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Reference: 32756

Date Added: 19 December 2011
Closing Date: 3 January 2012

Job Title: Neighbourhoods Engagement Interns (x 2)

Working For: Department for Communities and Local Government

Location: London

Salary: £350 pw

Length of Contract:

Job Details

Ministers have called neighbourhoods the building blocks of the Big Society. The Open Public Services White Paper proposed that local communities should have greater influence and control over the local public services they use.

Building on the reforms that already being implemented we want to open up a conversation with policy makers and those who work in neighbourhoods on how Government can help to make this change happen. We are looking for two graduate interns for a short term project to help us design and deliver this engagement and idea generation process. This is an exciting project on a high profile policy topic where the Department wants to lead the way in new ways of communicating and engaging beyond Whitehall.

Based in the Decentralisation Team in DCLG, you will be expected to work with relevant communications, analyst and policy colleagues within the department and a range of external partners.

The engagement organiser role is likely to involve:

  • Identifying key policy thinkers and practitioners;
  • Organising effective ways to engage with them (e.g. 1:1s, roundtables, seminars); and
  • Summarising and analysing the feedback and drawing links with other relevant work.

The e-communications role is likely to involve:

  • Working with communications colleagues to identify and exploit existing online opportunities to stimulate a wider debate on neighbourhoods policy;
  • If necessary designing and delivering our own online process; and
  • Managing any online process on behalf of the Department, creating and commissioning material as necessary, and summarising and analysing the feedback.

However both post holders will be expected to be able to work flexibly across the team as the project evolves.

Key requirements:

  • Strong written and oral communications skills, with a knowledge and experience of different techniques for open sourced policy making an advantage;
  • Experience of basic project management;
  • Flexibility and ability to deliver results in a changing environment;
  • Experience of, or demonstrated interest in, the public policy process and the Government’s agenda on localism.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK, and willing to undergo the relevant security clearance. The post will be subject to the Civil Service rules on political impartiality.

Contract will end 30 March 2012.

Closing Date: 3 January 2012

Interview/Start Dates

Interviews: week begining 09 January.

Start date: ASAP.

Application Details

To apply please email a CV, (including names of two references) and a covering letter indicating which post you would prefer and explaining why you think you would be suited, to decentralisation@communities.gsi.gov.uk 

To discuss the post please call Ian Bradshaw on 0303 444 4311 or email ian.bradshaw@communities.gsi.gov.uk (applications sent to this address will not be considered).

Website: http://communities.gov.uk

Additional Notes