Civil Service Commission looks for four new commissioners

Sir David Normington eyes candidates with private sector experience as body overseeing civil service appointments seeks new commissioners

By Sarah Aston

06 Jul 2015

The Civil Service Commission is recruiting four new commissioners to replace three who have come to the end of their terms, it has been announced.

The recruitment drive at the body tasked with ensuring civil service appointments are made on merit follows the retirement of Adele Bliss, Peter Blausten and Eliza Hermann, all of whom completed five-year terms in March.

Although the Commission comprises individuals from public, third and private sector backgrounds, a job specification posted its website stressed its preference for private sector experience.

In a message to potential candidates, first civil service commissioner Sir David Normington said: "All three of the commissioners who have just stood down had private sector experience and I am particularly keen that we should replace that experience, if we can."

Established in 1855 to ensure civil servants are appointed on merit in open competitions, the commission has been an executive non-departmental public body independent of government and the civil service since 2010.

As part of that role, commissioners – who are paid a daily rate of £400 – are expected to provide “an independent perspective to ensure a high performing civil service is well placed to meet the challenges of the future”.

This involves chairing recruitment competitions for senior-level appointments, promoting civil service values, adjudicating complaints and setting the overall standards for civil service recruitment.

Thanking the three outgoing commissioners for their time in office, Normington said: "I have greatly valued the broad range of expertise that the current commissioners bring to our board and want to preserve the diversity and depth of expertise in new appointments we make."

The closing date for applications is midday on Friday 17 July.