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Transcript of CS Fast Stream
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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The Fast Stream route
to a career in Parliament
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Contents Introduction 2
Fast Stream Opportunities 4
How to apply 5
Training and Development 5
Promotion 5
Pay 5
Condition 5
House of Commons 6
- Department of Chamber
and Committee Services 7
- Department of Resources 7
- Department of Facilities 8
- Department of Information Services 8
House of Lords 10
Recent Fast Streamers 12
Equal Opportuni ties 14
Further Information 14
Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Working in either House o Parliament is a ascinating
career or anyone interested in the constitution, politics
and public policy.
Careers may appeal to those whose interests are divided
between the academic and the practical, and who enjoy
proximity to the parliamentary process without wishing,
themselves, to engage in the cut and thrust o politics.
Essential qualities or all these posts include an interest
in current aairs, the capacity to work as a member o
a team and the ability to produce inormation which is
clear and accurate and advice which is persuasive, both inwriting and orally, when under p ressure. In both Houses
political impartiality is essential to ensure the condence
o Members o Parliament o all parties. Te capacity
to lead and manage projects and teams is becoming
increasingly important to those pursuing a career in
Parliament.
Fast Streamers are employees o the appropriate House,
not Civil Servants, and serve Parliament, not the
Government o the day, although conditions o service
and the grading structure are linked to, and kept broadly
in line with, the Civil Service. In recent years two or
three vacancies or Fast Streamers have arisen in each
House annually. Fast Streamers can expect to serve in
a variety o roles across either House rom supporting
Select Committees to involvement in the Housesadministration.
Fast Stream Opportunitiesin Parliament
How to ApplyFast Stream appointments in the House o Commonsand House o Lords are oered through the Civil ServiceFast Stream Development Programme. Te Fast Streamcompetition is vigorous, open and air and, or posts inParliament, consists o 5 stages:
All Fast Stream applicants will be required to undertakea sel-assessment test, comprising a verbal and numericalreasoning test and Fast Stream Situations est at the starto the online application process. Tis will help you gauge
your likely success at the rst round o online tests. Tereis then another opportunity to practise online verbal andnumerical reasoning tests.
Having had an opportunity to amiliarise yoursel with
the Fast Stream online tests candidates then complete theverbal and numerical reasoning test and a competencyquestionnaire. Tese are taken within a specied timerame at your own PC. Successul candidates will then beasked to complete an application orm beore proceedingto
Te E-ray Exercise. Tis is a 3 hour invigilated testtaken on a PC at a Fast Stream test centre in the UK.An example e-tray exercise can be ound at:
www.faststream.gov.uk
Successul candidates then proceed to the one-day FastStream Assessment Centre (FSAC). Tis will be held incentral London and will assess candidates interpersonalskills, intellectual capacity and delivery skills.
Te last stage or candidates successul at the Fast Stream
Assessment Centre will be a Final Selection Board (FSB)held at the Houses o Parliament in May/June. ypicallyFSB consists o the Chair and three or our Members.
Te Members are likely to be assembled rom thesenior service in the two Houses, together with externalMembers. Te interview lasts about 35 minutes. TeBoard will have your application papers and a report o
your perormance at FSAC. FSB provides the opportunityto resolve, through an interview, any uncertainties arisingrom this earlier evidence, to explore your motivation andaptitude and to test your ability to think on your eet, as
will sometimes be required in work situations. Te topicsto be discussed will thereore not be predictable.
Fast Stream Training andDevelopmentFast Streamers in both Houses receive most o their trainingon the job and are encouraged to take advantage o trainingopportunities throughout their careers on aspects o publicpolicy, personal development, management skills andcomputer training, including attendance at external coursessuch as those oered by the National School o Government.In both Houses regular seminars are a rranged or sta onaspects o parliamentary procedure and on developmentsin the administration and workings o the House. Temajority o graduates recruited to the two Houses remain inparliamentary service or the whole o their careers thoughthere are opportunities or secondments, including to postsin the Central Departments o the Civil Service, to theNational Parliament Ofce in Brussels, and, or House oLords Clerks, to the Government Whips Ofce.
PromotionPromotion prospects are similar to those in the FastStream Civil Service.
PayPay or Fast Stream Clerks starts rom 25,000 to
26,000 and progresses in line with the Home CivilService. Where appropriate, allowances are paid orunsocial hours.
ConditionsExcellent service conditions apply with generous annualleave, a choice o nal salary or stakeholder pensions,
interest ree season ticket loan, and child-care vouchers.Membership o an in-house gym is available on paymento an annual membership ee.
