Mental Health Commission Decision Support Service (DSS) Project Manager Applicant Information Booklet 2nd June 2017 1
Contents THE POSITION... 3 CONDITIONS OF SERVICE... 6 HOW TO APPLY... 11 GENERAL INFORMATION... 14 2
THE POSITION Title of Position: Job Reference Code: Office: Location: Organisation Website: Decision Support Service (DSS) Project Manager MHC0217 Mental Health Commission Dublin www.mhcirl.ie The Mental Health Commission (the Commission ) is an independent statutory body charged with the operation of the Mental Health Acts. The principal functions of the Commission, as specified in the 2001 Act, are to promote, encourage and foster the establishment and maintenance of high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to take all reasonable steps to protect the interests of persons detained in approved centres. The Commission is also empowered to undertake such activities as it deems appropriate to foster and promote these standards and practices. The Commission is also the body charged with the operation of certain provisions of the Assisted Decision- Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act ) including the establishment of a Decision Support Service (DSS) within the Commission. The provisions in this legislation extend beyond mental health services and enshrine the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities, dementia, acquired brain injuries and also persons with mental health issues to take their own decisions, where at all possible. When established, the DSS will play a key role in regulating the area of assisted decision-making and in providing information to members of the public, interveners and organisations and bodies in relation to their diverse statutory obligations under the 2015 Act. The main guiding principles under the 2015 Act that will shape the work of the new DSS are as follows: A person is presumed to have capacity unless otherwise determined and a functional approach to capacity will be adopted where a person s capacity is in question or may shortly be in question; An intervention in respect of a person whose capacity is in question or may be in question shall be made in a manner that minimizes the restriction of the relevant person s rights and the restriction of the relevant person s freedom of action. THE ROLE The Commission is seeking to recruit for the position of DSS Project Manager. This is a senior role within the Commission with significant responsibilities. The successful applicant will be responsible for the establishment and delivery of the DSS within the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the 2015 Act. Key Responsibilities & Duties The key responsibilities and duties of the Decision Support Service (DSS) Project Manager include the following: Developing, at an early stage, a fully scoped, timed and costed project for the establishment of the DSS; Identifying the timing, sequencing and phasing of different elements of the project implementation project; Costing the various elements of the project implementation plan, including for the purposes of the estimates processes for 2018 and 2019; 3
Identifying the variable factors and risks that will influence delivery of the project and adjusting the project implementation plan to meet those challenges; Providing an estimated timeframe for an operational DSS which should be used in all public messaging in relation to the DSS going forward; Consulting and briefing the Director of the DSS when appointed and the Senior Management Team of the MHC in relation to the goals and deliverables of the Project Plan; Operationalising the diverse phases of the Project Implementation Plan within identified timeframes and within budget; Liaising and working with the members of the Project Implementation Team to operationalise the various phases of the project plan; Liaising and working with external stakeholders in relation to elements of the implementation of the 2015 Act that are being undertaken by other organisations; Consulting and liaising on the content of the Project Plan with the Department of Health and Department of Justice & Equality through the medium of the Decision Support Service Steering Group. PERSON SPECIFICATION The successful candidate will demonstrate the following qualities and experience: Ability to quickly understand key business issues and operational objectives; Excellent interpersonal skills; Effective and confident communication of complex messages (written and oral) to internal and external audiences; Knowledge and understanding of the 2015 Act and the statutory remit of the Commission; Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, dealing with conflicting priorities, meeting deadlines and successfully managing stakeholders; Strong project management and organisational capabilities; IT literate with excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office packages. Essential Requirements In addition to the person specification, the ideal applicant will: Have a recognised University Degree level 8 (or greater) or equivalent professional qualification in a discipline relevant to the role of the Decision Support Service (DSS) Project Manager Provide evidence of a minimum of 5 years of experience in a Project Management role Provide evidence of Project Management qualifications (for example Prince 2, PMP or equivalent) Provide evidence of a successful track record in management of projects in a similar role Provide evidence of ability to scope and project plan the rolling out of a new legislative framework and/or a new policy framework within the public sector; Demonstrate experience in formal project management tools and methodologies; Demonstrate professionalism and strong interpersonal skills. Desirable Requirements Evidence of specific project management experience in the public sector environment; Strong written and oral communication skills as well as presentation and negotiation skills; Evidence of knowledge and understanding of the Assisted (Decision-Making) Capacity Act 2015 Please note this Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties involved and consequently, the ultimate post holder may be required to perform other duties 4
