Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerLongford County Council is one of Local Authorities in the Republic of Ireland. TheCouncil has responsibility for the delivery of a wide range of services which arenecessary to the physical, economic, social and cultural life of County Longford, with afocus on making Longford an attractive place to live, work and invest.The following comprise the areas of service delivery in Longford County Council:• Economic & Community Development • Fire & Emergency Services• Local Enterprise • Environment• Planning • Finance• Cultural & Recreational Services • Information Services• Infrastructure • Corporate Services• Water Services • Human ResourcesHousingThis is an opportunity to gain employment in the role of Assistant Planner withLongford County Council. Longford County Council is committed to a policy of open and fairrecruitment, in line with good practice, recruitment & selection standards,employment legislation and relevant circulars from the Department ofHousing, Local Government & Heritage.This Candidate Information Booklet is intended to provide information on thepost of Assistant Planner and the selection process and candidates areadvised to familiarise themselves with the detailed information in advance ofsubmitting their application.Candidates should satisfy themselves that they are eligible under theQualifications to apply for the post of Assistant Planner.Where a candidate provides false or misleading information or hasdeliberately omitted relevant information on their application form this mayresult in their disqualification from the competition.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerASSISTANT PLANNERTHE ROLEAn Assistant Planner is responsible for working as part of a team implementing programmesof work in the Planning Department and for providing a multiplicity of planning services andrelated services. Assistant Planner positions are multifaceted and may include some or all ofthe following key service areas:Development Management.Planning Enforcement.Forward Planning and Sustainable DevelopmentGathering and analysis of Statistics on Development.The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:Good knowledge of planning legislation and the principles, practices and techniquesof planningAn ability to work positively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.Good planning, operational and project management skills.Good communication / presentation and interpersonal skills.Good knowledge, or the ability to quickly acquire same, of local governmentfunctions, services and activities particularly in relation to planning anddevelopment.Good report writing skills and strong IT skills.An ability to achieve delivery of competing demands within prescribed timelines anddeadlines andBe a member of the Irish Planning Institute / Royal Town Planning Institute or beeligible for membership of either professional Institute.DUTIESThe duties of the office are to give to the local authority and (a) to such other local authorities or bodies for which the Chief Executive, for the purposesof the Local Government Act,, is Chief Executive and(b) to any other local authority or body with which an agreement has been made by thelocal authority or by any of the authorities or bodies mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) of thisparagraphUnder the general direction and control of the Chief Executive or of such other officer as theChief Executive may from time to time determine, such appropriate planning and ancillaryservices of an advisory, supervisory or executive nature as may be required by any localauthority or body hereinbefore mentioned in the exercise and performance of any of itspowers, functions and duties, including servicing all committees that may be established byany such local authority or body, and the duty of assisting any appropriate officer, in thesupervision of the planning or ancillary services of any of the foregoing local authorities orbodies and, when required to do so, to perform the duty of acting for the appropriateprofessional officer of higher rank during the absence of such officer of higher rank.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerAssistant Planner duties include but are not limited to the following:Assess planning applications and pre-application proposals against the Councilspolicies and provide recommendations and policy responses to these as requiredAssist in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of development plan /local area plans/planning schemes and assist in the preparation of reports on thesematters for the Chief Executive and appropriate Committees of the Council.Assist in the preparation of planning studies including EU funded research projects.Assisting in monitoring and reporting on implementation progress, includinggathering / analysis of development and market activity.Liaise and work with constituent planning authorities and other public authorities onall aspects of implementation.Assist and provide advice to Chief Executive, appropriate Committees of the Council,individuals, groups and so on, on planning related issues.Assist in the procurement and management of consultants and any other associatedduties as may be assigned from time to timeAssist in the identification of and undertake opportunities for continualimprovementContribute positively and engage with the Planning Departments continualprofessional development programmes.Participate & take part in the duties as required as part of the Organisationalresponse to Climate Action and Just Transition to promote & ensure capacitybuilding, empowering change and delivering actionThese duties are indicative rather than exhaustive and are carried out under generalguidance.