The 2024 Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence, which recognises innovation and excellent practice in recruitment across the Civil Service, is now open for entries.
This year, the Commissioners’ award will focus on openness in recruitment, looking for hiring teams who have made efforts to bring new skills and talent into the Civil Service by:
- innovative or new approaches to advertising vacancies externally
- providing support for candidates to enable them to make strong applications or prepare for Civil Service style interviews
- encouraging secondments from outside the Civil Service or
- encouraging candidates from local government and the wider public sector to apply for roles in the Civil Service
The judging panel this year will include Baroness Gisela Stuart, First Civil Service Commissioner, Joanna Abeyie, Civil Service Commissioner and social impact entrepreneur, and Tony Poulter, Civil Service Commissioner who was a PWC Partner for over 25 years and who now holds a range of Non-Executive roles in government and the private sector.
The application process runs from today until Wednesday 6th November. Please note: this deadline has now been extended to Friday 15th November.
Baroness Gisela Stuart, First Civil Service Commissioner, said:
“We know from our work as a regulator there is some truly outstanding recruitment practice in departments and agencies. The aim of the Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence is to share examples of what can be achieved and to celebrate those hiring teams that go the extra mile to attract talented people who might not have previously considered a career in the Civil Service. Further information can be found on our website. We are looking forward to reviewing your entries’
The winners of the 2024 Mark of Excellence will be announced by the end of the year. Winners of the Mark of Excellence are able to display the logo on all their recruitment advertising for one year.
Please download the application form here.
The First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Gisela Stuart, has today (30 August 2024) written to all departments outlining a review of all appointments made by exception which did not require prior approval by the Civil Service Commission in July and August 2024.
The Commission has also today written to departments outlining next steps for this review.
Read: First Civil Service Commissioner to Heads of Departments, 30 August 2024
Read: Interim Chief Executive to HR Directors, 30 August 2024
Read: Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles
Read: Exceptions - why are they allowed?
Kate Owen, Interim Chief Executive, Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission exists to provide assurance that appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of a fair and open competition. In effect, that the best person gets the role.
This has been the basis of recruitment into the Civil Service since the Northcote Trevelyan Report. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act put this requirement on a statutory footing in 2010. The legislation makes clear that the Commission’s published Recruitment Principles set the framework that departments must follow.
At senior levels, the Commission’s regulatory role is carried out by an independent Commissioner personally chairing the recruitment process from start to finish, while recruitment below SCS2 level is delegated to Departments and audited by the Commission.
Exceptions
Like any major organisation, there are times when the Civil Service urgently or for a fixed term requires particular skills which are not found within it. Take for instance, the recruitment of large numbers of staff for the Covid-19 Test and Trace scheme or the short-term need for lots of statisticians to complete the UK Census once every ten years, or the requirement for AI specialists.
In some cases it makes sense for the Civil Service to bring in these skills by Exception as and when they are required and often for a short period, for example deep financial services knowledge. In other cases an Exception is needed because the Civil Service simply struggles to recruit in this field, for example AI.
When might an ‘Exception’ be granted?
The Commission’s Recruitment Principles allow for specific time-limited ‘Exceptions’ to the legal requirement to recruit on merit on the basis of a fair and open competition. This must either be to meet the needs of the government or to enable the Civil Service to participate in a government employment initiative such as schemes that provide support for veterans or care leavers.
The Commission reports on these Exceptions each year in its Annual Report and Accounts (ARA). The ARA for 2022-23 can be found here. The ARA for 2023-24 will be published and laid in Parliament in October.
In appointing by Exception, Departments must be able to justify why, in any particular appointment, it is not possible to select someone on merit through a fair and open competition and why the specific skills needed cannot be found in the Civil Service.
Which ‘Exceptions’ are within the Commission’s scope?
In most cases departments determine the case for an Exception themselves. The Commission audits Departmental use of exceptions as part of its audit programme.