as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/ her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office Reporting and Working Relationships The DSS Project Manager will report to the Director of the Decision Support Service when appointed. In the interim, the DSS Project Manager will report to the Chief Executive or another officer of the Commission duly authorised by the Chief Executive. 5
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE SALARY The salary for this post will be remunerated at Principal Officer scale. Since 1 st April 2017 the rate of remuneration for the post is as follows: Non-Personal Pension Contribution (Non-PPC) 77,849, 81,004, 84,140, 87,302, 89,965, 92,728 (after 3 years satisfactory service at the maximum), 95,487 (after 6 years satisfactory service at the maximum). This rate will apply where the appointee is a civil or public servant recruited before 6 th April 1995 and who is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution. Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) 81,767, 85,091, 88,392, 91,716, 94,521, 97,428 (after 3 years satisfactory service at the maximum), 100,333 (after 6 years satisfactory service at the maximum). This rate will apply where the appointee is an existing civil or public servant appointed on or after 6 th April 1995 or is newly recruited to the Public Service and is required to make a personal pension contribution. The rates of remuneration outlined above are gross before the deduction of all statutory and agreed deductions including all applicable income, taxes, levies and the employee's contribution to the relevant pension scheme. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy. PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS Payment will be made fortnightly in arrears by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into a bank account of the employee s choice. Payment cannot be made until a bank account number, BIC and IBAN have been supplied to the Commission. Statutory deductions from salary will be made as required. Any overpayment of salary or of travel and subsistence will be deducted from future salary payments. The successful applicant will be required to remit any fees or other monies payable to or received by her/him from any third party by virtue of his/her post to the Commission. TENURE & PERFORMANCE The appointment will be on the basis of an 18 month fixed term contract of employment. An initial probationary period of up to six months from the date of appointment will apply. During the probationary period, the successful applicant s performance will be subject to review by the Chief Executive (until the appointment of the Director of the DSS) of the Commission to determine whether the staff member: I. has performed in a satisfactory manner II. has been satisfactory in general conduct Prior to completion of the probationary period a decision will be made as to whether or not the probationary employee will be retained. An extension of the probationary period may arise in appropriate circumstances. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs, the employment may be terminated at any time prior to the expiry of the probationary period by either side in accordance with the Minimum Notice and Terms 6
of Employment Acts, 1973 to 2005. After completion of the probationary period a contractual notice period of 1 month prior written notice will apply to the Commission and the successful candidate. The probationary period will be temporarily suspended where a probationary employee is absent due to an authorized or statutory leave. The DSS Project Manager employment requires continuous performance consistent with the highest standards expected of senior members of non-commercial state agencies. Performance will be subject to continuous appraisal and review with at least annual reviews which will be recorded in writing. LOCATION The initial place of work for the DSS Project Manager will be at the Commission s offices in Waterloo Exchange, Waterloo Road, Dublin 4. The Commission reserves the right, at its discretion, to change this location to any other place within Ireland. The DSS Project Manager may be required to travel in the performance of his/her duties and must have access to her/his own transport. HOURS OF ATTENDANCE Normal hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount, on average, to not less than 37 hours net per week. The successful candidate may be required to work additional hours for the proper discharge of her/his duties. No additional payment will be made for such additional hours. ANNUAL LEAVE The annual leave allowance for this post will be 30 working days per annum. THE ORGANISATION OF WORKING TIME ACT 1997 The terms of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 will apply, where appropriate, to this appointment. SICK LEAVE The Commission operates a sick leave/sick pay scheme. Payment for absences due to illness/injury will be in accordance with the provisions of the Commission s sick leave scheme subject at all times to compliance with the terms of the scheme. Sick leave arrangements are subject to Government policy