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This position is available for external applicants as well as existing civil servants on level transfer or promotion. New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum. Secondments and loans will be considered on an individual basis. This appointment will be made on a fixed term appointment, due to the time limited nature of the Reform Programme. For existing civil servants, whilst the role itself is time limited, successful appointment on promotion will secure this grade on a substantive basis. 

Background 

It is an extremely exciting time here at HM Courts and Tribunals Service. We are currently undertaking a first-of-its-kind Change Programme aimed at delivering pioneering modernisation of judicial services, exploiting digital technologies to deliver services that better serve the public.  With over £1 Billion of funding this is the most ambitious programme of its kind anywhere in the world, working to ambitious timescales this is an exciting and rewarding portfolio to be part of. 

Reform provides the opportunity to place citizen needs and expectations at the very heart of HMCTS.  People will be able to participate with confidence, be treated with respect and understand what is happening at all stages of their case.  Transformation will reduce cost and increase confidence of the judiciary, delivery partners and stakeholders in the justice system whilst delivering benefits both to HMCTS and to the taxpayers. Importantly, service transformation is key to ensuring that HMCTS is on a sustainable financial footing for the future and will enhance the UK Justice system as a global leader. 

As part of the Strategy & Change Directorate you will be at the forefront of creating and implementing change in our world-leading justice system. The Programme is ambitious, and we need resilient, resourceful and adaptable people, with programme delivery experience, to make it happen.  To support us on this journey, we’re expanding the team and now are looking for an exceptional talent to join the Delivery Team at HMCTS. 

Portfolio Delivery Team 

Reform is delivered by approximately 55 projects within 5 programmes and 6 workstreams. The Portfolio Delivery Team (PDT) operates as a central management function, overseeing Portfolio reporting, progress analysis and tackling delivery issues. PDT owns the overall delivery plan for the portfolio, performance framework, the 7-steps project delivery framework, risk and issues log and other such key documents for controlling the portfolio. The team ensures that together, all the programmes and projects will deliver the changes in line with the business case; managing dependencies across the portfolio and monitoring the various critical paths to ensure a coordinated transition to the new operating model. PDT owns planning, performance monitoring and reporting, and is responsible for analysing issues, providing insight and recommending solutions to the Senior Management Team. 

PDT is split into two teams: 1) Planning and Performance and 2) Delivery Management. As Briefing and Reporting Lead, you will lead the briefing and reporting function in Delivery Management, working with colleagues in PDT, across HMCTS and other government departments as well as Ministers to accomplish the following: 

• Providing insight and analysis on the delivery of the portfolio through the reporting function to enable effective decision-making;
• Producing and delivering regular high-quality briefing papers, working closely with the Directors’ and the Chief Executive’s offices, and respond quickly and appropriately to ad-hoc requests such as responses to the Public Accounts Committee or Justice Select Committee;
• Aligning reporting through robust processes with the work of other teams at corporate level and within PDT’s planning, performance, risks and issues, benefits and delivery management teams;
• Implementing long term strategic improvements to ensure that the function can adapt to the changing needs of Reform;
• Providing a portfolio level intervention approach that is easy to understand, informed and has sufficient insight for both SMT and external partners. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead on the production and review of regular reporting and briefing, including enabling the team to deliver the monthly Portfolio Performance Pack (PPP) and Portfolio Insight paper;
• Continuously improve the reporting across the portfolio by reviewing relevant Portfolio performance metrics, and working with the other areas of the portfolio to improve the consistency of data and reporting (finance, transition, customer experience);
• Proactive and reactive briefing for the Strategy and Change Directorate for meetings with Ministers, the National Audit Office, Major Project’s Review Group (MPRG), Cabinet Office and other senior members and groups, both within Government and externally;
• Produce concise, relevant and timely assessments and responses for Ministers and senior civil servants with respect to progress of reform;
• Oversee delivery of engagement products such as briefing packs, scripts, slide packs, technical notes and coordinating the timely delivery of the products;
• Manage a small team of specialists (1x SEO and 2x HEO) to deliver a range of briefing and reporting documents in a timely and effective way;
• Develop subject matter expertise - using knowledge to understand, explain and communicate complex issues to non-specialists verbally and in writing;
• Build and maintain good working relationships with key stakeholders including the Director, Chief Executive, senior judges, Ministers’ private offices, wider MoJ colleagues and across other government departments; and
• Support the wider Portfolio Delivery Team to:
  • Develop a long-term strategic plan for adapting PDT according to the evolving needs of the Reform programme;
  • Ensure the Portfolio milestones are accurate, and that changes are tracked, in collaboration with the planning team; and
  • In collaboration with the governance and assurance team, capture projects’ position in relation to the 7 steps framework, the governance framework for Reform, and provide assurance to the Senior Management Team that projects are complying with the framework. 

Other duties

We are a highly interdependent team and the postholder will be expected to work flexibly and undertake any other duties reasonably requested which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post. 

Essential Skills & Experience: 

• Leadership: the ability to lead a small team to coordinate a variety of tasks, working with team members according to their specialist skills to further the goals of the wider Reform programme.
• Drafting and Presenting: the ability to summarise a complex set of facts, and advice where there are choices to be made, clearly and succinctly for Ministers and senior civil servants.
• Analytical Skills and Insight: the ability to analyse and present large volumes of qualitative and quantitative data in a concise and meaningful way through working alongside programmes and other portfolio functions.
• Strategic Thinking: Working with Ministers: build strong working relationships with Ministers and senior civil servants to support them in their decision-making on policy development and delivery.
  • Understanding and presenting accurately the direction of the portfolio and reform changes;
  • Translating complex or unclear issues into clear messages;
  • Proven ability to pick up complex policy areas rapidly and spot the key policy trade-offs;
  • Strong political antennae and understanding of wider political / policy sensitivities of the brief.
• Stakeholder Relationships: proven capability in building and maintaining stakeholder relationships with a wide range of organisations (whether within or outside Government) and people, using those relationships to achieve desired outcomes.
• Seeing the Big Picture: balance long-term strategic priorities against short-term demands.
• Changing and Improving: develop robust and strategic plans for improving the Briefing and Reporting function in response to
• Communication: excellent oral and written communication skills are essential with the ability to adapt style and tone for different audiences. You will need to engage confidently and effectively with senior officials both internally and externally across government to explain complex issues in readily understandable way.
• Organisation: excellent organisational and time-keeping skills are required in this role with the ability to effectively balance a number of briefing, reporting, and management responsibilities. 

Application Process: 

To apply for this position please completed the online application form, ensuring you submit the following two application documents: 

• An up-to-date copy of your CV which details your experience and achievements 
• A 750-word statement of suitability which demonstrates your suitability against the Essential Skills & Experience outlined above 

If selected for interview, as well as a selected range of strengths you will be tested against the following Success Profile behaviours (Level 4): 

• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing & Improving 

Further information on Success Profiles and required standards for this post (Level 4) can be found at: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles    

A Merit List of applicants meeting the required selection criteria may be kept for up to 12 months