Appointment of Board Members to the Skills Advisory Board
of The Data Lab Innovation Centre
Applicant Information Closing date for applications: Friday 6th September 2019
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Dear Potential Skills Advisory Board Applicant
The Data Lab is one of eight Innovation Centres in Scotland, recently re-funded with an £13.5M
grant from the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
and Scottish Government to generate significant economic, social and scientific value from
data. Hosted by The University of Edinburgh, The Data Lab enables industry, public sector and
world-class university researchers to innovate and develop new data science and artificial
intelligence capabilities in a collaborative environment.
The Data Lab has been operational for over 4 years and has a wide range of activities and
projects underway across our three core areas: Support to Innovate, Skills & Talent and
Community & Events. Additional information on The Data Lab and our current and past
activities can be found on our website at www.thedatalab.com
The aims and objectives of the Skills Advisory Board (SAB) are to:
• Establishing the vision and strategy and promoting Skills and Talent activity of The Data
Lab.
• Determining which Skills and Talent programmes will be covered and any major
changes in programme activities or projects undertaken.
• Determining The Data Lab Skills and Talent priorities and actions.
• Approving the Skills and Talent plans & budget.
• Approving the Skills and Talent investments such as MSc University selections, Online
Learning selections and Industrial Doctorate selections.
• Assuring The Data Lab performance against KPIs as they relate to Skills and Talent.
• Assessing the contribution of the Skills and Talent programmes to the overall
effectiveness of The Data Lab in achieving its goals and mission.
We are looking to reconstitute our Skills Advisory Board and will be recruiting new Board
members for all positions excluding the Chair and The Data Lab representatives. We anticipate
ensuring we have a breadth of experience as well as diversity of thought, background, industry
and geography across out appointed board members.
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If you are in any doubt, I would encourage you to apply for this post – it is vital that we have
a diverse range of applicants as we recognise the need for fresh ideas and different
perspectives and approaches as we look to take The Data Lab forward.
Please forward your CV and covering letter detailing why you have applied to join The Data
Lab Skills Advisory Board and what you bring to the role on or before the closing date of Friday
6th September 2019 to [email protected].
Yours sincerely,
John Brodie
Chair
The Data Lab Skills Advisory Board
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THE DATA LAB
BOARD TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Data Lab is an Innovation Centre funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in partnership with the Scottish Government (SG) known as the
Stakeholders.
Funding for Phase 2 of The Data Lab was awarded to the University of Edinburgh to host of The Data Lab which
will deliver activities as agreed in the Phase 2 Contract.
In terms of its funding conditions, the stakeholders require the University of Edinburgh to set up a Governance
Board to manage the funding in accordance with the approved The Data Lab business plan (Phase 2).
The governance structure of The Data Lab comprises four main elements:
The Terms of Reference shall be reviewed on an annual basis and will be displayed on The Data Lab’s website.
1. Governance Board. Responsible for formulating, directing and
guiding the implementation of the policies and strategies;
2. Innovation Advisory Board. Responsible for advising on
collaboration project activity, reporting to the Governance Board
(“IAB”);
3. Skills Advisory Board. Responsible for advising on skills and talent
activity, reporting to the Governance Board (“SAB”);
4. Management Team. Responsible for implementing the policies and
strategy as well as all day-to-day management, reporting to the
Governance Board.
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1. THE GOVERNANCE BOARD
1A. INTRODUCTION
The aims and objectives are to:
1A1 Establish the vision and strategic objectives of The Data Lab.
1A2 Ensure broad membership agreement.
1A3 Direct action to implement key activities.
1A4 Monitor progress though the key performance indicators (KPIs) set out in The Data Lab Business Plan.
1A5 Act as a sounding board for the Chief Executive Officer in the day-to-day management of The Data Lab.
1A6 Ensure that the host university is not asked to perform activities that may risk potential issues around
charitable status, state aid or other matters that may compromise their reputation or integrity.
1B. FUNCTION
The Governance Board is the ultimate decision-making body of The Data Lab and is responsible for:
1B1 Establishing the vision and strategy and promoting the values of The Data Lab.
1B2 Determining which industry sectors will be covered and any major changes in programme activities or
projects undertaken.
1B3 Establishing the Innovation Advisory Board, the Skills Advisory Board and appointing the Chair of each.
The recruitment of each Chair will be conducted in an open and transparent manner, with an
advertisement included on The Data Lab’s website, the Host University’s website and on the Public
Appointments Scotland website.
1B4 Establishing criteria for membership.
1B5 Determining The Data Lab priorities and actions.
1B6 Approving the annual business plan & budget.
1B7 Approving the annual accounts and submitting to the University of Edinburgh.
1B8 Reviewing the Risk Register and any other items deemed appropriate.
1B9 Assuring Chief Executive Officer and Management Team performance against KPIs.
1B10 Assessing the overall effectiveness of The Data Lab in achieving its goals and mission.
1B11 The Data Lab is not a legal entity in itself and therefore the University of Edinburgh is legally responsible.
1C. MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE
1C1 Board Members will normally be from private companies, the public sector or organisations engaged in
The Data Lab activities, although this requirement may be waived in special circumstances.
1C2 Nominees should add credibility to The Data Lab Board and it is The Data Lab’s aim to have a diverse
Board in terms of gender, race, disability and other protected characteristics.
1C3 Consideration will be given to:
(i) ensure effective representation of industry sectors and a suitable spread of company sizes as
deemed relevant to The Data Lab; and
(ii) ensure appropriate representation with respect to the academic sector.
1C4 The Governance Board should consist of a majority of members from industry. Therefore, membership
will comprise of:
• Governance Board Chair;
• Chief Executive Officer;
• Seven Industry representatives from both public (one representative) and private sectors (six
representatives) recruited via an open and transparent process;
• Chair of the Innovation Advisory Board
• Chair of the Skills Advisory Board
• Two Academic representatives nominated by the Host University and Scottish Informatics and
Computer Science Alliance (SICSA);
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• One representative from each of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and
Scottish Funding Council (observers) as nominated by each organisation.
1C5 In addition to attending Board meetings, Board Members are expected to:
• Attend a minimum of 4 events per annum in their Board capacity;
• Promote The Data Lab to other businesses within the industry and across the public sector;
• Contribute to The Data Lab marketing campaigns as appropriate, by providing 1-2 case
studies/articles/contributions per annum.
1D. PROCESS AND VOTING
1D1 All agreed relevant papers will normally be sent electronically to Governance Board Members at least 5
working days before the date of the Governance Board Meeting.
1D2 Draft Minutes will normally be distributed to Governance Board Members within 10 working days of that
Governance Board Meeting for comment. Governance Board Minutes will be in draft form until formally
approved at the following Governance Board Meeting.
1D3 The Chair shall be responsible for the Agenda which will include (but not limited to):
a. Attendance and apologies for absence;
b. Conflicts of interest;
c. Minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising;
d. CEO Report, including: Financial Performance; Delivery Performance and Risk Register;
e. IAB and SAB update.
1D4 The Governance Board will keep non-confidential Minutes of its proceedings and make these available
to the representatives of the founding partners and funding bodies. Minutes may not be shared by Board
Members without the prior written consent of the Chair. Minutes may be subject to the Freedom of
Information Act.
1D5 Any urgent or emergency items requiring Governance Board approval shall be dealt with through a
special meeting process as requested by the Chair and requires a Quorate (see 1G1) to be present for
such approvals to be given.
1D6 All matters requiring decisions of the Governance Board will be decided by a simple majority of votes,
with the Chair’s vote carrying the casting vote.
1E. DELEGATION OF POWERS
1E1 In the event that the Chair is unable to attend, the Chair will nominate an IAB Member (excluding the
CEO) to act in that capacity in their absence.
1E2 In the event that the CEO is unable to attend, the CEO will nominate a member of the Management Team
to attend in their absence.
1E3 In the event that any other member of the Governance Board is unable to attend, the member will
nominate a deputy to attend in their absence, with such deputy requiring the approval by the Chair in
advance of a Board Meeting. The deputy must sign The Data Lab’s Confidentiality Agreement in advance
of the Governance Board Meeting, otherwise attendance will not be permitted.
1F. LENGTH OF APPOINTMENT
1F1 Governance Board Members will normally serve on the Governance Board for a period of two years with
the option to extend this by an additional one year at the request of the Chair, after which they will be
required to retire from the Governance Board. They may offer themselves for re-election thereafter.
Governance Board Members will normally serve no more than two terms. This time period does not apply
to Academic Representatives and Observers.
1F2 The Chair will be selected by the Governance Board and serve a period of three years.
1F3 On the retirement of the Chair, the Governance Board will be responsible for appointing a new Chair.
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1F4 In order to rotate the membership of the Governance Board on a regular basis, one third of the
Governance Board will retire each year.
1G. QUORATE
1G1 The Governance Board will be Quorate if the Chair and CEO (or a nominated deputy are present and
there is a minimum of one representative from each of the main stakeholder groups (Academic, Industry
and Public Sector) and the majority of Board Members attending are from Industry. Deputies acting on
behalf of Governance Board Members will be also counted.
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2. INNOVATION ADVISORY BOARD
2A. INTRODUCTION
The aims and objectives of the IAB are to:
2A1 Be responsible for reviewing and approving Collaborative Innovative Project investment spend of over
£20K on projects.
2A2 Ensure The Data Lab is targeting and identifying appropriate projects.
2A3 Monitor project progress and completion through the KPIs set out in The Data Lab Business Plan as it
applies to Collaborative Innovation Projects.
2A4 Act as a sounding board for the Head of Business Development in Industry targeting.
2A5 Ensure The Data Lab has a balanced engagement across our Academic Partners.
2B. FUNCTION
The IAB is the ultimate decision making body for The Data Lab’s Collaborative Innovative Projects and is
responsible for:
2B1 Establishing the vision and strategy and promoting the values of The Data Lab’s collaborative innovation
approach.
2B2 Determining which industry sectors will be covered and any major changes in programme activities or
projects undertaken.
2B3 Assuring Chief Executive Officer and Management Board performance against KPIs.
2B4 Assessing the overall effectiveness of The Data Lab in achieving its goals and mission as applicable to
collaborative innovation projects.
2C. MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE
2C1 IAB Members will normally be from private companies, the public sector and Academia, although this
requirement may be waived in special circumstances.
2C2 Members should add credibility to the IAB and it is The Data Lab’s aim to have a diverse IAB in terms of
gender, race, disability and other protected characteristics.
2C3 Consideration will be given to ensure effective representation of industry sectors and a suitable spread
of company sizes and individual experience.
2C4 The IAB will consist of:
• IAB Chair;
• Chief Executive Officer;
• Four Industry representatives from either public and private sector (one Industry representative
must be from the investment community) via an open and transparent recruitment process;
• One Academic representative as identified by The Data Lab in conjunction with Scottish
Informatics and Computer Science Alliance;
• One representative from Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish
Funding Council (Observer status) as nominated by these organisations.
2C5 In addition to attending IAB meetings, IAB Board Members are expected to:
• Attend a pre-IAB conference call to agree to a project shortlist to be invited to present at the
main IAB;
• Attend a minimum of 2 events per annum in their Board capacity;
• Promote The Data Lab to other businesses within the Industry and across the public sector;
• Contribute to The Data Lab marketing campaigns as appropriate.
2D. PROCESS AND VOTING
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2D1 All agreed relevant papers will normally be sent electronically to IAB Members at least 5 working days
before the date of the IAB Meeting.
2D2 Draft Minutes will normally be distributed to IAB Members within 10 working days of that IAB for
comment. IAB Minutes will be in draft form until formally approved at the following IAB.
2D3 The Chair shall be responsible for the Agenda which will include (but not limited to):
(a) Attendance and apologies for absence;
(b) Conflicts of interest;
(c) Minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising;
(d) Project Presentations and Q&A, Review Discussion and Scoring;
(e) CEO / Head of Business Development Update on The Data Lab activity.
2D4 The IAB will keep non-confidential Minutes of its proceedings and make these available to the
Governance Board, representatives of the founding partners and funding bodies. Minutes may not be
shared by IAB Members without the prior written consent of the Chair. Minutes may be subject to the
Freedom of Information Act.
2D5 Any urgent or emergency items requiring IAB approval shall be dealt with through a special meeting
process as required by the Chair and requires a Quorate (see 2G1) to be present for such approvals to be
given.
2D6 Project approvals are based on scoring criteria made on the following elements and must score 60 or
more out of 100 for approval**:
(a) Economic or Social Impact of the Project (40%)
(b) Ability to Execute of the Project Partners (40%)
(c) Novel and Innovation application of Data Science (20%)
**Projects above the value of £150,000 must be referred to the Governance Board for approval.
2E. DELEGATION OF POWERS
2E1 In the event that the IAB Chair is unable to attend, the IAB Chair will nominate an IAB Member (excluding
the CEO) to act in that capacity in their absence.
2E2 In the event that the CEO is unable to attend, the CEO will nominate a member of the Management Team
to attend in their absence.
2E3 In the event that any other member of the IAB is unable to attend, the member will nominate a deputy
to attend in their absence, with such deputy requiring the approval by the Chair in advance of a Board
Meeting. The deputy must sign The Data Lab’s Confidentiality Agreement in advance of the IAB Meeting,
otherwise attendance will not be permitted.
2F. LENGTH OF APPOINTMENT
2F1 IAB Members will normally serve on the IAB for a period of two years with the option to extend this by
an additional one year at the request of the IAB Chair, after which they will be required to retire from the
IAB. They may offer themselves for re-election thereafter. IAB Members will normally serve no more than
two terms. This time period does not apply to Academic Representative(s) and Observer(s).
2F2 The IAB Chair will be selected by the Governance Board and serve a period of three years.
2F3 On the retirement of the IAB Chair, the Governance Board will be responsible for appointing a new Chair.
2F4 In order to rotate the membership of the IAB on a regular basis, one IAB Member will retire each year.
2G. QUORATE
2G1 The IAB will be Quorate if the Chair and CEO (or a nominated deputy) are present and there is a minimum
of one Industry representative and one Academic representative. Deputies acting on behalf of IAB
Members will also be counted.
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3. SKILLS ADVISORY BOARD
3A. INTRODUCTION
The aims and objectives of the SAB are to:
3A1 Establish the vision and strategic objectives of Skills and Talent programmes of The Data Lab.
3A2 Direct action to implement key activities.
3A3 Monitor progress though the KPIs as applicable to Skills and Talent programmes.
3A4 Act as a sounding board for the Skills Manager in the day-to-day management of the Skills and Talent
activity of The Data Lab.
3B. FUNCTION
The SAB is the ultimate decision-making body for the Skills and Talent activity of The Data Lab and is responsible
for:
3B1 Establishing the vision and strategy and promoting Skills and Talent activity of The Data Lab.
3B2 Determining which Skills and Talent programmes will be covered and any major changes in programme
activities or projects undertaken.
3B3 Establishing criteria for membership of the SAB.
3B4 Determining The Data Lab Skills and Talent priorities and actions.
3B5 Approving the Skills and Talent plans & budget.
3B6 Approving the Skills and Talent investments such as MSc University selections, Online Learning selections
and Industrial Doctorate selections.
3B7 Assuring The Data Lab performance against KPIs as they relate to Skills and Talent.
3B8 Assessing the contribution of the Skills and Talent programmes to the overall effectiveness of The Data
Lab in achieving its goals and mission.
3C. MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE
3C1 SAB Members will normally be from private companies, the public sector, academia or organisations
engaged in The Data Lab activities, although this requirement may be waived in special circumstances.
3C2 Nominees should add credibility to the SAB and it is The Data Lab’s aim to have a diverse Board in terms
of gender, race, disability and other protected characteristics.
3C3 Consideration will be given to ensure effective representation of industry sectors and a suitable spread
of company sizes and experience.
3C4 The SAB would consist of a majority of members from industry. Therefore, membership should comprise
of:
• SAB Chair;
• Chief Executive Officer;
• The Data Lab Head of Data;
• Four Industry representatives from both public and private sectors via an open and transparent
recruitment process;
• Two Academic representatives as identified by The Data Lab with support from SICSA and
Colleges Scotland;
• One representative from Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish
Funding Council (observer status) as nominated by these organisations.
3C5 In addition to attending SAB Meetings, SAB Members are expected to:
• Attend a minimum of 2 events per annum in their Board capacity;
• Promote The Data Lab to other businesses within the industry and across the public sector;
• Contribute to The Data Lab marketing campaigns as appropriate.
3D. PROCESS AND VOTING
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3D1 All agreed relevant papers will normally be sent electronically to SAB at least 5 working days before the
date of the SAB Meeting.
3D2 Draft Minutes will normally be distributed to SAB within 10 working days of that SAB for comment. SAB
will be in draft form until formally approved at the following SAB.
3D3 The Chair shall be responsible for the Agenda which will include (but not limited to):
(a) Attendance and apologies for absence;
(b) Conflicts of interest;
(c) Minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising;
(d) Skills and Talent Activity Report, including: Financial Performance and Delivery Performance.
3D4 The SAB will keep non-confidential Minutes of its proceedings and make these available to the
Governance Board, representatives of the founding partners and funding bodies. Minutes may not be
shared by SAB Members without the prior written consent of the Chair. Minutes may be subject to the
Freedom of Information Act.
3D5 Any urgent or emergency items requiring SAB approval shall be dealt with through a special meeting
process as requested by the Chair and requires a Quorate (see 3G1) to be present for such approvals to
be given.
3D6 All matters requiring decisions of the SAB will be decided by a simple majority of votes, with the Chair’s
vote carrying the casting vote.
3E. DELEGATION OF POWERS
3E1 In the event that the SAB Chair is unable to attend, the SAB Chair will nominate an SAB Member (excluding
the CEO) to act in that capacity in their absence.
3E2 In the event that the CEO is unable to attend, the CEO will nominate a member of the Management Team
to attend in their absence.
3E3 In the event that any other member of the SAB is unable to attend, the SAB Member will nominate a
deputy to attend in their absence, with such deputy requiring the approval by the Chair in advance of a
Board Meeting. The deputy must sign The Data Lab’s Confidentiality Agreement in advance of the SAB
Meeting, otherwise attendance will not be permitted.
3F. LENGTH OF APPOINTMENT
3F1 SAB Members will normally serve on the SAB for a period of two years with the option to extend this by
an additional one year at the request of the SAB Chair, after which they will be required to retire from the
SAB. They may offer themselves for re-election thereafter. SAB Members will normally serve no more
than two terms. This time period does not apply to Academic Representative(s) and Observer(s).
3F2 The SAB Chair will be selected by the Governance Board and serve a period of three years.
3F3 On the retirement of the SAB Chair, the Governance Board will be responsible for appointing a new Chair.
3F4 In order to rotate the membership of the SAB on a regular basis, one third of the SAB will retire each year.
3G. QUORATE
3G1 The SAB will be quorate if the Chair and CEO (or a nominated deputy) are present and there is a minimum
of two SAB representatives. Deputies acting on behalf of SAB Members will also be counted.
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4. MANAGEMENT TEAM
4A. INTRODUCTION
4A1 The Management Team are responsible for implementing The Data Lab’s policies and strategy that have
been agreed with the Governance Board and also for the day-to-day management of all the activities
associated with delivery in accordance with The Data Lab Business Plan.
4B. MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE
4B1 The members of the Management Team are:
• The Chief Executive Officer
• Head of Business Development
• Head of Data
• Head of Operations
• Head of Finance
4B2 New members can be appointed to the Management Team by promotion by the Chief Executive Officer
on achievement of the relevant grade.
4C. FUNCTION
4C1 Work together as an integrated team to deliver The Data Lab’s Business Plan to schedule and budget.
4C2 Manage all The Data Lab’s staff, located at the four hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen
and to foster a team spirit and general wellbeing whilst adhering to the Host University’s HR policies.
4C3 Facilitate the creation and delivery of commercial and public body led projects in the field of Data Science
with University partners which deliver true value, be that financial or social.
4C4 Set up processes and systems that facilitate and enable effective internal and external collaboration,
subject to the Host University’s policies and procedures.
4C5 Generate a Data Science Community in Scotland to catalyse the potential value creation by matching a
‘business need’ with appropriate academic expertise.