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerCOMPETENCIESKey competencies for the post of Assistant Planner are given in the table below. Candidateswill be expected to demonstrate sufficient evidence within their application form of theircompetence under each of these headings. Please take particular note of the competencieslisted as any shortlisting or interview processes will be based on the information providedby the candidate in their completed application form.Plans work and allocation of staff and other resourceseffectively.Implements high quality service and customer careDELIVERING RESULTS &standards.COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELYDemonstrates effective verbal and written communicationskills. Assists the team or work area to achieve corporateobjectives.Works as part of a team to ensure delivery of plans andschedules.PERFORMANCE THROUGH• Has a strong team ethic of co-operation and mutualPEOPLEsupport.Show visible commitment to the purpose, mission andvision of the Organisation Takes initiative and is open to taking on new challenges orresponsibilities.Manages time and workload effectively.Maintains a positive and constructive and enthusiasticPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESSattitude to their role.Understands and implements change and demonstratesflexibility and openness to change. Satisfactory range and depth of relevant experience andtechnical knowledge to the post of Assistant PlannerProject ManagementAppreciation & understanding of Health & Safety issuesKnowledge & understanding of the role of AssistantKNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE & Planner in Local GovernmentSKILLS • Knowledge & understanding of the role of LocalGovernmentKnowledge of current local and national issues &awareness of likely effects of these issues on LocalGovernment policyCandidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerAssistant Planner QUALIFICATIONS. Character Candidates shall be of good character.. Health Each candidate must be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect ofability to render regular and efficient service.. CitizenshipCandidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:(a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the MemberStates of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or(b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or(c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU andSwitzerland on the free movement of persons; or(d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen andhas a stamp visa: or(e) A person awarded international protection under the International ProtectionAct or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result offamily reunification and has a stamp visa or(f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, andresident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp visa. Education, Training and Experience etc.Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms: (a) hold an honours degree (level in the National Framework of Qualifications) inPlanning.(b) have at least two years satisfactory experience of planning work; and(c) possess a high standard of technical training and experience.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerPARTICULARS OF EMPLOYMENT. The Post The post is wholetime (i.e., hours per week) and appointment may be permanent ortemporary.. Location Longford County Council reserves the right to assign the successful candidates to anypremises in use by the Council, now or in the future.The person appointed will be required to report to their place of work by their own meansof transport and at their own expense.. CommencementLongford County Council shall require a person to whom an appointment is offered to takeup such appointment within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to take upthe appointment within such period, or such other longer period as the Council in itsabsolute discretion may determine, Longford County Council shall not appoint them.. Working Hours The current working hours are hours per week, Monday to Friday. Longford CountyCouncil reserves the right to alter the hours of work from time to time in line withGovernment Circulars.All hours worked are subject to and recorded in accordance with the provisions of theOrganisation of Working Time Act,, and the Organisation of Working Time Regulations,. Longford County Council requires employees to record their hours using a Clockingsystem.. Reporting Arrangements Assistant Planners report directly to the appropriate supervisor in the Section or to anyother employee of Longford County Council as the Director of Services or other appropriateemployee may designate for this purpose.A system of regular appraisal will be operated during employment, which will involvediscussions between the employee and the line manager regarding performance andconduct.. Probationary Period of Employment There shall be a period after appointment during which the appointee will hold the positionon probation. The period of probation will be prescribed by the Chief Executive.Employment may be terminated during the probationary period should service be deemedby the Chief Executive to be unsatisfactory. Employment may be terminated at the end ofthe probationary period unless the Chief Executive has certified that the employee hadCandidate Information Booklet - Assistant Plannersatisfactory service. Tenure of employment following probation will be subject tosatisfactory service.. Remuneration The current salary scale for the post of Assistant Planner is €, - €, (LSI ) grossper annum (Circular EL /), the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time totime in line with Government Circulars.On appointment successful candidates will be placed on the first point of the point of thesalary scale. Appointment to a higher point of the salary scale may apply to candidatesemployed elsewhere in the public service, subject to verification of service history.Remuneration is paid fortnightly by PayPath directly to the employees nominated bankaccount. The current wage pay cycle may be revised during the period of employment.Remuneration