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MoJ Band B – Prison Performance Policy Manager, Arm’s Length Bodies Sponsorship and Intelligence Team, Prison Policy Directorate
Location: London or Leeds, with the option to work remotely for part of the week.
Posts offered on full-time, part-time or job-share basis
Number of posts: 1
About the post
This role offers an exciting opportunity to support the Directorate on the Prison Performance Framework and to facilitate the development of outcome-based performance measures to help raise performance standards in prisons.
We want to appoint a high calibre and self-motivated Band B who is able to help take forward work to develop and implement a Performance Framework. The ideal candidate will be able to think strategically across a range of issues to improve performance translating business outcomes into acceptable performance objectives a time of change and reform.
You will need to work in close collaboration with a wide range of colleagues across MoJ and HMPPS in order to support strategic and operational performance.
Directorate Overview
Prison Policy Directorate sits in the Policy, Communications and Analysis Group as part of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The directorate leads on prison policy and covers a number of work areas including prison safety and security, workforce, operational policy, Foreign National Offenders, long-term estates strategy and the sponsorship of the independent scrutiny bodies who monitor and inspect prisons and probation services.
The Arm’s Length Bodies Performance, Sponsorship and Intelligence Team is responsible for determining the prison and probation system works effectively to deliver better outcomes for offenders. We do this by agreeing performance expectations and through managing the relationship with 6 Arm’s Length Bodies – HM Inspectorate of Prisons, HM Inspectorate of Probation, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the Independent Monitoring Boards, the Lay Observers and the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody. The team sponsors the bodies (funding, partnering/championing them across MoJ and beyond and holding them to account), provides intelligence from their reports to help inform policy development, drive improvements and leads on legislative changes to promote better governance. The advertised role sits in this team.
The Arm’s Length Bodies
MoJ is the major funder of these scrutiny bodies to a total of circa £20 million each year. They operate independently of Government and some are part of the UK’s National Preventive Mechanism, under the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, OPCAT.
They report to the Secretary of State on how well prisons and probation have met the standards and requirements placed on them and what impact these have on those in its custody or under community supervision.
Our Team
The work of our team has three complementary parts:
Performance and Intelligence – Ministers want performance data and inspections to be a tool for change, helping to drive and inform better policy making and performance improvement for prisons and probation. Our role is to analyse data, trends and patterns from performance data to ensure we have the right measures in place, and provide intelligence from scrutiny bodies to MoJ and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for operational improvement and policy development. We work closely with private offices, leading on ministerial engagement and ministerial parliamentary handling of ALB reports; we also manage the process office for the HMI Prisons Urgent Notification process, where the Chief Inspector alerts the Secretary of State where there are urgent and significant concerns about a prison and the Secretary of State has 28 days in which to publicly respond with an action plan.
Sponsorship – we provide funding of circa £18 million and our work here includes ensuring value for money, resourcing, assurance and promoting engagement with policy developers. This is a time of reform for our ALBs including new national appointments, changes to their governance and the introduction of new inspection methodologies. We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality service including advice and briefings to Ministers and senior officials across MoJ and government.
New methodologies and legislation – we work with the scrutiny bodies and across the department on developing new methodologies for inspections, investigations and monitoring establishments. For example, recently with HM Inspectorate of prisons, we tested and introduced a new process where the inspectorate carries out follow-up visits to assess progress made in implementing key concerns and recommendations in approximately 15-20 prisons a year. We are also responsible for strengthening the scrutiny bodies through legislation, when Parliamentary time allows.
Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody - The Council brings together Ministers, senior officials, experts and practitioners in the field. This extended, cross-sector approach to deaths in custody allows for better learning and sharing of lessons across custodial agencies. The shared purpose of the Ministerial Council is to bring about a continuing and sustained reduction in the number and rate of deaths in all forms of state custody in England and Wales. The main parts of the Ministerial Council are the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody (MBDC) and Independent Advisory Panel (IAP).
Main Activities / Responsibilities
Key duties are to:
- Provide support on developing and implementing a Performance Framework that uses intelligence and insights to inform the development and improvement of prison policies
- Work collaboratively and in partnership with key stakeholders (e.g. HMPPS, Finance, MoJ Planning & Performance, Data & Analytical Services and others) to support operational improvement and outcomes in prisons;
- Provide support to facilitate the development of outcome-based performance measures to ensure coherence and alignment of the measures to meet departmental commitments, for example as set out in the White Paper, as part of Spending Review or cross-Government agreements;
- Develop and maintain influential and effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders within Government relevant to the policy area, including those across MoJ and HMPPS, to encourage collaborative sharing of intelligence and working practices;
- Help to provide the highest quality advice to ministers to help shape and define the overall direction of travel in the policy area;
- Draft clear and concise briefings, in response to PQs and correspondence, to meet deadlines; ensuring that they meet the end-users’ need and to standard;
- Support the wider virtual team to deliver to high quality outcomes and products;
- Contribute to the culture and staff experience across the Division and/or Directorate, and depending on the corporate contribution, the wider department.
Candidate requirements
In your application, you will need to demonstrate how you meet the following Civil Service behaviours:
Seeing the bigger picture
- We want someone with the ability to bring together views and perspectives of a range of partners and stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding the policy area and an understanding of how their role supports MoJ wider HMG objectives.
Making effective decisions
- We are looking for candidates who are able to confidently use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. They should be able to carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
Communicating and influencing
- We want someone to lead cross-departmental teams from the front and take opportunities to communicate priorities with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm, helping to clarify goals and activities and the links between these and other departmental priorities.
Delivering at pace
- We want someone that is able to take responsibility for the delegated work areas to deliver the expected outcomes on time and to a high standard; to be able to plan ahead as well as reprioritise at short notice.
At interview, as well as assessing the above behaviours, we will also ask questions to understand your strengths.
If a high number of applications are received we will sift application forms on the ‘seeing the bigger picture’ behaviour.
You can find out more about behaviours and strengths by looking at the Civil Service Success Profiles guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
Applications
If you would like further information about the roles, please contact: Amelia.Johnson-Manley@justice.gov.uk
The successful candidates are expected to be able to take up posts as soon as possible, and, if joining from another Civil Service post, agreement with his/her current line management. The posts are available on promotion as well as level transfer.
For those candidates who successfully meet the job criteria but are not assigned to the initial posts, a merit/reserve list will be kept open for 12 months.
Selection Process: application form, CV and interview
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