Appointment
of Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle
File No.: CP2023/03649
Te take mō te
pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1.
To update the Governing Body on the process for appointment
of the Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
2. At
its meeting on 23 February 2023 the Civil Defence and Emergency Management
(CDEM) Committee approved:
· the establishment
of a selection panel (the Panel) and a streamlined selection process to
expedite the selection of an appropriately qualified and experienced person for
Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle
· selection criteria
(skills, competencies and experience) for the Group Recovery Manager role which
reflect the importance of this role to Auckland’s recovery
effort.
3. This
report sets out the process that has been followed to identify the Group
Recovery Manager. It is necessary to protect the privacy of the
candidates for this appointment. As such, the proposed appointment for the
Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle is
considered in a confidential report included in this agenda.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendation/s
That the Governing Body:
a) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that a
confidential report is included in the agenda which proposes the appointment of
the Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle
b) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that
final decision will be made publicly available at the conclusion of the
appointment process.
Horopaki
Context
4. At
its meeting on 23 February 2023, the Civil Defence and Emergency Management
(CDEM) Committee met to approve the selection criteria and process for the
appointment of the Group Recovery Manager from the January floods and Cyclone
Gabrielle and receive an update on the interim arrangements to be put in place
until the Group Recovery Manager for the recovery from the January floods and
Cyclone Gabrielle is appointed.
5. The
Committee resolved (CDEM/2023/5):
a) whakaae
/ approve the establishment of a selection panel to expedite the selection of
an appropriately qualified and experienced person to be the Group Recovery
Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. The panel will comprise:
i) Mayor
Wayne Brown (Chair)
ii) Deputy
Mayor Desley Simpson
iii) Councillor Sharon
Stewart
iv) Jim Stabback,
Chief Executive
v) A
Central Government and/or National Emergency Management Agency representative
vi) the Chair of the Independent Māori Statutory Board
b) tautapa
/ delegate to the selection panel to identify and recommend the Group Recovery
Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle appointment to the
Governing Body
c) whakaae
/ approve the selection criteria (skills, competencies and experience) sought
for the Group Recovery Manager as set out in this report
d) tautapa
/ delegate the authority to appoint the Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle to
Auckland Council’s Governing Body
e) kopou
/ appoint Phil Wilson as the interim Recovery Manager for the January Floods
and Cyclone Gabrielle, until the Group Recovery Manager for the January Floods
and Cyclone Gabrielle recommended by the selection panel to the Governing Body
is appointed and formally takes up the role
f) kopou
/ appoint Mace Ward as Deputy Recovery Manager for the January Floods and
Cyclone Gabrielle.
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
Process
6. The
process that has been followed for the appointment of the Group Recovery
Manager is as per that set out in the CDEM Committee report of 23 February
2023, with a few modifications:
a) Nominations
of potential Recovery Managers sought to establish potential candidates. (Note:
there was a short window for nominations to be provided). Nominations were
sought from:
· governing
body members
· local
board members
· Independent Māori Statutory Board members
· the
Minister for Auckland
· Council’s executive team.
b) Staff
collated all nominations, conducted a high-level review against the selection
criteria and refined to a draft long list of candidates. Phone inquiries were
made with candidates regarding initial interest and availability and curriculum
vitae received from those candidates who were available, along with
remuneration expectations and any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
c) At a
meeting on 8 March 2023 the Selection Panel considered the draft long list of
candidates and shortlisted candidates for interview.
d) The
Selection Panel interviewed shortlisted candidates on 15 March 2023 and met
again on 30 March 2023 following receipt of due diligence information.
e) The
Selection Panel now recommends the appointment of the Group Recovery Manager to the Governing Body (this meeting).
Selection criteria
7. The
selection criteria approved by the CDEM Committee for the Group Recovery
Manager can be grouped into four broad categories of skills and experience, represented
in Figure 1.
8. Other factors identified as relevant were:
• availability
and capacity to commence the position as soon as possible
• any
identified actual or potential conflicts of interest.
9. It
may be that other independent subject matter experts will be required to
support the Group Recovery Manager by providing information and expertise as
specific issues or matters arise.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
10. The
decision to make an appointment of the Group Recovery Manager for the January
Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle does not in itself have an impact on greenhouse
gas emissions. The effects of climate change over the lifetime of the proposed
decision are considered minimal.
11. However the recovery from the January Floods and Cyclone
Gabrielle may identify opportunities and choices in the context of climate
change.
Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and views
12. The
CCO chairs and chief executives have not been engaged in the process to appoint
the Group Recovery Manager. However it is expected the Group Recovery
Manager will work closely with CCOs as a key partner in the delivery of the
recovery programme.
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board views
13. All
local board members were asked to submit nominations of suitably qualified and
experienced persons for consideration in the long-listing process for the Group
Recovery Manager.
14. A key requirement of the Group Recovery Manager role will be to work
and engage effectively with local boards and their communities in the delivery
of the recovery programme.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
15. All
members of the Independent Māori Statutory Board were asked to submit
nominations of suitably qualified and experienced persons for consideration in
the longlisting process for the Group Recovery Manager. The Chair of the
Independent Māori Statutory Board is a member of the Selection Panel.
16. A key requirement of the Group Recovery Manager role will be
to work and engage effectively with mana whenua and mataawaka in the delivery
of the recovery programme.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
17. The financial implications for Auckland’s recovery will be
significant and captured through the required financial reporting. The
selection process has been managed from existing budgets. The cost details for
the Group Recovery Manager role are yet to finalised, however this should not
interfere with the appointment of the Group Recovery Manager. The Governing
Body, at its meeting on 23 March 2023, approved an upper limit of up to $3
million of unbudgeted costs in the current 2022/2023 financial year to support
recovery, which includes the costs of the Group Recovery Manager.
Ngā raru tūpono me
ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
18. Public
interest in the recovery will be high. Therefore, appointing an appropriately
qualified and experienced person to the position will ensure that there is
confidence in the delivery of the recovery programme. In order to secure
high quality candidates for this role, whilst also retaining the future ability
to attract suitability qualified experts to positions such as this, it is
essential the privacy of individuals’ information is maintained.
19. If
the Governing Body does not make an appointment at this meeting, it will delay
the formal establishment of this critical role (noting however Interim Recovery Manager arrangements are in place). To mitigate against this
risk a robust recruitment process has been undertaken.
Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
20. If approved, the next steps will include advising the successful
candidate and preparing a letter of offer. Communications for public release at
the appropriate juncture will also be prepared.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
There are no attachments for
this report.
Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
|
Authors
|
Sarah Johnstone-Smith - Principal Advisor
Anna Bray – Executive Officer – Governance
and CCO Partnerships
|
|
Authorisers
|
Phil Wilson - Director, Governance & CCO
Partnerships
Jim Stabback - Tumu Whakarae / Chief Executive
|
