DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND CHANGE

HM PASSPORT OFFICE

Recruitment Information

Contents

About the and HM Passport Office 3

Role Description 4

Person Specification 5

Response Instructions 6

Indicative Timetable 7

Recruitment Process 7

Terms and Conditions 8

Annex A – Home Office Equal Opportunities Statement 11

Annex B – Application Form (separate document)

Annex C – Supplementary Information (separate document)

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About the Home Office

The Home Office is one of the original great Departments of State and has one of the most challenging jobs in government. Its mission is fundamentally important: to keep Britain’s streets safe and its borders secure. Each and every member of Home Office staff plays a part in making that happen.

The Home Office leads on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy, counter-extremism and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. These issues are at the heart of the Government’s agenda. The challenges the Department faces are significant and can change rapidly in the global environment in which we operate. This makes it one of the most exciting and stimulating Departments to work in.

For further information on the Home Office see https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home- office.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office

Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) is a global operation responsible for issuing UK passports and for carrying out the functions of the Registrar General in overseeing the system of civil registration in England and Wales. It aims to be a world class passport and registration operation; delivering the right balance between public protection and customer excellence.

HMPO has a staffing complement of over 4,000 spread across eight regional offices – , Durham, , , , Newport, and Southport – and a further 15 smaller interview offices across the UK.

Each year this high volume customer focussed business:  issues circa 7 million passports;  issues 1 million birth, death and marriage certificates;  receives approximately 1.5 million birth, death and marriage registrations from partners in the Local Registration Service;  handles over 70,000 adoption, birth, marriage and death registration cases; and  responds to over 6 million passport validation service requests.

The remains one of the most secure travel documents in the world. Once an individual has secured their British passport this enables the individual to securely identify themselves around the world and in the UK. The integrity of our passport system is vital to national security.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office.

Transformation

HMPO has always led an ambitious programme of change across both the passport and civil registration arms of our business however we have recently reset our vision and outlined a far reaching transformation agenda taking us to 2020. There are four themes of transformation that are common across the Home Office systems of homeland security, immigration and citizenship, and law enforcement:  Managing demand – we will take a whole system approach and work closely with users and partners to reduce demand for taxpayer funded services;  Data – systems and operations will be data driven, technology enabled and intelligence led;  Digital – modern, streamlined and efficient services will be digital by default; and  People – our workforce of the future will be fewer, more professional and highly productive.

For HMPO this translates into the following vision for 2020 and beyond:  HMPO will be a digital exemplar across government and will offer a world class customer service whilst being uncompromising in our approach to public protection.  Accessing a much wider data pool will allow differentiation so that the majority of current casework can be handled automatically with the minimum of human intervention.

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 Automation and use of biometric matching will remove many of the tasks currently done by people and deliver them with better security.  Digital services will remove the paper and hence much of the administrative burden.  The end-to-end service design delivered in collaboration with UK Visas and Immigration and others will reduce duplication across the immigration and citizenship system.

What will be different for the public and users in 2020? Passport applicants will have a largely self-service, and where possible automated process, which allows them to apply online, provide all of their documentation and payment details over the internet, track progress of their application and receive the decision and documents in a convenient and rapid way.

Role Description

We are looking for a Director of Strategy and Change to lead the transformation of HMPO.

This is an exciting and interesting opportunity to modernise and digitise a complex large scale organisation and make a real difference to a public service. There is significant scope to achieve in this space ahead of much of the Civil Service, to work at scale and to develop yourself in the role.

You will need to work closely with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure that change is implemented without disruption to our day to day operations.

You will report to the Director General of HMPO, Mark Thomson. Mark joined the Civil Service in 2015, prior to which he spent his entire career at Royal Mail where he held a variety of Managing Director roles. Mark is a dynamic, empowering and inspiring leader who exemplifies the high support and high challenge model.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Strategy and Change will:

 own the strategy and vision for HMPO’s transformation over the next 3-5 years. Overarching objectives include: o reducing HMPO’s cost base by c.£100m per annum over 4 years; o managing a change budget of c.£110m; o delivering public protection benefits for all British citizens; and o delivering world class customer experience to over 7 million customers annually (of which around 0.4m are based overseas).

 implement the HMPO Transformation Plan with responsibility for all aspects of change from workforce design, business design through to IT delivery. Working closely with partners and programmes across both the Home Office and wider government to ensure coherence and maximum effectiveness of change delivery.

