civil service competancy- cadidate pack

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Department for

Communities and LocalGovernment

EO Recruitment CandidatePack

February 2015


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About the Department

Our job is to create great places to live and work, and give morepower to local people to shape what happens in their area. Our

work is focused on four main areas:

• Helping people to have a home of their own• Supporting businesses to grow and create jobs• Better local services for people• Supporting stronger communities where people feel they

belong

What we do matters

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Our Reputation and Results:

We have a reputation for being the department that gets things done.

We achieve our results through strong and effective leadership and staff who are

known for their

- !nowledge"- #$pertise"- %rofessionalism"- Focus"- &esilience"- 'elf(reliance"- )rive for change"

- *ommitment to continually improve

Most of all, we work collaboratively as a single team with a common aim

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Our Core Aims:

Creating great places to live and work, and giving morepower to local people to share what happens in their area

e are:

• orking with councils to ensure money is spent wisely ! making

it easier for everyone to see how councils are spending theirmoney"

• #utting the cost of living by supporting councils to free$e #ouncil %a& bills"

• #hanging the way services are run ! so that people get a servicesuited to them, and so are not passed around between di'erentorganisations"

• O'ering new powers for people to make decisions about theirlocal area ! for e&ample to save local shops and pubs and toveto big #ouncil %a& rises"

• %urning around the lives of families with long(standing comple&

problems costing the ta&payer billions every year ! cuttingcrime, getting children back into school and helping people into

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Our Core Aims:

!elping people to have a home of their own Ever"oneneeds the securit" and sta#ilit" of a decent, a$orda#lehome %nd more people who aspire to own their ownhome should have the opportunit" to do so

e are:

• )etting Britain building again and investing in new homes"

• *i&ing the broken housing market"

• Helping hard(working people get the home they want.

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Our Core Aims:

&upporting #usinesses to grow and create 'o#s We needthriving #usinesses for people and places to prosper

e are:

• #utting red tape for businesses, especially in the planningsystem"

• +eeping business rates down for all businesses and o'eringdiscounts to small businesses to help them grow"

• orking with town centres, cities and local areas to attract

new businesses and create jobs.

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Our Core Aims:

&upporting strong communities where people feel the"#elong Ever"one has the right to feel safe and at ease inthe place where the" live

e are:

• romoting opportunities to learn the -nglish language"• arking important national occasions which are part of our

common heritage"

• Supporting shared activities which bring people together ! fore&ample through music, food or local community events"

•

%ackling e&tremism wherever it occurs.

/nd across all of these areas, we help local communities to dealwith emergencies such as 0ooding, and ensure that people andplaces have the support they need to get back on their feet.


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(etter Department)

1#2)3s Better 1epartment programme is enabling us tobecome the organisation we want to be, putting us in aposition where we can deliver our business priorities inthe right way. %he vision for the 1epartment is set out inour blueprint and values.

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Our (lueprint for Change)


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DC! "alues:

• e are enthusiastic, energetic and creative

• e act professionally, work across boundaries and

deliver for the )overnment of the day

• e continually strive to be better and to improve

• e choose to work here and want to be part of one 1#2)

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Civil #ervice "alues

#ivil Service 4alues:

- Honesty

- 5ntegrity- 5mpartiality and- Objectivity

#ivil servants must be, and be seen to be, honest and impartialin the e&ercise of their duties. %hey must not allow their

judgement or integrity to be compromised in fact or byreasonable implication.

#ivil Service anagement #ode 6une 7899

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%ppl"ing for aDCLG *acanc"


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Competencies for the )osts:

here are si$ essential competencies for the posts. hese are

#eeing the *ig )icture4 including

• Focus on the overall goal and intent of what they are trying to achieve4 not 7ust the task

• ake an active interest in e$panding the knowledge of areas related to own role

Making +ffective Decisions4 including

• )emonstrate accountability and make unbiased decisions• #$amine comple$ information and obtain further information to make accurate decisions• #$plaini clearly4 verbally and in writing4 how a decision has been reached• 8onitor the storage of critical data and customer information to support decision making and

conduct regular reviews to ensure it is stored accurately4 confidentially and responsibly

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Competencies for the )ost cont-d.

