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To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

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If those don't work please email scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short Summary

The Office for Local Government (Oflog) was established in 2023 to help to make local government even better.

According to its most recent remit (which may be revised by the new Government), Oflog will help to drive and support improvement in local government through a combination of:

• increasing understanding – among citizens, civil society, central government and local government itself – about what data suggests about the performance of individual local authorities;

• helping to identify local authorities that might benefit from extra support; and

• providing support to local government – for example by disseminating best practice or by helping local authorities to improve their own digital and data capability.

Oflog is currently an office of MHCLG, meaning all staff are MHCLG civil servants. Oflog is a mixed-discipline team, including policy and local government experts and analysts from a range of disciplines. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the ongoing development of the organisation and its culture.

The Chief Executive of Oflog, Josh Goodman, is very happy to talk to potential candidates about the evolution of the role of Oflog to date and where it might go next.

Job Description

Analysis, evidence and data sit at the heart of all of Oflog’s work. Oflog is a new and growing organisation and this role offers a really exciting opportunity to help shape it.

The Chief Analyst leads a team that is currently around 40 staff, encompassing all the analytical and digital professions. We are seeking a jobshare partner (0.6FTE) for Oflog’s current Chief Analyst (also 0.6FTE). You will need to be based at one of the following locations: Birmingham, Bristol, Darlington, Leeds, Manchester or Wolverhampton

Potential projects led by the Chief Analyst’s team include:

• Designing and embedding a model for monitoring and assessing risk in the local government sector, to help in targeting Oflog’s improvement activities

• Creating new ways to assess local authority performance that rigorously reflect the full range of local government activity, its outcomes and its impact on local citizens

• Developing and delivering a new programme of research, data analysis, insights and evaluation to create new evidence about local government performance and good practice

• Improving and maintaining Oflog’s growing suite of data tools and products to present meaningful information about local authorities and position Oflog at the leading edge of making data accessible and compelling

The Chief Analyst will show thought-leadership and creativity. They will ensure the integrity of Oflog’s analytical work; provide Oflog with an authoritative voice in conversations with a wide range of stakeholders; and, as a core member of Oflog’s small Executive Team, will help shape the overall development of Oflog as a new, evidence-driven organisation.

We are specifically looking for an economist, to complement the skills of the current Chief Analyst, in particular to lead and develop our work on efficiency, performance and value for money analysis.

Key Accountabilities​

• Ensure that Oflog’s work is underpinned by analysis which meets the highest standards of quality and integrity

• Act as an authoritative ambassador for Oflog’s analytical and digital work – ensuring that Oflog is plugged into relevant discussions across local government, central government, statistical authorities, the private sector, think tanks and academia

• Develop the vision and priorities for Oflog’s analytical, data and digital work programme, and agree them with Oflog’s wider Executive Team

• Provide confident, inspiring and effective leadership and management of Oflog’s analytical, digital and data staff – including driving innovation and improvement, and ensuring tight project management

• Develop and maintain relationships with senior colleagues across central and local government to support delivery of Oflog’s analysis and digital products

• Make an active contribution to the analytical community across MHCLG and central government

• As a member of Oflog’s small Executive Team, play an active role in leadership and management of the whole organisation, including providing senior analytical input to the overall strategic development of Oflog as a data-driven body

• As a member of MHCLG’s Senior Civil Service, make an active corporate contribution to the department.

Person specification

You will have first-class analytical and data skills and a track record of leading teams to deliver excellent analytical products to tight schedules.

You will be a thought leader, able to influence wider intellectual debates well beyond your immediate organisation.

You will be able to oversee tight programme and project management of digital products (even if you are not yourself a digital expert).

You will be able to place Oflog at the leading edge of presenting data in compelling and accessible ways.

You will be an inspiring, confident and empowering leader, and a team player with a wide range of colleagues.

We particularly encourage applications from those of an ethnic minority background and those with disabilities, who are underrepresented at this level in MHCLG.

As one of the Department’s senior leaders, you will also be a visible role model for the Civil Service leadership behaviours. These can be found in the Civil Service Leadership Statement which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-leadership-statement/civil-service-leadership-statement    

Essential Criteria​

• First-class analytical and data skills – including thought leadership in the use of data and economics to drive performance improvements in public services

• A track record of leading teams to deliver high-quality, timely and influential analytical and data products

• Ability to lead project and programme management, sufficient to ensure effective delivery of high-quality products

• Ability to act as a credible thinker and influencer in discussions with a wider intellectual community

• Ability to lead, manage and grow a diverse, multi-profession team to perform well while ensuring well-being, learning and development

• Ability to work closely and collaboratively with your job share partner along with policy, analytical and other colleagues to deliver better outcomes

• Badged membership of the Government Economic Service, or eligibility and willingness to become a member. Full criteria can be found in the GES membership guidance. Membership requires a minimum 2.1 honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

 Desirable criteria:

• Experience of delivering data projects through digital solutions

How to apply

Please click the Be Applied link to provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on 22nd September.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of:

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​ 

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​ 

Please remember to save these two items in one document. Both items will be assessed to determine sift outcomes.  

Failure to submit both a CV and statement of suitability will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the Essential Criteria. 

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied. 

The hiring manager, Josh Goodman, would be happy to have informal discussions with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk  

The selection panel will be made up of: 

• Josh Goodman, Chief Executive, Oflog

• Two additional panel members, TBC

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion. 

Selection process and assessments

During sifting, both your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the role’s Essential Criteria. These Essential Criteria will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s questions in your final interview.

If a role lists Desirable Criteria, these will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly when assessed against the Essential Criteria.

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel.  

At MHCLG we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with the job share partner for this role, a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview.  

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment. 

Location 

This role is available in:

• Birmingham

• Bristol

• Darlington

• Leeds

• Manchester

• Wolverhampton

Any offer made will be based on the specific location you select during the application process. 

Please note that, as your normal work location, costs cannot be claimed for travel to and from your base office location.

Salary 

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be £75,000 pa pro rata plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.​

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Deputy Director (£75,000 p/a)

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

Reserve List  

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this.

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Near Miss Offers​ 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

Security Clearance 

All DLUHC colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Complaints Process 

Please see candidate pack slide 23 for details.