The Department for Culture Media and Sport has not confirmed who will be joining the Charity Commission's board - three weeks after board members were due to start.
The Charity Commission currently has six board members, including chair William Shawcross, and the Office for Civil Society has said it intended to appoint three more, to start on 1 September.
Peter Clarke, a retired Metropolitan Police officer, left the board last year, and Claire Dove, the only board member with experience working in a charity, stood down at the end of June. Both are due to be replaced.
Separately in 2015 a review the regulator commissioned into its own governance recommended the appointment of a new board member with IT skills.
The current situation means that no one on the Charity Commission board has ever held a professional position in a large charity.
This is despite it being a legal requirement that the board contains individuals with "knowledge and experience" of "the operation of charities of different sizes and descriptions".
Process started in May
The Cabinet Office launched the recruitment process for new board members at the end of May and the closing date for applications was the 20 June. It said was looking for people with “detailed knowledge of charities”, “digital expertise” and “understanding of law enforcement”.
Four board members had their terms extended. Eryl Besse and Tony Leifer to 31 December 2018, Orlando Fraser to December 2017 and Gwythian Prins to June 2017.
Rob Wilson, minister for civil society, told Civil Society News that “the process is underway, interviews are taking place” and an announcement will “be released in the normal way”.
Responsibility for sponsorship of the Charity Commission moved from the Cabinet Office to DCMS when the Office for Civil Society was transferred by the new Prime Minster, Theresa May, during the reshuffle at the end of July.
The new appointments will formally be made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Karen Bradley.
The process is being conducted in line with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.