is subject to all statutory deductions, e.g. P.A.Y.E. and P.R.S.I. Increments arepaid annually subject to satisfactory attendance, conduct and performance and nationalagreements. Increments may be withheld if performance, attendance and/or conduct arenot satisfactory.. Superannuation & Retirement A person who becomes a pensionable employee of the County Council will be required inrespect of their Superannuation to contribute to the Local Authority at the appropriate rate.The terms of the Local Government Superannuation (Consolidation) Scheme asamended or the Public Services Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act or thePublic Service Pensions (Single Scheme & Other Provisions) Act will apply asappropriate on appointment.Retirement age for employees is dependent on their relevant contract of employment, withdue consideration being given to the rules of the Superannuation Scheme to which theybelong.For appointees who are deemed not to be "new entrants" as defined in the Public ServiceSuperannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, retirement is compulsory on reachingyears of age.The minimum retirement age for "new entrants" to the public service as defined in thePublic Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act is. There is nomandatory retirement age.Effective from st January,, The Single Public Service Scheme applies to all first-timenew entrants to the public service, as well as to former public servants returning to thepublic service after a break of more than weeks:Retirement age is set, initially, at years; this will rise in step with statutorychanges in the State Pension Contributory (SPC) age to years in and years in.Compulsory retirement age will be .Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant Planner. Annual Leave The current annual leave entitlement for Assistant Planner is days per annum, inaccordance with the Council's Annual Leave Policy.The Chief Executive of Longford County Council retains autonomy with regard to officeclosures, (e.g., Christmas Office Closure), any days arising from such closure will be reservedfrom the employee's annual leave entitlement. Proposed office closure days will bereviewed and advised to all employees each year.. Driver's Licence & Insurance Longford County Council employees may on occasion be required to use their car on officialbusiness. In such situations the employee must hold a current clean driver's licence andhave available adequate means of transport. It is the responsibility of the employee toarrange the appropriate car insurance cover for business use and to indemnify LongfordCounty Council with the indemnity specified on your insurance certificate under the heading"Persons or classes of person who are covered". Documentation to confirm the appropriateinsurance cover will be required to be supplied to the Council on an annual basis.. Code of Conduct/Organisation Policies Employees are required to adhere to all current and future Longford County Council codesof practice including Code of Conduct of Employees and all current and future organisationalpolicies including, but not limited to Health and Safety, Communications, Data Protection,Equality, Staff Mobility, Attendance Management and Use of Electronic Equipment.. TrainingEmployees are required to attend and participate fully in training programmes as may bedecided by the Council from time to time and to apply their learning in the course of theirdaily working activities.. Health and Safety Regulations Longford County Council as an Employer is obliged to ensure, so far as it is reasonablypracticable the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work of all of its employees. Under the Safety,Health and Welfare at Work Act, the County Council has a legal duty to exercise all duecare and take all protective and preventative measures to protect the Safety, Health andWelfare of its employees.All employees also have a legal obligation under Safety and Health legislation to co-operatewith management and not engage in any improper conduct or behaviour or do anything,which would place themselves or others at risk. Employees must not be under the influenceof an intoxicant at the place of work. Employees must comply with all Safety and Healthrules and regulations and attend all required Safety and Health Training.Important NoticeThe above represents the principal conditions of service and is not intended to be thecomprehensive list of all terms and conditions of employment which will be set out in theemployment contract to be agreed with the successful candidate.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerSELECTION PROCESS. How to Apply Only fully completed application forms will be accepted.Please ensure that:. your application is made on the official application form only and sent via email inpdf format to – do not attach or include your CVNOTE: your CV will not be accepted as an application or as part of your application.. you fully complete all sections of the application form and include all relevant,detailed and accurate information.NOTE: any offer of employment is subject to the information given on yourapplication form being true. False/misleading information or deliberate omissionsmay result in termination of employment.. you include a copy of your educational certificates as part of one pdf application.. you submit your application on or before :pm, Friday th September .Forward your completed application form via email to :Applications submitted after the closing date will not be acceptedApplication forms must be submitted by email in pdf formatApplications submitted by hand, post or fax will not be acceptedClaims in relation to the late receipt of application forms will not be entertained.Admission to this competition, or an invitation to take tests or to attend for interviewdoes not infer that you fulfil all the requirements for appointment.If you do not receive an "acknowledgement-of-receipt" of