BMC Governing BodyCo-Optee Finance Governor Information Pack

CONTENTS PAGE

WELCOME 2

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE SECTOR 3 Further Education Colleges Further Education Means Success Overview of BMC

SECTION 2: THE ROLE OF GOVERNING BODIES 3 Responsibilities of Governing Body Members Time Commitment Remuneration Period of Appointment

SECTION 3: PERSON SPECIFICATION 4 Eligibility Essential Criteria Desirable Criterion

SECTION 4: APPLICATION, INTERVIEWS AND SELECTION 7 Making Your Application Submitting Your Application Form How Your Application Will Be Processed Interview Arrangements Selection Process

SECTION 5: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 8

SECTION 6: COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEWS 8

SECTION 7: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPLAINTS 12

ANNEX A: PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SERVICE 13ANNEX B: DISQUALIFICATIONSANNEX C: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

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WELCOME1

Thank you for your interest in filling this vacancy, becoming a member of the Governing Body of Belfast Metropolitan College and taking the opportunity to address high level Finance issues within a sizeable complex organisation.

The booklet provides you with information on the: background to the FE sector; role of governing bodies and the responsibilities of Governing Body members; person specification for the role; how to make an application, the interview arrangements and selection process.

We look forward to receiving your completed application.

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE SECTOR

Further Education Colleges

Further Education (FE) colleges promote economic development, social cohesion and lifelong learning. They are mostly funded from the public purse through the Department for the Economy; FE colleges offer a wide range of programmes including professional, technical and academic studies, from foundation level to higher education. There is also provision for recreational studies. With a strong professional and technical focus, FE colleges reflect the needs of the local community, industry and commerce.

The Department for the Economy sets the strategic direction for the further education sector as a whole in Northern Ireland. The current strategic document is “Further Education Means Success”, (https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/further-education-means-success) which was published in January 2016.

The Strategy contains the following key objectives that set the future direction for further education: ensuring high quality provision for learner education and training, developing the talents of those already in work and those seeking to enter employment

in order to provide a pipeline of suitably skilled and qualified individuals at all levels to meet employers’ needs, including indigenous companies and inward investment projects,

supporting employers to become more innovative and competitive, and to source new markets, and

encouraging and supporting the economic participation of those who have barriers to learning and who are furthest from the labour market, to the benefit of individuals, the economy and wider society.

In 2014/15:

There were 175,818 enrolments in the six Northern Ireland FE colleges.26,555 of these enrolments were full-time and 149,263 were part-time.52.0% of total enrolments were by people aged 19 years and under.

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Belfast Metropolitan College

Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) was formed in August 2007 following the merger of Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and Castlereagh College.

Belfast Met is the 10th largest FE & HE College in the UK: a £60M turnover business, spread across four main campuses, and with 1,100 staff supporting over 28,600 enrolments annually. The College has successfully transformed itself in a relatively short space of time from being perceived as a once failing college facing ‘special measures’ to a multi-award winning college. But we remain ambitious to go ‘from good to great’. More details can be found on the Belfast Met website www.belfastmet.ac.uk The student population ranges from school leavers and mature students, to professionals and jobseekers who wish to improve their skills and qualifications.

SECTION 2: THE ROLE OF GOVERNING BODIES

The Governing Body of a college is required by legislation: to ensure the efficient and effective management of that college; and to ensure the provision of suitable and efficient FE to students of the college having

regard to the needs of industry, commerce and the community and existing educational provision within the local area.

A Governing Body’s responsibility for the effective and efficient management of the college includes its financial performance and the quality of its teaching, learning and assessment. It must ensure that the college for which it is responsible is managed with probity and integrity. The Governing Body has a responsibility for ensuring that the professional, technical and academic programmes of the college reflect the college’s educational character and mission and meet the strategic priorities the Department has set for FE. In guiding the strategic direction of the college, the Governing Body provides and exercises both a support and challenge function in respect of the Principal and executive team. Individual Governing Body members should bring independence, objectivity, impartiality and expertise to both the decision making and challenge processes within the college. In essence, good governance adds value and supports effective decision making.

Responsibilities of Governing Body Members

Governing Body members have the following responsibilities: ensuring that the quality of the education provided by the college meets the needs of

students and prospective students; helping to determine the mission of the college, the establishment and maintenance

of its general character and its medium to long-term strategic direction; helping to ensure that the college delivers against the strategy and policy for further

education in Northern Ireland; ensuring that an effective risk management system is in place; monitoring the college’s operational and financial performance; contributing objectively to the proceedings of the Governing Body and its

committees, exercising a challenge role as necessary;

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ensuring that the college acts as a responsible employer; contributing to the Governing Body’s role in the process of appointing, suspending,

dismissing and determining the pay and conditions of service of senior staff; approving the arrangements for the appraisal of senior staff; and helping to set a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all other staff.

