Challenges
The
starting point for this campaign was the context in which IPSA would be
operating and the challenges inherent in that.
From the start, we engaged with senior stakeholders within the Ministry
of Justice and in Parliament, notably the Speaker of the House, to gain their
confidence in the candidates presented and in the rigour of the whole process
of the search and selection itself.
The
establishment of IPSA carried a high risk and was under intense scrutiny; we
had to identify individuals with the ability and credibility to lead an
organisation in the public eye, who could deal confidently and assuredly with
fundamental issues that underpin our democratic processes and respond to a very
public crisis in the expenses scandal. Key issues during the search included:
- Rebuilding
public trust and confidence in democracy
- Managing
intense public scrutiny and concern, but also the need to manage expectations
and explain processes to stakeholders
- Establishing
an effective regulatory function, including advisory and mentoring
- Appointing
a Chair with the gravitas and independence to instil confidence and navigate
very complex political issues appropriately
- Searching
in four discrete specialist pools for the Member appointments and maintaining
the integrity of each process whilst delivering a coherent campaign that
ultimately led to a balanced Board with complimentary and diverse skills and
behaviours
Managing
risk and challenge
- We
worked closely with the client to devise a robust and complete recruitment
process that ensured exemplary candidate care throughout; our screening and
probing of candidates was intense and focussed on ensuring they could withstand
the scrutiny that comes both from the appointment process and the role itself.
- Process
began with a comprehensive briefing from the MoJ and the Speaker; it was
critical to ensure political buy-in from the start
- Regular
communication and progress updates were provided and our clients made
themselves available for issues and candidate queries which made the
partnership element of the assignment all the more effective.
- We
had a larger than average long list for preliminary interviews, which is
testament to the high calibre of candidate that were attracted to this role.
- Each
candidate report and recommendation was clearly aligned to each point of the
role description to provide rigorous, transparent, risk-managed analysis
Adding
value to the client
Sourcing strategy
- Comprehensive
brief and effective stakeholder engagement facilitating creative and diverse
search
- Market
testing, benchmarking – potential candidates and concurrent recruitment
activity in the market
- Defining
the role to define search parameters – constructive challenge and holistic view
of existing membership and organisational challenges
- Informed,
candid and sensitive candidate care, managing their risks and expectations at
each stage of the process
- Transparency,
buy-in and communicating key messages to key opinion formers – we were client’s
‘ambassadors’
- Hand
in hand with client throughout – ongoing progress updates, sounding out
candidates and sharing feedback
Managing the process
Our
process is client’s process, but we add value through:
- Thorough
planning and preparation
- Reliable,
efficient project management – taking away the time-consuming tasks and
delivering logistically
- Risk
management – a partnership based on communication and accountability
- Robust
audit trail of fully evidenced processes and decisions using our e-enabled
account management system