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Department of Chamber
and Committee ServicesTe Department o Chamber and Committee Servicessupports the business o the House and its Committees.
Tree Directorates provide procedural advice and secretariatservices to the House, the Speaker and the DeputySpeakers, to the Committees appointed by the House,and to individual MPs. Te Department also reports theproceedings o the House and Committees (Hansard) andis responsible or ceremonial and security services (Serjeantat Arms).
Fast Streamers normally begin their careers as Clerks inthe Committee Ofce on the sta o a Select Committeeor, less oten, in a junior position in one o the proceduralofces servicing the work o the Chamber or Committeesdealing with legislation.
As the second Clerk o a Select Committee you wouldparticipate in organising its inquiries, preparing briengpapers, travelling with the Committee in the UnitedKingdom and abroad, and helping prepare its dratreports. In the procedural ofces you would learn atrst hand how the House works and the complexitieso its procedures. Te variety o dierent ofces withinthe Department - the Committee Ofce, able Ofce(dealing with Parliamentary Questions, Motions andthe business o the House), the Legislation Service(concerned with the passage o Bills and other legislation),
Journal Ofce (which maintains the ormal records othe House), the International Relations Directorate(concerned with relations with other Parliaments andinternational assemblies) - ensures that it is unlikely that
you will work in the same area o the Department insuccessive appointments. Clerks may expect to spend at
least hal, and probably more, o their careers workingwith Select Committees. Most Committee sta arebased in an ofce building a ew minutes walk rom thePalace o Westminster, but new Clerks working or SelectCommittees also have the opportunity on evening duty inthe House to gain some experience o procedural ofces.
Work in one o the core procedural ofces o theCommons accounts or about one third o Clerks posts,and involves work on the passing o legislation, givingadvice to Members o Parliament on ParliamentaryQuestions and Motions and the business beore the Houseand keeping the legal record o the decisions taken by theHouse. Te remaining two thirds o posts are involved
with the servicing o Select Committees, and more strategic
management posts and projects are open toClerks throughout their careers. Clerks have also becomeincreasingly involved in managing human resources,communications, nancial and resource needs.
As well as developing the usual skills o administration -preparation o brieng, drating memoranda and reportsand participating in meetings - Clerks learn how toprovide advice at times o high political pressure in sucha way that it will be accepted by all opposing interests.Clerks are also called upon to provide procedural and otherservices or international parliamentary assemblies likethe Council o Europe, NAO Parliamentary Assembly,Inter-Parliamentary Union and other bodies. Tey may alsobe required to accompany Select Committees on overseas
visits.
Department of ResourcesTe Department o Resources traditionally provided arange o proessional and administrative services to theHouse o Commons. Tese included nancial servicesto MPs and their sta, covering pay, pensions, andallowances. Tese unctions are now provided by theIndependent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
Te Department still provides HR services to MPs, as wellas HR, nance and other business services to sta o theHouse. Te Department also provides leadership in thecorporate development o organisational capability in theareas o nance, human resources, and procurement. TeDepartment will soon be restructured into two separateDepartments: a Department o Human Resources andChange and a Department o Finance. Both Departments
will have Director Generals who will serve on the Board.
I you undertake a placement in either o the newDepartments you will gain valuable skills, knowledge andexperience in people or nancial management. Tis couldinclude:
input into HR policies, procedures and practices;
drat guidance or line managers;
manage learning and development projects;
assist with diversity initiatives;
support the House savings programme,
carry out an executive support role
or; undertake a procurement exercise.
In the Commons, Fast Streamers will gainvaluable House-wide experience to open up avariety o avenues or uture career progression.
Te House o Commons service is divided intoour Departments:
Chamber & Committee Services
Resources
Facilities
Inormation Services
Tere is also a small Ofce o the ChieExecutive, and the separate ParliamentaryInormation and Communications echnologyDepartment (PIC), which is a jointDepartment.
Each Department provides specic servicesto MPs, their sta and the public. TeManagement Board oversees the House Serviceand is comprised o the Director General oeach Department and chaired by the Clerk othe House. Te service is ultimately accountableto the Speaker and the House o CommonsCommission.
Te our year development programme willnormally start in the Department o Chamberand Committee Services and Fast Streamers
will move to other exciting roles across theHouse during their second, third and/or ourth
year.
