Panelled

If the speculation that Boris Johnson's government wants Paul Dacre as the next chairman of Ofcom is true, then let us celebrate some brave men and women. First, the Assessment Panel that is believed to have deemed Mr Dacre unappointable; and second, anyone who takes a role in the second Assessment Panel, which, presumably, is expected to reverse that judgement. 

The senior independent panel member for the first run was Paul Potts, formely of the Press Association, and now on the board of Times Newspapers, who has previously worked with Culture Minister, John Whittingdale. He was joined for final interviews by Melanie Richard CBE, formerly of KPMG and Natwest, and Conservative peer, former trade minister and Celtic fan, Lord Livingston of Parkhead, once chief executive of BT. 

This is the relevant section of the Cabinet Office's Government Code on Public Appointments, issued in December 2016: 

3.2 Ministers should consider the advice of Advisory Assessment Panels but are not bound by their views. Ministers may therefore reject a panel’s advice on the merit of candidates and choose to re-run a competition with a new panel. Ministers may choose to appoint someonewho is not deemed “appointable” by the Advisory Assessment Panel. In this case, they must consult the Commissioner for Public Appointments in good time before a public announcement and will be required to justify their decision publicly.

The big change in the Governance Code in 2016 was allowing ministers more say in putting together the assessment panels.  Clearly, Oliver Dowden didn't get the first one 'right'.