4C6 Agree on the appropriate Data Lab presence at conferences and related events.
4C7 Manage stakeholder relationships and engagements.
4C8 Create living Strategic and Operational Plans which are reviewed and approved by the Governance Board.
4C9 Prepare quarterly Governance Board reports and SFC reports in a timely manner.
4C10 Highlight to the Governance Board any matters of risk, opportunity or significant investment that requires
Governance Board consideration and approval. A Risk Register will be maintained.
4D. MEETINGS AND PROCESS
4D1 The Management Team will meet on a weekly basis, as determined by the Management Team.
4D2 The Meeting will be chaired by the CEO or another member from the Management Team may be
nominated by the CEO as appropriate.
4D3 The Meeting is intended to be an informal, round table update of recent developments and forthcoming
events.
4D4 The Agenda for the Management Board Meetings will be determined by the Management Team.
4D5 Relevant content from the Meeting will be shared either verbally or in writing with The Data Lab staff as
appropriate.
4E. REPORTING
4E1 The Management Team report to The Data Lab CEO who in turn reports to the Governance Board Chair.
The CEO is also a member of the Governance Board.
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4E2 The CEO will also regularly update The Data Lab key stakeholders on progress against The Data Lab’s
Business Plan and KPIs.
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5. MATTERS WHICH APPLY TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNANCE BOARD,
IAB AND SAB
5A. REGISTER OF INTERESTS (“Register”)
5A1 All Board Members (including their deputies), observers and officers must disclose to the CEO and
relevant Chair, all interests which could reasonably be deemed to conflict with their duties owed to The
Data Lab. For the avoidance of doubt, a Board Member must not participate in any decisions which relate
to the funding of projects or activities proposed by their own organisations.
5A2 The Register will be available for inspection by the public on The Data Lab’s website.
5A3 Board Members are required to keep their entries in the Register up-to-date.
5A4 Any Board Member (including their deputy), observer or officer who has a pecuniary, family or other
personal interest in any matter under discussion at any meeting of the relevant Board at which he / she
is present shall – if not already done so – disclose the fact of his / her interest to the meeting and shall
withdraw from that part of the meeting.
5A5 The Register should be reviewed by the CEO and each Chair on an annual basis.
5B. BOARD MEMBER NOMINATIONS
5B1 The relevant Chair will be tasked with appointing new Members to its Board, and may draw upon other
Board Members to nominate and/or review candidates as required. An open and transparent recruitment
process will be conducted.
5B2 The objective is to maintain the appropriate quality and coverage of representation on each of the Boards.
5B3 The relevant Chair shall oversee the rotation of Board Members according to the policy agreed with the
Governance Board.
5B4 The relevant Chair shall invite and receive applications for Board Membership in a transparent manner,
review and accept or reject applications and provide reasons to the Governance Board.
5B5 Nominations will be considered in light of the current Board structure, representation and the aims of
The Data Lab. Nominees must be willing and able to devote sufficient time pro bono to actively contribute
to The Data Lab including agreeing to author or co-author a relevant paper once a year for publication
to support the recognition of The Data Lab.
5B6 The relevant Chair will advise nominees as to whether or not they have been successful. Decisions are
final and there is no obligation to disclose the reason to the nominee.
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5C. APPOINTMENT LETTERS
5C1 Each Board Member (including deputies, observers and officers) shall sign the appointment letter within
thirty (30) days of receiving the letter.
5C2 Each Board Member (including deputies, observers and officers) must sign the appointment letter before
attending their first Board Meeting and will not be able to attend until such letter is signed and delivered
to the Chair of the relevant Board.
5D. CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
5D1 All Board Members, including their representatives, must sign The Data Lab’s Confidentiality Agreement.
Failure to do so will mean that attendance at the relevant Board Meeting will not be permitted. Requests
must be sent to the relevant Chair and CEO in advance of the relevant Board Meeting to ensure a
Confidentiality Agreement can be actioned timeously.
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SKILLS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE
There are 4 scheduled SAB meetings per annum, (one per quarter scheduled for first
Wednesday of February, May, August and November) and are scheduled for 2 and are held
at The Data Lab in Edinburgh or in rotation in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
What skills, experience & personal qualities are desirable for The Data Lab Innovation
Advisory Board (SAB) Members?
