To ask the Minister of Education to detail the process that was followed that led to the appointment of the new chairperson of the board of the Education Authority.

The selection process was conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (CPA Northern Ireland).

The competition launched on 12 September 2024, inviting those interested in applying to complete an application form.

Applicants were expected to demonstrate evidence (in their application and at interview) that they had the necessary experience, skills and competencies, to meet six essential criteria, which were as follows:

Customer Focus / Service

Strategic Leadership

Finance and Transformational Change Management

Governance

Co-operation and Collaboration

Communication

Written applications were then considered by an assessment panel, with only those candidates who provided evidence of sufficient quality to meet the eligibility criteria invited to interview.

Following the interviews the assessment panel provided an unranked list of four candidates who were considered suitable for appointment. In doing so they provided a candidate summary based on the information provided by each applicant at interview.