your application within sevenworking days of application - please contact Longford County Council's HR departmentby phone: () / or by email: Longford County Council may need to contact you during the competition's selectionprocess. It is important that the contact details (i.e. your postal address, email addressand phone number) given on your application form are correct and accessible by you.Longford County Council will not accept responsibility for communication not accessedor received by you. It is the responsibility of each applicant to provide accurate contactdetails on their Application Form. Correspondance in relation to all aspects of thiscompetition will be primarily via email.Changes to your contact details that occur during this recruitment campaign should benotified by email to Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant Planner. Selection Process Stage – Submission of Application Form via email Candidates interested in applying for the position of Assistant Planner should submit theircompleted application with supporting documentation form via email in PDF format toCompleted Application Forms must be submitted on or before :pm, Friday thSeptember .Each completed application must include a copy of all educational qualifications declared inthe application form.Failure to submit a completed application form, with all required supportingdocumentation, by the specified deadline will result in the application being deemed invalidand it will not be permitted to proceed any further in the selection process.Stage – Initial Screening All completed application forms received by the stated closing date & time will be screenedto ensure that they meet the minimum eligibility criteria for the position of AssistantPlanner in accordance with the declared Qualifications (as given on page of this booklet).Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the required eligibility criteria, theirapplication will progress to Step of the selection process.Candidates who fail to demonstrate that they meet the minimum eligibility criteria required,their application will be deemed invalid and will not progress any further in the selectionprocess.Stage – Shortlisting Longford County Council reserves the right to shortlist applications, it is very importanttherefore, that candidates provide accurate, clear and comprehensive information in theircompleted application forms.Shortlisting may take the form of:. a desktop-shortlisting process, where a board will be assigned to examine theinformation provided by the candidate and assess it against criteria required for theposition, and/or. an online shortlisting interview.Candidates who are shortlisted may have their application scored and ranked in order ofmerit. Based on the score awarded their application may progress to Step of the selectionprocess.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerFor candidates who are not shortlisted, their application will not progress any further in theselection process.Stage – Interview On completion of Stage of the selection process, successfully shortlisted candidates maybe invited in batches, to attend for interview.An independent interview board will be established by the Chief Executive of LongfordCounty Council. The board will comprise a Chairperson and two other members, who willhave expert knowledge in the relevant field. The objective of the board is to establish theapplicant's suitability for the post and to rank the successful candidates in order of meritfor appointment.The interview will be the candidate's opportunity to demonstrate that they possess therequired competencies, knowledge, skills and experience. The objective of the board is toassess the candidate's responses against agreed criteria and to identify the candidates whobest meet the competencies required.Longford County Council will issue advance notice of the date and time of the interview. It isthe responsibility of the candidate to make themselves available for interview on the dateand time notified and to ensure that they are able to successfully connect to the onlineinterview if required.Requests to reschedule notified interview dates or times cannot be accommodated.Candidates who do not attend/connect for their interview at the time and on the dateadvised will be deemed to have withdrawn their application from the competition and theirapplication will receive no further consideration.Expenses incurred by candidates in attending for interview will be the responsibility of thecandidate.Candidates who are successful in the online interview process will be qualified forappointment in order of merit and placed on a panel. This panel may be used to fill bothpermanent and temporary Assistant Planner vacancies that may arise during the life of thepanel.It should be noted that placement on a panel may not necessarily lead to a job offer. Theselection process is not concluded until sought references are received and all otherclearance checks, e.g. Garda Vetting, occupational health, verification of educationqualifications, etc, have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.Candidates on the Assistant Planner panel who satisfy all the requirements for the postmay be offered employment subject to:. Their place, in order of merit, on the panel. The requirements of Longford County Council.