Assistant Economist

Level: Band B (HEO/SEO)

Reference number: 1599194

3 posts:

International Trade and EU Exit Assistant Economist

Media and Creative Industries Assistant Economist

Business Case Assistant Economist

Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS)

DCMS has substantial responsibilities and achieves significant social and economic impact. Our sectors make up more than 14% of the UK economy and our efforts enrich the lives of people across the UK; from providing access to superfast broadband, to boosting social action and building participation in culture, the arts and sport.

From its earliest origins as the Department of National Heritage, DCMS has grown to the department it is today. A department that focuses on the UK’s future as a digital, global leader with innovation, technology and creativity at its economic heart - together with the heritage, sporting and cultural assets that make it a great place to live, work and invest.

Our strategic objectives set out how we will deliver our vision of driving growth, enriching lives and promoting Britain to the World.

Meet the Team

Dame Sue Owen was appointed Permanent Secretary for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in September 2013.In July 2014 Sue became the Civil Service LGB&T (straight ally) Champion, and overall Diversity and Inclusion Champion in July 2015. She Chairs the Charity for Civil Servants. Sue has previously worked as Director General, Strategy at the Department for Work and Pensions and as Director General, Corporate Performance at the Department for International Development.

Matthew Gould leads the Digital and Media Group within DCMS. He is the UK’s first Director General for digital and media policy and his goal is to make the UK the world’s leading digital economy. The Digital and Media Group within DCMS is a combination of the following Directorates; Cyber Security & Data Protection, Digital & Tech Policy, International and Telecoms. Matthew’s previous roles include UK Ambassador to Israel, the Government’s Director of Cyber Security at the Cabinet Office, Principal Private Secretary at the FCO, and Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Prime Minister’s office.

Helen Judge was appointed Director General for Performance and Strategy in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in April 2017. Helen is responsible for the department’s corporate functions as well as for the relationship with arm’s length bodies, the Office for Civil Society and the culture and sport portfolios. Helen also shares responsibility with the senior leadership for ensuring that all parts of the department are linked and opportunities maximised. Helen has previously worked at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry for Justice and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The roles on offer

We’re looking to recruit highly motivated Assistant Economists to work on some of the most exciting projects and briefs in Government. Your advice and evidence will help to build a compelling and future-proof policy for some of the most exciting challenges faced by this government.

Your role will be based in one of our policy areas or our Central Analysis Team - either way you’ll be part of a growing and highly engaged Analytical Community in DCMS. Most of these roles are new so you’ll have an opportunity to make a real influence and impact within your first few months, scoping and building the role around your deliverables.

You can read more about each of the roles on offer and their responsibilities below.

International Trade and EU Exit Assistant Economist

DCMS International Directorate is responsible for EU policy, strategy and coordination; international trade policy and negotiation; and engagement with other countries and international organisations. The directorate covers EU engagement and strategy; (non-EU) trade and international strategy; and digital negotiations.

Given our important cross-cutting role, the directorate brings together colleagues from DCMS, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Cabinet Office, other Whitehall departments and industry experts from a variety of sectors (tech, civil society, consumer groups, etc.) We work very closely with the Department for Exiting the EU, the Department for International Trade and Cabinet Office as well as No.10, sitting on the key cross-Whitehall groups.

The international directorate is looking to appoint an assistant economist to work flexibly across the EU Exit and International Trade functions within the department’s new Trade Economics & Analysis hub. This is a new, growing and exciting area in DCMS and across government. The analysts in the team are responsible for building a strong evidence base and developing analysis to underpin the department’s trade policy priorities and negotiating positions for future free trade agreements (FTAs), while also analysing the impacts and opportunities that arise from exiting the EU.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

● Delivering analysis to inform policy in the context of the UK-EU future economic partnership, and future free trade agreements (FTAs) or other initiatives with third countries ● Coordinating analytical work on EU Exit and trade policy across all DCMS sectors, working closely with analysts based in DCMS sector policy teams ● Managing commissioned research projects on international trade and EU Exit ● Developing strong relationships with key departments, such as the Department for Exiting the EU and the Department for International Trade ● Engaging with cross-Whitehall analytical groups for both EU exit and future trade policy with the rest of the world

Media and Creative Industries Assistant Economist

Media policy is a fascinating area that offers individuals the chance to help shape the future of television, radio and the press in the UK. The UK’s media industries play an intrinsic role in people’s everyday lives and are vital to our economy, our culture and our democracy. We work on an enormous range of policy areas: from counter- extremism and press freedom to radio, children’s TV and BBC policy - all in the context of fast-changing markets and technology, including the rise of Netflix, Amazon and others.