House of Commons
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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Department of FacilitiesTe Department o Facilities manages the Parliamentary
Estate and provides a sae and unctioning environment
or everyone working in or visiting Parliament. Tis
includes long term estate planning, the provision o expert
advice on the preservation o the Palace o Westminster
as a World Heritage Site, planning and delivery o
maintenance work, placing contracts and management
o capital projects. Te Department also manages all
ofce accommodation, cleaning, mail delivery and room
bookings.
Te Catering and Retail Services arm o the Department
provides meals, rereshments and banqueting services and
manages the souvenir kiosks.
Te Department has three service Directorates:
Catering and Retail Services provide up to 1.6 million
meals every year. It opera tes a range o acilities rom
snack bars to ne dining restaurants serving over
300,000 customers, bar services and private unction
rooms serving over 200,000 customers. Souvenirs and
gits are available to help ull visitor and Members
expectations serving some 100,000 customers every year.
Te Parliamentary Estates Directorate (PED)
manages the corporate real estate, delivers sufcient
accommodation and services to meet the needs o all
who work within, or visit, the Parliamentary Estate,
and optimises its use as a healthy, sae, sustainable
and eective working environment and, at the same
time, maintains the abric and heritage o Parliamentsbuildings, objects and documents or the benet o uture
generations.
Accommodation and Logistics Services (ALS) provides
accommodation services to Members o the House o
Commons, their sta and sta o the House to enable
them to carry out their parliamentary roles eectively.
Te Directorate is also responsible or a wide range o
ofce and allied services including the management o a
cleaning contract, or the mail and stationery contracts,
and a large part o the photocopier contract.
Te Department is supported by a Business Management
Directorate and a Finance Directorate as well as an
Executive Ofce which is the centre o operations or
the Department o Facilities and the conduit or ofcial
correspondence and communication to and rom the
Department.
I you join the Department you would have an
opportunity o working in either a service delivery role
or in an executive/support role. For example you may
be in the Estates Directorate where one o the tasks
would be acting as the Secretary o the Parliamentary
Estate Board; which meets on a monthly basis. Tis
would involve working closely with Senior Directors and
Managers across the House o Commons and Lords,
to ensure that papers are circulated timely or meetings
and minutes produced. Another acet o this role is to
be the interace with the Director Generals Executive
Ofce on Parliamentary Questions (PQs), Freedom o
Inormation (FOI) requests and to ensure that deadlines
are met. Alternatively you may be working in the Director
Generals ofce working on business related matters across
the Department, which include being the primary ocal
point in Inormation Management & Security, PQs,
Business Continuity and Risk. Tere may also be the
possibility or a role in one o the Service Delivery teams
in an operational customer acing area such as Catering &
Retail Services.
Department of Information ServicesTe Department o Inormation Services provides research,
analysis, library and inormation services or the House o
Commons. Its main responsibility is to serve MPs and their
sta; it also provides public inormation services including
outreach, education, and visititor services; media and
communications services; and online services. Te ofce o the
Curator o Works o Art is also based here.
Fast Streamers would most likely work in the Library's
research service or in Parliamentary Outreach.
The Library
Te Library provides an impartial inormation and
research service or all Members o Parliament on any
subject related to their parliamentary duties. It also
produces brieng papers on legislation, economic and
social trends, international relations, and other topical
issues. Fast Streamers may have the opportunity o
working in the Library as a Library Clerk. Tey carry
out research and provide inormation direct to Members,
and take ull responsibility or their work rom an early
stage. Most Library Clerks are recruited directly through
external competition, as many o them are specialists who
work in one o eight subject-based sections which provide
inormation and research assistance to Members, and, on
occasion, to Select Committees. Tese posts oten require
a specialised background or qualication in a eld such aslaw, economics or science; but library qualications are not
required.
Te main duties as a research Library Clerk would
be to respond, orally or in writing, to requests rom
individual Members and to prepare brieng papers. While
responses to individual Members are condential, much
pre-prepared and regularly updated brieng material
is made available to all Members on the Parliamentary
Intranet and the Parliament website. Many requests rom
individual Members have tight deadlines, sometimes
needing an instant answer on the telephone or requiring a
response the same or the next day. Brieng papers linked
to the business o the House may also need to be produced
at short notice, but some subjects allow time or a more
considered approach.
You will need to keep up to date with developments in
the subjects which you cover and to develop contacts who
are experts in these elds. Librarians in research teams
compile a knowledge base o source material relevant to
the subjects covered. Your sources will include relevant
on-line databases as well as contacts in Government
Departments and other outside organisations. All
Library Clerks are expected to acquire a knowledge o
parliamentary procedures and documentation, to become
amiliar with the procedures o the European Union and
to keep abreast o European proposals in the areas which
they cover. Much o the initial training is on the job or
provided in-house but Library Clerks are also encouraged
to attend external conerences and courses in the subjects
they cover.
