Department for Culture Media and Sport

BBC trust

The Department for Culture Media and Sport would like to invite applications for a member of the BBC Trust

Time Commitment
The time commitment for Trust members is around 2 days per week (or 8 days per month) on average.

Location of Meetings
Meetings of the Trust are held monthly, normally in London, but much of the Trust’s activity, including some formal meetings, also takes place across the UK.  

In addition to the monthly meetings, Trust members will be expected to attend (and sometimes Chair) committee meetings, accountability events (meeting the public) and other meetings in line with fulfilling their key responsibilities.

Remuneration
Remuneration is currently at an annual rate of £35,230 for members.

Expenses are currently reimbursed for all members of the Trust.  (Expenses and other employment related policies will be provided by the BBC to members of the Trust on appointment. Provision may be made to ensure that Trust members are able to experience the full range of BBC output.)

Duration of Appointment
The appointment will be for an initial term of four years.

Type of Appointment
Appointments to the BBC are made by the Queen on recommendation of DCMS Ministers through the Prime Minister.

Closing date for applications
31 July 2008

Background

The BBC is a public corporation established under Royal Charter. The Charter sets out the ways in which the BBC should continue to thrive and adapt to new challenges in the changing environment.

The Charter states that the BBC’s main activity should be the promotion of six Public Purposes:

  • sustaining citizenship and civil society 
  • promoting education and learning
  • stimulating creativity and cultural excellence
  • representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities 
  • bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK
  • in promoting its other purposes, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television

The BBC comprises two separate bodies - the BBC Trust and the Executive Board.  The BBC Trust is the sovereign body of the BBC and it has a line of accountability directly to licence fee payers. This is reinforced by clear separation between the Trust and the Executive Board, and an unprecedented obligation to openness and transparency.

The Trust puts licence fee payers in the driving seat, ensuring the BBC’s accountability to a greater extent than ever before.  It is responsible for making certain that the BBC operates in the public interest to deliver high quality and distinctive programmes and output, and Trust members need to be able to understand and represent the interests of licence fee payers.  The Trust will make decisions with clear regard to the BBC’s impact on the market and to the BBC providing value for money.

The Trust oversees the Executive Board, which is tasked with running the BBC's services.  There is a clear separation of responsibilities between the Trust and Executive Board.  Although the Trust is the sovereign body of the BBC – its word will be final – the Charter and Agreement prevent it from encroaching into the Executive's responsibilities: this is critical to maintaining the objectivity required to generate public confidence.

The Trust is led by the Chairman, and has 11 other members including the Vice-Chairman.  All members are responsible for representing the public interest as a whole. The Trust includes four members formally designated as members for each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

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The role

The Trust members support the Chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, as the BBC responds to the challenges of meeting the changing needs of licence fee payers in a digital Britain.

Key responsibilities of Trust members
Responsibilities of the Trust include:

  • Securing that the independence of the BBC is maintained

  • Representing the views of licence fee payers and ensuring that the many different voices of licence fee payers are heard

  • Carrying out a programme of accountability activities, reaching an extensive range of people and ensuring the meaningful involvement of the public in decisions, including through the Audience Councils as well as research and consultations

  • Operating the governance framework set out in the Charter and Agreement, including the mechanisms of purpose remits, service licences, the Public Value Test, consultations and reviews in order to deliver high quality services to licence fee payers

  • Holding the Executive Board to account for the delivery of the BBC’s services and activities against appropriate performance criteria and measures 

  • Setting and overseeing the BBC’s editorial standards; approving the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and ensuring compliance with them

  • Regulating those programme standards and quotas which fall within its remit (without prejudice to the existing balance of responsibility with Ofcom)

  • Approving multi-year strategies and annual plans, including high-level budgetary allocations for all the BBC’s public services, including the BBC World Service and the BBC’s commercial strategy

  • Assessing proposals from the Executive Board for new services with regard to the interests of licence fee payers, both in terms of the BBC and the wider market

  • Ensuring the proper handling of complaints about the BBC, and acting as the final arbiter (except where another body, eg Ofcom, has responsibility) 

  • Accountability for the proper use of public money, ensuring that the Executive Board delivers financial efficiency and value for money.  This includes scrutinising regular financial reports and the Executive Board’s annual report and accounts, and commissioning regular value for money investigations into certain areas of BBC activity, including from the NAO.

  • Overseeing fulfilment of the BBC’s legal and contractual obligations, including fair trading 

  • Appointing the Chairman of the Executive Board and approving non-Executive appointments to the Executive Board and setting the remuneration strategy for the Executive Board 

  • In all these responsibilities, Trust members will be expected to conduct business transparently, openly and in the interests of licence fee payers. 

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The Person
We are looking for an individual who is committed to representing the public interest, and we hope to attract applicants with a range of backgrounds and experience.

Criteria
All candidates must be able to demonstrate:

  • commitment to the objectives of the BBC – stated as the six public purposes in the Charter - and an understanding of the key challenges facing public service broadcasting in the future 

  • the ability to think strategically, independently and imaginatively, to make an effective contribution to decision making across the full range of the Trust’s responsibilities

  • the ability to understand and represent the views of licence fee payers and the public interest, and an appreciation of the Trust’s accountability to licence fee payers

  • excellent communication skills, and the ability to represent the Trust to relevant stakeholder groups including engaging with viewers and listeners at public events and activities 

  • the ability to operate effectively at Board level, or equivalent, in the public, private or voluntary sector

  • support for the remit of the Trust and  an understanding of the role of the BBC Trust and its relationship with the Executive Board  

  • a commitment to equal opportunities and diversity 

  • In addition to these core criteria, senior level experience of commercial business and/or corporate finance preferably from the media or communications industries would be desirable.

  • An interest in and/or experience of new media

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How to apply

Further details and an application form are available electronically or in hard copy.
Please contact:

Danny  Herbert
Public Appointments Unit
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur  Street
London  SW1Y 5DH

Tel: 020 7211 2303

Email: danny.herbert@culture.gsi.gov.uk
 
DCMS promotes an equal opportunities policy. Appointments are made on merit, following a fair and transparent process, and these appointments are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.  Applications are welcomed regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, ethnic origin, political opinion, sexual orientation or whether or not you have dependants.

Closing date
Completed forms should be received by 31 July

Interviews
Interviews are expected to be held 10 and 11 September

 

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