This role sits within the wider Media and Creative Industries directorate, which offers the unique opportunity to work across a range of issues relating to the broadcasting and creative industries (advertising, design, film, fashion, video games, music and more). These are all fast-moving sectors of fundamental strategic economic importance to the UK, as well as contributing profoundly to the nation's soft power and cultural life.

We are looking for a motivated and talented assistant economist to join the Media and International teams. The successful candidate will work alongside a Band A (Grade 7) analyst in the Media team, as well as economists and analysts across the wider Media and Creative Industries directorate. The successful candidate will be expected to provide high-quality evidence and advice to senior decision makers and ministers on a range of topics that include: ● The future of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) in the context of rapidly changing technologies and markets; ● The recently launched Cairncross Review into the sustainability of high quality journalism; ● The future of the UK media and creative industries landscape during the UK’s transition to leaving the EU, and looking to future trade relationships; ● The establishment of a £60m ‘contestable fund’ to support under-provided children’s TV and radio content; and ● The future of the UK radio market, to ensure the sector can continue to make a strong contribution to the UK’s cultural life and to deliver economic value.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

● Using economic knowledge, especially on market failure and regulation, to support and ensure evidence-based policy development. ● Using quantitative and qualitative skills to estimate the impacts of different government policy scenarios on media and the broader creative industries; and, of new trade opportunities. ● Developing expertise on media (and broader creative industries where necessary) to be able to advise on Government’s interventions, especially on the following topics: public service broadcasting, the UK press industry, the UK radio market, EU exit, future trade opportunities. ● Briefing senior officials and ministers on the outcomes of analyses, options and consequences. ● Support the drafting of business cases for future investments (e.g. justify government intervention, estimate value-for-money, etc.). ● Working with stakeholders across government (e.g. HMT and BEIS) and externally (broadcasting trade bodies, media businesses, academics, experts) to ensure DCMS’ approach is in line with Government strategy. ● Working collaboratively with analysts across the directorate to strengthen the body of evidence available to teams and to promote best analytical practice.

Business Case Assistant Economist

DCMS has a broad, varied and exciting policy portfolio including telecoms, sport, broadband, the creative and digital industries, museums, arts, heritage, tourism, charities and civil society. Across these policy areas it strives to deliver the best value for money for public expenditure, based on high quality business cases and excellent cost benefit analysis. The postholder will work with the Head of Business Cases and Value for Money, and another Assistant Economist, and be responsible for conducting analysis to support the department’s spending proposals through the approvals process. The postholder will be centrally located in the Central Analysis Team (CAT) within the Corporate Strategy Directorate and is expected to work flexibly across the Department’s expanded portfolio.

Investment decisions in DCMS are made by a finance committee which comprises key members of the SCS and typically considers three or four business cases a month across DCMS sectors. Most business cases are written by DCMS’s 45 Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) to seek approval for large investments they plan (these range in scale from circa £5m to £200m). The postholder will need to use their economic expertise to support ALBs in drafting their cases and producing analysis, as well as providing challenge and critique to ensure cases are fit for purpose. Such cases include investment proposals for projects as diverse as digital skills and inclusion, AI, cyber security and data protection, media and creative industries, new museum galleries, arts festivals, telecoms infrastructure, volunteering programmes and major sports events.

Business cases are also written internally by DCMS itself to seek approval from the finance committee for departmental spend. The postholder will have to produce necessary analysis and draft economic cases to make the case for such spend. This requires knowledge of cost benefit analysis (CBA) techniques, economic appraisal and being able to apply key economic concepts, e.g. market failures, as well as an understanding, or willingness to learn how to write an economic case according to HM Treasury's standards. This requires strong economic expertise and the ability to take both established and innovative approaches to monetisation, as well as developing good working relationships with policy teams to deliver these cases successfully.

Recent business cases delivered by this post include:

● The case for a £150m investment in replacing the V&A, British Museum and Science Museum’s current storage facility.

● The case for an investment of £200m in expanding the UK’s broadband network to achieve widespread availability of ultrafast broadband.

● The case for Rugby and Cycling Legacy investment and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The postholder will also support the maintenance and updating DCMS’s value for money approach and guidance. This will require a strategic view to fiscal events such as budgets and spending reviews.

