in Public Life in Scotland
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/ Commissioner for Ethical Standardsin Public Life in Scotland
Dear potential applicant
Thank you for expressing an interest in the role of investigating officer. I hope that you will be able to apply. If you require information from my office in an alternative format please let us know using the contact details below.
The rest of this document provides information about the work of my office and the appointment process for this post. It should give you all the information that you need to make an application. I am planning to recruit two new investigating officers at the conclusion of this competition.
I am chairing the selection panel and will be joined on the panel by Sue Young, one of our Public Appointments Advisers. You can find out more about us and the members of the office team by visiting my website.
The application process is simple but if you have any questions about the process or the role of investigating officer then please do feel free to contact me using these contact details:
Tel: 0131 347 3890 or 0300 011 0550 / Email:
The selection panel has prepared a structured application form. This asks for evidence against some of the essential criteria for the role and provides space for you to provide the panel with other information relevant to the personal qualities that people will need to be successful if appointed. This will help us make a decision regarding your suitability and about who to take forward to interview. You should also use this form to declare any known or potential conflicts of interest and contact details for two referees. Your completed application form should be sent to my office by regular post or email.
I would be grateful if you could complete the equal opportunities monitoring form which is included with the application form. This will be detached from your application before it is considered by the selection panel. We will handle any information you provide in line with data protection requirements. We value people and value the varied skills and perspectives which different people who share and reflect our values can bring to our work. Gathering and reviewing monitoring data helps to inform and improve our recruitment practices.
Thank you again for your interest in this position and I look forward to receiving your application by midday on 1 May.
Bill Thomson, Commissioner
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/ Commissioner for Ethical Standardsin Public Life in Scotland
GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS
This document is supplied to inform potential applicants for these positions. It includes full details about the role and the attributes of the people that we are looking to appoint.
Contents / Page1 Introduction / 4
1.1 The Role / 4
2 Job Description / 5
2.1 Job Purpose and duties / 5
2.2 Person Specification for Investigating Officer / 7
3 Terms and Conditions / 8
3.1 Hours of work / 8
3.2 Salary / 8
3.3 Travel / 8
3.4 Applicable policies / 8
3.5 Technical requirements / 8
3.6 Office base / 8
3.7 Training and development / 8
4 Recruitment Process / 9
4.1 Application timetable / 9
4.2 Selection process / 9
4.3 Feedback / 11
4.4 Anticipated start date / 11
1 INTRODUCTION
The Commissioner and his team work in two areas:
Public standards - we investigate complaints about the conduct of MSPs, local authority councillors and members of public bodies
Public appointments - we monitor how people are appointed to the boards of specified public bodies in Scotland.
The posts being filled are primarily dedicated to the public standards work of the office.
More information about the Commissioner, the work of his office and the Codes of Conduct can be found at www.ethicalstandards.org.uk
1.1 The Role
The posts being filled are Investigating Officers (IOs). We are recruiting to fill two positions.
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/ Commissioner for Ethical Standardsin Public Life in Scotland
2. JOB DESCRIPTION
2.1 Job purpose and duties
The Investigating Officer (IO) is one of a small number of investigators who report to the Commissioner. The Commissioner receives complaints about possible breaches of the Code of Conduct for Councillors, the Code of Conduct for MSPs and of Codes of Conduct based on the Model Code for members of public bodies. Complaints received by the Commissioner are allocated to IOs for review and, where appropriate, further investigation and the production of a report on findings.
Main duties and responsibilities include:
1. Assessing complaints against the applicable code of conduct
o Making an initial assessment of a complaint allocated to the IO to conclude if, in the view of the IO:
ü it is admissible and
ü where admissible, whether it warrants further investigation.
2. Investigating complaints of alleged code breaches in a fair and impartial manner and in accordance with the Commissioner’s procedures
· Obtaining, by way of interviews and requests for material, all substantive, relevant information pertinent to the complaint including but not limited to:
ü the background to the complaint and the complainant’s concerns
ü witness statements
ü documentary evidence
· Evaluating the information obtained for its quality, factual accuracy, relevance and importance and assessing it against the applicable code
· Preparing a timeous and succinct case in the form of a written note or report which reaches a sound conclusion about whether the relevant code has been breached.
3. Providing assurance to the Commissioner
o IOs must set out sound reasons for the conclusions they have reached about their initial complaint assessments and about the investigations they have conducted. These will be reviewed by the Commissioner and where appropriate adjusted in discussion with the IO.
4. Case preparation and presentation
o If required, and after appropriate training, preparing and presenting a case to the Standards Commission for Scotland at a hearing about an investigation’s finding that the relevant code has been breached or
o If required, assisting the Commissioner in such a presentation.
5. Promoting and assisting with the work of the Commissioner
o Attending and participating in training and other days intended to promote understanding of the work of the Commissioner and application of the relevant codes
o Providing ad hoc support to colleagues and the Commissioner as required to ensure the smooth functioning of a small office.
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2.2 Person Specification for Investigating Officer
To be appointed as Investigating Officer you will need to demonstrate certain skills, working knowledge and personal qualities. The table below sets out these criteria for selection and when we plan to test them. You will find full details of what we will be assessing, how and at what stage at 4.2 of this document (the selection process).