The Commission’s approval is however required for:
- Any appointment by Exception at Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 minimum (£97,000) or above at any grade
- Any extension or variation of any fixed-term appointment previously agreed by the Commission at Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 or above
- The use of an Exception within 12 months of an earlier Exception for the same individual
- Any fixed-term appointment by Exception in excess of two years
In reaching its decision, the Commission will look at the detail of the business case put forward by a department about why a particular role could not be done by existing staff or why the role could not be recruited through fair and open competition. The Commission will respond to the business case in a number of ways:
- Approve; or
- Approve but apply conditions such as shortening the period of time for which the Exception is granted or require enhanced reporting in the case of a bulk exception; or
- Reject the business case
Are appointments by ‘Exception’ subject to the Civil Service Code?
Appointees, whether by exception or through fair and open competition, are civil servants and bound by the Code and the values of impartiality, honesty, objectivity and integrity that underpin it.
In the event that a current civil servant has concerns relating to another civil servant’s conduct under the Code, they can raise this with their department in the first instance and, if concerns persist, bring that complaint to the Commission.
Who is responsible for background checks?
The department – as the employer – is responsible for carrying out background checks on individuals who may be appointed by exception. The department is also responsible for addressing any potential propriety matters.
The Cabinet Secretary and First Civil Service Commissioner have written to all members of the new government to outline how ministers can play a part in appointments to the Civil Service under the Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
There’s been a lot of interest recently in the small independent offices that regulate parts of public life as indicated by reports and papers from a range of academics, think tanks and integrity experts. But what is it like to work at an independent regulatory body? And what sorts of skills are required?
The Civil Service Commission Secretariat supports the work of three organisations – the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which provides advice to those leaving senior government roles, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, who regulates appointments made by Ministers to the boards of public bodies, and the Civil Service Commission, which oversees appointments into the Civil Service to provide assurance they are on merit, after a fair and open competition and acts as the appellate body for appeals under the Civil Service Code.
Although each body has separate and distinct regulatory roles and powers, there are some common skills and qualities required by the staff who support them. I wrote more about this here in March. When we recruit to our team, we advertise externally as we know these qualities are available both inside and outside the Civil Service. For example, we have staff who have handled casework in previous roles across the public sector. We also have a number of former teachers who bring with them strong communication skills and the ability to engage with a wide range of people. We are interested in an applicant’s transferrable skills and abilities, not where they acquired them.
What type of work do we do?
A common theme across each team is casework. Team members look carefully at the evidence provided to establish whether they have all the information they need to consider the case. They also need analytical skills to be able to unpick the key issues which sit behind the case and consider a decision from all angles. The team will consider whether there are precedents and whether the case concerned would establish a new precedent or diverge from an existing one.
People who lodge a case with our teams do so because they feel something has happened that should not have and would like it investigated or, in the case of ACOBA, that they have an application upon which they require advice. Sometimes working in regulation means we have to speak to people who feel strongly about a decision or may not like the decision made. We look for staff who can demonstrate the ability to have these conversations in a clear, professional and emotionally intelligent way.
We also look for strong written communication skills which enable our staff to explain the often complex factors taken into account in regulatory decisions. Our work is rightly highly scrutinised by the public, media, academics and parliamentarians so it is critical that our cases are resolved in a way that is clear and transparent to all concerned.
What support will I receive?
We work hard to maintain ethical practices in our own team, drawing on thinking in the Committee for Standards in Public Life’s 2023 report on Leading in Practice. We have spent time reflecting on our values (Independent, Respectful and Expert), how we embody these in our work and how we work as a team.
We focus on the ‘how’ of decision making so that staff can be confident in the judgements they are making. We pride ourselves on our supportive culture and flat hierarchy in which everyone can take the opportunity to test their thinking both within and across the wider team. Our People Survey results are very strong and reflect the culture we strive to achieve. We work hard to ensure staff feel supported in their work and draw on the expertise of our trained Mental Health First Aiders and Fair Treatment Confidant to ensure that there is a healthy culture in which everyone can thrive.
