Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    On 23 June 2014, the Council’s Shadow Policy and Resources Committee agreed a number of priority measures relating to organisation development and design, including a review of the resource requirements and staffing arrangements of the Council’s Audit, Governance and Risk Services (AGRS)   The main purpose of this review was to ensure the Council was in a position to meet its statutory requirements and provide adequate assurances on the local government reform programme.

1.2    A key element of this review was the review of the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services to ensure it reflects professional guidance and meets the Council’s needs.    The purpose of this paper therefore is to seek the approval of the Committee to recruit the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services on a permanent basis.  The decision to recruit this post on a permanent basis and the proposed process for this (also set out in this paper) were discussed and verbally agreed with the Audit Panel at its meeting of 21 October 2014.

2       Key Issues

                     Review of Job Description

2.1    The post of Head of Internal Audit is one that is prescribed in authoritative guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in its publication ‘The role of the Head of Internal Audit in public sector organisations’ and also in the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) as prescribed by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and adopted across all of the UK public sector.  The job description for the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services has therefore been updated to reflect these requirements as well as BCC needs.

         Trawling of Post

2.2    In order to mitigate against potential redundancies within the local government sector, the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services will be trawled in the first instance for recruitment across all the NI councils (as set out in the agreed LGR Vacancy Control Procedure).  If there is no suitable appointee within this pool, the post will be publicly advertised. 

         Selection Panel

2.3    In accordance with the Local Government Staff Commission procedures for recruiting head of service posts, the selection panel for the post should comprise the chair of the controlling panel, two other elected members from political parties not represented by the chair and two directors.  Given the direct reporting line from the Head of AGRS post to the Audit Panel (and the fact that professional guidance from CIPFA indicates that an Audit Committee / Panel should have a role in appointing the Head of Internal Audit) it is proposed that the selection panel is comprised as follows:

·        Chair of Shadow SP&R Committee (Alderman Stalford)

·        Chair of Audit Panel (Alderman Rodgers)

·        A third elected member from Shadow SP&R to provide a balance in terms of gender and community background

·        Director of Finance and Resources and Deputy CX

·        Director of Organisational Development

2.4    In all circumstances, the selection panel must be balanced in terms of community background and gender and all panel members must have received recent training in non-discriminatory recruitment and selection techniques. 

         Key Dates

2.5    The following recruitment and selection timeframe is proposed:

3       Resource Implications

3.1    Financial

         None.  The cost of this post is already included within the service’s estimates for salaries and wages.

3.2    Human Resources

         None. The recruitment and selection of this post will be conducted fully in accordance with the Local Government Staff Commission’s Code of Procedures on Recruitment and Selection and the appointment will be based strictly on the merit principle.

3.3    Asset and Other Implications

         None.

4       Equality and Good Relations Considerations

4.1    None

5       Recommendations

5.1    That the Shadow SP&R Committee approves the recruitment of the Head of AGRS and notes the proposed processes and timetables set out above. 

5.2    That the Committee agrees the composition of the selection panel to comprise the chair of the controlling committee (Alderman Stalford); the chair of the Audit Panel (Alderman Rodgers) and nominate a third elected member from the Shadow SP&R Committee ensuring that this nomination provides a balance in terms of gender and community background.  (The panel will also include the Director of Finance and Resources and Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of Organisational Development). 

5.3    That the selection panel be given delegated authority to make the appointment and report the outcome of the selection process back to committee for notation.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed that Councillor Hargey by appointed as the third Elected Member from the Committee to the Panel.