and any changes applying generally to the public service. An employee of the Commission who is subject to Class A PRSI and in receipt of sick pay will be required to sign a mandate directing the Department of Social Protection to pay any illness or other social welfare payments the Commission. Payment of salary during illness is at all times subject to the staff member making the relevant claims for social insurance benefits and in a timely manner. SUPERANNUATION AND RETIREMENT The successful applicant will be offered the appropriate superannuation prevailing in the Public Service at the time of being offered appointment. Further information is available on request. The following information is general in its nature and is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of public service superannuation or the rules and restrictions relating to same. 7
Former civil or public servants who retired from the civil/public service or who otherwise availed of various incentivised schemes are reminded to check their eligibility for re-entering employment in the public service and/or the potential consequences of doing so on any payments made or pensions in payment. In this regard, applicants are reminded of the following: Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) It is a condition of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) as set out in Department of Finance Circular 12/09 that retirees under the ISER are prohibited from applying for another position in the same employment or the same sector. Such retirees are ineligible for this appointment while the above restriction continues in force. Department of Health and Children Circular (7/2010) The Department of Health Circular 7/2010 dated 1 November 2010 introduced a Targeted Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) Scheme and Voluntary Redundancy Schemes (VRS). It is a condition of the VER scheme that persons availing of the scheme are not be eligible for re-employment in the public health sector or in the wider public service or in a body wholly or mainly funded from public moneys. The same prohibition on re-employment applies under the VRS except that in the case of VRS, the prohibition is for a period of 7 years after which time any re-employment requires the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Applicants who availed of either of these schemes are not eligible for this appointment while the above restrictions apply (unless, where applicable, the relevant 7 years have expired and Ministerial consent has been obtained). Redundancy Payments to Public Servants Department of Public Expenditure and Reform letter dated 28 th June 2012 to Personnel Officers notified a Collective Agreement reached between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Services Committee of the ICTU in relation to ex-gratia Redundancy Payments to Public Servants with effect from 1 st June 2012. It is a condition of the Collective Agreement that persons availing of the agreement are not eligible for re-employment in the public service by any public service body for a period of 2 years from termination of employment. After the 2 year period the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is required prior to re-employment. Applicants who availed of this scheme will be ineligible while the above restrictions apply (unless the relevant 2 years have expired and Ministerial consent has been obtained). Declaration Any applicant offered a role will be required to declare whether she/he has previously availed of any of the foregoing schemes and to declare any entitlements to any civil or public service pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other civil/public service employment and/or where they have received a payment-in-lieu of any public service employment. In all cases it will be a condition of employment that the successful applicant makes full disclosure to the Commission of all relevant facts about his or her prior employment relevant to the above matters and that she/he secures all necessary contents or permissions. A failure by a relevant applicant to do so and/or any breach of any of the foregoing schemes resulting from the applicant s employment by the Commission will be grounds for summary dismissal. Superannuation New Recruits In general, an appointee who has never worked in the public service will be offered appointment based on membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (the Single Scheme ). Details of the Scheme are at www.per.gov.ie/pensions The Single Scheme provides for: 8
Pensionable Age The minimum age at which pension is payable is at age 66 (rising to 67 from 2021 and 68 from 2028) in line with changes due to the State pension age. Retirement Age Scheme members must retire at reaching age 70. Pension Abatement & Eligibility In certain cases, if the appointee has previously been employed in the civil or public service and is in receipt of a pension from the civil or public service or where a civil/public Service pension comes into payment during his/her re-employment and he or she is entitled to re-enter employment in the civil/public service, then his/her pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. If the appointee was previously employed in the civil service and awarded a pension under voluntary early retirement arrangements (other than the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER), Department of Health Circular 7/2010 VER/VRS or the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government Circular Letter LG (P) 06/2013 which render such a retiree ineligible for the competition) the entitlement to that pension will cease with effect from the