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant PlannerShould a candidate decline an offer of employment or having accepted an offer ofemployment relinquish it prior to commencing in the post, they will be deemed to havewithdrawn their application from the competition.. Feedback Candidates shall be notified of the outcome of each stage of the selection process as soon aspossible.If, following the interview, a candidate is placed on a panel they shall be informed of theirposition on the panel. Details of marks attained in the interview process will be providedupon receipt of written request.. Deeming of candidature to be withdrawn Candidates who do not attend for testing and/or interview when and where required byLongford County Council and/or the Testing Company, or who do not, when requested,furnish such evidence as required by Longford County Council within the specifiedtimeframe, regarding any matter relevant to their candidature, will be deemed to havewithdrawn their application from the competition.. References Applicants are required to advise the names of two responsible persons to whom they arewell known but not related.In advance of any offer of employment, Longford County Council reserves the right to seekboth written and verbal references from current and previous employers, educationalinstitutions or any other organisations with which the candidate has been associated.Longford County Council reserves the right to determine the merit, appropriateness andrelevance of such references and referees. Information sought from referees shall bestructured around the requirements of the job and the job description, person specificationand/or competency profile provided.. Verification of Education Qualifications Prior to appointment, the candidate will be required to present the original parchment oftheir certificate, diploma and/or degree and any other supporting documentation requiredby the Council*, to the Human Resources department in order to verify their qualifications.Non-Irish Qualifications must be accompanied by a determination from Quality andQualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish their comparability against the IrishNational Framework of Qualifications, overseas qualifications must also beaccompanied by a translation document.. Pre-Employment Medical Prior to appointment the candidate will be required to complete a Health Declaration andto undergo a medical examination, at their own expense, by a qualified medicalpractitioner nominated by the Council. On taking up employment the expense of thismedical examination will be refunded.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant Planner. Garda Clearance Garda Vetting will be sought in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children andVulnerable Persons) Acts to and the applicant will be required to fully cooperatewith this process.. Canvassing Any attempt by a candidate, or by any person(s) acting at the candidate's instigation,directly or indirectly, by means of written communication or otherwise influence in thecandidate's favour, any member or employee of the Council or person nominated by theCounty Council to interview or examine applicants, will automatically disqualify thecandidate for the position being sought.. Confidentiality Longford County Council, in its recruitment and selection procedures, has appropriatemeasures in place to protect the confidentiality of all applicants. All enquiries, applicationsand other aspects that form part of the recruitment formalities are treated as confidentialand are not disclosed to anyone, outside of those directly involved in the recruitmentprocess - subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts, -.Records created, maintained and stored by Longford County Council as part of the recruitmentand selection process are subject to a range of legislation, including Freedom of Informationand Data Protection. Longford County Council shall comply with the National RecordsRetention Policy () and any other relevant records retention policies.Candidate Information Booklet - Assistant Planner. Who can I contact if I have a query in relation the Recruitment Campaign for AssistantPlanner?The Candidate Information Booklet provides comprehensive information relating to the selectionprocess for this recruitment campaign. However, if after reading this information booklet yourequire any additional/further information - please forward your query by email to:. I have submitted my application form. What happens next?Longford County Council will carry out an eligibility check on all application forms to ensure that theymeet the minimum eligibility criteria for the post as set out by the Department of Housing, LocalGovernment & Heritage. If you do not meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the post, basedon the information given in your application form, you will not be invited to interview.Depending on the number of candidates remaining at this stage of the competition it may benecessary to hold a shortlisting process. The shortlisting process may take the form of either adesktop exercise (based on the information contained in the application forms) or a shortlistinginterview.. What happens on completion of the shortlisting process?Longford County Council will contact all applicants advising them of the results of the shortlistingprocess. Candidates who are shortlisted at this stage will be invited to attend for interview. It is yourresponsibility to attend for interview on the date and time notified. An alternative dates and timescannot be facilitated.. What happens after undertaking the final interview?Candidates who are successful in the interview process will be placed on a panel and ranked in orderof merit. This panel may be used to fill both permanent and temporary vacancies for the post ofAssistant Planner, that may arise during the life of the panel.Please note that being placed on a panel is not a guarantee that you will be appointed to theposition of Assistant Planner.. If I am offered employment where will I be based?The management of Longford County Council reserve the right to assign employees to any premisesor business section as required in accordance with the business needs of the organisation.. How will Longford County Council communicate with me throughout the Recruitment andSelection Campaign?Longford County Council may contact you by phone, email or post at various stages throughout theselection process. Any change to the contact details provided that occur during this recruitmentcampaign should be notified by email to