Public Chairs’ Forum
Diversity in Public Appointments
Diversity in Public Appointments
Research insights for chairs of public bodies.
Guidance and case studies providing simple, practical actions towards increasing diversity in public appointments.
‘Talent to thrive?’ Diversity in Public Appointments
Through 2022, Diversity in Public Appointments (DiPA) research project sought to drive improvements in public body board diversity. ‘Talent to thrive?’ is the resulting insight report based on contributions from over 70 individuals across public service, including aspiring board members, senior civil servants, public body chairs and CEOs, and diversity experts.
Public body chairs do not determine their board structure or membership, rather the public appointments process determines who governs public bodies.
DiPA sought to identify emerging practice to support chairs as they seek to influence the public appointments process.
‘Talent to thrive?’ explores why public body board diversity matters and considers current perceptions of which forms of diversity are important.
Recommending chairs benefit from taking a strategic approach to board recruitment, ‘Talent to thrive?’ explores some of the challenges chairs may face when recruiting for diversity and offers guidance, developed from public body chairs, senior civil servants, diversity and governance experts.
The research uncovered how chairs can create the conditions for success and emphasises the view that inclusivity matters above all in nurturing board diversity.
In conclusion, this research suggests increasing diversity on boards is a strategic issue, as such it reflects a strategic opportunity for chairs of public bodies, such that board members and indeed the public body itself, has the talent to thrive.
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In undertaking this research, I was determined that we should uncover effective engagement and recruitment practices to increase the talent pool available to public bodies. Now, arguably more than ever before, we need to attract fresh thinking and bring new energy and enthusiasm to help public bodies.
Sarah Smart
DiPA project sponsor
Chair, The Pensions’ Regulator
Guidance
Increasing diversity on boards is a strategic issue. Nearly all DiPA interviewees agreed that having diversity on boards supported the development of a more successful organisation. There was similarly strong support for recruitment practices that are outcomes-orientated, focused on filling skills and knowledge gaps from the widest possible talent pool.
Consistently in the DiPA research, civil servants reflected on the importance of the contribution of the chair in recruiting for diversity. Past and current senior civil servants, in particular, were considerably more optimistic about the potential for chairs to stimulate improvements in public appointment diversity than chairs were themselves. Notably, governance leads from public bodies were least positive, viewing the public appointments process as something handled by sponsoring departments.
A range of interventions and improvements to practice were identified by those interviewed, relating to the various stages of the recruitment process.
Easy to read and use guidance was developed from research insights for chairs of public bodies and members of their support teams.
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This research, the guidance and the case studies are a fine example of the best of what PCF can offer to public service. With pragmatism and positivity we demonstrate the strength of our collective contributions and our commitment to driving improvement, ambition and excellence in public service.
Helen Pitcher OBE
PCF Chair (up to July 2024)
Chair, Criminal Cases Review Commission and Judicial Appointments Commission
Case studies
Establishing an apprentice scheme
How the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) created an apprentice scheme to aid the professional development of diverse aspiring non-executive directors (NEDs).
Recruiting associate board members
How the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) created an associate board member programme to offer development opportunities to aspiring non-executive directors (NEDs).
Accommodating flexible working
How the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) became the first public body to appoint a Non-Executive Director (NED) job share.
Creating a succession plan
How the chair of the Port of Tyne (PoT) creates an annual succession plan to support efforts to recruit diversely to the board.
Hosting an outreach webinar
How the Coal Authority planned and delivered a webinar to advertise two nonexecutive director (NED) vacancies, and received a higher volume of applications compared to previous recruitment rounds.
Utilising the equal merits provision
How the Parole Board for England and Wales launched a recruitment campaign in 2019 and improved the ethnic diversity of their 246 parole board members from fewer than 5% to 17%.
Focusing on outreach activities
How the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) embed outreach into every recruitment campaign.
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Acknowledgments
Sponsored by Sarah Smart, Chair The Pensions Regulator, DiPA was generously supported by Gatenby Sanderson and Nurole.
DiPA working group involved ten PCF members (public body chairs) and experts from Institute for Government (IfG), a member of Cabinet Office public appointments team and a member of Office for Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