date of reappointment. Arrangements may be available for the reckoning of previous service given by the appointee for the purpose of any future superannuation award for which the appointee may be eligible. Ill-Health Retirement / Permanent Health Insurance /Income continuance An individual who has retired from a civil/public service body on the grounds of ill-health will be subject to review in accordance with the rules of the applicable pension scheme of that employment. An employee cannot be in receipt of capability based/ill-health payments based on being unfit for work (e.g. ill-health early retirement pension or income continuance payments) and actively employed by the Commission. Any applicant in such a position is advised to seek clear medical advice on their fitness to return to work and the consequences of same for any payments being made under ill-health early retirement schemes, permanent health insurance schemes, etc. Superannuation of existing public servants A successful applicant who has worked in a pensionable capacity in the public service prior to taking up the appointment may be eligible to retain his/her prior superannuation arrangements and/or to enter a scheme other than the Single Scheme Specifics will be discussed and documented with the relevant candidate if/where this arises. FEMPI & Pension-Related Deduction The appointment is subject to the pension-related deduction in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measure in the Public Interest Act 2009. CONTRACT ARRANGEMENTS An 18 month fixed term contract of employment with the Commission will be offered to the successful applicant on terms and conditions determined by the Commission with the consent of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. ETHICS IN PUBLIC OFFICE ACT The DSS Project Manager will be subject to the Ethics in Public Office acts 1995 and 2001 and will be obliged to act in accordance with any guidelines or advice published or given by the Standards in Public Office Commission. Guidelines for public servants on compliance with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 are available on the Standards Commissions website: www.sipo.gov.ie 9
OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Please note that any offer of employment made to a successful applicant shall be subject to assessment including satisfactory verification of references and a pre-employment medical. Further information on the conditions of employment will be outlined in the contract of employment for the successful candidate. 10
HOW TO APPLY Mazars will be managing all aspects of this recruitment process on behalf of the Commission. Suitably qualified applicants are required to apply by way of: a cover letter/ personal statement (maximum of two A4 pages) outlining why he/she wishes to be considered for the post and where s/he believes his/her skills, experience and values meet the requirements of the position of Decision Support Service (DSS) Project Manager; and a comprehensive curriculum vitae. The CV must include a clear statement of the professional qualifications held and date of qualifications to demonstrate the applicant meets the qualification standards. Applications should be submitted via the Mazars HR & OD web page at http://www.mazars.ie/home/our-expertise/consulting/organisational-development-hr No enquiries or canvassing may be made to the Commission. Canvassing is prohibited. For more information contact: Sonya Boyce, Mazars on +353 1 449 6466. Closing Date Deadline for applications is Friday, 16 th June 2017 at 5.00pm. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date and late applications will be ineligible for consideration. Therefore it is your responsibility to ensure that you have allowed sufficient transmission time for receipt by Mazars of your application. Applicants must ensure they retain a copy of the email submitted to Mazars including the date and time in case of any queries. An acknowledgement email will generally be issued in respect of all applications received (simply acknowledging receipt and it will not confirm eligibility or otherwise). If an applicant does not receive an acknowledgement email within 2 working days of date of submission, the applicant should contact Robert McGarry in Mazars by email (RMcGarry@mazars.ie) to ensure the application has been received. Selection Process The Commission with the assistance of Mazars will conduct the applicant selection process. The approach employed will include: 1. Review by Mazars of all applications received. 2. Removal of ineligible applicants based on information provided by applicants. 3. Consideration by review panel of all applicants who appear eligible based on applicant supplied information. 4. Shortlisting of applicants by the review panel on the basis of the information contained in the application; 5. A competitive interview conducted by an interview board (to include a presentation). Shortlisting A shortlisting exercise will be employed and a review panel will assess the applications received (which have not been disqualified on eligibility grounds) against the eligibility criteria set out in this 11
