I'm Cindy Butts and I'm a senior

independent panel member.

As a senior independent panel member I'm

involved in all aspects of the

recruitment process, so that's everything

from reviewing the applicant the

candidate pack involved in long listing

short listing in the interview process

so playing an active part in all of the

aspects of recruitment, but there's one

crucial difference and it's really

important so as a senior independent

panel member it's my role to guarantee

the integrity of the process to make

sure that the process aligns with the

principles and the code for public

appointments and if they don't then it's

my responsibility to highlight where

any breaches of the code may have

occurred or whether I've got any other

concerns about the way which the process

was run.

Senior Independent Panel Members

are not involved in every single

appointment they are used for the

most significant appointment so that's

appointments where perhaps the body

itself has a big budget or indeed the

role is incredibly high profile so it's

the most senior appointments and those

that have the most significant where I

would get involved.

it's really important to have senior

independent panel members involved in

senior appointments because they are the

individuals who will be independent of

the department, independent of the body

in question and also be able to provide

public reassurance that the process has

been fair it's been robust it's based on

merit, to be able to challenge and to

scrutinize and to bring that

different perspective to the table.

So after the interview stage all of the

panel members will think long and hard

and deliberate and really try and take

in to account not just candidates

performance at interview but look at all

of the information that we've gathered

so that we include the application

process any references that we've taken

and we will try and decide those

candidates who we believe are above the

line so candidates who can do the role

and we will put all of that information

together in a report and that will be

sent to to the relevant Minister and it

will be for the Minister to make the

decision we provide him with a choice

and he or she will make that final

decision.