 have overall responsibility for ensuring delivery of the benefits defined in the Transformation Business Case, reporting through to Home Office and Cabinet Office as required;

 lead on the effective deployment of digital technologies with a view to continually improving and innovating to a higher quality, and without compromising our relentless user-centred approach. Digital and data are at the core of tomorrow’s Home Office and you will be excited and motivated to be at the heart of this business-wide transformation;

 continually innovate our digital services to deliver the best service for our customers;

 be a visible and accessible leader within HMPO, champion the Civil Service leadership values, and take on specific responsibilities relating to equality and diversity and other corporate objectives;

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 lead a team of around 200 people, with direct line management of two Deputy Directors and two G6 leaders. Deputy Directors have responsibility for strategic planning and design and project and programme management. G6 leaders have responsibility for Technical Architecture and People and Engagement. There will be an opportunity for the successful candidate to take stock of current resourcing to determine whether people and skills are being deployed in the right way and to build capability where required;

 maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of financial resources, ensuring value for money and return on investments. You will be expected to monitor budget spends, ensuring effective budget management at all times, and to provide robust and timely in-year financial forecasts;

 be a member of the HMPO Board and play a full and active role in the corporate management of the organisation. HMPO’s management board is collaborative and fast paced; you can expect to lead lively discussions on the transformation strategy, delivery and benefits realisation;

 be a member of various Home Office groups and Boards, contributing to the overall Transformation and Operation of the Home Office whilst representing HMPO’s interests and plans; and

 be an important member of the corporate leadership of the Home Office, promoting Civil Service reform (www.civilservice.gov.uk/reform) and contributing to the Home Office and wider Civil Service efficiency agendas.

Person Specification

In your application you should provide examples of your experience in meeting the appointment criteria listed below. These will be the key criteria for selection.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

 A proven track record of delivering large scale change and digitising services to deliver service improvements and cost savings, preferably in a complex manual transactional environment involving large staff numbers. You will be familiar with Agile ways of working and digital technologies, with a clear understanding of how these can be put to best use in government.

 Senior leadership experience with a track record of leading and managing diverse and virtual teams. You will be adept at delivering through others, not under your direct command, and deploying people and skills optimally to achieve strategic priorities.

 Excellent strategic thinking skills, the ability to break down complex problems, identify the underlying issues, gaps and opportunities and translate these into a simple and coherent narrative underpinned by programmes for delivery.

 You will be delivery focussed, driven by quality, and with a relentless focus on the needs of our many and varied customers.

 A strong influencer, collegiate in approach and able to gain consensus among departmental and other government colleagues.

 Strong programme and project management capability.

 Strong intellect and excellent communication skills with the credibility and interpersonal skills to command the trust and confidence of Ministers, stakeholders and senior officials.

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Response Instructions

Applications for this post will be anonymised at shortlist stage. This means that your name and other personal information such as age, gender, school/university attended and language abilities are removed from your application before it is seen by the selection panel. This is done with a view to creating a more level playing field in the assessment process and is used alongside other measures with the aim of supporting more diverse outcomes.

If you wish to apply for this position, please supply the following:

1. Application form (Annex B) consisting of:

o personal information, including contact details and two professional referees (this page will be removed prior to the shortlist meeting);

o your CV, setting out your career history with responsibilities and achievements;

o a supporting statement presenting evidence as to how you meet the essential criteria, and how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match each of the key requirements of the post (max 3 sides A4);

2. Supplementary information (Annex C) consisting of:  diversity monitoring form – Details of why we request this information and how it is used can be found below. If you do not wish to provide any of the information requested, please tick the ‘prefer not to say’ boxes.

 guaranteed interview request form for disabled persons (if required). Further information on the Guaranteed Interview Scheme can be found below.

 nationality form – Only complete this form is you are applying from outside the Home Office. It will be used to verify that you are a UK national and will assist us in transferring/upgrading your security clearance should you be successful in your application.

Please note: the documents stated are mandatory. Applications that do not include all the required documents will not be accepted.

Completed applications should be emailed to [email protected] by 5pm on Wednesday 20 April.

If you can not apply online, please post applications to the address below and notify the SCS recruitment team by calling 0207 035 6594: Home Office SCS Recruitment Ground Floor, Seacole Building London SW1P 4DF

Further Information

Should you wish to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Mark Thomson’s office in the first instance – 0207 752 7040.

