Agenda item
Appointment of Interim Chief Executive
To confirm the appointment of the Interim Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service). The report of the Monitoring Officer is attached.
Decision:
Councillor Joshua Peck moved, and Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman seconded, a tabled amendment to the recommendations contained in the report of the Monitoring Officer. The amendment was agreed as set out in the resolution below.
DECISION
This Council notes:
- That under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 the recruitment and appointment of the Council’s Head of Paid Service is the responsibility of Full Council
- That the council’s constitution has designated the Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Service
- That under the council’s constitution recruitment of chief officers, including the Chief Executive, is a function of Full Council
- That therefore the appointment of the Chief Executive is both legally and constitutionally a function of Full Council
- That this applies to both interim and permanent appointments.
- That the Mayor made an announcement on 26 July that he had appointed an Interim Chief Executive and a Deputy Chief Executive
- The Mayor has no power to appoint the Chief Executive
This Council believes:
- That engagement to all Chief Officer positions in the council should be transparent and fair, and through the normal Chief Officer recruitment process overseen by HR Committee
- That the Council has not been involved in the consideration of who will fill the interim Chief Executive position
- That nonetheless Aman Dalvi has a strong record in his current role as Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and would be an appropriate appointment to the interim position.
This Council further notes:
- That on appointment of Aman Dalvi to the Interim Chief Executive position, his substantive post will need to be back-filled by an interim
- Four of seven positions on the Corporate Management Team will then be interims
- That the Executive has a place on the Appointments Sub-Committee to undertake the recruitment process.
This Council further believes:
· The Chief Executive is the most important position in the Council and should be filled by a permanent appointment as soon as possible, ideally within six months.
· That such a high number of interims in the CMT is a matter of concern and should be reviewed by Council
This Council therefore resolves:
- To appoint Aman Dalvi to the position of Interim Chief Executive, with effect from 26 September 2011, until the date on which a new permanent Chief Executive takes up his/her post, allowing for a handover period of no more than one month beyond that date, subject to a maximum period as Interim of six months.
- That in the event that a permanent Chief Executive is not appointed by the end of a six months period Full Council will consider an extension to Aman Dalvi’s period as Interim.
· That engagement of Chief Officers, to permanent positions or interim positions of over three months, will be through the normal recruitment process overseen by the HR Committee.
· That the HR Committee will convene at 7pm on Wednesday 28 September to commence the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Executive.
· That the Mayor will be invited to take the Executive position on the panel established by the HR Committee to undertake the engagement of the Chief Executive.
· That a further HR Committee should be convened to discuss the engagement of an interim to backfill the Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and any other CMT positions that need filling at that time.
· That a report be brought to the next scheduled HR Committee meeting on outstanding recruitment to permanent Chief Officer positions.
(Action by: Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive [Legal Services]/
John S. Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services/
Simon Kilbey, Service Head, Human Resources & Workforce Development.)
Minutes:
The Council considered the report of the Monitoring Officer proposing the confirmation of the appointment of an Interim Chief Executive (Head of the Paid Service) as required by section 4 of the Local Government & Housing Act 1989, following the resignation of Dr Kevan Collins from the post of Chief Executive.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed MOVED and Councillor Alibor Choudhury SECONDED the recommendations in the report.
Councillor Joshua Peck MOVED and Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman SECONDED a tabled amendment as follows:-
“This Council notes:
- That under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 the recruitment and appointment of the Council’s Head of Paid Service is the responsibility of Full Council
- That the council’s constitution has designated the Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Service
- That under the council’s constitution recruitment of chief officers, including the Chief Executive, is a function of Full Council
- That therefore the appointment of the Chief Executive is both legally and constitutionally a function of Full Council
- That this applies to both interim and permanent appointments.
- That the Mayor made an announcement on 26 July that he had appointed an Interim Chief Executive and a Deputy Chief Executive
- The Mayor has no power to appoint the Chief Executive
This Council believes:
- That engagement to all Chief Officer positions in the council should be transparent and fair, and through the normal Chief Officer recruitment process overseen by HR Committee
- That the Council has not been involved in the consideration of who will fill the interim Chief Executive position
- That nonetheless Aman Dalvi has a strong record in his current role as Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and would be an appropriate appointment to the interim position.