Parliamentary Outreach
Parliamentary Outreach serves both Houses and is in
the third, o a ve element programme endorsed by both
Houses radically to improve the connection between
Parliament and the public. Te aim o Outreach is to raise
awareness o, and build long-term strategic engagement
with, the work o Parliament in the wider community,
mainly through the delivery o tailored inormation
sessions. Tere are Outreach Ofcers based in all UKregions, establishing good links with local and community
representatives o national organisations whose remit is to
develop civic participation.
You may have the opportunity to join the Outreach
Service and deliver a range o dedicated Outreach services
and resources, oered both at Westminster and across the
UK. Te Parliamentary Outreach programme is separate
to, but works alongside, Parliaments Education Service.
As a Fast Streamer, you would be responsible or working
in partnership with sta and Members at Westminster and
in the devolved legislatures to deliver Outreach at local
level and develop strategic partnerships with counterpart
sta in the devolved legislatures. Tis will involveestablishing and instigating opportunities to promote the
work o Parliament at regional level to relevant audiences.
Tere will also be a strong ocus on working with Select
Committees and Public Bill Committees to explore new
ways o promoting engagement with evidence-gathering
processes.
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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House of Lords
Te House o Lords currently employs over 450 ull-
time equivalent sta, o whom over 40 were recruited
through the Fast Stream. It has a unied structure,
divided into a number o separate unctional units,
covering a range o services in support o the work o
the House, rom catering to research services.
In many respects the role o a Fast Streamer in the
Lords replicates that in the Commons.
Most Fast Stream posts provide direct procedural
and other support or the work o the House, in the
Chamber or in Committees. At any one time about
hal o the Fast Stream entrants are assigned to workwith a Select Committee. C lerks o Committees
manage a small secretariat supporting each Committee
unit. Tei r responsibility is to organise programmes o
work to enable Committees to carry out the unctions
assigned them by the House. Tey also have to advise
Committees about how they should comply with the
practice and procedure o the House and any relevant
House policies. Tey play a key role in drating reports
and other documents or Committees and on occasion
travel with the Committee away rom Westminster.
Committee Clerks have to amiliarise themselves with
sometimes quite complex subjects in a short time,
identiy key issues and help Committees analyse them.
As Lords Committees tend to have very broad terms
o reerence the Committee clerk can expect to have to
move very quickly rom one subject area to another.
In addition to Committee work, in due course Fast
Streamers gain experience o other ofces supporting
the work o the Chamber more directly. In the Public
and Private Bill Ofce they administer the legislative
unction o the House, and provide advice and support
to Members seeking to participate in debate on it. In
the Journal Ofce they are responsible or compiling
inormation about the House and its work and
procedures, and will be involved in preparing the ormal
record o parliamentary business. In the able Ofce
they will prepare the business papers or the Chamber,
advising Members on the questions and motions
they can ask and ensuring that they comply with the
procedures o the House.
Fast Stream entrants have also always been deployed in
wider administrative roles. wo Fast Stream entrants
are seconded to the Cabinet Ofce as private secretaries
to the Leader o the House and the Government Chie
Whip, and they may also occupy other administrative
posts as private secretaries to senior Members o
the House such as the Lord Speaker or Chairman
o Committees, or the Clerk o the Parliaments; as
secretary to the Management Board; or on secondment
to other areas o parliamentary administration, or
outside the House. Fast Stream entrants have also
served as Head o Human Resources, and Finance
Director.
All Lords Fast Streamers can expect to undertake some
night duty while the House is sitting, compiling the
ormal Minutes o Proceedings, undertaking division
duty when the House votes, or sitting at the able o the
House or a Grand Committee.
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Graduate Appointments in Parliament
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What recent Fast Streamers have to say about Parliament
I joined what was the Clerks Department in October 20 06, still not really
knowing what the job would involve. I had applied or the Civil Service Fast
Stream and decided that a Clerkship in Parliament looked interesting enough to
put as my irst choice. From open days, brochures and talking to e xisting Clerks
Id discovered that Clerks supported the work o Committees and provided
procedural advice but I had no idea how that would relate to my day to day work
as the new Second Clerk o the Education and Skills Committee.
What it turned out to mean, in practice, was that I was given a short inquiry to
manage, into bullying. I arra nged or experts to attend Committee meetings to
give evidence, provided brieing or the C ommittee and at the end o the process drated a report or the Chairman.