It is important that we have people with a variety of different skills and experience to enable
the SAB to work effectively. All SAB members need to have some general skills and personal
qualities that enable them to make a full contribution to the work of the SAB but these do not
have to have been gained by working in a management post or at a senior level. You may just
have a natural aptitude in these areas or you may have gained them through being active in
your community, in a voluntary capacity or just through your own personal life experience –
these are listed in the ‘General skills & personal qualities’ section and we have explained exactly
what we will be looking for and how they will be tested.
The Data Lab also needs people who bring some very specific skills and experience to the SAB
and these will take priority during the appointment process – these are listed in the ‘Priority
experience/skill’ section and, again, we have explained what we will be looking for and how
they will be tested. It is very important that there is the right balance of skills on the SAB so
the Chair will be taking account of which ‘priority’ skill each applicant is able to demonstrate
when selecting applicants for appointment. It is also important that The Data Lab has SAB
members from all geographic regions in Scotland so this will also be a factor in the decisions
which are made at all stages in the appointment process.
There are several priority experience/skill areas listed but we will only be looking for you to
demonstrate one of these. If you believe you can demonstrate more than one, then you will
have the opportunity to tell us about this during the selection process.
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Priority experience/skill (you will only need to demonstrate one of these)
Experience/skill What does this mean How will this be tested
Knowledge/understanding
of how data can be
leveraged for industry
competitiveness
You may be employed in an Industry leveraging data
to create new products or services or optimise
productivity and improve processes. You may have
gained understanding of the impact of data in an
industry vertical such as Digital Economy, or Finance.
We will want you to tell us about your
knowledge/understanding and how this has
been gained in your CV or covering letter. We
will discuss this with you during the interview.
A practical knowledge &
understanding of the Data
Science
You have a day to day involvement within data
science or analytics. You may work in an organisation
which creatively uses data to solve business
challenges or in the creation of new products or
services.
We will want you to tell us about your
knowledge/understanding and how this has
been gained in the written application. We will
discuss this with you during the interview.
Industry Business Leader
We need a person who has experience of working in
senior role within a business or industry relevant for
Scotland. These industry verticals include Finance,
Energy, and the Digital Sector.
We will want you to tell us about your
experience and how this has been gained in
your CV or covering letter. We will discuss this
with you during the interview.
A practical knowledge &
understanding of training
or education
You have a day to day involvement within a training
or academic organisation.
We will want you to tell us about your
knowledge/understanding and how this has
been gained in the written application. We will
discuss this with you during the interview.
General skills & personal qualities (we will want all applicants to demonstrate these)
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Skill/quality What does this mean? How will this be tested?
Working collaboratively &
constructively with others
• appreciating the knowledge/skills of colleagues
• supporting colleagues whenever possible
• sharing knowledge at every opportunity
• showing respect for colleagues and
stakeholders
• striving to achieve consensus
• able to accept a consensus decision even if it
goes against a personal view
During the interview we will ask you to give us
some practical examples of situations where
you have worked collaboratively and
constructively with others.
Challenging the views of
others in a constructive
and supportive way
• being confident in questioning proposals and
debating issues.
• putting forward your views in an objective way
• not being too dogmatic about your own
perspective.
• helping others to consider their own position
in a non-confrontational way
During the interview we will ask you to give us
some practical examples of situations where
you have challenged the views of others in a
constructive way.
Seeing the ‘bigger picture’ • able to look ahead and consider issues/topics
within different timeframes
• identifying relevant implications from what is
being discussed such as challenges, risks etc.
• seeing beyond your own personal experience
or specialism and considering other
information and perspectives
• does not take a short term, parochial view
• it is not necessary to have experience of
developing or implementing a strategy
During the interview we will ask you to give us
some practical examples of situations where
you have taken a broader and more holistic
view.
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Analysing information and
making decisions
• using information which is available to reach
conclusions
• clearly explain how conclusions have been
reached
• identifying some of the implications associated
with what you are considering – priorities, risks,
opportunities etc.