This Council further notes:
- That on appointment of Aman Dalvi to the Interim Chief Executive position, his substantive post will need to be back-filled by an interim
- Four of seven positions on the Corporate Management Team will then be interims
- That the Executive has a place on the Appointments Sub-Committee to undertake the recruitment process.
This Council further believes:
· The Chief Executive is the most important position in the Council and should be filled by a permanent appointment as soon as possible, ideally within six months.
· That such a high number of interims in the CMT is a matter of concern and should be reviewed by Council
This Council therefore resolves:
- To appoint Aman Dalvi to the position of Interim Chief Executive, with effect from 26 September 2011, until the date on which a new permanent Chief Executive takes up his/her post, allowing for a handover period of no more than one month beyond that date, subject to a maximum period as Interim of six months.
- That in the event that a permanent Chief Executive is not appointed by the end of a six months period Full Council will consider an extension to Aman Dalvi’s period as Interim.
· That engagement of Chief Officers, to permanent positions or interim positions of over three months, will be through the normal recruitment process overseen by the HR Committee.
· That the HR Committee will convene at 7pm on Wednesday 28 September to commence the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Executive.
· That the Mayor will be invited to take the Executive position on the panel established by the HR Committee to undertake the engagement of the Chief Executive.
· That a further HR Committee should be convened to discuss the engagement of an interim to backfill the Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and any other CMT positions that need filling at that time.
· That a report be brought to the next scheduled HR Committee meeting on outstanding recruitment to permanent Chief Officer positions.”
Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was agreed.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was agreed with no Member voting against. Accordingly, it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes:
- That under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 the recruitment and appointment of the Council’s Head of Paid Service is the responsibility of Full Council
- That the council’s constitution has designated the Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Service
- That under the council’s constitution recruitment of chief officers, including the Chief Executive, is a function of Full Council
- That therefore the appointment of the Chief Executive is both legally and constitutionally a function of Full Council
- That this applies to both interim and permanent appointments.
- That the Mayor made an announcement on 26 July that he had appointed an Interim Chief Executive and a Deputy Chief Executive
- The Mayor has no power to appoint the Chief Executive
This Council believes:
- That engagement to all Chief Officer positions in the council should be transparent and fair, and through the normal Chief Officer recruitment process overseen by HR Committee
- That the Council has not been involved in the consideration of who will fill the interim Chief Executive position
- That nonetheless Aman Dalvi has a strong record in his current role as Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and would be an appropriate appointment to the interim position.
This Council further notes:
- That on appointment of Aman Dalvi to the Interim Chief Executive position, his substantive post will need to be back-filled by an interim
- Four of seven positions on the Corporate Management Team will then be interims
- That the Executive has a place on the Appointments Sub-Committee to undertake the recruitment process.
This Council further believes:
· The Chief Executive is the most important position in the Council and should be filled by a permanent appointment as soon as possible, ideally within six months.
· That such a high number of interims in the CMT is a matter of concern and should be reviewed by Council
This Council therefore resolves:
- To appoint Aman Dalvi to the position of Interim Chief Executive, with effect from 26 September 2011, until the date on which a new permanent Chief Executive takes up his/her post, allowing for a handover period of no more than one month beyond that date, subject to a maximum period as Interim of six months.
- That in the event that a permanent Chief Executive is not appointed by the end of a six months period Full Council will consider an extension to Aman Dalvi’s period as Interim.
· That engagement of Chief Officers, to permanent positions or interim positions of over three months, will be through the normal recruitment process overseen by the HR Committee.
· That the HR Committee will convene at 7pm on Wednesday 28 September to commence the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Executive.
· That the Mayor will be invited to take the Executive position on the panel established by the HR Committee to undertake the engagement of the Chief Executive.
· That a further HR Committee should be convened to discuss the engagement of an interim to backfill the Corporate Director for Development and Renewal and any other CMT positions that need filling at that time.
· That a report be brought to the next scheduled HR Committee meeting on outstanding recruitment to permanent Chief Officer positions.
Supporting documents: