Terms of reference for Council working group

Background

Keith Mason comes to the end of his second and final term as a Research Council CEO in March 2012 having served as PPARC CEO and then as founding CEO of STFC. Council believes it to be important that in the context of the selection of a new chief executive that a clear understanding is reached with STFC’s various stakeholders as to the role and responsibilities of the STFC chief executive in leading a complex and diverse organisation through what will undoubtedly be times of further change, uncertainty and financial pressure. Council also believes it will be important to understand as we move forward any lessons that should be learnt from the circumstances behind the communication recently received by the chairman from individuals within STFC’s academic communities expressing concern about STFC’s leadership.

Purpose

Accordingly, Council have established a working group to consult with STFC’s various stakeholder communities on the qualities, skills and experience they believe would be desirable in a successor chief executive in order to successfully lead the organisation through times of change. The working group will prepare a report of its conclusions which will inform the advice Council will provide to the Chairman, who will provide advice to BIS on the finalisation of the Person Specification. The new Chief Executive will be appointed by the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, following advice from a selection panel chaired by the Director General for Science and Research, which will include the Chairman.

Remit

In preparing its report and conclusions the working group will:

• Consult appropriately with relevant stakeholders including senior members of the STFC scientific communities, industrial and business partners/users, the RAS, the IoP and other relevant learned societies, with members of Council and the Executive Board (and other senior directors as appropriate) and with RCUK;
  
  
• Consider any lessons that should be learnt from relevant previous actions and decisions;
  
  
• Consider the optimal balance of leadership experience and expertise in respect of STFC’s academic/ scientific interests on the one hand and the requirements of large organisational and change management on the other, and the relative merits of academic and business/industrial backgrounds;
  
  
• Consider whether there are other leadership models from other comparable national or international organisations that might be recommended to BIS.

Membership and Support

The working group will comprise of James Stirling and Sir Peter Knight with Marshall Davies chairing. Administrative support will be provided by STFC’s Stakeholder Engagement team.

Timescales

The working group will report its conclusions and recommendations to Council in its October 2010 meeting.