All Governing Body members must personally subscribe to and uphold the seven principles of public life, the “Nolan Principles” (see Annex A).

Time Commitment

On average, there are six full meetings of a Governing Body per year. A governor is expected to attend all such meetings and any meetings of sub-committees to which they are appointed. Governing Body meetings are generally held in the evening.

Remuneration

College governors are remunerated at a rate of £250 per Governing Body meeting, and £150 per Governing Body sub-committee meeting. Members are also eligible to claim allowances for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Governing Body business.

Period of Appointment

A governor of a further education college will normally serve for a period of four years (one term) but can seek re-appointment for one further term. An annual assessment of the performance of governors is carried out by the Department throughout the period of appointment. Reappointment may be considered subject to satisfactory performance during the initial period of office.

SECTION 3: PERSON SPECIFICATION

BMC is committed to the principles of public appointments based on merit. Independent assessment, openness and transparency are integral parts of the process. BMC is also committed to providing equality of opportunity for all individuals. Applications are welcome regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, ethnic origin, political opinion, sexual orientation or whether or not you have dependants.

Eligibility

Schedule 3 of The Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 requires that applicants should be, or have previously been, engaged or employed in business, industry or any profession. You should be aware that the Department employs a broad interpretation of this criterion and a background in education is not required to undertake the role of governor. You should note that there are statutory disqualifications associated with positions on governing bodies. These can be found at Annex B, Disqualifications.

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Essential Criteria

Candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills, experience and competences. Only those candidates who have provided sufficient evidence of sufficient quality to meet all of the stated essential criteria will be considered for interview. Candidates will need to show, both on the application form and at interview, how they meet the criteria below which are set out in more detail on the following pages: Leadership – ability to provide leadership, guidance and support to a large business /

organisation to set and achieve aims and objectives Contribution to Strategy – ability to make a significant contribution to the strategic

direction of a large business / organisation Analysing and Using Evidence – ability to analyse complex information to make decisions

and solve problems in a large business / organisation Applying Specialist Skills 1 – acting at a senior level, ability to address high level Finance

issues within a sizeable complex business / organisation ; evidence of being a CCAB qualified accountant or equivalent

Desirable Criterion Applying Specialist Skills 2 – evidence of an understanding of the statutory financial

requirements for NDPBs reporting into a government department

In more detail:

Essential Criteria: Leadership

As a member of a Governing Body you will be required to provide leadership to the college. You will provide guidance and direction in helping the college to set and secure its aims and objectives. You will influence others, challenge where necessary and develop effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. You will be an ambassador for the college’s interests.

An effective Governing Body member will be expected to: Develop Peer Relationships Influence Effectively Contribute to the Team Communicate Effectively Challenge Constructively Network Constructively Manage Conflict and Diversity Represent the Organisation

Essential Criteria: Contribution to Strategy

As a member of the Governing Body you will be responsible for contributing to the strategic direction of the college. You will possess or develop an understanding of the further education sector and the educational, economic and social environment in which it operates. You will think ahead, taking into account a range of complex but interrelated issues and plan and prioritise accordingly. As a Governing Body member, you will be involved in corporate governance, financial management and risk management.

An effective Governing Body member will be expected to: Understand Strategy

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Maintain a Broad Perspective Have Organisational and Business Understanding Have Cultural and Environmental Understanding

Essential Criteria: Analysing and Using Evidence

As a member of the Governing Body you will have to contribute to solving problems, asking pertinent questions, making decisions and planning effectively, utilising financial and management information. You will have to be prepared to make quick decisions that are effective. As a problem arises, you will have to analyse the problem, decide who needs to be involved to deal with it, and generate options to solve the problem.

An effective Governing Body member will be expected to: Have Self Knowledge Analyse Effectively Listen/Gather Feedback Make Timely Decisions Make Quality Decisions

Essential Criteria: Applying Specialist Skills 1

As a member of a Governing Body you will advance the objectives of the further education sector, while working within its structure and ethos. You will apply your knowledge, skills and experience to address current issues within the sector and to provide effective governance of the college. You will possess knowledge and interest in the issues affecting further education in Northern Ireland and will develop that knowledge and interest accordingly. Please provide evidence to demonstrate your ability, acting at a senior level, to address high level FINANCE issues within a sizeable complex business / organisation. Please also confirm that you are a CCAB qualified accountant or equivalent.