We also invest considerable time in training and developing staff. We are proud of the roles people secure when they take their next steps and try to ensure that people are well equipped to make competitive applications for wherever they would like to go. Many people have found time in the Secretariat to be a good stepping stone for a wide range of careers.
We endeavour to provide an expert service to those we regulate and are constantly looking at how we might do things better. Our recent People Survey results tell us that our team is highly engaged with their work – and they tell me regularly how fascinating our work can be. But don’t just take my word for it, here’s what some of our team have to say about working here:
Neema Begum: Compliance Lead, Civil Service Commission
“Since joining the Compliance Team, I've led on rolling out a new audit methodology covering over 70 Civil Service departments; gained experience in stakeholder management from presenting at my first ever Board meeting and collaborated with others to define policy positions under the Recruitment Principles. Looking back from when I joined the team in September 2023, I can see how far I've come in my professional development, with the added privilege of working in an amazing team full of inspirational individuals.”
Jessica Barrow: Policy and Casework Officer, Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
“Working for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) is dynamic and interesting- no two days are the same. Since joining the team, I have been able to develop skills in drafting, casework and analysis. At the heart of my job is the ability to weigh up evidence from a number of different sources to provide advice to stakeholders including: government departments, ministers and Crown servants. ACOBA works with a collaborative approach, and so I always feel supported within the team.”
Benjamin Lomas: Policy Lead, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments
“I started working for the Commissioner for Public Appointments in October 2023 and the subsequent months have been busy, understanding how a new policy area operates across government. It is a pleasure to learn every day and to confront complex and technical challenges. While the profile of the work and the people it concerns are their own motivations, both are enormously enhanced by the team environment. Colleagues are inquisitive and helpful, frequently sharing advice and guidance from different perspectives across the Independent Offices.”
If you are interested in working for us, please search Civil Service Jobs. We are currently advertising for EO roles across the Secretariat and SEO roles in ACOBA.
As outlined in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Commission is responsible for hearing complaints on appeal brought by civil servants under the Civil Service Code. The Commission also has a role in helping Departments with promoting the Code. The Civil Service Commission took on this role in 2003 at the suggestion of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and with the support of the Cabinet Secretary.
Following the publication of the 2023 People Survey results, on 10 May 2024 First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Gisela Stuart, wrote to all Permanent Secretaries to outline the Commission’s role in relation to the Civil Service Code and request their support in building a better understanding of Code complaints within Departments.
Speaking at a debate of the House of Lords Constitution Committee on its Permanent Secretaries: Appointment and Removal report, Baroness Stuart said:
“Now that the full results of the people survey are available to us, we have written to all Permanent Secretaries in Scotland, Wales and England in order to engage in outreach with their departments over the coming year. We will ask each department for a list of the department’s nominated officers, details on the number of code complaints that the department has received, and the number of code complaints that have been upheld by the department. We are keen to ensure that civil servants understand the provisions of the code and are aware of the ways in which they can make a complaint, and that adequate processes are in place within departments.”
The text of the letter can be found below:
We look forward to continuing to work with Departments on promoting the Code and understanding Code complaints over the coming year. We will report more on this work in our Annual Report in due course.
The Civil Service Commission has long supported open and competitive recruitment approaches to bring in external talent at all levels of the Civil Service and in particular at senior levels of the Civil Service.
This year, the teams who were awarded the 2023 Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence recently took part in an online event to share the innovative ways in which they had recruited new talent into Civil Service roles.
Hosted by the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Gisela Stuart, and the Government’s Chief People Officer, Fiona Ryland, the event introduced teams from the winning department, the Ministry of Justice, and highly commended departments: the Government Legal Department, Intellectual Property Office, the Scottish Government, the Office for National Statistics, and the Home Office, to talk in more detail about their innovative approaches to bring in external talent into the Civil Service.
