Yet no money to defend us ..
This morning David Lammy's Ministry of Justice has launched a new two-year "Public appointments diversity and outreach strategy."
Here are the highlights of what the MoJ has now signed itself up to do:
-An expectation that at least 90% of campaigns achieve demonstrable diversity on sift and interview panels, with panel selection informed by the current diversity of the board and any representation gaps. For the purposes of this measure, a panel will be considered diverse where declared data shows representation of more than one sex, or at least one declared ethnic minority or disabled panel member.
-Explore novel application methods with colleagues across government (e.g. AI sifting, video applications, alternative to CVs) to widen access and reduce bias in the system.
-Host and collaborate on outreach events (virtual and in-person) to demystify the appointments process, especially targeting underrepresented groups and regions with structured pre- and post-event engagement tracking.
-Enhance senior buy-in by identifying a Public Appointee Diversity Advocate and strengthening informal networks of public appointees to support engagement activity and share perspectives on diversity with the Advocate reporting annually on progress and barriers.
-Utilise staff networks and MOJ Champions to raise awareness of public appointments.
-Establish, where appropriate, Steering Groups for boards with poor diversity, involving No10, Cabinet Office, Special Advisors, and other relevant stakeholders who can bring additional expertise, challenge and networks to support more effective campaign planning and outreach, with clear terms of reference and escalation routes.
-Introduce a documented post-campaign diversity review for 100% of campaigns, analysing progression data, panel composition and candidate feedback.
-Use feedback and lessons learned to refine future campaigns, with bi-annual reviews and a full strategy evaluation in 2028.