Agenda and minutes

A Chair of the Chief Officers’ Employment Panel (formerly known as the Chief Officer Appointments Panel) for the Municipal Year 2005/06 was duly appointed by the Licensing and General Purposes Committee at its special meeting on 16 May 2005, under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 7.2:  the appointed Chair is Councillor Navin Shah, Leader of the Council.

In the absence of the Chair for the Municipal Year, it is necessary to appoint a Chair for this meeting.

There are two meetings to be held (with the same membership) in relation to the post of Director of Area Services (Urban living): the second of these will be undertaking the interviews.

The Panel may wish to appoint a Chair at this time for both the 21 February meeting and the following meeting (currently proposed to be Tuesday 7 March: see item 6 below).

FOR DECISION

The Licensing and General Purposes Committee at its special meeting on 16 May 2005, under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 7.2, duly appointed Councillor N Shah as Chair of the Panel for the Municipal Year 2005/06.

In the absence of Councillor N Shah, nominations were sought for the appointment of a Chair for this meeting.  Councillor O’Dell was duly nominated and approved as Chair.  Given that both this meeting and a meeting of the Panel on 7 March 2006 (see Minute 86 below) would have the same membership and were concerned respectively with the shortlisting of and interviews for the post of Director of Area Services (Urban Living), it was agreed that the appointment as Chair should apply to both these meetings.

RESOLVED:  That Councillor O’Dell be appointed Chair of the Chief Officers’ Employment Panel for this meeting and for the meeting to be held on 7 March 2006, both being meetings at which the appointed Chair for the 2005/06 Municipal Year was unable to be in attendance.

To consider whether the items appearing in Part II of the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That the item appearing in Part II of the agenda (Minute 87 refers) be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it contained confidential information which was exempt under the provisions of paragraph 1 of Part I to Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, in that it related to applicants to become an office holder with that Authority.

To note under the provisions of the formula membership the attendance of the following nominees:

FOR INFORMATION

RESOLVED:  That the attendance of Nominee Members at this meeting, further to the formula membership of the Panel, be noted as follows:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  That it be noted that there were no declarations of interest by Members in relation to the business on the agenda for this Panel meeting.

of the previous meetings of the Chief Officers’ Employment Panel held on 17 February 2006 (2 meetings) to be deferred until they have been printed into the Council Minute Volume.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the previous two meetings of the Chief Officers' Employment Panel, both held on 17 February 2006, be deferred until they are printed into the Council Bound Minute Volume.

The Panel is requested to confirm the date of its next meeting to undertake the interviews for the Director of Area Services post vacancy. A prospective date of Tuesday 7 March 2006 is currently reserved.

FOR CONFIRMATION

RESOLVED:  That it be agreed to convene the next Panel meeting with this membership, to undertake the interviews to the vacant post of Director of Area Services (Urban Living), on Tuesday 7 March 2006.  (See also Minute 81 above).

To undertake the short-listing of candidates to the vacant post of Director of Area Services (Urban Living).

Preliminary documentation is now attached.

The meeting received a report from Gatenby Sanderson Recruitment Consultants on fifteen applications submitted by candidates for the post of Director of Area Services (Urban Living).  The Consultants had interviewed nine of those candidates, consequent on which they were recommending up to seven candidates for shortlisting.  A detailed assessment of each of those top seven applicants and their interview with the Consultant was provided.

Having discussed the merits of the candidates, the preferred short-listing for final interview by the Panel and the arrangements for 7 March 2006 were agreed.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the recommended preferred short-list of six candidates be invited to the Assessment Centre process and prospectively for final interview by the Panel for the post of Director of Area Services (Urban Living);

(2) the arrangements for 7 March 2006 for (i) candidates to make a presentation to Members; (ii) communicating the outcome of the prior Assessment Centre process; and (iii) the design of the questions to be asked by Members in the interviews undertaken by the Panel, be as now discussed.