If you have any queries about any aspect of the selection process, please call Lindsey Marks in the SCS Recruitment Team on 0207 035 6594 or email [email protected].

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Indicative Timetable

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Please let us know in your covering email if you are unable to meet these timeframes.

Advert Closing Date Wednesday 20 April

Shortlist Meeting w/c 25 April

Pre-interview assessments (see below) Post-shortlist

Final Panel Interviews w/c 30 May

Recruitment Process

This role is being competed in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles1. Kevin Woods, a Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. 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. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.

 Hearing and determining appeals made by civil servants under the Civil Service Code (http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/values) which sets out the Civil Service values – Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty - and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer.

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

In addition to Kevin Woods, the panel will consist of Mark Thomson (Director General, HMPO), Victoria Smith (HR Director, HMPO and UKVI) and Julie Taylor (Director General, Head Office and Commissioned Services, Ministry of Defence).

The Home Office Recruitment Team will acknowledge your application and advise you of the outcome of the sift meeting. Depending on the number of applications received there may be a second stage sift.

Candidates invited to final panel interview will need to undergo an individual leadership assessment. The assessment consists of a number of personality questionnaires, verbal and numerical reasoning tests (for which practice tests will be made available), and a subsequent validation discussion with an assessor. The tests can be carried out online in your own time. The session with an assessor usually lasts between 1½ and 2 hours and you will need to be flexible about setting aside time in your diary to do this. The assessment does not lead to a pass or fail decision; rather, it is intended to highlight areas of strength and possible concerns which the panel can probe at interview.

The panel may request other pre-interview assessments, such as a staff engagement exercise. If so, you will be provided with details shortly after the shortlist.

1 http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/RECRUITMENT-PRINCIPLES- FINAL.pdf

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Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to meet with Mark Thomson to learn more about the role and the Home Office in general.

The final selection panel interview will be held in London at the Home Office. You will be advised of the format in advance.

The Home Office Permanent Secretary approves all appointments to SCS Pay Band 2 so there may be a delay in advising you of the outcome.

Please note: Expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Home Office except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance with the SCS Recruitment Team.

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies in the Home Office requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

Equal Opportunities Monitoring

As part of the application process we ask candidates to complete equal opportunities monitoring information. This will help us to follow the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission, that employers should monitor selection decisions to assess whether equality of opportunity is being achieved. The information on the form will be treated as confidential, and used for statistical purposes only. The form will not be treated as part of your application.

The Home Office Equal Opportunities Statement can be found at Annex A.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Disabled Persons

The Home Office is an accredited user of the government’s “two ticks” disability symbol, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Selection will be on merit. If you wish to apply for consideration under this scheme, please complete the form in Annex C. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability.

Data Protection

The Home Office takes its obligations under the Data Protection Act seriously. Any data about you will be held in secure conditions with access restricted to those who need it in connection with dealing with your application and the selection process. Data may also be used for the purposes of monitoring the effectiveness of the recruitment process, but in these circumstances will be kept anonymous. The ethnic monitoring form is used for monitoring the selection process only. If you do not wish to have these details recorded please return the form uncompleted. If you are unsuccessful, your personal data relating to application will be destroyed after 12 months. If you are successful, data will be passed to the Home Office personnel team.

Terms and Conditions

The information offered in this document is supplied in good faith but does not in itself form any part of the contract of employment.

Appointment Term: This post is offered as a permanent appointment or on a fixed term contract for a minimum of two years. A loan or secondment will also be considered.

Salary and Bonuses: The post is set within the SCS Pay Band 2 salary range. Starting salary will be dependent on your qualifications, knowledge and the relevant experience you are able to offer but is expected to be between £100,000 and £120,000. No allowances will be payable.

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Standard Cabinet Office rules on pay will apply to Civil Servants appointed on level transfer or promotion.

You may be eligible for a non-consolidated annual bonus payment, subject to successful performance, in line with the Home Office Senior Civil Service pay arrangements. These are set annually within the guidelines laid down by the Cabinet Office.

Pension: Civil Service pension arrangements will apply. Full details can be found on the Civil Service Pensions website at: www.civilservice.gov.uk/my-civil-service/pensions.

