Jersey Appointments Commission: Commissioner Appointments

STATES OF JERSEY

JERSEY APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION: COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS

Presented to the States on 30th September 2021 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

2021  R.158

REPORT

THE  States  Assembly  are  notified  of  the  following  appointments  to  the  Jersey Appointments Commission.

1. In accordance with Article 18(1) of the employment of the States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, which is concerned with the appointment to the Jersey Appointments Commission, to extend the appointment of the Right  Honourable  Dame  Janet  Paraskeva  as  Chairman  of  the  Jersey Appointments Commission until 31st March 2022.
2. In accordance with Article 18(1) of the employment of the States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, which is concerned with the appointment to the Jersey Appointments Commission, to extend the appointment of Peter Charalambous as a Commissioner until 31st March 2022.
3. In accordance with Article 18(1) of the employment of the States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, which is concerned with the appointment to the Jersey Appointments Commission, to appoint Katherine Wright as a Commissioner for a term of three years, expiring on 13th September 2024.

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Background

1. Dame  Janet  Paraskeva  was  appointed  as  the  Chairman  of  the  Jersey Appointments Commission (JAC) in September 2014 by the Chief Minister following a proposition to the States Assembly (P.147/2014). Re-appointment was confirmed by a Ministerial Decision (R.117/2018).
2. A draft Proposition is to come to the States Assembly in the Autumn proposing changes  to  the  Jersey  Appointments  Commission.  This  follows recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General to make the functions of the Jersey Appointments Commission independent from the control and oversight of the States Employment Board.
3. To allow for the Proposition to be drafted and debated, the extension of the existing Chair and a Commissioner will allow for the JAC to continue business until the envisaged date of the successor body to the JAC coming into being.
4. A vacancy has arisen for a Commissioner. Following an open recruitment process Katherine Wright has been proposed as the Commissioner. The States Employment Board have agreed this appointment.

About the Jersey Appointments Commission

5. The function of the Jersey Appointments Commission is set out in Part 4, Article 23 of the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, and is to oversee the recruitment of States' employees or States' appointees so as to ensure that, as far as practicable:

• the recruitment is fair, efficient and conducted in accordance with best practice principles and procedures;

• appointments are made on merit;

• members of the States are only involved in the recruitment of States' employees and appointees in accordance with codes of practice or guidelines.

6. The JAC has issued Recruitment Guidelines and other policy advice, which is available on the Internet.
7. An  Annual  Report  is  prepared  each  year  and  presented  to  the  States Employment Board before being presented to the States Assembly by the Chief Minister.
8. The JAC consists of a Chairman and up to 5 Commissioners, appointed for a period of up to 9 years. The current membership is as follows:

R.158/2021

Selection of a Commissioner

Following  the  resignation  of  a  Commissioner  before  the  end  of  their  term  of appointment, the Jersey Appointments Commission has undertaken an open recruitment process.

Upon confirmation by Ms. Carnegie that she wished to step down as a member of the Commission a process was begun for the recruitment of a new Commissioner. The role weas advertised in the JEP in May 2021. Nine applications were received, and three candidates were shortlisted.

Two of the shortlisted candidates continued and were interviewed by a panel that included  the   Connétable  of  St.  Lawrence,  Dame  Janet  Paraskeva,  Mr  Peter Charalambous and Ms. Jo Waring-Hockley. Following the interviews, the unanimous decision of the panel was to offer the role to Ms. Wright.

Ms. Wright has extensive experience gleaned from her career in HR functions. She has progressed through the Learning & Development department at Ernst & Young to become an employee relations and diversity manager before moving to Lloyds of London and taking up a position as Head of Human Resources Business Partnering. She is employed as a Director of Arbre Coaching & Consulting Ltd which she established in 2008 as well as acting as the Co-Founder of The Diversity Network. Katherine is CIPD qualified and a member of the Coaching Academy.