Collaborating and )artnering4 including

• *hange own ways of working to facilitate collaboration for the benefit of the team9s work• &eadily identify opportunities to share knowledge4 information and learn and make progress by

working with colleagues• %roactively seek information4 resources and support from others outside own immediate team in

order to help achieve results

eading and Communicating4 including

• #$press ideas effectively4 both orally and in writing4 and with sensitivity and respect for others• *onfidently handle challenging conversations or interviews

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Competencies for the )ost cont-d.

Delivering "alue for Money4 including

• 8anage information and financial data so that it is accurate4 easily located and reusable• 8onitor resources against plans and budgets4 identify and flag up variances

Managing a /uality #ervice4 including

• #nsure that levels of service are maintained : flag up risks or concerns in order to meet customer

re3uirements• %romote adherence to relevant policies4 procedures4 regulations and legislation4 including e3uality

and diversity and health and safety

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)reparing an application:

;ou must show4 through the application4 assessment and interview process4 that youhave the appropriate level of knowledge and breadth of e$perience for the post.

;ou are asked to submit an application that sets out why you are suitable for the post.

t is suggested that you use the essential competency headings as your guide.

9 not >we9?.

;ou are advised to use the #$AR model

- #ituation =what was the setting and conditions4 and what was your role?- $ask =what specifically needed to be done : when4 why4 etc.?- Action =what did you do : in terms of your own contribution and ensuring the

contribution of others4 @ow you did it and why?- Result =What the outcome was and how you contributed to it : what difference did

you make?

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0our Application 1 2ey )oints:

he application form is your first opportunity to say why you9d be the best person for the

7ob.

t is a competition so you really need to ensure that you give your best and strongest

competency(based e$amples to reflect what is re3uired.

;our e$amples don9t need to be employment(based. hey could be taken from

collegeuniversity e$periences or from activities you have been or are currently involved

in such as voluntary work or work e$perience.

8ake it as easy as possible for the sift panel to assess your suitability for the 7ob. his

means thinking about the relevance of your e$amples and how you set them out in your

application form.

%ailure to provide good evidence will not get you through a sift or an interview

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)reparing an Application 1 0our Checklist:

@ave you given yourself enough time to put together a well thought out applicationformA

@ave you reviewed the vacancy information carefully so you have a clear

understanding of the rolesA @ave you got a copy of the competency framework handy whilst you are putting your

e$amples togetherA

@ave you chosen your most powerful and relevant e$amplesA @ave you included the result and described your contributionimpact in each

e$ampleA )id you draft first then refineA @ave you avoided 7argon =assume that the sift panel will have no knowledge of the

situation you are referring to?A @ave you checked for spelling and typosA

@ave you used the past tense4 >9 and not >we9 and active language such as >organised94 9 accomplished94 > calculated94 etc.

@ave you put yourself in the Bacancy 8anager9s shoes and read your application

through from their perspective before submittingA

3f the answer to each of these 4uestion is 5-yes- 6 7ell Done

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$he Assessment:

f you have achieved the re3uired mark set by the sift panel you will be invited to attend

the ne$t stage of the selection process which is the assessment e$ercise.

he assessment4 which will take place on the same day as the interview4 is an e$ercise

designed to test some of the essential competencies for the grade and the roles.

*andidates invited to the assessment will be asked to undertake a written test usinginformation provided on the day and using a )*CD provided laptop.

he actual assessment will take up to an hour =-0 minutes will be given? but an additional

half hour will be available to cover an introduction to the assessment and time at the end

to save work and be escorted to the interview.

here is no preparation re3uired for this e$ercise ahead of the day.

