1 Project Director Home Based 76,537-93,645 Project Director to work in South and Central Wales on the Welsh Government funded green energy programme Green Growth Wales Role description and candidate brief Closing Date: Friday 14 th October 2016
2 Content INTRODUCTION... 3 LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS... 4 Who we are and what we do... 4 Vision what we are trying to do... 5 Operating principles how we do it... 5 Values what we stand for... 5 ABOUT THE GREEN GROWTH WALES PROGRAMME... 7 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION... 8 Job description... 8 Person specification... 10 REMUNERATION PACKAGE... 11 TIMETABLE AND HOW TO APPLY... 12
3 INTRODUCTION is a joint venture between HM Treasury and the Local Government Association. We were formed in 2009 to help the public sector deliver projects and change at the local level. We support central and local government, health and other local bodies to ensure their key priorities are delivered and clients secure value for money. We offer teams of experts in a wide range of disciplines (legal, financial, procurement, project management, various technical services etc.) with extensive experience of project delivery and service change. We are based all over England and Wales with a core team based in Smith Square London SW1. We also have a team dedicated to supporting public sector bodies in Wales and an office at Local Government House in Cardiff. Our turnover is about 10 million per annum. The business in Wales is strong and growing and we wish to appoint a new project director to work in South and Central Wales. We are particularly looking for candidates with green energy and public sector experience. Profiles for the role, and the job description and person specification, are set out below together with details of how to apply. The closing date is [ ]. For more information contact: Mike Williams Project Director Green Growth Wales Programme Lead mike.williams@local.gov.uk 07920 053426
4 LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS Who we are and what we do Local Partnerships is owned jointly by HM Treasury and the Local Government Association (LGA). We were set up to help ensure delivery of public sector projects and programmes at the local level. It was recognised local authorities and other public bodies may find it uneconomic to employ the delivery capacity and commercial expertise required to deliver new policies and we were established by the public sector for the public sector to address that need. We aim to assist local authorities and others to make their client and commissioning arrangements more effective, and ensure projects are brought forward in a way that ensures best value for money and timely delivery. Our business plan reflects key government and local priorities. Our employees and associates are highly skilled and experienced specialists from the key disciplines required for project development, appraisal and implementation. We are extremely well-networked within the public sector and in touch with senior decision-makers in many public sector bodies. Although the business moves all the time in line with government policy and local needs, the current workload falls in six categories: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; Housing and regeneration; Public service reform, covering alternative models of service delivery, health and helping local councils make efficiency savings; Infrastructure (helping procure, maintain or manage waste, broadband, transport, highways and flood defence projects; Assurance (including accredited Gateway Reviews and project health checks). A separate Wales based team offers the full range of our work to the Welsh Public Sector. Examples of programmes we are currently, or have recently undertaken are: Work for the Welsh Government on implementing Green Growth Wales, a pipeline of energy efficiency and renewable technology projects; Supporting the Welsh Government s Waste Infrastructure Procurement Programme and the PPP element of their C21 Schools Programme; Work for DEFRA helping procure and deliver waste infrastructure throughout England, and increasingly assisting with post-completion work on existing projects; Savings programmes for local authorities and others;
5 Work with a number of local authorities looking at alternative service delivery methods and integration of services, including integrated health and social care; Work with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Homes and Communities Agency, Ebbsfleet Urban Development Corporation and individual local authorities on Housing, Enterprise Zone and regeneration programmes. This involves providing direct support and advice on planning, delivery, viability, land acquisition and infrastructure provision; The national Re:fit programme, helping public sector organisations to implement energy efficiency and local energy generation measures on public land and/or in public buildings for guaranteed minimum energy savings; Work for the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Education, the Department for Transport, the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs making savings in operational local authority PFI projects; Assurance and Gateway Reviews across the country, providing effective reviews to project owners on high risk projects of programmes. Most of our work is fee-earning, but about 15% of our income comes from the Local Government Association in the form of Revenue Support Grant. This funding is used to support English local authorities in ways that will bring learning and benefit to local government generally. Vision what we are trying to do Our vision is as simple as it is challenging: to strengthen the public sector to deliver more effectively, achieve more swiftly, and give value for money to the taxpayer and customer. Operating principles how we do it Our operating principles are: 1. we only work for public sector bodies, the community-focused third sector, and related partners (including Local Enterprise Partnerships) with almost all our work being done in England and Wales; 2. we focus business development on our owners priorities; 3. we bring added value to local public services, avoiding assignments others could readily provide; 4. we share our learning rather than hoard our intellectual capital; 5. our charging model aims to recover costs, not maximise surplus. Values what we stand for Our values are those of our owners and clients. While we charge for most of what we do we are motivated by public sector values. Our values are:
6 putting local people s needs first striving for efficiency and effectiveness cherishing diversity in people and services. Approximately two-thirds of a typical assignment is undertaken by employees; while the other third will be done by associates who are used as the need arises. Project directors may be required to supervise associates working on the same projects as themselves.
