Principal Officer competition 2022

NEWBIEGRL8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118882693#Comment_118882693

If you don't mind me asking are you on the previous PO panel and waiting on a placement?

tea and coffee

11th hour for me. Found the maths element easier than usual, which worried me TBH, as normally that is the most challenging part for me. It seemed to be more "read the charts" than "doing sums" in many instances.

The Job Simulation. I was laughing at some of them as I have actually been in two of those situations almost exactly.

For me there are always 3 answers:

• A: what I would do (probably wrong)
• B: What the CS says I should do
• C: what actually happens in the CS (not always aligned with B).

I suppose the answer is B. Perhaps that is why the JS was so amusing....

I felt I did enough, but it's how well everyone else did in comparison, really, so let's see.

LittleMy22

Hi all, just finished the tests at the last minute (pressed submit on the room scan too early and had to ask to redo it). I agree with tea and coffee - was dreading the Critical analysis one but found it ok (didn’t end up using the calculator at all). Agree on the job simulation…. Hard to judge for many of them….

Peeling1979

PAS are aiming to have results of Stage 1 out by the end of the month.

dotski_w_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118883153#Comment_118883153

Hi, nope, I entered last year and made a dogs dinner of the maths bit - not sure how I even passed it, I obviously misunderstood the questions being asked as it was multiple choice and the answers all seemed wrong to me, but while I did, I placed badly and I was never called to second stage.

JammyD0dger

I'm assuming that we'll hear the results of the stage 1 tests before they go ahead with shortlisting on the application form for stage 2?

It will be interesting to see how they do the shortlisting on the application form, and if that will replace the prerecorded interview.

Since stage 1 is all multiple choice I don't understand how it takes so long to send out the results...

dotski_w_

My recollection was that they were quite vague on how they'd proceed between the 1st stage, results, shortlisting and going to stage 2 , and text could have been read one of 2 or even 3 ways, which suggests to me a decision hadn't been made when they drafted the guide.

Iirc though there was something about it only being open to March 2024 (they are often 24 month duration i think) and the last one is closed now, even though there were some of us who passed and could have been called, so I would have thought they are behind schedule. It may be that they have to move quickly with the first batch.

tea and coffee

I don't think they shortlisted at all last time.

You had to pass the leadership question in the video. Form was only looked at come interview time.

dotski_w_

BTW, slightly off topic but does anyone here know what is happening with the PO1 competition for existing civil servants? IIRC it was open to both APs and POs, for placing in the Depts of Finance, DPER and Taoiseach's, I think the results came out April last year.

It seems to still be moving very slowly, and last I heard it hadn't reached the person who was 6th (which suggests those depts are ignoring it and filling internally where they can). Does anyone know when that one runs out of road? If it's a 24 month panel, it'll overlap with the PO1 posts coming off this competition. But if they're ignoring that competition (which was largely existing POs form other depts), you'd wonder how many PO1s will be taken off the competition linked to this one, which is largely APs or people with no CS experience.

Grateful for any gossip out there..... ;)

78Ned

Does anyone know when the results will be out?

dotski_w_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118883785#Comment_118883785

78Ned

Thank you for that. So another week or two…

Tr1ckieD1ckie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118906410#Comment_118906410

I have heard it is moving very slowly as well. Bear in mind that the only relevance of the 2022 PO panel is that highly placed individuals from that panel would have an opportunity to apply to become PO1s in a future competition. Anecdotally, the success rate is low with many of the highly placed people on the 2020 PO1 panel being experienced POs (and the panel scarcely moving in any case). Not certain of this aspect of the process, but as I understand it you could be placed as a PO (ordinary scale) in one of those departments but you won't be placed as a PO higher directly from 2022 PO panel- the routes to that are success in a PO higher competition (in 2020 that was limited to the first 60 on the PO competition and existing POs with 2 years experience) or internal elevation to PO higher scale based on seniority or performance (in practice mostly based on seniority, don't ask)

Peeling1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118955251#Comment_118955251

This week hopefully now, it could be the usual public service jobby of releasing this kind of thing on Friday evening.

I might drop them a line now.

dotski_w_

Let us know how you get on! ;)

Well, this is quieter than last time for sure. Boards or economy related?!

AFAIK, the huge amount of work that should go into the application section if pretty meaningless unless you pass the maths section (should be doable) and come high enough in the 'civil service think' test.

It kinda sums up the Civil Service to my mind - huge effort potentially wasted.

Good luck to those that applied, I'd say the jobs themselves would be interesting enough.

Peeling1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977753#Comment_118977753

Nothing too specific, just that they’d be posted by the end of the week 👍

78Ned

Another few more days …

Sammy96

Good chance nearly everyone that's gets on this panel will be working on Ukrainian project teams I'd imagine.

Huge boost in resources needed across all departments I'd say especially DCEDIY.

Most will have to be prepared to be managing teams and getting sleeves rolled up on the ground.

dotski_w_

Seems to be a lot of officials from other depts being seconded to DECDIY for this, some currently being covered internally by people acting up temporarily. I'd say if it lasts into the time that will be covered by this panel, those spots (when the acting up periods expire) will in part go to this panel.

Ahshurlookit

Results are out......

DaDoRonRonRon

And the results are out, was expecting to be waiting until Friday evening. 243 to be called to the next stage in the first phase. I made the cut. Best of luck everyone!

Peeling1979

Results out, I passed but way down the list, 910, first 243 being called to Stage 2.

Trickedout

I passed too - am in the high 200's. Hopefully they call a second batch at some stage. Good luck to all those going forward now.

tea and coffee

A bit below the cut for cohort 1.

Almost the same ranking as in 2019, but worse in the sense that last time that ranking put me in batch 1, and this time it's a fair bit outside it... ah well.

Hopefully call next batch shortly afterwards.

flended12

Way down, wasnt expecting much to be honest, but given my scores I imagine the standard for first batch has exceptional and well done!

bluegreenred

Well done to those 243 and above and never know for others with the batch system.

I read shortlisting of those 243 and above as they look at the applications and decide who to call up? So technically No. 1 (not me!) may not be called but 243 might depending on the application forms. Am I wrong?  

Wolverinex

Well done to all who placed highly enough to get called to Stage 2.

Does anyone happen to know how high up in the order they ultimately called people in the 2019 comp? I didn’t place highly enough to get called in this first batch and just wondering how likely it is I might get reached further down the line.

Ahell

Well done everyone, I was lucky enough to place in the first batch. Very little information on what stage 2 is going to be.

tea and coffee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984616#Comment_118984616

No, I don't think that's what happens. Now, there is, of course, a first time for everything...however I have never seen shortlisting like that. Those 243 will all get Stage 2.