Information Booklet to see how the experience and skills as described by applicants match the needs of the Commission for this post. The criteria for the shortlisting exercise will be based on the requirements for the post as outlined in this Information Booklet. It is very important that applicants give careful consideration to the information contained in this Information Booklet and how they present their relevant qualification, skills and experience by reference to same in their cover letter/email and CV. Please also note that while an applicant may meet the eligibility requirements, it is unlikely that all eligible applicants will be invited for interview. The shortlisting process will be a qualitative assessment of the information provided by applicants by reference to the criteria set out in this Information Booklet and it is intended to reduce the number of applicants who are invited to interview. The Commission will rely on the shortlisting process to select candidates for interview. The candidates whose applications, in the opinion of the review panel, appear best suited to the position will be short-listed for interview. The review panel will comprise of a subgroup of the Interview Board. Interview Short-listed applicants will be invited to attend for interview. The interview process will canvass applicants relevant qualifications, skills, experience and other requirements of the role (both essential and desired) as outlined in this Information Booklet. The interview board will comprise of the Commission s Chief Executive, an external subject expert and a representative from Mazars. References The successful applicant/appointee-designate (which may include reserve applicants) will be required to furnish references. Interested applicants should start considering the names of people who might be submitted as referees, seeking referee consent, etc. The Commission, acting through Mazars, will require 3 professional referees (names and contact details will be sought in due course and are not required with the application). Referees should be able to provide relatively recent accounts on the applicant s professional performance and behavior in a work context. Applicants may wish to nominate referees that can provide such information from different perspectives or in different work contexts. Referees will only be contacted if an applicant is under consideration post-interview. The successful applicant/appointee-designate to whom it is intended to make an offer of employment we be required to provide a reference from his/her current employer prior to the recommendation for appointment. The successful applicant shall also be required to complete a number of other clearance processes such as health and character declarations, a pre- employment medical, any other checks as deemed necessary. Prior to recommending an applicant to the Commission for appointment Mazars will make such enquiries as Mazars consider necessary to determine the suitability of the applicant for the role. Applicant consent will be sought where appropriate or necessary. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed no final determination will be made and no appointment or employment can be implied from the process until such time as the appointee -designate has entered into his or her written contract of employment with the Commission. If the successful applicant / appointee designate declines the offer of employment or having accepted it, relinquishes it, the Commission may at its sole discretion select and recommend another applicant from the current selection process. 12
The Commission reserves the right not to appoint a candidate and/ or to cancel the competition at any stage. 13
GENERAL INFORMATION CITIZENSHIP Persons who are not citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA) states and Switzerland are not eligible to compete. Normal rules of the Public Service will apply as regards eligibility. In the case of the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER), one of its conditions at paragraph 12 of Circular 12/09 debars retirees from the Public Service under that Scheme from applying for another position in the Public Service. Therefore, such retirees cannot apply while the above restrictions continue in force. The EEA consists of the member states of the European Union along with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Special conditions may apply to citizens of Bulgaria and Romania following their recent entry to the European Union and their eligibility to be employed and work in Ireland. Eligibility should be confirmed with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation. available to undertake, and fully capable of undertaking, the duties attached to the position. Applicants must not: Knowingly or recklessly provide false information Canvass any person with or without inducements Interfere with or compromise the process in any way CANVASSING Canvassing will result in disqualification from the competition. EQUALITY The Commission is committed to a policy of equal opportunity. CONFIDENTIALITY Applicant confidentiality will be respected at all stages of the recruitment process. Applicants should however note that all application material will be made available to the Commission. LEGAL COMPLIANCE Mazars and the Commission are committed to complying with all relevant legislation over the course of this recruitment campaign, including the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, and the Freedom of Information Act 2014. EXPENSES Neither Mazars nor the Commission will be responsible for any expenses including travel expenses incurred by applicants in connection with their candidature. APPLICANT OBLIGATIONS Applicants must (i) have the knowledge and ability to discharge the duties of the post concerned; (ii) be suitable on the ground of character and (iii) be suitable in all other relevant respects for appointment to the post. If successful, they will not be appointed to the post unless they (i) agree to undertake the duties attached to the post and accept the conditions under which the duties are, or may be required to be performed and (ii) are fully competent and 14