Principal Officer competition 2019

hardybuck

Tr1ckieD1ckie wrote: »

My new department has recently launched an Internal PO competition which closes this week.

Guess maybe they didn't like the look of the external candidates who arrived of late!

On a more serious note, the waiting is undoubtedly tough, but hang in there and stay positive. It'll happen in due course for those waiting on the panel, I've no doubt

Departments will invariably want to promote the best internal candidates before they lose them to open panels.

They'll look at their current stock, decide how many they'd like to see at the next level, and take a chance on external candidates for the balance of the remaining positions.

VillageIdiot71

Tr1ckieD1ckie wrote: »

It'll happen in due course for those waiting on the panel, I've no doubt

Being positive, is it fair to say that it looks like only 25 of the original 65 people are left.

The panel is meant to last "up to" two years. I think in started in February 2020 - which suggests it could run to February 2022. Plenty of time left.

Grey AP

VillageIdiot71 wrote: »

Being positive, is it fair to say that it looks like only 25 of the original 65 people are left.

The panel is meant to last "up to" two years. I think in started in February 2020 - which suggests it could run to February 2022. Plenty of time left.

Yep, it's not hold your breath time yet.

The general rule is that a PO vacancy should first be offered to the PO mobility scheme (which doesn't really affect a panel as a vacancy is created by the transfer). If a post isn't filled that way, it goes to any existing panels (two appointments from external panels for each internal appointment). A department can continue making internal appointments, but it will owe a debt to the external panel, which must be repaid by external appointments at some stage, at the 2:1 ratio.

Since most depts have been appointing from our panel lately, they may not have a debt or may be in credit, so we should see quite a few internal competitions in the next while. However, as 40 appointments have been made from our panel in ten months, it seems likely that another 25 will be made in the next fourteen months, given the number of vacancies now and coming up.

Whaleseye

Anyone any thoughts as to when things might start moving again on this panel? Are we talking about the new year at this stage now would you think (given there’s internal panel recruitment going on now - assume that’ll take several months to work through)? Can’t get a straight answer from PAS re timelines, though I guess to be fair to them they don’t know..

meteoris

Hi Grey AP.

Thanks for your note.

What do you mean by "given the number of vacancies now and coming up."

Is there any visibility to the current number of vacancies?

Thanks, Meteoris

P.S. Has anybody got any update on progress or lack of?

Conovski

No movement Meteoris, from what I hear. Still around the 40 mark. I think that makes it about 8-10 weeks since there was any change

Irishder

Hi All,
I applied for this originally and just got called for Stage 2.

Actually forgot all about it

ShellyMCD

Any advice for stage 2?

Maybenever

Same as! Can't open the booklet though, link is dead.

SpringColour

Same here!! Really surprised.

I've emailed PAS re the link.

Roscoe69

I'd forgotten about this too.... I thought that I'd be too far down the list to ever progress.

I'm not at all familiar with the process... does Stage 2 mean that everyone is on a level playing field again and results from previous assessments are irrelevant?

johnboyire

Hi, for those recently called what place were you in the rankings (roughly) just to see if there's hope of a call

ShellyMCD

Mid 500s -ish

hardybuck

Well done to those called, but this seems like a fairly strange decision from PAS if the numbers on the remaining panel mentioned here are accurate.

Irishder

johnboyire wrote: »

Hi, for those recently called what place were you in the rankings (roughly) just to see if there's hope of a call

Think I was 750

Maybenever

I can't remember where I was, low 500s?

Past30Now

Mid 640's

Surprised this came back up.

celticfan1

Anyone any idea what this means for the existing candidates on the panel ? Apologies if a silly question - I am a non CS

ShellyMCD

My guess, it looks like they might think that everyone on the existing panel will be placed.

hardybuck

celticfan1 wrote: »

Anyone any idea what this means for the existing candidates on the panel ? Apologies if a silly question - I am a non CS

I think there is an understanding that everyone who got a position on the panel will be offered a role.

The feeling here was that there might be 30 odd people waiting for an offer, having placed about 40 odd people since the panel was formed in January.

It may be that they expect an avalanche of retirements next year. They might have looked at the 30 odd people who are left, and spotted that a number of them are scattered across the regions and they might turn down roles in Dublin.

