Applicant Information Pack

Annex D - The Commissioner for Public Appointments Northern Ireland Public Appointments Code

Although the role of the Commissioner for Public Appointments NI (CPANI) is to regulate government department public appointments and not Assembly appointments, it is recognised that the Commissioner has developed best practice around appointment processes. Therefore, the process of appointing the Ombudsman will be carried out in accordance with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in NI. In particular, the seven key principles outlined in the Commissioner’s Code will be followed.

The Principles of the Code

Seven key principles underpin this Code. These principles determine the nature of the public appointment process in Northern Ireland:

Merit

All public appointments must be made on the basis of merit. Only those individuals judged to best meet the requirements of the post will be recommended to Ministers for appointment to public bodies.

Diversity

The make-up of the Boards of Northern Ireland public bodies does not adequately reflect the make-up of the population. The opportunity to appoint the best people is greatly increased when every potential applicant is attracted and encouraged to apply and when individual attributes and differences are valued. Departments should ensure, as far as possible, that

Boards are balanced in terms of skills and experience, and that opportunities to apply for positions on Boards are open to the communities they serve.

Equality

Departments must ensure equality of opportunity and equal treatment of all applicants at every stage of the appointment process. The ‘Important Notice’ at the start of this document highlights the importance of adherence to anti -discrimination law. It is for Ministers and their Departments to ensure that they are fully versed in these matters.

Openness, Transparency and Independence

The practices employed by Departments at every stage in the appointment process must be transparent and consistent with the recognised principles of open government.

All public appointment competitions must include a demonstrable element of independent participation in the assessment of applicants.

Integrity

Public appointees must be people who understand, apply and are committed to the principle of integrity, and who will perform their duties with moral rigor and honesty without personal or corporate gain.

Proportionality

Whilst the Commissioner’s Code must be followed for every appointment, the procedures applied at each stage of an appointment should be proportionate to the size and purpose of the public body and to the posts to be filled. The proportionality principle must not be used to circumvent proper procedures or avoid good practice.

Respect

Throughout the public appointment process, candidates should be treated with respect; this applies from the first contact with the Department through to completion of the appointment process.