up to speed in a complex situation, rapidly absorbing all relevant information/data (written and oral)

·  Uses numerical data skillfully to understand and evaluate business issues

·  Identifies key themes and patterns in and across different sources of information, drawing sound and balanced conclusions

·  Sees the logical implications of taking a particular position on an issue

·  Is resourceful and creative, generating original approaches when solving problems and making decisions

3.  Interpersonal and Communication Skills

·  Communicates in a fluent, logical, clear and convincing manner verbally and in writing

·  Is able to listen effectively and develop a two-way dialogue quickly

·  Maintains a strong focus on meeting the needs of internal and external customers

·  Effectively influences others to take action

·  Works to establish mutual understanding to allow for collaborative working

·  Works effectively with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve objectives

4.  Drive & Commitment

·  Consistently strives to perform at a high level

·  Maintains consistent effort under pressure and is resilient to criticism or setbacks at work

·  Demonstrates high levels of initiative, taking ownership for projects and demonstrating self sufficiency

·  Is personally trustworthy and can be relied upon

·  Upholds the highest standards of honesty, ethics and integrity

5.  Delivery of Results

·  Assumes personal responsibility for and delivers on agreed objectives/ goals

·  Manages and progresses multiple projects and work activities successfully

·  Accurately estimates time parameters for projects and manages own time efficiently, anticipating obstacles and making contingencies for overcoming these

·  Maintains a strong focus on meeting the needs of customers at all times

·  Ensures all outputs are delivered to a high standard and in an efficient manner

·  Use resources effectively, at all times challenging processes to improve efficiencies

Communication

Candidates should note that all communications relating to this competition from Competitions Recruitment Section, including the provision of results, will issue by way of email only. Candidates should ensure that a valid email address is provided on the application form and should check that email address on a regular basis.

Candidates should make themselves available on the date(s) specified by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and ensure that the contact details specified on the application form are correct.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will not be responsible for refunding any expenses incurred by candidates.

NOTE: Candidates should note that where a short listing exercise based on the information supplied in the application form is applied, a board will examine application forms and assess them against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position as outlined in this booklet. It is therefore in candidates’ interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of their experiences relevant to this post in the application form.

Candidates must produce satisfactory documentary evidence of all relevant qualifications and experience claimed by them, if required.

Section 5: Eligibility to Compete

Eligibility to compete and certain restrictions on eligibility

Candidates should note that eligibility to compete is open to citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union along with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Swiss citizens under EU agreements may also apply.

Collective Agreement: Redundancy Payments to Public Servants

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform letter dated 28th June 2012 to Personnel Officers introduced, with effect from 1st June 2012, a Collective Agreement which had been reached between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Services Committee of the ICTU in relation to ex-gratia Redundancy Payments to Public Servants. It is a condition of the Collective Agreement that persons availing of the agreement will not be eligible for re-employment in the Public Service by any Public Service body (as defined by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 – 2011) for a period of 2 years from termination of the employment. Thereafter the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will be required prior to re-employment. People who availed of this scheme and who may be successful in this competition will have to prove their eligibility (expiry of period of non-eligibility) and the Minister’s consent will have to be secured prior to employment by any Public Service body.

Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER):

It is a condition of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) as set out in Department of Finance Circular 12/09 that retirees, under that Scheme, are not eligible to apply for another position in the same employment or the same sector. Therefore, such retirees may not apply for this position.

Department of Health and Children Circular (7/2010):

The Department of Health Circular 7/2010 dated 1 November 2010 introduced a Targeted Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) Scheme and Voluntary Redundancy Schemes (VRS). It is a condition of the VER scheme that persons availing of the scheme will not be eligible for re-employment in the public health sector or in the wider Public Service or in a body wholly or mainly funded from public moneys. The same prohibition on re-employment applies under the VRS, except that the prohibition is for a period of 7 years. People who availed of either of these schemes are not eligible to compete in this competition.

Department of Environment, Community & Local Government (Circular Letter LG(P) 06/2013)