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Job summary

The post sits within the Local Policy Analysis (LPA) Division within the Analysis and Data Directorate of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.  LPA is a multi-disciplinary team of around 35 economists, statisticians, operational and social researchers.  LPA analysis plays an instrumental role in influencing the policy of local public service delivery through work on local finance, adult social care, local government organisation and specific cross cutting policies around communities and integration. LPA’s analysis is continuously in demand from senior officials, Ministers and other government departments.  Some examples of the division’s work include:

·       Leading the analysis of local government funding need for the Spending Review.  The division has been leading analysis on future spending pressure faced by local government and what the potential funding need is for local government over the next spending review period;

·       Leading the analysis in support of integration and communities policies, including the levelling up agenda;

·       Leading in the development of the acclaimed national statistical series. Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

·       Leading the analysis of policy options and modelling for the annual Local Government Finance Settlement; and

·       Leading the analysis on business rates and council tax policy more generally.

Job description

The lead analyst role will have responsibility for:

·       Leading  the analysis to identify risks (e.g. socio-economic, environmental, health, political, disruption to services, natural and malicious events which pose serious threats to people and places)   and assessing resilience in local authorities and associated datasets to monitor and assess situations.

·       Collecting bespoke insight data from local areas (LRFs and local authorities) to better understand the nature of key risks and how they are managed locally (and nationally, where appropriate)

·       Tracking risks and mitigation activity at the local and national level, as necessary in response to COBR and GOLD briefing commissions

·       Communicating the analysis of local level risks and mitigations using a data-led approach, including using dashboards.

·       Feeding into briefing for COBR and GOLD meetings

·       Working closely with senior officials, other government departments on national priorities and with other analysts (social researchers, statisticians, economists) in ADD, and elsewhere in Whitehall to improve overall data quality and insight development.

·       Working with the RED policy team:

·        to continue to further strengthen reporting from Local Resilience Forum (LRFs: these are multi-agency partnerships made up of representatives from local public services, including the emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, the Environment Agency and others and considering ways to make best use of the intel received from the local tier both during times of preparedness and times of responding. Also considering how it can be best shared with OGDs, including the CO’s NatSitCen, as well as back to LRFs

·       Designing and piloting, evaluation and reporting mechanisms for the Strengthening LRFs programme – strengthening LRFs was a key commitment in the National Resilience Strategy

·       Identifying ways to ensure that the breadth of local/spatial data from across DLUHC and across government can be utilised to develop insights on local resilience, for a range of audiences.

·       Working with a range of partners, including the National Situation Centre to ensure that we are strengthening the flow of information from the local tier to the national tier and vice versa

Person specification

The successful candidate will have:

·       Strong quantitative analytical skills (including the ability to analyse large datasets, using one or more of these software packages: R, Python, Excel, Stata using statistical and predictive analytic techniques as appropriate) (necessary)

·       Strong data presentation skills including dashboard development, slide decks and maps to visually represent key data points and trends.(necessary)

·       Strong analytical narrative skills, to present the key findings clearly.

·       Familiarity with data sources to inform risk analysis.(desirable)

·       Ability to produce high quality data outputs, at speed, for COBR and GOLD briefings.

·       Experience of working at pace in a dynamic and responsive policy environment.(desirable)

·       Experience of working with different stakeholders (from policy, local services, practitioner backgrounds) (desirable)

Offered 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%

Selection process details

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 

Behaviour (Lead Behaviour): Seeing the Big Picture - Can you tell us about a time when you had to ensure your work had to contribute to a bigger strategic priority, what did you do to make this happen and what difference did your work make?

Behaviour: Managing a Quality Service - Can you tell us about a time when you had to manage an important project with key stakeholders, what did you do to ensure the project delivered to quality and time?

Technical - Can you tell me about the most complex piece of data analysis you have undertaken, how you undertook this work, what informed your choices of method and what impact your analysis had? 

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 and technical based questions as listed in the advert. Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing and Delivering at Pace will be tested as additional behaviours. Candidates will be expected to deliver a presentation at interview stage, the details of which would be provided upon invitation.

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

Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Technical: 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 £49,697 (National). 

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

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. 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service. This role is based at DLUHC and we will be joined on the campus by: 

• HM Treasury  

• Department for International Trade 

• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  

• Office for National Statistics  

• Department for Education 

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 9th January 2023 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 this role 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