Dear Cabinet Office,

I would like to request the below information:
1) What are the job titles and job descriptions for the roles currently occupied in the government single domain? (described here: http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2011...)
1b) Who do these roles report to?

2) Where, if at all, were these positions advertised prior to appointment?
2b) If applicable, which procurement framework was used?
2c) What consideration was given to diversity in the selection and appointment of candidates to these roles?

3) Please provide any email correspondence or meeting minutes where these positions, appointment processes or the funding method for the posts were discussed.

4) Please provide a copy of any discussions, agreements or contracts with or about suppliers paying the positions’ salaries, which relate to the time spent on the role, or the role itself.

5) As the role is involved in the delivery for the single domain agenda (after the Martha Lane Fox Directgov review), and as the current Deputy Director for the single domain and the Executive Director for Digital have previously worked with many of the team outside of government on commercial interests, please provide full details of the steps taken to prevent a conflict of interest in the recruitment process.

If any parts of this request are likely to be covered by exceptions due to part of a question, your assistance under Section I.16 would be welcomed in reformulating that part to allow release and to aid disclosure and transparency.

Yours faithfully,

Alex Coley

Dear DIRECTGOV Directgov FOI,

Thank you for your response.

It is a shame that the request could not be completely fulfilled. Using the blanket of the Civil Service Commission recruitment principles as a catch all did not really answer the questions. I note that there is no record of the Civil Service Commission decision on conflicts of interest in this case, or of how exactly people were deemed to be exempt from competition in specific roles. It is simply anecdotal that it was decided and it shall be so.

Also, there is some muddying of the waters between roles that were appointed in the year prior to my FOI request and roles which have been advertised since. It was brought to my attention that some of these advertised roles may cross over with roles that were previously awarded as exempt from competition. Transparent disclosure was not helped by the response to my FOI being left until the very last day possible under the act.

Lastly, for your own sake, may I suggest that you remove the contact details for David Dilley from the PDF you attached.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Coley