Person specification

We are looking for highly motivated Assistant Economists with strong qualitative and quantitative skills as well as excellent communication and organisational skills to join DCMS. They will need to be proactive with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team across a range of different priorities. They should have a desire to learn, the confidence to work autonomously and be delivery- focused.

They will need to be able to explain complex issues in simple terms and be confident to draft high quality formal documents – for example, supporting on responses to regulatory consultations or drafting business cases. To succeed, the post holders will need to build an understanding of current market dynamics and work directly with key stakeholders across their network.

Candidates will need to demonstrate the following key Civil Service competencies:

● Managing a quality service: Provide and exemplify excellent customer service to your stakeholders, utilising opportunities to improve your service offer. Effectively manage your workload to your customers expectations using project management disciplines.

● Collaborating and partnering: You will need to work with and through others to deliver your objectives, building effective relationships with colleagues and stakeholders from external sectors.

● Making effective decisions: An ability to identify a wide range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to collect new analysis and/or data when necessary, from either internal or external sources. The ability to recognise trends from a wide range of evidence, and draw conclusions - outlining benefits, costs, and risks.

Candidates will need to also demonstrate the following key Government Economic Service (GES) competencies:

● Application of economic knowledge: You’ll confidently apply economic tools and techniques, and synthesise evidence from a range of sources. You’ll provide expert advice with regards to appraisal, impact assessments, evidence based business cases, and evaluation. ● Effective communication: You’re able to communicate your analysis in a way that is understood by your customers and broader audiences. You’ll have the confidence to engage clearly and authoritatively with policy officials, other analysts and non-economist colleagues. It is also essential that candidates have:

● A degree (minimum 2:1) at least half of which must be economics modules or a Masters in Economics. This is a minimum requirement to join the GES.

You will be asked to tell us about any qualifications or current memberships in the application process.

Background to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Who we are

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is a ministerial department, working alongside 45 Arm’s Length Bodies and is here to help make Britain the world’s most creative, connected and exciting place to live, visit and do business. DCMS works to make sure the communications, creative, digital, media, cultural, tourism, sport and leisure economies have the framework to grow and have real impact on people’s lives.

We create the conditions for growth by removing barriers, providing strategic direction and supporting innovation and creativity. We want everyone to be able to enjoy our national culture, play sport and have access to effective communications. Our sectors provide 5.4 million jobs and deliver c. £46bn of exports of services, with their value increasing year-on-year. These sectors are important not only for their economic potential; they are critical to creating a global UK whose technological, cultural, creative and sporting assets position us on the world stage as an essential partner for trade and investment as the UK exits the European Union.

As a department, people are at the heart of our success and it’s important that all of our staff feel valued. In the 2017 Civil Service People Survey DCMS achieved an overall staff engagement score of 69%, 8 percentage points higher than the Civil Service average.

Evidence and Analysis in DCMS

Given the changing policy context it is more important than ever that our decisions are underpinned by the best possible evidence and analysis. We are therefore recruiting for a number of economists and analysts to support policy development and delivery across the Department’s portfolio, particularly in areas affected by EU exit.

As a relatively small department with an influential and varied policy portfolio, analysts in DCMS have a high degree of responsibility and closer involvement with ministers and senior policy officials than in larger departments.

DCMS holds responsibility for some of the UK’s most interesting and growing service sectors including: tourism, sport, culture, digital, telecommunications, media, and the creative industries. DCMS sectors exported c. £46bn of services in 2016 - 18.9% of total UK services exports - making international trade in DCMS sectors of very high importance to the UK economy.

The post holders will collaborate closely with policy professionals and analysts across DCMS, government and industry to provide a robust and influential evidence base to underpin EU exit, trade negotiations, Britain’s soft power, the future of our digital economy and building a safe, fair and informed society.

The Central Analytical Team and DCMS support continuous professional development and will encourage the post holders to develop and grow in the Department. As our Analytical Community grows, you can expect to build a network with analysts from across the Department to improve and develop your knowledge of DCMS and its’ sectors.

Recruitment Process

How to Apply

Candidates should apply via the candidate portal on the Civil Service Jobs website by the advertised closing date.

Candidates should submit an anonymised CV setting out their career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, and provide an example of delivery of each competency set out in the person specification.

Applications will be assessed following the closing date and if you are successful at the sift stage you will be invited to interview.

Interviews will include a competency assessment and an assessment of your economics skills (which may involve a written or verbal presentation that will require some preparation beforehand). The competency assessment will focus on the Civil Service competencies of: Managing a Quality Service, Collaborating and Partnering and Making Effective Decisions.

