Review of the senior staff structure

Report: 19
Date: 3 October 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

A report, together with a series of recommendations made by consultants in respect of the MPA Senior Staff Structure, was made to the full Authority on 26 September 2002.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members note the recommendations agreed by the full Authority;
2. discuss and agree the recruitment process; and 
3. receive an oral update at the meeting.

B. Supporting information

1. Members have agreed, following an earlier review carried out last year, that the senior staff structure of the Authority needs strengthening to ensure that the full range of statutory and non-statutory duties can be satisfactorily discharged and may need changing to reflect the new Committee structure. A review was commissioned for Collinson Grant to carry out a review of the senior staff structure in the MPA Secretariat. A small working group, consisting of Rachel Whittaker (Chair), Cecile Wright, Jennette Arnold and Reshard Auladin, provided an oversight role and considered:

• the recommendations should be implemented immediately;
• the potential impact upon secretariat support staff should be evaluated. Preliminary assessment suggests that support for the two additional posts could be managed within existing resources;
• that the job description of the Deputy Clerk needed amplification;
• that if the Consultation and Diversity Manager post were to be split, there was a need for further discussion as to how this would be achieved; personal preference must be considered;
• that a timetable for recruitment, together with the proposed media, should be provided to the full Authority (draft now attached at Appendix 1) prior to detailed consideration at the Human Resources Committee meeting on 3 October 2002; there may be a need to engage recruitment consultants in order to identify suitable candidates;
• that further discussion should take place as to how the flexibility of policy officers could be increased by making best use of the skill and competence of the individuals;
• that the working group should oversee implementation of the recommendations arising from the review and provide a quality assurance role after implementation of the recommendations.

2. Members of this Committee will wish to reflect upon the views expressed at the full Authority meeting and consider the proposed media to be used to fill the two posts. A draft timetable for recruitment is attached at Appendix 1.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The proposals may enable the MPA to devote more time to equality and diversity issues if the Consultation and Diversity Manager post were to be split. This will not affect any group or section of the community to a greater extent than any other. Any recruitment process would, of course, be conducted in accordance with equalities best practice.

D. Financial implications

The MPA staff pay, grading, terms and conditions paper to the Co-ordination and Urgency Committee on 25 January 2001 envisaged a salary for the Deputy Clerk of £60k (£65k including on costs) compared with a figure of up to £86k recommended by the Hay review of pay and gradings. There was no direct provision in those papers for an additional policy officer post. The whole cost of these recommendations will be provided to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee meeting on 4 October 2002, along with the MPA budget. There may be some budgetary adjustments with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) due to changes of responsibility between the two organisations.

E. Background papers

• Committee Work Areas (Co-ordination and Policing Committee, 6 September 2002)
• MPA staff pay, grading, terms and conditions (Co-ordination and Urgency Committee, 25 January 2001)
• Review of the MPA secretariat senior staff support structure (Full Authority, 26 September 2002)

F. Contact details

Report author: Alan Johnson, MPA.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Draft timetable for recruitment of MPA staff*

Week beginning 30 September 
job descriptions finalised

Week beginning 14 October 
review completed of pay and grading of job descriptions

Week beginning 21 October
Deputy Clerk post advertised, as a minimum, in The Times legal section, Evening Standard and The Voice
Policy Officer post advertised, as a minimum, in The Guardian, Evening Standard and The Voice
MPS ‘call off’ contract recruitment consultants advised of requirements

Week beginning 18 November
paper sift for Deputy Clerk and Policy Officer

Week beginning 2 December
interviews for Deputy Clerk and Policy Officer

Week beginning 6 January 2003
Deputy Clerk and Policy Officer start at MPA (Subject to clearances and referees)

* subject to approval of the growth bid in the budget

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