It might be that PAS have a few bob in their budget left to spend this year and they're getting a few jobs done now rather than launching a new competition next year - hard to know really.

celticfan1

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully all on the panel will be offered suitable posts
just seems to have slowed considerably in recent weeks.

Bowiegal

Would imagine it’s because they think they will place the remaining panel and may need additional people. This panel is for two years from January 2020 so the next competition will be in advertised in Nov/Dec 21, similar to previous years. It means any successful candidates in this new batch will have a year to be placed.

hardybuck

Bowiegal wrote: »

Would imagine it’s because they think they will place the remaining panel and may need additional people. This panel is for two years from January 2020 so the next competition will be in advertised in Nov/Dec 21, similar to previous years. It means any successful candidates in this new batch will have a year to be placed.

If the speed of appointments YTD continued, the 30 odd remaining on the panel should all have received offers by the end of next summer. So unless there's a serious exodus of POs forecast (and there might be) this is a strange move. You just wouldn't know though with the way the Civil Service works.

I think one of the main reasons the last panel lasted so long was there was issues regarding the panel when it was formed, something was challenged if I recall and they couldn't appoint anyone for about six months. There was also a mess around regional candidates who had applied thinking they might get posts around the country.

Whaleseye

celticfan1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully all on the panel will be offered suitable posts
just seems to have slowed considerably in recent weeks.

Hi all, just to mention the current panel is moving again of this week. Up to c.42 now on the Dublin panel.

Grey AP

meteoris wrote: »

Hi Grey AP.

Thanks for your note.

What do you mean by "given the number of vacancies now and coming up."

Is there any visibility to the current number of vacancies?

Thanks, Meteoris

P.S. Has anybody got any update on progress or lack of?

Hi Meteoris

Not in PAS - they operate on a request basis from departments, but it is based on the number of POs I know who have just, or will soon retire, as well as the AHCPS estimates of AP/PO retirements in the next few years. So saying, PAS may well have an overview of upcoming vacancies, so they can plan for comps or, as appears to have just happened, call for a second round of interviews.

Not sure what that is about, but will be emailing PAS to find out.

Grey AP

Grey AP wrote: »

And in very slowly breaking news - un petit oiseau has whispered that there may be another round of interviews in the autumn. If true, that would mean that they expect the panel to be done by then and that the panel is quite small, probably no more than seventy. I haven't heard of anyone beyond the sixties, but if anyone is higher than that, then it would be good to know. Also, it would tie in with AHCPS retirement stats, which would indicate about 70 placed this year.

(And just so no one is startled, this is a two year panel, so there wouldn't be new interviews until it is exhausted or the two years are up, whichever comes first - this would just show that PAS expects this panel to be finished this year.)

I am going to ask un petit oiseau for the lottery numbers tomorrow - they were spot on back in February. I will certainly be getting them a oiseau-sized pint or two when level five lifts.

Conovski

Whaleseye wrote: »

Hi all, just to mention the current panel is moving again of this week. Up to c.42 now on the Dublin panel.

Yes, heard its north of this now

bluegreenred

@GreyAP you and votre petit oiseau are quite a team. I naively thought a second round of interviews meant a new comp. Didn’t know it could take place in the existing comp. I would assume these would be numbers 71,72 etc. Also if you got as far as the interview and presentation last time, ahem, that’s your chance already taken?

VillageIdiot71

bluegreenred wrote: »

Also if you got as far as the interview and presentation last time, ahem, that’s your chance already taken?

That's my understanding - i.e. no-one gets a second interview.

It's that subtle difference between folk at Stage one being qualified for further assessment, but not high enough in the order of merit to be included in the first batch, vs folk who have now received that further assessment, but have been deemed unsuccessful on this occasion.

bluegreenred

VillageIdiot71 wrote: »

That's my understanding - i.e. no-one gets a second interview.

It's that subtle difference between folk at Stage one being qualified for further assessment, but not high enough in the order of merit to be included in the first batch, vs folk who have now received that further assessment, but have been deemed unsuccessful on this occasion.

Thanks. Very good to know. Having missed out on just one presentation mark after strong interview marks I was willing the next chance to come, as the existing panel would never last two years. But I guess it’s like the GAA backdoor system - lose the semi or the final and you’re out yet it does feel like falling at the final hurdle of a race and being disqualified. Ah well, unlikely the new comp will feature in a post-vac job hunt after all. Good luck everyone on the panel and hopefully soon to be on it!