• recognising when information is limited and
where more information might be needed
• being able to balance a number of different
considerations
During the interview we will ask you to give us
some practical examples of situations where
you have analysed information and used this
information to reach conclusions.
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Managing performance • an understanding of what The Data Lab and
the SAB are required to do
• able to explain the different responsibilities of
executive staff and SAB members
• an appreciation of the SAB’s responsibility for
ensuring effective governance
• personal experience of change with an
understanding of how it should be
implemented and the critical factors for
success
During the interview we will ask you some
questions about your knowledge and
understanding of what The Data Lab does and
the role & responsibilities of executive staff
and the SAB – you do not need any specific
experience to answer these questions but you
will need to do some background research
before the interview. We will want you to tell
us about your own personal experience of
‘change’
Communicating effectively • being focussed and succinct in your
communication with good listening skills
• confident in expressing views and opinions in a
group setting
• persuasive, able to influence others to your
own perspective
• able to adapt your style appropriately for
different situations
• satisfactory written skills
We will assess your written skills from the
completion of your covering letter and CV. We
will assess your verbal skills through your
responses in the interview
Enthusiastic and
passionate about Data
Science and Analytics and
the importance of this
capability to drive
economic and social
benefit for Scotland
• knowledge/understanding of data use and
some appreciation of how data can be used to
drive innovation
• able to explain how the use of data can benefit
organisations both private and public
• can enthuse others about data and our
capability in Scotland
We will want you to tell us about your
personal interest in and enthusiasm for the
use of data in the written application. We will
also have a discussion with you about this
during the interview, as well as assessing your
knowledge/understanding of the opportunity
for Scotland.
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HOW TO APPLY
Please forward your CV and covering letter detailing why you have applied to join The Data Lab
Innovation Advisory Board and what you bring to the role on or before the closing date of Friday
6th September 2019 to [email protected].
Late applications will not be considered.
If you have any queries about this appointment process, please contact The Data Lab on 0131
651 4905 or email [email protected]
SELECTION
A discussion will be scheduled with John Brodie, Chair of the Skills Advisory Board and may
include other SAB members or members of The Data Lab leadership team.
To make sure that the process is transparent and the appointment is made on merit, the selection
panel will declare if they know anyone who has applied for these appointments.
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Nationality
If you’re a non-British national you can apply for, and be appointed to, the boards of Non-
Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs). However, you must be legally entitled to work in the UK.
Telling you about progress
If you aren’t invited to interview/discussion you will be told about the outcome of your application
in writing.
If you’re invited to interview/discussion you’ll be offered feedback. It will be based on:
• The assessment of your merit in relation to the skills, knowledge and experience required by
the Person Specification
• Any relevant feedback from the interview process
Expenses for attending interviews/discussion
If you’re invited for an interview/discussion you can claim for reasonable expenses involved in
attending. This includes childcare and dependent carer expenses. We expect you to use the most
efficient and economical means of travel, and the amount we reimburse will normally be restricted
to this. If you are invited for interview these rates, and a claim form, will be included in the
invitation letter. You must provide receipts to support all claims.
Valuing Diversity
The Data Lab is committed to diversity and equality.
We value having Members with different points of view and experiences on the SAB. So, we’re
hoping to receive applications from a wide range of talented people irrespective of their: religion
or belief, gender, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political belief,
relationship status or caring responsibilities.
This appointments process promotes, demonstrates and upholds equality of opportunity for all
applicants.
The Data Lab particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented on
Scotland’s public bodies and technology companies, such as women, disabled people, ethnic
minorities.
Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts may relate to situations where there’s a clash between your role on this SAB and your
professional or personal interests.
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Also, if you and a panel member have a close relationship, the panel chair can decide that the
panel member shouldn’t be involved in your assessment, and may ask the panel member not to
take part in the appointment round.
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APPOINTMENT
What happens if you are appointed?
If you’re appointed, some of the information that you’ve given us will be made public in a media
release about your appointment and included on our website. It may include:
• your name
• a short description of The Data Lab
• a brief summary of the skills, knowledge and experience you bring to the role
• how long you’ve been appointed for and the time commitment
• details of any other private or public appointments you hold that are relevant to this role
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