7 PROJECT DIRECTORS - The Role The Project Director for this role would ideally be based in South or Central Wales and will need to travel to clients premises across Wales and potentially England as well as to our offices in Cardiff and London. While every assignment is different, project directors typically bring their professional expertise and project management skills to bear on complex projects and problems and ensure the Local Partnerships quality standards are met in completing the assignment on time and budget. Project directors need to have an understanding of decision-making in the public sector, including the role of elected politicians, in addition to their technical expertise. Almost all assignments involve preparing reports containing complex written and analytical information for the client, so excellent communications skills are vital. Knowledge transfer to the client is a key part of the role. Although many employees are remotely based everyone meets in London once a month for an all staff meeting, and once a year the whole organisation spends 24 hours away together for staff development activity and learning. Project Directors have face to face meetings with their programme director at least monthly, and often more frequently than this. There is an annual appraisal scheme. ABOUT THE GREEN GROWTH WALES PROGRAMME Local Partnerships was commissioned by the Welsh Government to support its Green Growth Wales Programme. We are actively engaged to work across the public sector in Wales to grow, accelerate and de-risk delivery of the public sector s pipeline of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The key objective of the programme is to support sustainable development in Wales: by increasing green investment, reducing carbon emissions, expanding the green economy and sustaining the growth of green jobs throughout Wales. The Programme includes work in the following areas: Provision of dedicated project management and commercial support to public sector bodies in each of the Welsh Regions; Subsidised support for the implementation of Re:fit Cymru a programme to deliver large scale buildings energy efficiency retrofits; Toolkits, advice and support for street lighting energy efficiency conversions; Support for heat networks development and delivery; Help and advice with delivery of renewable energy generation infrastructure, including solar, hydropower, wind etc; Next generation technologies such as hydrogen production and use and energy storage.
8 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION Job description Job Title: Responsible to: Grade: Hours: Location: Project Director Green Growth Wales Project Director - Green Growth Wales Programme Lead. Project Director Full-time (permanent) Home Based Main purpose of role To work as a Transactor on the Green Growth Wales Programme providing commercial, procurement, financial and project management support to public sector clients. Working with projects to help define project scope, support negotiation with private sector suppliers and investors, improve value for money, ensure peer-to-peer project learning and accelerate project development to investment readiness and beyond. This will encompass the full range of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems. The role will also involve providing support to the public sector to help raise the profile of projects, to ensure strategic buy-in, leadership and ownership. Principal responsibilities As a Green Growth Wales Transactor, responsibilities include: To effectively undertake the transactor role within the Green Growth Wales Programme, to grow, accelerate and de-risk projects within the public sector pipeline; To ensure comprehensive coverage of all public sector bodies within the designated region, maintaining regular contact with each; To work intelligently and persistently with clients and colleagues within the programme to unblock projects, and overcome barriers to the development of new projects and the progression of existing projects; To communicate vertically and laterally within each public sector body, to best achieve the desired outcomes; To consider working across organisations to engender partnerships where this will support the desired outcomes;
9 To ensure the sharing of new learning and best practice between projects, regions and LP colleagues; To ensure timely reporting and production of deliverables, to the quality required by the Welsh Government and as agreed with the programme manager and programme lead; To recognise the different skill sets that are required and available across the team and to call on appropriate support when such skills are needed. As a Local Partnerships Project Director, general responsibilities include: Lead delivery of work streams and projects using professional expertise and maintaining strong and effective relationships with clients, either as part of a team, or independently; Prepare outputs and outcomes in line with the brief for the assignment, using tools to report complex written, financial and analytical information to the client; Ensure projects meet Local Partnerships Quality Standards, customer expectations and Local Partnerships financial targets; Establish a reputation with clients and colleagues as a source of expertise within a Programme Area; Working with the relevant Programme Director, help undertake new business development; Contribute to the wider corporate success of Local Partnerships; Manage assigned associates working on the same programme.
10 Person specification Academic and professional qualifications and/or significant experience relating to the Energy/Environment sector. These could be technically or commercially based. Strong commercial skills and a track record of operating at a senior level in the energy environment within the public or private sector. In-depth understanding of the UK public sector and respect for the democratic process. A clear understanding of changing government energy policy. An understanding and experience of public sector procurement processes. Substantial experience of working on high profile complex projects or programme management, with a track record of effective delivery. Strong skills in written and verbal communication, and in analysis and presentation of data. Experience of generating interest in energy programmes and in building effective relationships with key stakeholders such as local authority chief executives/ corporate directors and central government programme managers. Experience of managing project teams from differing backgrounds and professions to deliver commissions/ programmes. Values consonant with those of. Demonstrable skills and experience in other LP programme areas would be highly desirable.
11 REMUNERATION PACKAGE Appointment will be made within the 76,537-93,645 p.a. range for home-based staff. The exact position within this range will depend on previous experience and salary levels. An annual performance review is held, and a performance-related payment of up to 5% of salary is possible each year in response to outstanding performance. General rises in pay to reflect increased cost of living are possible but not guaranteed. The post holder will be eligible to join Local Partnerships pension scheme which is a Defined Contribution scheme. Employees can opt to make contributions in the range of 0% to 5%, with the employer contributing in the range 5% to 12.5%. Hours of work are 35 per week minimum but you will be required to work the hours necessary to perform the role. The role will require travel throughout Wales and England regardless of base. Holiday entitlement is 28 days a year, rising to 30 days after 3 years, and 32 days after 5 years service. This is a permanent post with three months notice of termination required on either side.
12 TIMETABLE AND HOW TO APPLY The closing date for applications is Friday 14 th October 2016. Candidates should submit an up-to-date CV plus a supporting statement of approximately four pages setting out how you meet the requirements of the job description and person specification to Emma.Bull@local.gov.uk. Mike Williams, GGW Programme Lead, will be happy to talk to potential candidates in advance of their application: 07920 053426