A PERMANENT head of the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) will not be appointed until after the March 11 State election.
The Public Sector Commission (PSC) last week confirmed the selection process to choose a new DAFWA director general to oversee $219 million in annual services provision and total assets of $387m, would not be completed before the election.
The senior public service position was advertised last month as two positions to be served concurrently - DAFWA director general and chief executive officer of the Rural Business Development Corporation (RBDC).
Part of DAFWA, the RBDC administers federal-funded financial support schemes for the farming sector such as the Farm Debt Mediation (WA) Scheme, Drought Concessional Loans Scheme and the Farm Finance Concessional Loans Scheme.
Through the auspices of DAFWA it also provides services to rural industry.
Under the Rural Business Development Corporation Act 2000, DAFWA's director general is appointed RBDC's chief executive officer.
The PSC application and process guide for the positions stated the successful applicant will become a member of the WA government's senior executive service (SES), which includes senior managers holding strategic positions within the WA public sector.
"The SES supports government with a whole-of-government approach to critical management issues, and benefits members with opportunities for mobility and development through broad participation in government," the guide stated.
Applications closed December 19.
The PSC has declined to reveal how many applications it received.
Cabinet effectively has a say on who will be the next DAFWA director general and can choose to over-ride a PSC recommendation on the name to be put forward for the governor to approve.
But caretaker conventions which will come into play when writs for the election are issued, do not allow statutory appointments to be made before the election is decided.
The position of DAFWA director general became vacant more than 10 months ago - in that time three agriculture and food ministers were appointed.
Ken Baston was still the minister last March when Premier Colin Barnett, who is also State Development Minister, plucked former director general Rob Delane out of DAFWA.
Mr Delane was transferred to the State development department under Mr Barnett as special adviser on agribusiness expansion.
At the time, Mr Delane had headed DAFWA for almost six years and had recently signed a five-year extension of his contract.
In that time he had overseen a downsizing of DAFWA staff levels by about one third to 997 full-time equivalent positions.
There were mutterings from some cabinet members from rural constituencies who were pleased to see him leave DAFWA.
They were said to be unhappy with the cuts and privately accused Mr Delane of standing by while the organisation - particularly its research capacity - was "gutted".
Dean Nalder has since come and gone in 173 days as agriculture and food minister.
Mark Lewis has the role.
In November, Mr Lewis told the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants' WA Outlook conference on new technology, he hoped to have the permanent director general position sorted as soon as possible as part of his plan to make DAFWA more relevant and important to the State.
"Watch this space," Mr Lewis advised conference attendees.
An "authorised" response by the PSC to questions submitted by Farm Weekly stated the selection process for the director general and chief executive positions could involve appointment of a panel to assess candidates, conduct interviews, check referees and verify qualifications.
The selection panel would then advise the Public Sector Commissioner Mal Wauchope on suitable applicants.
The commissioner would then liaise with Mr Lewis and possibly Treasurer Mike Nahan who has responsibilities in relation to the support schemes administered by the RBDC.
The commissioner facilitates the appointments by making a recommendation to the governor.
Before the recommendation is sent to the governor the proposed appointment is referred to cabinet for its approval.
"Ultimately, the preferred candidate is selected by cabinet and is subject to approval by the governor in Executive Council," the PSC response stated.
Under the Public Sector Management Act 1994, the director general position is contracted for up to five years and the contract takes effect from the date of the governor's approval.
Since Mr Delane moved to State development, DAFWA's acting director general has been Mark Webb who was chief executive officer of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for 12 years.
Mr Webb, who has a degree in agricultural science from the University of WA and completed post-graduate studies at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, previously worked for DAFWA for about 15 years in South Perth, Manjimup, Kununurra and Albany.