An effective Governing Body member will be expected to demonstrate: sound application of knowledge and skills understanding of the needs of the economy, employers, communities and learners interest and understanding of the further education sector and its future direction good awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the FE sector sound understanding of Departmental priorities and their impact within the sector understanding of sectoral strategies / codes of accountability ability to build strategic partnerships and building networks

Desirable Criterion: Applying Specialist Skills 2

Please provide evidence of an understanding of the statutory financial requirements for NDPBs reporting into a government department.

SECTION 4: APPLICATION, INTERVIEWS AND SELECTION

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Making Your Application

The application form is designed to ensure you provide the information required to enable the sift panel to determine how you meet the competition requirements. You will be assessed against the competences detailed in this document and you should use examples from your working life, including any voluntary or community work in which you are, or have been, engaged in order to demonstrate those competences. Where appropriate, you can also include examples from your personal life.

Please note: This is a competency based selection process from application form through to

interview, so please provide evidence of personal experience as per guidance in Section 6.

No information, other than that supplied under the criteria sought, will be taken into account during the sifting process.

CVs, letters, or any other supplementary material in place of, or in addition to, completed application forms will not be accepted.

Applicants should complete the application form in black ink preferably using block capitals or in Arial font size 12, if completing the form electronically.

You should ensure that your responses do not exceed the 400 word limit for each criteria on the application form, as additional sheets will not be accepted. There is, however, no requirement for your responses to fill each space.

Submitting Your Application Form

The closing time and date for this position is 1:00pm on 27 April 2017. Application forms received after the stated closing deadline will not be accepted. Applicants who submit their application form electronically are also required to meet

the closing deadline. You should submit your completed application form to the following postal or email

address:

John McAndrewSecretary to the BMC Governing BodyLevel 2, Room 11Titanic Quarter Campus7 Queens RoadBelfastBT3 9DT

jmcandrew@belfastmet.ac.uk

Tel: 028 9026 5167Mob: 07770 517811

The above address and telephone number may also be used for any queries about the application form or the competition generally.How Your Application Will Be Processed

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Initially, the selection panel will carry out a sift exercise, assessing how your skills, knowledge, experience and other qualities presented in your application meet the selection criteria.

Only those applicants who meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be invited to interview. Applicants who do not meet the criteria will be informed of the panel’s decision at this stage.

Interview Arrangements

The format of the interview will be competency based (see Section 6 below). It is anticipated that Interviews will take place between 22 May 2017 (all day) and 23

May 2017 (a.m. only). The interview will last around 30 minutes. Location: Belfast Metropolitan College (Campus to be confirmed).

Selection Process

Candidates will be assessed against the criteria at the interview stage. Candidates should be aware that, if they are successful, some of the information provided in their application form will be placed in the public domain. This will include: your name; a brief summary of the experience, skills and knowledge you bring to the role; any remuneration associated with the appointment; details of all other public appointments you hold and any related remuneration; and details of any political activity declared in the last 5 years (this information will only be

requested if you are appointed).

SECTION 5: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Public appointees must adhere to the seven principles of Public Life as established by the Nolan Committee. Any private interests that a potential Governing Body member might have and that may be relevant to the work of the public body concerned must be declared. See Annex A for the seven principles of Public Life, and Annex C for BMC’s Conflict of Interest policy.

SECTION 6: COMPETENCY BASED PROCESS

The format of both application form and the interview will be competency based. The word competency is widely used in business and organisations. The term is used to describe a cluster of related knowledge, skills and attributes that contribute to successful job performance and ultimately, to the goals and priorities of the organisation or team. Every job can be described in terms of key competences. Competences are typically expressed in terms of visible behaviours. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) define competencies as “The behaviours that employees must have or must acquire, to input into a situation in order to achieve high levels of performance”.

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Competency based interviews, sometime also referred to as structured, situational or evidence-based interviews, test candidates against the specific selection criteria for a particular appointment. This type of interviewing is used to examine how candidates previously reacted or “behaved” in specific situations. Candidates are asked to draw on their own real life experiences to discuss how they handled various issues. Competency based interviews are based upon the premise that past behaviour is a good predictor of future behaviour. Accordingly, the interviewer’s goal is to obtain specific examples of when and how you demonstrated particular behaviours.

The application form gives you an opportunity to provide examples relevant to the specific selection criteria. These in turn provide the interview panel with information and evidence about you and act as a starting point for questions designed to probe specific skills, competences and characteristics which are relevant to successful performance in the position in question. You will be asked questions structured to explore your behaviour in specific circumstances, which you will then need to support with concrete examples. Questions may include:

“Describe a situation when you…”“Give an example of a time when you …”“Tell me about a situation where you …”

The interviewers will then probe further into the examples by asking for specific explanations about your behaviour or skills. Prior to your interview, the panel will have decided who will lead on each competence. You can expect to be asked questions by each of the three panel members.