Skills / Application / Practical tests / Interview· The ability to interview a diverse range of people who may be uncooperative, unhappy or aggrieved / √ / √
· The ability to ingather and evaluate complex and sometimes contradictory information and reach a sound conclusion about what it means / √ / √ / √
· The ability to report concisely, verbally and in writing / √ / √
· Competent in the use of Microsoft Office Word and Outlook / √ / √
Knowledge
· Working knowledge of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct. / √ / √ / √
Personal qualities
· A sense of proportion / √ / √ / √
· Self-motivated / √ / √
· Motivated to act ethically / √ / √
· Fair and not politically partisan / √
3 Terms and Conditions
3.1 Hours of work
The Commissioner has no obligation to provide a minimum number of hours and the position has no normal daily or weekly hours. Hours vary according to the requirements of the Commissioner’s workload, which is generally around 80-90 days per year, paid monthly based on an hourly rate.
3.2 Salary
This post is equivalent to a grade 5/6 on the Scottish Parliament’s Salary Scale range of £40,422 - £61,583. Appointment will be made at the start of the scale. The daily rate for the minimum salary equates to circa £155.
3.3 Travel
The IO will, on occasion, be required to travel to and attend meetings and/or conduct interviews which will generally be held in the offices of public sector organisations across Scotland. All reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in line with the CESPLS expenses policy.
3.4 Applicable policies
The IO is required to work to the policies of the Commissioner. These include the Code of Conduct and Equal Opportunities Policies which are available to download from our website. If you have questions about other applicable policies please contact us.
3.5 Technical requirements
The Commissioner’s office uses MS Office software. The IO will be provided with a laptop with docking station and, if situated in the Commissioner’s offices, a telephone with voicemail.
3.6 Office base
It is anticipated that the IO will either be based in the Commissioner’s offices or work from home. The decision on office base will be negotiated with the successful applicants. The Commissioner’s offices are currently based at Thistle House, Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh. If the IO chooses to nominate their home location as their office base, they will be responsible for equipping their own home office to a standard compatible with the Commissioner’s health and safety and other policies. If located at the Commissioner’s offices, a full workstation will be provided.
3.7 Training & Development
The Commissioner wants all of the team to thrive in post and the successful candidates will have a full induction, regular supervision meetings, access to appropriate development opportunities and a formal appraisal system.
4. Recruitment Process
4.1 Application timetable
Stage / DateApplications welcome from / 7 April
Closing date / 1 May (midday)
Shortlisting complete / 8 May
Letters to successful/unsuccessful applicants / 8 May
Interviews and practical tests / 18 and 19 May
Offers of appointment (conditional) / 20 May
Reference and background checks / 20 and 22 May
Formal appointment letters issued / 29 May
Feedback available by telephone or in writing / 1 to 5 June
Anticipated start date (negotiable) / 1 July
4.2 Selection process
Initial application
The first stage of selection is by way of written application. Applicants are asked to complete a structured application form. The application form itself provides advice on the type of evidence that the selection panel is seeking. Applications should be submitted by midday on 1 May as follows:
Emailed submissions should be addressed to:-
(Subject Line: IO APPLICATION)
Hard copy submissions should be addressed to:
Karen Elder
Business Manager
Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland
Thistle House
91 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HE
Envelopes should be clearly marked IO Application. Your return name and address should not be visible on the envelope.
Applicants who best demonstrate their match for the requirements of the role will be invited to attend an interview.
Interview, practical tests and background checks
On the day of interview applicants will also participate in practical tests. The tests will take approximately one and a half hours and the interview will take approximately an hour. The interviews and tests will be held at our offices in Thistle House, near Haymarket in Edinburgh.
The first test
You will be given information about a sample complaint for evaluation and then asked to write a concise report in Word format setting out your findings. During interview you will be asked about your report and your findings.
This is designed to assess these elements of the person specification:
· The ability to evaluate complex and sometimes contradictory information and reach a sound conclusion about what it means
· Working knowledge of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct.
· The ability to report concisely, verbally and in writing
· Competent in the use of Microsoft Office Word
The second test
The second test will involve your being given a set of example allegations of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. You will be asked to rank these in order of seriousness, and give reasons for your decisions. You may be asked about your reasons at interview. This is designed to assess:
· A sense of proportion
· Working knowledge of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct.
The interview
At interview the selection panel will assess
· The ability to interview a diverse range of people who may be uncooperative, unhappy or aggrieved
· The ability to ingather and evaluate complex and sometimes contradictory information and reach a sound conclusion about what it means
· The ability to report concisely verbally
· Working knowledge of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct
· Fair and not politically partisan
· Competency in the use of Microsoft Outlook
The panel will adopt a competency-based questioning technique. This will involve their asking you to describe actual situations in which you have had to put your skills, knowledge and personal qualities into practice.
The panel will also follow up on the responses you provided in your original application about the skills and knowledge that you have, about your personal qualities and about any potential conflicts of interest.
Our assessment methods
The tests we are using at all stages are designed to
· allow people to demonstrate how closely they meet the criteria and to
· mitigate against unconscious and other forms of bias.
Our assessment methods have been chosen so that we can assess applicants consistently and appoint people fairly and on the basis of merit.
References and background checks
References for the preferred applicants will be obtained following the final interview and background checks will be conducted during the same period. References are taken and checks conducted to ensure that the preferred applicants have no conflicts of interest that are incompatible with the position and to verify information provided by applicants in their written application and at interview.
4.3 Feedback
We will endeavour to provide feedback to all applicants. However, if the number of applications received is significantly more than 50 this may not be possible. This will be communicated to applicants after shortlisting.
Feedback will be offered to all applicants who are shortlisted for interview.
4.4 Anticipated start date
The anticipate start date is 1 July although later or earlier start dates may be possible for the preferred candidates.
END
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