The presentations from government departments and public sector organisations covered the following topics:
- Initiatives to encourage and help candidates to apply for roles who haven't previously considered a job in the Civil Service, including prison leavers, army veterans, and encouraging more women in STEM to join the IPO.
- Improving job descriptions and adverts to attract more external candidates who may not be familiar with Civil Service jargon.
- Preparing external candidates for Civil Service interviews and initiatives to help candidates through the process.
- Improving geographic diversity and tackling groupthink in the Civil Service by attracting candidates outside of London through setting up offices in different parts of the country and implementing local recruitment strategies in those areas.
In 2022, new rules were introduced to ensure that all Senior Civil Service jobs must be advertised externally. During the event, the hosts Baroness Stuart and Fiona Ryland, advocates of this policy, highlighted how bringing in people with different skills and abilities – on merit after fair and open competition – strengthens the Civil Service.
Currently 7,000 senior Civil Service positions are covered by the external by default policy, but there is still more work to be done to ensure that the grades below senior appointments are also open externally. Recruitment to the Senior Civil Service still remains predominantly from internal promotion. In 2022/23, 80% of SCS recruits were from within the Civil Service, with 14% from the private sector and 6% from the public sector so the Civil Service Commission is continuing to advocate for a more open approach to recruitment to ensure the best possible candidates are found for the right roles.
The Mark of Excellence – now in its second year – was set up to celebrate and share excellent recruitment practice under the Commission’s Recruitment Principles. This year the Commissioners' Mark of Excellence has focused on rewarding innovative recruitment efforts by departments and organisations to open up more positions externally, and bring in, induct and retain outstanding external candidates for public sector positions.
Teams are able to display the Mark on all their recruitment advertising for a year. The overall winner, the Ministry of Justice, also took part in a winners event at the House of Commons last month.
Baroness Gisela Stuart said:
“The Civil Service has an incredible range of roles on offer. We hope that the winners and highly commended entries for this award provide useful ideas to teams across the public sector, on how to open up these roles to prospective talented candidates.”
Download the slidepack from presenters for the event here.
We are currently planning for the 2024 Mark of Excellence. Watch this space to find out how to submit your team’s entry.
In a new blog, the Commission’s interim Chief Executive, Kate Owen, talks about the skills, qualities and background of the Commission team and how a diverse team helps the work of the three regulatory bodies that the team supports.
Recent reports have made the assumption that the Civil Service Commission staff - unlike the 14
independent Commissioners we support - are all life long civil servants, seconded to the Commission
with limited experience of other walks of life. It’s an easy mistake to make. The Commission’s
annual report broadly sets out the way in which the statutory independent Commission is staffed
and resourced. But - as is so often the case with statistics - the story can be quite different when you
take a more granular look.
As the Interim CEO, I want to share more about the Commission team,what it is like to work
supporting three small arms-length bodies and how we foster the diversity of thought integral to the
work we do.
The Commission secretariat supports the Commission and two other independent bodies - the
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Our staff are recruited externally, but become civil servants on entry. As you would expect, we are
strong advocates of external by default and advertise our roles externally to ensure we have access
to the widest possible talent pool. Of our 22 staff, 86% have spent part of their career outside of
Government in professions as diverse as finance, banking, teaching, law and academia. Those with
greater experience in the Civil Service bring valuable skills from regulatory bodies. Working in the
Commission requires the ability to gather information, analyse it and exercise judgement allied with
high levels of emotional intelligence in engagement with those bringing cases to us, sometimes in
relation to some of the higher profile integrity questions of the day. The diversity of our team’s
professional and personal backgrounds brings the ability to understand issues from a variety of
perspectives. This is a real strength for the three offices the secretariat supports.
