Government issues formal response to DCMS Committee on Stowell appointment
Melanie May | 15 March 2018 | News
The Government has formally responded to the DCMS Committee over the appointment of Baroness Stowell as Chair of the Charity Commission.
In the document, published online , it responds to each of the concerns listed by the Committee in its report on the Baroness’s appointment and that it is confident that the right individual had been appointed, saying:
“The Government is confident that Baroness Stowell will work with charities to restore public trust. As noted previously, Baroness Stowell is absolutely clear about the need to be and be known as an impartial leader and the need to demonstrate a commitment to working only in the public interest. We have every confidence that she will work tirelessly to protect and promote the great work that charities do and ensure they uphold the highest standards of integrity.”
The Committee had formally rejected Baroness Stowell as the Chair of the Charity Commission, and raised a number of concerns over her appointment, including those over her level of experience, her impartiality, and over how the appointment process had been carried out.
Regarding the concerns over her perceived lack of experience, the Government states in its response:
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“The role specification and selection criteria for the role of chair does not ask for explicit experience in the charity or regulatory sectors. …the panel were in unanimous agreement in the panel report that Baroness Stowell was an exceptionally strong candidate when assessed against the selection criteria.”
The Committee had also asked for details on the other shortlisted candidates, however the Government refused to be drawn on these, saying that it would be inappropriate to reveal this information.
It also said that the vacancy had been promoted through a variety of channels to maximise the diversity of applicants, and that in addition to the role being advertised on the Public Appointments website, the Charity Commission website and on DCMS Connect, it had also reached out through sector specific channels such as the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Step up to Serve, Generation Change and the British Youth Council. It remains however confident that the right candidate has been appointed.
Image: Baroness Stowell / Crown copyright
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.