Civil Service Competency framework: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436 073/cscf_fulla4potrait_2013-2017_v2d.pdf

Government Economics Service Competency framework: https://civilservicelearning.civilservice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ges_cpd_-_assistant_economists.pdf

Contact Point

If you have any further queries about the process or the roles, please contact [email protected]

Indicative Timeline

Please notes all dates provided are indicative and subject to change. We ask candidates to exercise flexibility throughout the recruitment process. Interviews will be held in London.

Advert Close Sunday 23 September 2018

Sift w/c 24 September 2018

Interview(s) w/c 1 October 2018

Feedback

Only candidates invited to interview or assessment will receive feedback on their application. A reserve list (which may be used to fill other roles in DCMS) will be held for up to 12 months.

Equal Opportunities

DCMS values equality and diversity in employment. We are committed to being an organisation in which fairness and equality of opportunity is central to the approach in business and working relationships and where the organisational culture reflects and supports these values. In DCMS you have the right to a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation regardless of race, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, working hours, trade union membership or trade union activity. Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Disabled Persons

Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Selection will be on merit. If you wish to claim a guaranteed interview under the Disability Commitment, you should complete the Equality and Diversity section (Annex C). It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability. Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:

● Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. ● Hearing and determining appeals made by Civil Servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values – Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.

More detailed information can be found at the Civil Service Commission website http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Complaints

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Head of Resourcing, Marie Egan ([email protected]), in the first instance.

Civil Service Code

As a Civil Servant, you are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values. For more information on the Civil Service code, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code.

Official Secrets Act

The post is covered by the Official Secrets Act. Candidates must exercise care in the use of official information acquired in the course of official duties, and not disclose information which is held in confidence.

Terms and Conditions

Terms of Appointment

Appointments through this campaign will be offered on a one year loan/secondment or fixed term appointment or permanent basis (depending on the role you are matched to).

Terms of the loan/transfer for a serving Civil Servant would be by agreement between the individual and their current department, and within normal rules of appointment on level transfer or promotion. Existing civil servants could secure this position on a loan, level transfer or promotion.

Remuneration

The successful candidate will be appointed within the relevant pay range (see table below). This appointment will be on normal Civil Service terms and conditions.

Grade London Based Salary Min. London Based salary max.

Band B £32,618 £38,426

There is an additional £4,000 specialist allowance attached to these roles.

Salary for a serving Civil Servant will be within normal rules of appointment on level transfer or promotion.

Security Clearance

Candidates should have, or expect to undergo, CTC level security clearance to take up this post.

Further information about security vetting can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security-vetting-and-clearance

You may wish to be aware that there are various factors (noted below) that may affect the length of time the check takes, or ultimately affect whether a candidate is eligible for security clearance.

· Lived outside UK: For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals should have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years for Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), 5 years for Security Clearance (SC) and 10 years for Developed Vetting (DV).

· Employee records: Any indication of unreliability, relevant in a security context

· Criminal record information: It is important to be honest about any offences committed in the past. Having a criminal record is not an automatic bar, each case will be considered individually

· Security Service records: Concerns arising from checks undertaken by the Security Service.

· Financial irregularities: For SC or DV clearance only - Poor financial judgment or management, excessive expenditure, or high levels of indebtedness.

· Other factors: Inconsistencies, discrepancies or gaps in information provided, personal circumstances, personality and lifestyle.

Working pattern Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working or Job share

Hours: 37

Location

The base location for this opportunity is 100 Parliament Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2BQ.

Annual Leave

On appointment post holders, including Civil Servants taking up appointment on promotion, will adopt the modernised Civil Service terms and conditions which came into effect from 1 July 2013. This will entitle post holders to 26.5 days paid leave plus 9 days public and privilege holidays, rising to 31.5 days after 5 years.

Existing Civil Servants appointed on level transfer will retain their current terms and conditions.

Pension Scheme

The appointment will be pensionable from the outset. The Civil Service offers excellent pension arrangements and pensions are an important part of the reward package. For detailed information, please visit http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/.

Conflicts of Interest

Candidates must declare any interests they may have that might cause questions to be raised about their approach to the business of the Department. They are required to declare any relevant business interests, shareholdings, positions of authority, retainers, consultancy arrangements or other connections with commercial, public or voluntary bodies, both for themselves and for their spouses/partners. The successful candidate will be required to give up any conflicting interests and his/her other business and financial interests may be published.