All candidates will be asked the same lead questions and notes will be taken by the interviewers to evaluate candidates. The panel will score your answer against pre-determined criteria.

Preparing for the Interview

The interview is a crucial part of the appointments process and thorough preparation is essential. You can prepare for the interview by:

understanding the requirements of the post; making sure you thoroughly understand the selection criteria and the skills and

competencies to be tested; reminding yourself of the examples used in your application form and being prepared to

expand on these, or other examples, at interview; rehearsing how you might relate your experiences to the interview panel, focusing

strongly on your individual behaviour and actions and not assuming that your qualities and experiences will speak for themselves.

Answering Competency Based Interview Questions

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If this is your first experience of a competence based interview, bear in mind that it does not require you to:

talk through previous jobs or appointments from start to finish; provide generalised information as to your background and experience; or provide information that is not specifically relevant to the competence the question is

designed to test.

A competence based interview does however require you to: focus, in your responses, on your ability to fulfil the competences required for effective

performance of the role; and provide specific examples of your experience in relation to the required competence

areas.

Competency-focused, well-structured answers are extremely powerful and will impress the interview panel. When answering questions at interview, it is suggested that you adopt a structured approach. The two most popular competency based interview strategies recommended to candidates are the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method and CAR (context, action, result) method. Both methods provide a useful basis for answering and structuring competency based responses, and allow you to provide evidence for competences in a structured, coherent fashion.

The STAR method provides slightly more information to interviewers through the addition of the task stage; however either method can be used successfully in an interview setting.

STAR

The STAR method is a universally recognised technique designed to enable you to provide a meaningful and complete answer to questions asking for examples. At the same time, it has the advantage of being simple enough to be applied easily. The information will be given in a structured manner, hopefully resulting in the panel becoming more receptive to the messages you are trying to communicate. The method is set out below:

STEP 1 - SituationDescribe the situation with which you were presented or the task that needed to be accomplished. With the STAR approach you need to set the context. Make it concise and informative, concentrating solely on what is useful to the story.

STEP 2 - TaskExplain what you had to achieve in the situation you found yourself.

STEP 3 - ActionExplain what you did to achieve the objective, how you did it and why you did it. This is an extremely important section of the STAR approach as it is where you will need to demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing, aligning this to the competences.

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Now that you have set the context of your story, you need to explain what you did. In doing so, you will need to remember the following:

be personal – that is talk about you, not the rest of the team; go into some detail – do not assume that the interview panel will guess what you mean; steer clear of too much technical detail; explain how you reacted to the situation, and the reasons behind your action.

STEP 4 - ResultExplain what happened eventually – how it all ended. Use the opportunity to describe what you accomplished and what you learned in that situation. This will help you make the answer more personal and enables you to highlight further skills. This is probably the most crucial part of your answer. The panel wants to know that you are using a variety of skills in order to achieve your objectives.

CAR

The CAR method also uses an easy to remember acronym and is broadly similar to the STAR method:

STEP 1 - ContextYou must set the scene in order to explain later on what happened as a result of your actions. State the context/challenge which you faced.

Think about: What goals you were trying to achieve; and What problems or obstacles were preventing you from achieving these goals.

STEP 2 - ActionState what you did within the context of the situation. You must make it clear what your actions were, how you went about implementing your actions and why you decided upon that particular course of action. This section allows you to provide evidence for a particular competence, highlighting to the panel your understanding of the issues and how to act within the given context.

STEP 3 - ResultState the outcome of your actions within the given context. Both positive and negative outcomes could be shared with the panel, if you feel that a negative outcome highlights your situational awareness or other competences.

Be as thorough as possible when describing the result and provide evidence for the effectiveness of your actions.

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SECTION 7: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPLAINTS

BMC is committed to the principles of public appointments based on merit. Independent assessment, openness and transparency are integral parts of the process. BMC is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all individuals. Applications are welcome regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, ethnic origin, political opinion, sexual orientation or whether or not you have dependants.

Women, people with a disability, ethnic minority communities and young people are currently under-represented on Governing Bodies. BMC particularly welcomes applications from members of these groups.

If you wish to make a personal complaint about any aspect of this appointment process, you should contact the Secretary.

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ANNEX A PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Seven key principles of conduct that underpin public life.

Selflessness Holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest.

