Applying for an Appointment
If you wish to apply for a Public Appointment please visit the Public
Appointments Unit website, http://www.publicappointments.gov.uk
for further information. [External website]
The Commissioner regulates and monitors the process but does not
make appointments.
Ministers and their departments are responsible for conducting the process
and making the appointments. Candidates are drawn from a variety of
sources, and all have either put themselves forward or been nominated for a
public appointment.
There are two main ways in which people can apply:
Advertisements
Many appointments are advertised in either national or local newspapers or
specialist journals. These advertisements are placed by the government
department that sponsors the body, and may relate to one particular
appointment or cover several. A growing number of departments are also
placing advertisements on their
websites [External website].
Nominating Bodies
Some organisations, such as trades unions or consumer groups, have the
right to nominate candidates to particular bodies. The right may be
statutory or exist because the organisation has a particular interest in
the field. The Commissioner has issued guidance
for Nominating Bodies [43KB PDF] encouraging them
to observe the Code of Practice and equal opportunities principles and to
select their candidates on merit.
When to Contact OCPA:
-
if you experienced or are aware of any recruitment process for a
ministerial appointment to a public body where you feel the
Commissioner's Code of Practice has not been followed;
-
if you are involved in making a public appointment and are seeking an
exemption to the Code of Practice due to exceptional circumstances;
-
if you are interested in becoming an Independent Assessor;
-
if you require more information about OCPA and
the work of the Commissioner.
When not to contact OCPA:
-
if you are interested in a particular public appointment;
-
if you want to know the availability of public appointments;
-
if you are dissatisfied about the result of a particular appointments
process rather than with the procedures that were followed;
-
if you have a query concerning an appointment that does not fall within
the Commissioner's remit i.e. non-ministerial.
