Director of Transformation and Policy Capability
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Director of Transformation and Policy Capability Salary: c£93,000* Closing date: 27th August 2020 Location options: London, Coventry, Sheffield, Manchester We promote flexible working and welcome applications from job-share partnerships. This is a full time role, though there is some flexibility to accommodate other working patterns, for specific queries please contact: [email protected] * Civil Service pay arrangements apply for existing Civil Servants applying on level transfer or promotion. The level of security needed for this post is security check (SC) – if the appointed Director does not already hold SC clearance, they will need to successfully complete the vetting process. Welcome Thank you for your interest in this newly configured role which provides an opportunity to make an impact across the whole of the Civil Service. Within the DfE you will help us achieve world-class education, training and care for everyone, whatever their background. You will lead our internal DfE transformation programme, focused on being user-centred, delivering end to end, making evidence based decisions and empowering ourselves and others. You will build our capability within the DfE, in particular putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do. Across the Civil Service, you will support the Head of the Policy Profession, DfE Permanent Secretary (Jonathan Slater), leading work to build capability and innovate in how we deliver policy across government, putting users of public services and outcomes at the heart of our work. You will act as an advocate and sponsor for the following three cross-government capabilities: the Policy Profession Unit, the Policy Lab and the Open Innovation Team. You will bring inspiring and empowering leadership to a newly formed directorate of committed and talented colleagues and work closely with senior officials within DfE, across the Civil Service and beyond. You will shape departmental and Civil Service direction at an extraordinary time and bring exceptional leadership to once-in-a-lifetime challenges. Further information about the role and what we are looking for is detailed in this pack. I look forward to hearing from you. Paul Kett Director General, Higher Education, Further Education, International and Transformation Group 2 About Us: Department for Education Overview The Department for Education is responsible for education, children’s services, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England, and equalities. We work to achieve a highly educated society in which opportunity is equal for all, no matter what their background or family circumstances. We are a government department that works with 18 agencies and public bodies. Further information about the department can be found at www.education.gov.uk. We are responsible for: Our transformation aims: • Teaching and learning for children in the We are transforming the DfE to become a more brilliant policy and delivery department. early years and in primary schools; Focusing on how we can get better at delivery and tackling what holds us back, our four • Teaching and learning for young people transformation aims help us work better together and create a workplace that is more: under the age of 19 years in secondary • user-centred schools and in further education; • empowered • evidence-based • Apprenticeships and wider skills; • focused on end-to-end delivery • Supporting professionals who work with children and young people; DfE is a great place to work and we want to make it even better. We want to create an environment that truly reflects the people we serve. We want to provide opportunities for • Helping disadvantaged children and talented people to fulfil their potential, regardless of their background. young people to achieve more; • Making sure that local services protect All of this will enable us to share the vision for 'A Brilliant Civil Service'. and support children. 3 About Us: Policy Profession, Policy Innovation Unit Policy Innovation Unit is made up of the Open Innovation Team and Policy Lab Policy Profession Unit (PPU) PPU supports the Head of Policy Profession, Jonathan Slater, and all departmental and agency Heads of Profession build policy making capability: ensuring the continued development of Policy Lab develops better ways of making professional capability (from professional policy, demonstrating how policy can be standards, entry level apprenticeships to the designed with the people it affects. Executive Masters with LSE) knowledge sharing – incl. case studies and lessons learned across public service strengthening our career development offer, incentives and people practice building relationships in support of capability The Open Innovation Team works with building– incl. other professions, academics and academics and other experts to help across public & private sectors generate analysis and ideas for policy. The diverse and multidisciplinary team is learning from, and sharing with, other made up of designers, ethnographers and administrations around the world Recent customers across government include policy makers. Our current focus is the future of policy making. This the Department for Education, Foreign Office, includes ensuring policy making is more people centred Ministry of Justice, Home Office, and end to end delivery orientated, as well as building Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, more depth of experience in our capability. Media and Sport. Our current university partners are Brunel, We champion open policy making and deliver Essex, Lancaster and York, but we work with policy projects for clients across government all universities. on a cost recovery basis. 4 Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is We are committed to understanding, respecting and What’s in it for me? representing as broad a range of views and backgrounds as committed to becoming We want to maximise the potential of everyone we have in UK society. We know that diverse perspectives who chooses to work for us – regardless of the most inclusive and experiences are critical to an effective, modern Civil background. employer in the UK. Service. If you’re interested in becoming a world class Our vision is to ensure the Civil Service represents modern leader, developing your career with us – starting Britain and is a truly inclusive employer – an example to with this interesting and challenging role – or other employers. We will create an organisation where doing things differently and inspiring colleagues, diversity is not only respected and valued – but celebrated. then the Civil Service is the place for you. Our passion for diversity and equality means creating a work environment for all employees that is welcoming, respectful, engaging, and enriched with opportunities for personal and professional development. What’s next? You’ve taken the first step and looked through this job pack to understand the skills and experience needed to perform this role. Now join us in achieving our ambitions and let us help you achieve yours About the role You will bring inspiring, confident and empowering leadership to a newly formed directorate - sponsoring established teams, building new capabilities, to shape and realise the opportunities of collaboration across a set of transformational teams. The teams include those dedicated to improving our capability as a Brilliant Civil Service, in support of the Head of the Policy Profession, DfE Permanent Secretary, Jonathan Slater: Policy Innovation Unit consisting of the Policy Lab and Open Innovation Team which work across Government (the Cabinet Office is internally consulting on the transfer of Policy Innovation Unit to the Department for Education from 1 September 2020). Policy Profession Unit which supports the Policy Profession programmes across Government. And teams dedicated to improving our capability and culture within the DfE: DfE Transformation team, leading our internal change programme as it enters a new phase: ‘Future DfE’. DfE Project Race. A project team focused on DfE’s culture and improving the lived experience of DfE BAME staff. An Equality team focused on improving outcomes in DfE policy and delivery in support of the Public Sector Equality Duty, and providing the DfE link with the new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. Key relationships will include the DfE Permanent Secretary to ensure alignment of transformation to DfE Future and wider Civil Service reform and in support of his cross-Civil Service Head of Policy Profession role, as well as with: • Heads of Policy Profession across Departments and the Civil Service Reform team in Cabinet Office. • Directors General and the Senior Leadership Group within DfE. • DfE HR to ensure alignment with Diversity and Inclusion, Organisational Development and Design and People functions. 6 Responsibilities • You will bring together your new Directorate under a shared focus and ensure • Equality and diversity is hardwired into DfE policies • Project Race has the senior sponsorship and leadership needed to successfully implement its strategy • The Policy Innovation Unit delivers state-of-the-art policy projects for commissioners across government, demonstrating better ways to make people-centred policy (Policy Lab) and deepening collaboration with outside expertise (Open Innovation Team). • The Policy Profession Unit develops and delivers the change programme for policy making across government, in line with Civil Service reform, including all profession capability