Childcare Support: A range of childcare support options, including holiday play-schemes and a childcare voucher salary sacrifice scheme, is available to Home Office staff. The type of provision available to you will depend on the area in which you work. All staff, male and female, full- and part-time, can apply for childcare support.

Location: This post will be based in central London.

Working Arrangements: This is a full time role but a job share partnership and other flexible working arrangements will be considered.

The Home Office recognises that all staff need to find a balance between their work and their home life. Finding the right balance will vary from person to person and there is no easy solution. The department currently supports a variety of working patterns. Flexible working arrangements for this role will be actively discussed.

If you would like to job share, you can use the Civil Service job share webpage to find out more about how job sharing works. The online tool will help you to look for a suitable job share partner in government departments.

Working Hours: For new entrants to the Civil Service and existing Civil Servants appointed on promotion, basic hours of work will be 37 hours per week, excluding lunch breaks. For existing civil servants appointed on level transfer, your current contractual entitlements in relation to basic hours of work will continue to apply.

Annual leave: If you are a new entrant to the Civil Service your annual leave allowance will be 25 days in the first year, rising by one day per year (on the anniversary of your start date) to a maximum of 30 days after 5 years of service. 1 day of privilege leave will be given on account of the Queen’s birthday every year.

If you are an existing civil servant appointed on promotion, you will be appointed on modernised terms and conditions. Please contact the SCS Recruitment Team on 0207 035 6594/5283 for further details. Existing civil servants appointed on level transfer retain current contractual entitlements in relation to annual leave and privilege leave.

Security clearance: The successful candidate will be required to have or be willing to obtain security clearance to at least Security Check (SC) level. Please note, individuals should normally have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years preceding their application for SC clearance. For more information please contact Lindsey Marks in the Recruitment Team on 0207 035 6594.

Nationality: This post is open to UK Nationals, British Nationals Overseas, British Protected Persons, Commonwealth Citizens, EEA Nationals of other member states and certain non EEA family members and Swiss Nationals under the Swiss EU Agreement. There must be no employment restriction or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK. In order to confirm your eligibility for this post, please complete the nationality form found at Annex C (separate to this pack). You will not be asked to produce the evidence stated at the application stage but you will be required to do so should you be invited to the final panel interview.

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Conflict of interest: If you or your spouse have any business interest or potential conflict of interest with the activities of the Home Office you will be expected to declare this. You will also be asked to inform us if you have any indirect association of this kind through any other family member or partnership. The panel may explore these with you in more depth at interview to determine whether any mitigating action might be required.

Pre-appointment checks: The responsibilities of the Department mean that we set very high standards for our staff. Honesty and integrity are essential and form part of the core values of the Civil Service. We will always carefully check the suitability of new employees for employment at the Home Office and are not tolerant of dishonest behaviour. We do not condone criminal activity in any way.

Civil Service Code: The Civil Service Code sets out the constitutional framework within which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to uphold. A copy of the Code can be found at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/values. You are encouraged to read this to ensure you are able to comply.

Civil Service Commission: The Home Office’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint you should contact [email protected] in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Home Office you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

The Commission publishes a guide that outlines its approach to handling a complaint under the Recruitment Principles. This can be accessed at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil- service-recruitment/complaints/. We would recommend you read this guidance before submitting a complaint.

Complaints should be sent in writing to: Civil Service Commission Room G8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ Phone: 020 7271 0831 Email: [email protected]

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ANNEX A

Home Office equal opportunities statement

The Home Office is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. We will not discriminate on grounds of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, those with caring responsibilities, part time workers or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work.

We encourage a diverse workforce and aim to provide a working environment where all staff at all levels are valued and respected, and where discrimination, bullying, promotion of negative stereotyping and harassment are not tolerated.

Assessment for recruitment, selection, appraisal, training and career progression purposes is based both on the individual’s ability and suitability for the work. We are committed to providing all staff with opportunities to maximise their skills and achieve their potential, offering flexible working arrangements wherever possible.

As a public authority the Home Office has statutory duties placed on it that require it to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination. We expect all staff to assist the department in meeting these obligations. All staff should have due regard for the need to promote good relations between individuals from different groups and work towards achieving equality of opportunity for all.

The Home Office has concluded that membership of any group or organisation that promotes hatred in its philosophy, aims, principles or policies based on gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief is incompatible with the work and values of the Home Office.

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