The Independent Inquiry into the Sheffield Street Trees Dispute. Application for the position of Chair

Tender description

Sheffield City Council seeks applicants for the role of Independent Chair for a non-statutory local Inquiry into what has become known as the Sheffield Street Tree Dispute. This work will fulfil a commitment made by the Council’s Co-Operative Executive following the outcome of the local elections in May 2021, seeking to develop a shared understanding of events and to allow the city to move forward together. The Council is committed to an entirely Independent Inquiry. The successful candidate will need to embody this quality and be able to demonstrate it to all stakeholders. In addition, it will be important for the successful candidate to; • Be entirely independent of and unconnected to, the street trees dispute; • Have a track record of dealing with sensitive, complex, and difficult issues; • Be experienced in building trust across diverse sets of stakeholders; • Exhibit confidence, authority and decisiveness whilst being even handed in their approach. They will need to have strong communication, chairing and investigative skills, with the ability to digest and understand large volumes of data and information. They will also need to have strong project management skills, with the ability to bring a complex piece of work to a conclusion within a reasonable time frame and in line with their proposed budget.