I certainly hadnt expected, when I joined the Department, to be part o producing a report that would make the ront
page o one national newspaper! Although inquir ies I have worked on since then havent managed to achieve the same
level o media coverage, the sense o achievement that comes rom helping MPs scrutinise the work o the Government
remains one o my avourite things about this job. While I was with the Education and Skil ls Committee I accompanied
the MPs on a visit to China. ravelling with a Committee can be exhausting but it is a antastic chance to meet
interesting and knowledge people and see things you wouldnt otherwise have the chance to.
Apart rom the possibility or travel and the excitement o seeing media report about something you had a part in, one
o the other main attractions is the variety o the work. I have enjoyed the challenge o getting to grips with unamiliar
material in order to advise and assist a Committee.
Ater a year on a Committee I chose to do a short secondment to the Department o Resources. I worked or the
Director o Operations and ound the experience o working in a dierent Depar tment in a very dierent roleinteresting and useul. he development o a House-wide Fast Stream means that uture Fast Stream entrants are likely
to spend at least part o their ea rly careers working outside the Department o Chamber and Committee Services. he
knowledge o how the wider House service works has proved to be ver y useul in my current role as second clerk o the
Administration Committee.
Internal reorganisation means there are House-wide changes happening but the Department still retains a unique
working culture. I discovered soon ater starting that it is a pleasant and sociable place to work. During my irst ew
weeks a number o colleagues at all levels introduced themselves and welcomed me to the Department. Since then I
have relied on the advice and k nowledge o more senior Clerks requently and have always ound that people are always
willing to help when asked.
Jyoti ChandolaHouse of Commons Clerk
BA Hons Theatre Dramaturgy, University of Leeds
While some people join the Fast Stream straight out o University, I joined the
House o Lords ater two years working or a government department. I was
uncertain as to whether to accept a position on the central departments Fast Stream
or take up a Clerkship in the Lords, but in the end the thought o working at
the heart o the political process won me over and its a decision I have never
regretted. I spent a year and a hal working on the Science and echnology Select
Committee, beore moving to a European Union Committee covering economicand inancial aairs. In time at the Lords I have: drated a report that made the
pages o nearly every national newspaper; heard my work debated in Parliament;
travelled to Washington, Paris and Brussels (not to mention Bedordshire); and, worked closely with some o the most
interesting and knowledgeable individuals in the UK. Im now working on economic governance in the EU: one o the
biggest and most talked about topics o the day. here can be ew jobs where you may be responsible this early in your
career or work which might have a real impact, and the thrill o turning on the radio and hearing something you have
contributed to being discussed never ades.
As a Clerk on a Select Committee, I have been line-managing a Committee Assistant since my irst day, as well as
managing the work o a Policy Analyst and a Specialist Adviser (an outside expert brought in to advise on a particular
inquiry). My daily tasks range rom the administrative (liaising with government departments, identiying witnesses to
give evidence, and organising Committee visits) to the more academic, such as preparing brieing papers, producing lists
o questions or witnesses, and drating lengthy reports on evidence gathered over a nine month long inquiry.
At the same time as my day job on a Select Committee, I also spend time working directly on the business o the
House o Lords. I spend at least one aternoon and evening a week on division duty, meaning I am on call to record
votes i the House decides to divide. Ater six months I also started spending one or two days a month preparing theHouse o Lords Business document which means helping Members schedule business and advising on questions that
Peers wish to put to the Government.
Ater the Committee Oice, I expect to be moved to another post which will either ocus more on the administration
o the House (or example, Secretary to the Management Board) or on procedure and the business o the House (or
example, in the Public Bill Oice working directly on legislation or or perhaps a secondment to the Cabinet Oice to
work in the Government Whips Oice scheduling the Governments business in the Chamber).
It is hard work, but you are given a lot o responsibility rom day one and the opportunity to work on a wide range o
subjects at a key institution in the British political system.
Antony WillottHouse of Lords Clerk
BA Politics and History, University of Durham
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Equal OpportunitiesRecruitment and promotion are strictly on ability andperormance. We welcome applications rom all qualiedindividuals. We are committed to developing working practices
which will allow every member o sta to contribute his orher best, regardless o, or example, race, sex, marital status,religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignmentor any other irrelevant actor.
Further Information
Further inormation on Parliament can be ound onwww.parliament.uk.
For urther inormation on job vacancies in Parliament go tohttp://www.parliament.uk/useful/job_opportunities.cfm.
For inormation on Clerkships in Parliament [email protected]