Our staff regularly find themselves balancing competing priorities - for example, the right of anyone
to earn a living post government with the risks to government of taking up a particular role. Or at
OCPA, whether a candidate has been treated fairly in an appointment process. Or for the Civil
Service Commission, dealing with departments’ recruitment queries, making sure the statutory
principles of fair, open and on merit have been met for the 90,000 candidates who apply for roles in
the Civil Service each year.
These are unusual roles requiring an exceptional range of skills but we have found that the necessary
skills can be acquired from many different walks of life. We invest considerable time in training new
members of staff to exercise judgement within a logical framework and work hard to create a
culture in which everyone feels that they can bring their view. A key part of this has been fostering a
flatter organisational structure in which everyone can contribute their thinking to shape the overall
strength of the judgements reached. The team’s diversity of thought and background are hugely
beneficial in reaching robust and rounded judgements on the often sensitive issues at hand.
Our recruitment focuses strongly on the skills a candidate might bring rather than where they have
acquired them. This year we have recruited 16 new staff - and our recent People Survey results put
My Manager at 88% and Inclusion and Fair Treatment at 97%. We are also exceptionally proud of
what staff who have left us have gone on to achieve - either within or outside the Civil Service. The
Commission is a big fan of interchange - and the need to refresh and bring in new skills and talent.
Our team is proud of the contribution it makes to integrity in Government and is an excellent
example of what can be achieved by actively recruiting for a diverse mix of people and skills and
being inclusive in its approach to staff development.
Elizabeth Hambley, Tony Poulter OBE, and Dr Neil Wooding CBE have been appointed as Commissioners as part of the Civil Service Commission.
Three new Civil Service Commissioners have been appointed to the Civil Service Commission, which regulates recruitment into the Civil Service.
Elizabeth Hambley, Tony Poulter OBE, and Dr Neil Wooding CBE have been appointed based on their valuable skills and experience from both public and private sector backgrounds.
The Civil Service Commission is an independent statutory body, which oversees appointments to the Civil Service, ensuring that they are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Commissioners also promote and hear appeals brought under the Civil Service Code.
Following an open competition, the new Civil Service Commissioners have been recommended by the Prime Minister and subsequently approved by HM The King.
Baroness Gisela Stuart, the First Civil Service Commissioner, said:
"I am delighted that Tony, Elizabeth and Neil will be joining the Commission. Their extensive experience and expertise from leadership roles in both the public and private sector, will enrich the Commission’s work as an independent regulator of recruitment into the Civil Service, and in hearing complaints under the Civil Service Code."
"I look forward to working with them as Commissioners, helping to ensure we have an effective Civil Service, appointed on merit, to develop and deliver government services across the country."
The new Commissioners announced today have joined the Commission for a 5 year, non-renewable term. Commissioners work part-time, typically between 4 and 8 days a month.
Find the biographies of the new Commissioners here
Are you a hiring manager looking to broaden the pool of applicants for Civil Service roles?
Come to our event on 18 March at 2pm to hear from the teams who won the Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence for innovation and commitment in recruiting external candidates.
The core function of the Civil Service Commission is to provide assurance that appointments are made on merit, in a fair and open manner. Our 2023 Mark of Excellence focused on rewarding innovative recruitment initiatives that aimed to open up more Civil Service roles to external applicants, and bring in, induct and retain outstanding external candidates for public sector positions.
Our aim is to encourage departments to attract a wide and diverse field of applicants who have skills and experience to do their roles effectively, many of whom might not have previously considered a role in the Civil Service.
At this event you will hear about how the Ministry of Justice, winners of the 2023 Mark of Excellence, sought to attract more veterans and prison leavers into Civil Service roles, as well as other initiatives to attract external candidates.
The event will be hosted by the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Stuwart who will be joined by the Government Chief People Office, Fiona Ryland.
You will also hear short presentations from other Highly Commended entries, Government Legal Department, Office for National Statistics, Scottish Government and the Home Office.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions via Slido.
A recording of the event will be available on our website after the event for those unable to make it.
You can sign up here
