HMCTS Evaluation Lead
This is a G7 Principle Research Officer (GSR) role
Background:
Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. We work with an independent judiciary to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.
We have an outstanding heritage and history and we want to build on this by updating and modernising to ensure we deliver a service that matches the expectation of the society we serve today and in the future. In recognition of this, HMCTS has been allocated unprecedented funding of over £1billlion to reform the way that our courts and tribunals operate. This will enable HMCTS to create a system that is proportionate and accessible and that better meets the needs of the people it serves.
We are focused on radically improving the user journey for all, to ensure that the service we design and deliver benefits the people who will use the system, including vulnerable users. For HMCTS, the changes we are making will reduce our own costs and remove service failure from our system allowing us to put resources where they matter most as well as strengthening access to justice.
This is a once in a generation opportunity to help transform how justice is delivered in England and Wales - by ensuring that the needs of the public are kept at the heart of reform, your work will have a real lasting social impact.
We are looking for someone who is experienced and passionate about evaluation, with the skills to successfully strategically manage and lead across a number of complex topics and disparate stakeholders, with the ability to distil and communicate knowledge with clarity. The role-holder will be required to manage ambiguity, create consensus and set direction.
The successful candidate will be required to:
- Lead on HMCTS’ overall evaluation strategy and narrative
- Determine the correct and proportional approach to project-level evaluation across HMCTS, working closely and collaboratively with stakeholders
- Oversee and co-ordinate the project-level evaluation approach, taking a strategic overview to ensure it successfully informs the overarching evaluation led by DASD in MoJ whilst representing HMCTS interests
- Provide expert evaluation advice and support to individual projects and ensure evaluation is embedded in project initiation processes
- Provide expert evaluation support and advice to include scoping, design, analysis, contract letting/management and oversight, as well as for in-house delivery
- Ensure robust project management and quality assurance processes are in place to deliver high-quality and timely outputs
- Work with colleagues where necessary to agree funding mechanisms for evaluation activity
- Build evaluation capability in the department, and strategic thinking of how to integrate evaluation where possible and appropriate
- Strategically define the post-reform evaluation approach for HMCTS
- Build and maintain excellent relationships with the service teams, senior leaders, key Ministry of Justice stakeholders as well as evaluation colleagues across government
- Develop relationships with relevant academics/external partners to engage them in the evaluation approach
- Establish a publication strategy for HMCTS evaluations
This will be challenging and influential role and offers a wide range of opportunities to develop your experience whilst making a real difference to services for millions of citizens. You will join a team dedicated to developing your skills and career within a multi-disciplinary environment. The team currently contains expertise and leadership experience across social and market research, behavioural science, digital development, economics, experimental/trials evaluation, operational research and data science.
Application Process:
We will assess you against the following behaviours at Level 4 during the selection process, along with the Government Social Research (GSR) Professional Competency (www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework)
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Leadership
- GSR professional competency
- Technical skills
- Using and promoting social research
Essential Skills and Knowledge:
It is essential that the candidate has the following skills and experience:
- Strong strategic perspective, with proven experience of articulating strategic priorties and developing plans to deliver on this whilst building consensus across multiple stakeholder groups
- Proven excellent evaluation research skill and knowledge of evaluation methods
- Strong experience of scoping, managing and delivering evaluation research to deliver actionable insights
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to develop strong relationships with a range of stakeholders and identify their evaluation needs and work closely and collaboratively with them
- Experience in drafting good quality papers/reports including communicating analysis to non-technical audiences
- An ability to scope, manage and oversee projects proactively and develop them in response to business needs.
- An ability to lead teams in a continuously developing and ambiguous environment
- Desirable Skills and Knowledge:
- Experience of leading an evaluation team or setting up of an evaluation function
- Experience of process and impact evaluations in terms of design, development of materials, conducting field work, through to the analysis and reporting of data
- Knowledge of related ethical issues in evaluation research
- An understanding of public policy and services particularly in the justice sector
- Experience of working closely with service designers and developers
Interview process:
- Knowledge Test (if not already a member of GSR)
- Presentation exercise
- The GSR professional competency will also be tested in interview, along with the behaviours listed above
Please download the full job description for further details
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
20/09/2019, 23:55 hours.
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
"Qualification route" OR "Experience route"
i. [Qualification route] Hold an undergraduate degree, at a minimum of 2:1 or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in a social science subject. A qualifying social science subject is one which contains substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken in the course) including quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design and hypothesis testing; and application of ethics to research. (See Annex A)
OR
ii. [Experience route] Hold an undergraduate degree, at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with a relevant postgraduate degree, in any subject, or hold a degree equivalent (for example, an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS) and have at least 4 years’ social research practice experience. Social research practice experience consists of experience working in a research agency, market research agency or specialised research team. To enter the GSR through this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills, which must include quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design and hypothesis testing; and application of ethics to research.
Annex A
Social research method degree content criteria. Applicant must have studied quantitative methods and three of the additional five criteria:
1 Quantitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e. questionnaire design, sampling, weighting), data
analysis (e.g. statistical analysis)
2 Qualitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e. interviewing, focus groups, ethnographic), data analysis
(e.g. thematic analysis)
3 Hypothesis design, testing and evaluation
4 Systematic’/literature reviews
5 Interpretation of data (qual & quan), presentation of results, provision of recommendations/ conclusions
6 Application of ethics to research - word limit
Interview stage assessments
"Qualification route" OR "Experience route"
i. [Qualification route] Hold an undergraduate degree, at a minimum of 2:1 or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in a social science subject. A qualifying social science subject is one which contains substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken in the course) including quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design and hypothesis testing; and application of ethics to research. (See Annex A)
OR
ii. [Experience route] Hold an undergraduate degree, at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with a relevant postgraduate degree, in any subject, or hold a degree equivalent (for example, an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS) and have at least 4 years’ social research practice experience. Social research practice experience consists of experience working in a research agency, market research agency or specialised research team. To enter the GSR through this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills, which must include quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design and hypothesis testing; and application of ethics to research.
Annex A
Social research method degree content criteria. Applicant must have studied quantitative methods and three of the additional five criteria:
1 Quantitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e. questionnaire design, sampling, weighting), data
analysis (e.g. statistical analysis)
2 Qualitative methods, including research design, data collection (i.e. interviewing, focus groups, ethnographic), data analysis
(e.g. thematic analysis)
3 Hypothesis design, testing and evaluation
4 Systematic’/literature reviews
5 Interpretation of data (qual & quan), presentation of results, provision of recommendations/ conclusions
6 Application of ethics to research
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
· UK nationals
· nationals of the Republic of Ireland
· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.