Transport Scotland - Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) Board appointment queries: FOI release

Information requested

Your request consisted of a series of questions seeking explanations about the appointment process to the Board of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). The Scottish Government holds the information necessary to respond to these questions and responses to each question are set out below.

As the request has been answered in full, no exemptions under FOISA have been applied.

Response

Question 1
Which Office/Department or Government Official is responsible for advising the Scottish Government on appointing an individual to the Board of C.M.A.L?

The answer to your question is:
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is a public corporation wholly owned by Scottish Ministers and is sponsored by VTransport Scotland on their behalf. As the sponsoring directorate, Transport Scotland is responsible for advising Ministers on board appointments to CMAL.

The appointment process is supported by the Scottish Government Public Appointments Team in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner for Scotland’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. All board appointments are made on merit.

Scottish Ministers make final decisions on appointing members to the CMAL Board.

Question 2
Are the positions advertised? If so, where, and when?

The answer to your question is:
Yes. Board positions are advertised publicly, in line with the agreed publicity strategy for each appointment campaign.

The agreed publicity strategy for each campaign sets out when and where Board appointment roles will be advertised. These roles are normally advertised during the appointment period via the Scottish Government Public Appointments website and CMAL’s website.

Advertising may also be supported through relevant Scottish Government and Transport Scotland communication channels, including social media, and through other appropriate methods such as local newspaper advertisements.

To help reach a wide and diverse range of applicants, the agreed publicity strategy for each campaign may also include targeted outreach activity. This may involve the Board Chair sharing information about Board roles with relevant organisations across Scotland and the UK, including island communities. Where appropriate, roles may also be advertised on vessels and at ferry terminals serving island communities.

Question 3
What criteria are used to identify any suitable appointees?

The answer to your question is:
The criteria for each appointment campaign are tailored to the needs of the CMAL Board at the time of the appointment exercise, informed by ongoing succession planning and consideration of the Board’s skills matrix.

The criteria used to identify suitable appointees are clearly set out in the Applicant Information Pack, which is published alongside the vacancy advertisement.

The Applicant Information Pack explains the skills, knowledge, experience, and attributes required for the role, as well as how these criteria will be assessed during the appointment process. The required skills and experience may be gained through a range of professional or non-professional backgrounds.

Applicants are required to provide evidence demonstrating how they meet the published criteria. This evidence is assessed at each stage of the appointment process by a selection panel appointed by the Scottish Ministers.

Appointments to the CMAL Board are made on merit, following a fair and open competition, in line with the principles governing public appointments.

Question 4
Is any Government Committee or group involved in the process at any stage? If so, which?

The answer to your question is:
Appointments are made in accordance with the Scottish Public Appointments process and the Ethical Standards Commissioner for Scotland’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. There is no standing Government committee involved in the appointment process.

For each appointment campaign, Scottish Ministers appoint a selection panel to manage the appointment process. The panel may include an official from the Scottish Government Public Appointments Team, an independent member appointed on behalf of the Ethical Standards Commissioner for Scotland, the CMAL Board Chair, a Transport Scotland representative, and an additional independent panel member.

The selection panel is responsible for overseeing the appointment process, including agreeing the appointment plan, selection and assessment methods, and any outreach activity. The panel assesses candidates against the published criteria and makes recommendations to Scottish Ministers on the candidate or candidates considered suitable for appointment on merit.

Final decisions on CMAL Board appointments are made by Scottish Ministers.

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