Appointment of a Member to the National Park Authority
Role description and person specification
National Park Authority (NPA) members are responsible, individually and collectively, for promoting effective leadership for the NPA, for setting its policy and for ensuring it meets its objectives within the statutory, policy and financial framework laid down for it. Members have a duty to act at all times within the law, in good faith and in the best interests of the National Park, and to be scrupulous in ensuring their public position is at no time compromised in favour of private interests, or gives rise to suspicion this has been done. You have equal status on the Authority as all other members, whether appointed by Welsh Ministers or by a Local Authority, notwithstanding any specific experience or skills you or other members may bring.
Members’ Role
Members of NPAs are required to understand and demonstrate a commitment to National Park purposes and be prepared to commit the time necessary for regular attendance at full Authority and committee meetings, as well as member development events, working groups, events, engagement with under-represented people including those from ethnic minorities and representing the Authority on outside bodies.
Key tasks include:
- To help lead the NPA in defining and developing its strategic direction and in setting challenging objectives.
- To ensure the NPA’s activities are conducted and promoted in as efficient and effective a manner as possible.
- To ensure strategies are developed for meeting the NPA’s overall purposes and duty, in accordance with the policies and priorities established by the Welsh Government.
- To monitor the NPA’s performance to ensure it fully meets its aims, objectives and performance targets.
- To ensure the NPA’s control, regulation and monitoring of its activities, as well as those of any other bodies which it may sponsor or support, provide value for money within a framework of best practice, regularity and propriety and to participate in the corporate planning process.
- To help the NPA to promote the Welsh Government’s sustainable development, equality and social inclusion objectives.
Person specification
What skills or knowledge do you need?
To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment. We welcome applications from individuals who have no previous experience of working on public sector boards. Individuals are selected on merit, against the essential criteria and not as representatives of particular organisations or groups.
To succeed in this role, it is important you can apply your skills and experience in ways which help deliver the statutory purposes for which the National Parks were designated (see the second paragraph in Annex B).
The Authority will benefit from being able to draw on a wide range of skills (including transferrable skills) and knowledge in its membership. You will need to be able to bring a national perspective to its work, acknowledging its role and contribution to Welsh aspirations (particularly for the well-being of future generations) whilst recognising the Park’s contribution to everyday environmental, economic, social and cultural life.
Your application will be strengthened if you can demonstrate an understanding of people from diverse backgrounds’ experience in accessing the countryside and green spaces, and ways in which these spaces can be made more inclusive.
Essential Criteria
- The ability to make a strong contribution to the Park Authority through participating effectively and constructively on its committees and working groups, working in a collegiate manner at all times;
- The ability to operate effectively in a strategic or national role, providing a direction of travel for the Authority’s executive team;
- The ability to communicate clearly with a range of audiences;
- An appreciation of the current policy and practice of National Parks in relation to landscapes and the environment;
- A clear understanding and commitment to the ten principles in The Conduct of Members (Principles) (Wales) Order 2001 (see Annex D);
- Knowledge or experience of promoting inclusion and diversity in a relevant context. Examples could include:
- Lived experience of disadvantage or exclusion,
- Proactively promoting equality for people with protected characteristics(1)
- and/or individuals with professional experience such as tackling financial and health inequalities, or dismantling barriers to inclusion;
- Skills and experience in one or more of the following areas are also essential:
- Experience in sustainable / green finance, including generating or diversifying income in an environmental context;
- Experience in organisational development and governance;
- Understanding of the role of National Parks in relation to the climate and nature emergencies.
(1) Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.
Desirable Skills
- Experience in advocating for the views and needs of young people (n.b. applications from candidates under the age of 30 would be particularly welcomed, or those with lived or professional experience of working with and advocating for young people).
- Experience in the arts, culture and heritage, and an understanding of the importance of culture and the Welsh language in the context of National Parks and Bannau Brycheiniog in particular.
- Experience of working for a charity, being a trustee, running a business or public administration at a senior level may be advantageous but is by no means essential.