Appointment of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) board directors documentation: FOI release
- Published
- 29 January 2025
- Directorate
- People Directorate
- Topic
- Public sector, Transport
- FOI reference
- FOI/202400445389
- Date received
- 17 December 2024
- Date responded
- 20 January 2025
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Information requested
On 25th October, per the attached Scottish Government press release of that date, the appointment of two directors to the CMAL board was announced. One was Stuart Cresswell and the other Mark Tarry.
My FOI request relates to their appointment and the process of appointment and nature and basis of the decisions for their appointment.
I am writing to make this request under the FOI Scotland Act 2002 and the EIR Regulations 2004, for the disclosure and release in public of all of the following documents and papers whether in hard copy or digital format:
1. Those in which the skills required for the posts were considered, including any “matrix” or the like, namely the document setting out the skills or competences which were being sought for the candidates to be assessed for suitability for appointment;
2. With the names of the individuals redacted, the assessment of each candidate for each post, showing the scores allocated to each on each competence and on overall performance of the candidate;
3. Whether the issues of “diversity and equality” or either of them, were part of the skills required and whether there were specific questions, or areas of questioning, posed to each of the candidates at interview on these matters; and what weight was attached to the answers given thereto;
4. Whether amongst the skills required for appointment there included (a) knowledge of shipping (b)knowledge in particular of ferries and related infrastructure (c) experience of having lived and or worked in any of the Scottish Islands served by the Caledonian MacBrayne Fleet ; and if not, a full explanation of why these were not required skills for any candidate to be considered appointable;
5. All submissions to the Minister responsible on the appointment process, the selection criteria, and all correspondence and emails passing from officials to Ministers and from officials to CMAL, and CMAL to the Minister;
6. All documents relating to the selection of the three people who served on the appointment selection panel, and including any submission to the Minister there anent, and all related correspondence and emails relating thereto.
Response
Thank you for your recent request for information about the appointment of two Non-Executive Directors to the Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) Board.
An exemption under section 30(b)(1) (inhibiting the provision of free and frank advice) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. In this instance, information collected about applications during the selection process has been redacted as we believe this may risk applications being presented or panel members taking part in the process if their personal information and advice is released. An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal data the disclosure of which would contravene data protection principles) of FOISA also applies to some of the information you have requested. In this instance, the names and information gathered has been redacted from the information provided to you.
As you will be aware, appointments to the boards of public bodies in Scotland are carried out in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland – March 2022 version | Ethical Standards Commissioner.
The selection panel took forward the appointment round in line with the code of Practice which included creating and agreeing a person specification setting out the skills and experience required for each role. At the closing date, 18 completed applications were received and following a shortlisting exercise, seven candidates were shortlisted for interview. Following that assessment process, which tested fully the criteria listed in the person specification, summaries of the evidence were presented for the two candidates recommended as most able for appointment.
Please find below responses to your specific questions below:
1. Those in which the skills required for the posts were considered, including any “matrix” or the like, namely the document setting out the skills or competences which were being sought for the candidates to be assessed for suitability for appointment;
The criteria for appointment and the matrix used to assess candidates is contained in the 5. Skills Matrix and 6. Person Specification
2. With the names of the individuals redacted, the assessment of each candidate for each post, showing the scores allocated to each on each competence and on overall performance of the candidate;
8. Summary for Recommended Candidates and 9. Summary for Not Recommended Candidates
3. Whether the issues of “diversity and equality” or either of them, were part of the skills required and whether there were specific questions, or areas of questioning, posed to each of the candidates at interview on these matters; and what weight was attached to the answers given thereto;
Diversity and equality is listed in within the 5. Skills Matrix with a specific question being asked of all candidates at interview 7. Interview Questions. The priority criteria were weighted over the essential criteria.
4. Whether amongst the skills required for appointment there included (a) knowledge of shipping (b)knowledge in particular of ferries and related infrastructure (c) experience of having lived and or worked in any of the Scottish Islands served by the Caledonian MacBrayne Fleet ; and if not, a full explanation of why these were not required skills for any candidate to be considered appointable;
Full details of the skills required are set out in the 6. Person Specification. On this occasion, the selection panel agreed that skills being sought were very specific and consequently knowledge of shipping, knowledge in particular of ferries and related infrastructure or experience of having lived and or worked in any of the Scottish Islands served by the Caledonian MacBrayne Fleet was not required.
5. All submissions to the Minister responsible on the appointment process, the selection criteria, and all correspondence and emails passing from officials to Ministers and from officials to CMAL, and CMAL to the Minister;
3. First Submission, 4. First submission (email correspondence with ministers) 11. First Submission, 10. Summaries for the Successful Candidates (email correspondence with Ministers)
6. All documents relating to the selection of the three people who served on the appointment selection panel, and including any submission to the Minister there anent, and all related correspondence and emails relating thereto.
1. Selection Panel (email correspondence with Ministers)
2. Selection Panel (email correspondence with ESC)
12. Selection Panel (email correspondence with Transport Scotland (01))
13. Selection Panel (email correspondence with Transport Scotland (02))
14. Selection Panel (email correspondence with Transport Scotland (03))
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
- File type
- File size
- 1.4 MB
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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