PURPOSE

1. To approve the appointment of a new Chief Executive.

2. The Leader of the Council, as Chairman of the Member Appointment Panel, will make an oral recommendation to Full Council and circulate biographical details of the recommended candidate to the meeting.

BACKGROUND

3. The Council has been seeking a new Chief Executive, and in doing so has to comply with the officer employment rules set out in the Constitution.

4. The selection process has included widespread media advertising and the use of a dedicated micro-site on the internet. The publicity campaign attracted 56 applications from which a long list of 15 was identified, scoring candidates against the published job description and person specification.

5. Long listing interviews were conducted with each of those 15 candidates. A politically proportionate member panel considered the long list and selected a short list of 5 candidates. Each of those candidates were invited to conduct a range of further paper based exercises, the results of which were made available to the selection panel.

6. Final interviews are due to be held on 12 and 13 April, between the publication of this report and the date of the Full Council meeting on 19 April.

CONSULTATION

7. Appointment of a Chief Executive is a function of the Full Council. Opportunities to consult are relatively limited. A wide range of stakeholders were, however, invited to meet with the candidates on the evening of 12 April.

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

8. The salary add on costs of a Chief Executive post are contained within the budget settlement for 2006/07.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

9. Appointment of a Chief Executive is subject to the approval of Full Council. Full Council may only determine to appoint a Chief Executive once every member of the Cabinet has been notified of the recommendation of the appointment panel and had the opportunity to make objections.

10. Members of the Cabinet who were not members of the appointment panel will be notified as soon as a recommendation is made by the panel and will have until 5.00pm on 19 April to make any well founded objection to the recommendation.

OPTIONS

11. The Full Council will receive a recommendation from the appointment panel. Full Council have the discretion to either accept or to reject that recommendation.

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

12. If Full Council determines to appoint a Chief Executive, following receipt of a recommendation from the member appointment panel, the offer will be subject to contract with the successful candidate.

13. In the event that Full Council determines to reject the recommendation of the appointment panel (or if no recommendation to appoint is made) those arrangements will continue until such time as Full Council determines otherwise.

RECOMMENDATIONS

14. It is recommended that Full Council accept the recommendation of the Member Appointment Panel and appoint the successful candidate as Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight Council.

Contact Point : John Lawson, Acting Chief Executive

COUNCILLOR ANDY SUTTON

Leader of the Council

Chairman of the Member Appointment Panel