Competition to appoint Chair and members to the Historic Monuments Council launched

The Department for Communities is launching a competition to invite applications for a new Chair and nine members to the Historic Monuments Council (HMC). These appointments will be made by an incoming Minister for the Department. The competition is being launched now to ensure that potential candidates can be identified in time for appointments to made early in 2018.

The HMC acts as a statutory advisor to the Department for Communities. The Council has a range of responsibilities through which it advises on matters, such as, the Scheduling of monuments, management and conservation of monuments in State Care, maritime archaeology, industrial and defence heritage, and Areas of Significant Archaeological Interest within Local Development Plans.

This is an open competition and applications are welcome from individuals who wish to participate in public service and have an interest in heritage, historic monuments or archaeological objects. Applications are particularly welcome from women, people from an ethnic minority, people with a disability and young people.

The Chair and members are expected to be appointed by a Minister from 1 February 2018 for a term of five years. These positions are unpaid but individuals are eligible for an allowance for travelling and other expenses. The time commitment for the Chair is approximately three days per month, with the time commitment for members approximately one day per month.

All applications for appointment will be considered on merit. The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 3 November 2017.

Further information, including an application pack, can be obtained online  or by e-mailing publicappointments@communities-ni.gov.uk.

You can also contact the Department on the following:

• Telephone: 028 9051 5269                                  
• Text Relay Service: 18001 028 90515269                            
• By writing to: Public Appointments Unit, Department for Communities, Level 8, Causeway Exchange, 1-7 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT27EG.

Notes to editors: 

1. This is a competition to appoint a Chair and nine members to the Historic Monuments Council (HMC). The appointments will be made by an incoming Minister for the Department for Communities.
2. The Historic Monuments Council (HMC) is an Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Communities (DfC). The responsibilities of the council are principally laid out in Article 22 of the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (NI) Order 1995. The purpose of the Council is to advise the Department on the exercise of its powers under this Order. There is also a requirement under the Strategic Planning Policy Statement for the HMC to be consulted on the designation of Areas of Significant Archaeological Interest. More information on the role of the HMC can be found online 
3. The public appointment process is conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in NI issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments NI.
4. The Department for Communities is committed to the principle of public appointments based on merit with independent assessment, openness and transparency of process. The Department is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people irrespective of religious belief, gender, disability, ethnic origin, political opinion, age, marital status, sexual orientation or whether or not they have dependents. The Department particularly welcomes applications from women, people from an ethnic minority, people with a disability and young people for these positions as these groups are currently under-represented at Board level across NI.
5. The position for the Chair and nine Board members at the Historic Monuments Council are being publicly advertised from 12 October 2017 with a closing date of 3 November 2017 and will be appointed by the Minister.  Based on legal advice and agreement obtained from the Commissioner for Public Appointments NI, the decision to commence a fully open competition was taken by the Permanent Secretary.  An independent assessor appointed by the Commissioner for Public Appointments NI has been fully engaged from the start of the process.
6. Media enquiries to DfC Press Office on 028 9082 3509 or email: press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07623 974383.
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