Appointments Commission: Appointment of Member.

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A decision made (29/03/2007) regarding: Appointments Commission: Appointment of Member.

Subject:	Appointments Commission: Appointment of member
Decision Reference:	MD-C-2007-0025	Exempt clause(s):		-
Type of Report (oral or written):	Written	Person Giving Report (if oral):		n/a
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	n/a	Report File ref:		SC/KP
Written Report Title:	Appointments Commission: Appointment of member	Written report – Author:		S. Cuming, Senior Human Resources Manager, Chief Ministers Department
Decision(s): The Chief Minister decided to recommend to the States that Mr Kenneth Michael Soar be appointed as a member of the Appointments Commission for a term of 4 years
Reason(s) for decision: A vacancy on the Commission has recently arisen, following the expiry of the term of office of one of its members, and Mr Soar is considered to have the qualities that would make him ideally suited to this role.
Action required: Ms Cuming will arrange for the report and proposition to be lodged ‘au Greffe’ on or before 3rd April for consideration by the States on 17th April 2007
Signature: Chief Minister			Date of Decision: 29 March 2007

Appointments Commission: Appointment of Member.

REPORT TO CHIEF MINISTER

Appointments Commission: Appointment of member

Introduction:

The Chief Minister is asked to consider a draft report and proposition which recommends the appointment of Mr. Kenneth Michael Soar as a member of the Appointments Commission.

A copy of the draft report and proposition is attached.

Background:

The term of office of one of the members of the Commission, Mrs. Sheila Henwood, expired in February 2007, and Mrs. Henwood has indicated that she will not be seeking reappointment.

A competitive appointment process has been undertaken to find a replacement for the position vacated by Mrs. Henwood, and this process has been conducted in accordance with the Appointment Commission’s Code for Recruitment to Autonomous and Quasi-Autonomous Bodies and Tribunals. The vacancy was advertised widely in Jersey and applicants were assessed against the published Job Description and Person Specification. The applicants for the post were considered by an interview panel consisting of the following persons –

· Deputy Ian Gorst, Assistant Minister, Chief Minister’s Department

· Mr Mike Liston, Chairman of the Jersey Appointments Commission

· Mr Ian Crich, Director of Human Resources, and Executive Officer to the Appointments Commission

Five candidates were short listed for interview and Mr Soar was unanimously selected as the most suitable candidate. The interview’s panel recommendation for the appointment was forwarded to the States Employment Board and was fully supported by the Board.

Financial and manpower implications:

This proposal does not have any additional resource implications, as confirmed below –

Manpower: Nil

Property: Nil

ICT: Nil

Law Drafting: Nil

There are no additional financial implications arising from this proposal, as there is already a budget in place for the costs associated with the running of the Appointments Commission.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the Chief Minister should approve the draft report and proposition. Subject to this approval, the draft will be lodged ‘au Greffe’ on or before 3rd April for consideration by the States on 17th April 2007.

Ms. S. Cuming,

Senior Human Resources Manager,

Chief Ministers Department

27th March 2007

PROPOSITION

The STATES are asked to decide whether they are of the opinion –

in accordance with Article 18 (1) of the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, which is concerned with the appointment of Commissioners to the Jersey Appointments Commission, to appoint Mr Kenneth Michael Soar as a member of the Commission for a period of four years.

CHIEF MINISTER

REPORT

The Jersey Appointments Commission has been established by the States in accordance with Part 4 of the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005. The Commission consists of a Chairperson and not more than 4 other commissioners.

The term of office of one of the members of the Commission, Mrs. Sheila Henwood, expired in February 2007, and Mrs. Henwood has indicated that she will not be seeking reappointment. Mrs. Henwood has been a member of the Commission since its establishment in July 2002, and I would like to place on record my thanks to her for her contribution as an active member of the Commission throughout this period.

A vacancy on the Commission therefore now exists, and I would like to propose that Mr. Kenneth Michael Soar be appointed as a member of the Appointments Commission with immediate effect for a period of four years.

Background

Currently the Appointments Commission comprises -

· Mr Michael Joseph Liston – Chairman

· Mrs Catherine Elizabeth Rees – Deputy Chair

· Mr Brian Curtis

· Advocate Rose Edith Colley

· Deputy Ian Gorst, Assistant Minister, Chief Minister’s Department

· Mr Mike Liston, Chairman of the Jersey Appointments Commission

· Mr Ian Crich, Director of Human Resources, and Executive Officer to the Appointments Commission

Five candidates were short listed for interview on 1st and 2nd March 2007 and Mr Soar was unanimously selected as the most suitable candidate. The interview’s panel recommendation for the appointment was forwarded to the States Employment Board and was fully supported by the Board.

Relevant details of Mr Soar’s curriculum vitae are:-

Mr Kenneth Michael Soar is British and a Jersey resident. He is Honorary Consul for the Federal Republic of Germany. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and a former Captain in the British Army. Between 1990 and 2002 Mr Soar was Managing Director of Shell Oil’s Fuel Supplies (CI) Ltd, subsequently he has been a Business Consultant and is a Non-Executive Director of ArmorGroup Services Jersey Ltd.

The appointment panel, as part of its due diligence enquiries, investigated the nature of Mr Soar’s current position as a non-executive director and was satisfied that that ArmorGroup Services activities are not incompatible with the proposed appointment of Mr Soar as a Commissioner.

Financial and manpower implications:

There are no additional resource implications arising from these proposals, as there is already a budget in place for the costs associated with the running of the Appointments Commission.