*andidates re3uiring particular assistance =reasonable ad7ustment? must give advance

notice

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$he 3nterview:

Following the assessment e$ercise candidates will be re3uired to undertake a competency

based interview.

he purpose of the interview is to test suitability for the re3uirements of the role and grade. t

gives all candidates an opportunity to e$press their views and present their evidence

;ou need to prepare well for a good interview : %ail to prepare, prepare to fail

he interview will be based on the competencies that were defined in the vacancy

advertisement and will last appro$imately ,5 minutes.

)on9t be put off by the panel making notes. t9s important that they make a record of your

answers so that they are able to score you at the end of the interview and provide feedback

at the end of the process. his feedback will be provided via the *ivil 'ervice 6obsite.

he interview4 combined with the assessment e$ercise4 will inform the panel which candidate

is right for the 7ob based on their merit. he 7ob will be offered to the person who would do it

best.

*andidates re3uiring particular assistance =reasonable ad7ustment? must give advance

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%eedback:

)*CD uses the on(line *ivil 'ervice 6ob 'ite to advertise vacancies across the civil

service and e$ternally and manage the recruitment process.

Feedback will not be provided following the sift. @owever4 candidates will receivefeedback on their assessment and interview performance via the on(line system.

his information can be used to support future applications.

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)reparing for an 3nterview 1 0our Checklist

&ead through your application form to refresh your memory of the evidence you

provided hink about how you might e$pand on the e$amples for the interview hink about other strong e$amples you could use Errange a practice interview with people your trust =friends4 colleagues4 current

manager4 etc? ( practice makes perfect &esearch the business 8ake sure you know where the interview is taking place and how to get there Errive 15 minutes early 8ake sure you take along all re3uested ) documents hink about what to wear4 your posture and your non(verbal behaviour

&emember4 it9s not about being good enough for the 7ob4 it9s being the bestcandidate for the 7ob : interviews are competitions &emember that pretty much everyone feels the same about interviews : they

make you nervous" know what works best for you in terms of calming your nerves.

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#ecurity Clearance

Ell new recruits to the department must meet certain security standards. Ell offers of employment

are conditional on successful completion of security clearance.

he following conditions will affect your security clearance and therefore may affect your eligibility

for our vacancies

• *riminal record f you have criminal records• ationality and mmigration status %articularly relevant if there are specific nationality and

residency re3uirements for the advertised role.• Eddress @istory f you have lived at numerous addresses in the

and for 5 years or more for higher security roles.• #mployment @istory f you have had multiple employers in the last 5 years.• *redit &eference *heck f there are any financial concerns that could lead to potential

vulnerability. he credit reference check is made to assess the financial state of the individual

being vetted.• Gthers factors Essociated with4 or have or lived in areas associated with organisations

seeking to disrupt the government or have family who have associated with4 organisations

andor individuals known to security services e.g. orthern reland.

)lease double1click the embedded document on the right 1 5DC!

notes on security clearance- 6 for more information(25

.icrosoft ord

1ocument


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Additional Advice

f you are unsure about any part of the process you should4 in the first instance4 contactone of the named people on the vacancy advertisement =Engie Dobin at

Engie.DobinHcommunities.gsi.gov.uk and !ate Ebbott at

kate.abbottHcommunities.gsi.gov.uk?. @owever4 you can also direct 3uestions to the

)*CD @uman &esources 'hared 'ervice at @&'haredservicesHcommunities.gsi.gov.uk

*andidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has

been

• E procedural irregularity• En infringement of the *ivil 'ervice e3ual opportunities policy• #$ceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might

have affected performance on the day

t is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision.

n the first instance4 an appeal should be directed to the )*CD @uman &esources

&ecruitment eam at recruitmentHcommunities.gsi.gov.uk.

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Additional Advice

Duarantee nterview 'cheme

)*CD operates the Duaranteed nterview 'cheme =D'? which sees all D'

applicants meeting the minimum standard at sift being invited to interview.

f applicants who consider themselves as having a disability meet the minimumcriteria for the post4 they secure an interview automatically.

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Good Luck+

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civil service competancy- cadidate pack

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