They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

Integrity Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other

obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their duties.

Objectivity In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding

contracts or recommending individuals for rewards or benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

Accountability Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public

and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

Openness Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all decisions and actions

that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands this.

Honesty Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their

public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

Leadership Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership

and example.

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ANNEX B DISQUALIFICATIONS

Persons shall not be eligible for appointment as a member of the Governing Body:

where they have previously served two full terms of office, of four years each, or where they have previously served a total number of six years in office, whether or not consecutive, as a member of the Governing Body, unless they are the current principal. No account shall be taken of any term of office served as a member of a previous Governing Body established prior to 2007;

if they are a member of the Governing Body of another college;

if they are a full-time student of the college, except as the elected student member;

if they are a member of staff of the college, except where they are the principal or the elected staff member or if they are a member of staff of FE College;

if they have been removed from the membership of a Governing Body of an institution of further education established under the Order;

if they have been removed from the Governing Body or its equivalent in any organisation grant-aided for the purposes of providing education;

if they have, within five years of the date their appointment would take effect, been convicted in a court in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Irish Republic of any offence and have passed on them a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine;

if they are included in a list kept by the Department of Education under Regulation 8 of the Education (Prohibition from Teaching or Working with Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007;

if they are included (other than provisionally) in the list kept by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety under Article 3 of the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (Northern Ireland) Order 2003;

if their estate has been sequestrated, they have been adjudged bankrupt, they have made an arrangement with their creditors, or they have granted a trust deed for their creditors or a composition contract; or

if the Department reasonably believes that the member is not fit to hold office.

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ANNEX C BMC Governing Body Conflicts of Interest Policy

Contents

1. What is a conflict of interest?

2. BMC Governing Body Action on Conflicts of Interest

3. BMC Governing Body Register of Interests

4. Withdrawal

1. What is a conflict of interest?

Conflict of interest is difficult to define, yet many people think they know it when they see it. Most conflicts fall into a grey area where ethics and public perception are more relevant than statutes or precedents.

The Financial Memorandum for the College defines a conflict of interest in relation to officials as follows:

“A conflict of interest is a situation in which a college official has competing professional or personal interests. Such competing interests can make it difficult to fulfill his or her duties impartially. A conflict of interest exists even if no unethical or improper act results from it. A conflict of interest can create an appearance of impropriety that can undermine confidence in the person or the college.”

For the purposes of this policy this definition is extended to governors and persons other than College officials who participate or attend Governing Body meetings or fora eg. observers and guests.

Readers are also reminded of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the Nolan Committee) and its seven principles of public life among which is:

Honesty - holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

2. BMC Governing Body Action on Conflicts of Interest

Loss of public confidence and a damaged reputation are the most likely results of a poorly managed conflict of interest. Because public confidence is important to publicly funded bodies, boards must take steps to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. The following steps have been introduced by BMC:

Adopting a conflict-of-interest policy that requires governors, officials and others to disclose potential conflicts;

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At the start of each meeting stating that any conflicts of interest are to be disclosed; Disclosing conflicts when they occur; Requiring board members to withdraw from discussions that present a potential

conflict; Establishing procedures, such as competitive tendering, that ensure that the

organisation is receiving fair value.

3. BMC Governing Body Register of Members’ interests

BMC Governing Body is required by its Instrument of Government to maintain a Register of Members’ Interests. The purpose of the register is to record any material interests that each governor holds which could be perceived to have a bearing on any decisions coming before the Governing Body. Each member is required to enter all business interests held, their membership of any public bodies, any positions held that might give rise to a perceived conflict of interest, the names of any relatives who work at the college and a declaration of any significant political activity undertaken in the five years prior to appointment. This requirement is also extended to senior College Officers.

4. Withdrawal

It is the responsibility of each governor and officer to ensure that their entry in the register is kept up-to-date. If any issue coming before the Governing Body has, or could be perceived to have, the potential to conflict with the members’ stated interests held in the register, that member should declare the interest and ensure withdrawal from discussion of the issue. There will be instances when the potential conflict of interest is not clear cut; on these occasions, members should discuss the issues with the Chair or Secretary in advance of the meeting. If the potential conflict is not felt to be prejudicial to the issue up for discussion, the member need not withdraw; however, a member should withdraw from the discussion of any issues where there is a possible personal financial benefit or any financial benefit to his or her friends or relatives. The principal, staff and student members must also withdraw from discussions when the issue concerns their position as a principal, member of staff or a student, as the case may be. Schedule 4 to the Instrument of Government sets out the conditions under which these members are required to withdraw.

Review (Bi-annually or on publication of new advice)

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