24212 - Bill Manager - Parliament and Legislation

About the Department

MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

What we do

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:

• courts
• prisons
• probation services
• attendance centres

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

Priorities

• Improve public safety and reduce reoffending by reforming prisons, probation and youth justice
• Build a One Nation justice system by making access to justice swifter and more certain for all citizens whatever their background
• Uphold the rule of law, defend the independence of the judiciary, safeguard essential liberties and restore historic freedoms
• Delivering efficiently in MOJ: ensure the best possible service for citizens by making our department more efficient and more open, with policy driven by evidence
  

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

JOB PROFILE

Job Title / Group / Directorate

Bill Manager, Parliament and Legislation Team

Reports To

Helen Kelly (Deputy Director Parliament and Legislation Team)  

Location & Terms of appointment

This is a permanent post based in 102 Petty France, London.

Salary and Grade

This post is Band A.

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.

Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.

Role Purpose

It is expected that The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will be introducing a number of Bills into Parliament in the coming Parliamentary Session, and the department is seeking to recruit three Bill Managers. The primary legislative package is expected to contain a range of high profile justice provisions, delivering on key priorities for the Department, Secretary of State and Prime Minister. These roles would suit experienced, motivated and organised Band As, who are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Bill Managers will be responsible for overall strategic oversight and project management of a Bill. The post-holders will be expected to liaise with policy colleagues, legal advisers, Parliamentary Counsel, with Parliamentary Business and Legislation Secretariat in Cabinet Office and Whips’ offices to help ensure introduction and safe passage of each Bill.

The post holders will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of colleagues including senior officials, Ministers and their Private Offices, providing regular written and face to face briefing. The roles provide an excellent opportunity to gain an expert level knowledge of the legislative process. There will also be opportunities to help develop the MoJ’s legislative strategy and to advise on Parliamentary handling and delivery more widely.

A key part of the role is to project manage the various work streams involved on a Bill, working closely with policy leads, lawyers and analysts to ensure that high quality support is delivered to Ministers in the lead up to and during debates in both Houses. They will also be responsible for coordinating intelligence and engagement activities with Parliamentary and other stakeholders on the Bill to provide strong handling advice and support.

In addition to the three Bill Manager posts available, there may be other Band A roles in the Parliamentary Team available and we will be creating a merit list for consideration during this recruitment round.                                                                                 

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

• To project manage each stage of the bill and ensure all officials know what is expected when and that all documents and products are delivered to time
• Ensuring readiness for each stage in the progress of the bill in Parliament
• Ensure a thorough and clear engagement and handling strategy is implemented for each stage of the bill
• Briefing and supporting ministers lead up to and during debates in both Houses
• Liaising with all key stakeholders and officials with an interest in the bill to ensure everyone is clear on actions and risks when they arise.
• Provide strategic advice on the handling of the bill throughout its passage to ministers and the centre

Management of Resources

There may be some line management responsibilities required in this role of a Faststream or Band B Bill Officer.

Person Specification:

This is a high profile, challenging and rewarding post that will require the post holder to work and make decisions at high pace. It would suit a motivated and organised person who is comfortable working with Ministers and internal and external stakeholders in a fast-moving environment. The experience this role will bring should stand the successful candidate in good stead when applying for similar roles or promotions in the future.

CS Competences and/or Professional Skills:

Setting direction – Seeing the big picture

1. Identify implications of Departmental and political priorities and strategy on own area to ensure plans and activities reflect these
2. Ensures relevant issues relating to their activity/policy area are effectively fed into strategy and big picture considerations

Setting direction – Changing and Improving

1. Spot warning signs of things going wrong and provide a decisive response to significant delivery challenges
2. Provide constructive challenge to senior management on change proposals which will affect own business area

Setting direction – Making effective decisions

1. Push decision making to the right level within their teams, not allow unnecessary bureaucracy and structure to suppress innovation and delivery
2. Identify the main issues in complex problems, clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations, to seek best option
3. Make difficult decisions by pragmatically weighing the complexities involved against the need to act

Engaging People – Leading and Communicating

1. Clarify strategies and plans, communicate purpose and direction with clarity and enthusiasm
2. Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels to generate commitment to goals
3. Be open and inviting of the views of others and respond despite pressure to ignore, revert or concede

Engaging People – Collaborating and Partnering

1. Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests
2. Work as an effective team player, managing team dynamics when working across Departmental and other boundaries
3. Seek constructive outcomes in discussions, challenge assumptions but remain willing to compromise when it is beneficial to progress

Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

The following skills would be desirable for this assignment:

• Written and oral communication The post-holders will need to have excellent written communications skills and the ability to draft effectively under time pressure, they will have experience of working to deadlines and of briefing to a high standard.
• Working with Ministers and their Private Offices at pace - The post-holders will need to be able to work with Ministers and their Private Offices to ensure Ministers are briefed effectively and have the support they need throughout the legislative process. They will be expected to build strong relationships with these key stakeholders. They will be expected to develop an in-depth knowledge of the policy areas that they are responsible for in the Bill.
• Stakeholder management The posts involve extensive stakeholder engagement and the ability to see several points of view and then form a view that supports the Government’s agenda is very important. The post-holders will need to build strong working relationships with a wide range of colleagues across the MoJ and beyond, including PBL Secretariat and Whips’ Offices.
• Programme and Project Management The post-holders will need excellent organisational skills and be able to apply project management techniques to keep a number of disparate elements on track for delivery. They will need to maintain strategic oversight of the Bill during the preparatory phase and through parliamentary passage up to Royal Assent.
• Knowledge of Parliamentary processes – again, it would be desirable for the post holder to have experience and knowledge of Parliamentary processes, although this is not essential.

Closing date; 22/02/19 at 23:55 hours

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference 24212