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Summary

This role is within the Appraisal team as part of the Analysis and Data Directorate at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Job description

The Appraisal team is responsible for developing the department’s appraisal guidance, building capacity with analyst and policy colleagues to make use of the guidance and ensuring that advice given to ministers and senior policy officials is based on robust application through the development of rigorous quality assurance procedures. It works with a wide range of analytical and policy teams in the department and with external stakeholders. The team is new and the agenda is developing. This is an exciting time to join and the postholder will have a chance to develop their own portfolio of work.

A considerable proportion of the job will be supporting the Digital Directorate, specifically to help shape the department’s strategic agenda on digital housing and planning reform, cyber security for councils, and local government digital transformation. These are high profile, innovative workstreams that are a priority for senior officials.

Responsibilities

• Developing robust business cases in line with HM Treasury guidance. Undertaking economic analysis to support business case development around digital planning reform and on local government digital interventions and cyber security. Presenting economic analysis in an effective way to influence senior stakeholders. Remaining aware of potential limitations in the evidence base and communicating clearly what analysis is possible;

• Developing a monitoring and evaluation strategy to assess if the digital programmes (specifically on planning and local government digital and cyber) are meeting objectives. Analysing data to test the effectiveness of current policies, products and services;

• Introducing mechanisms to track and measure benefits, assessing robustness and advising on the suitability of alternatives courses of action and allocation of resources, based on sound evidence. Specifically:

  • working with the digital planning teams and external partners e.g. funded local planning authorities and delivery suppliers, to benchmark, measure and monitor programme benefits

  • working to support funded local government digital projects to ensure they collect appropriate data and develop benefits models to demonstrate impacts

• Working with digital teams to ensure appropriate data collection methods are set up for relevant work and services. This will include turning business needs and goals into performance measures;

• Working with colleagues in digital roles (for example product managers and user researchers) to provide analysis and insight from quantitative and qualitative data collected, to inform service and product roadmaps as well as overall programme direction and impact

• The job holder will support the development of the Appraisal team’s wider objectives including improving appraisal standards, implementing more effective quality assurance processes for appraisal of investments and policies and acting as an expert lead on specific high profile business cases in addition to digital. The postholder will also support the development of appraisal guidance, for example the appraisal of digital impacts.

The postholder will need to meet the requirements of the Government Economic Service which includes having a first or upper second class honours degree in economics, or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

The postholder will also need to be able to apply their economic skills to complex problems.

Essentia Criteria:

• Experience of producing high quality influential analysis

• Experience in cost benefit analysis and business case development (based on HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance and the Five Case Business Case Model)

• A thorough understanding of analytical principles and the ability to apply these to real-world policy challenges

• Ability to write clearly and to present to non-technical audiences in a way that engages, informs and drives decision-making

• Ability to explain research methodology and justify conclusions drawn from research data

• Experience of taking responsibility for shaping, planning and driving work forward

• Ability to build productive working relationships with stakeholders

• first or upper second class honours degree in economics, or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

Desirable:

• Understanding of agile methods of working and experience supporting digital delivery teams

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving

• Communicating and Influencing

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.  

We are for everyone 

DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.  

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).  

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.  

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors. 

When writing your application, remember: 

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.  

• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.  

• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!) 

At sift, we will be assessing 

Technical (Lead Question) - Provide a statement on your skills and experience regarding the following GES technical competencies: Application of knowledge and Analysis of data. You answer should not exceed 250 words.

Changing and Improving

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

There is a 250 word limit per question. 

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of behaviour, technical and strength based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates. At interview stage we will also assess candidates against the standard Government Economic Service competencies which are:

• Application of knowledge

• Analysis of data

• Effective communication

 At interview stage, the Government Economic Service competencies will be assessed through a 5 minute presentation by the candidate on a topic that will be communicated in advance of the interview and by a series of technical questions relating to the three areas above. 

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Technical: Yes

Strengths: Yes

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs 

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 

Grade 7 salary 

• The salary for this role is £53,132 (London) or £48,197 (National). 

• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable.

• There will be a £3,500 analyst allowance available for the successful candidate if eligible 

BENEFITS: 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: 

• Wolverhampton 

• Darlington* 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 15th of August with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

RESERVE LIST: 
 
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): 

Important note 

 
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 
 
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC). Thank you. 
 
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

Fixed Term Details

For external candidates – you will be offered a 23 months fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency.  

For existing civil servants – you will be offered a 23 months loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful. 

For DLUHC employees - you will retain your existing contract 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.