The Commissioner
The Commissioner is the guardian of the processes used by Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to make public appointments on merit.
Public bodies, and their boards, play an important role in the lives of the people of Northern Ireland. They provide essential services: in health provision, in education, in policing and justice, in economic and social development matters and right across the range of Government services. The Commissioner’s role as a regulator is to ensure that all public appointments are made on merit, in a fair and transparent manner, and that the opportunity to serve on the boards of public bodies are open to the widest possible field of candidates.
It is important that anyone who wishes to serve on the Boards of Northern Ireland's public bodies, and has skills or experience to contribute, is given the opportunity to put themselves forward for appointment. The Commissioner’s office is committed to ensuring that each Northern Ireland Executive Department has in place clear processes for attracting and assessing a wide range of candidates; that those processes are fairly and openly applied to every public appointment and that each appointment is truly made on merit.
The Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (CPANI) is Claire Keatinge.
Prior to her appointment as CPANI, she has previously held several public appointments, including as Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland; the Northern Ireland Prison Service; The Executive Office; Big Lottery; and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. She has also served on the Boards of voluntary and charitable organisations.
She has had a career in the voluntary and community sector, including with Alzheimer’s’ Society Age NI, CO3, Belfast Women’s Training Services, and Law Centre NI. The development of high-quality services, inclusion, community development, and good governance have always been important aspects of her work.
As the first Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, she championed the interests of older people, and their positive contribution to society.
She holds an MSc from Bristol University
The Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments is the code that all Northern Ireland Departments must follow in making public appointments. It is designed to make sure that Ministers can be provided with a choice of high quality candidates from a strong and diverse field.
This website provides information on the Commissioner's role and the role of the Commissioner's office. It keeps you up to date with the news on public appointments and alerts you to relevant reports and publications. You will also find results of audits and investigations conducted by the Commissioner's office.
If you have comments or suggestions on the website or on any matter relating to public appointments, please let us have them on info@publicappointmentsni.org. We welcome your feedback and comments.