(Aug 17) NEW Interdepartmental HEO comp (Serving civil servants only)

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 15-08-2017 3:09pm #1

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/59560.htm

Closing date is 5th September, 2017. Eligibility states an officer must have 2 years served on that date.

Panel expires 30th October, 2019.

Aglomerado · 15-08-2017 3:33pm

Bolt from the blue!

Worth a try yet again.

Good luck folks!

Woodenframe · 15-08-2017 3:41pm

Just waiting to get the PFO from last weeks interview before I start filling in the form

Aglomerado · 15-08-2017 3:47pm

Nuts, looks like I'll be abroad on the dates of the online tests. I know I'm going to be in Madrid on the 19th September so I'll have to make sure I have access to a computer there. They don't recommend doing it on a tablet....

BobCat123 · 15-08-2017 4:07pm

3 months short to be eligible, sickened

charliegeorge · 15-08-2017 4:27pm

Just glanced at the form, is the question on Policy new this time around?

Aglomerado · 15-08-2017 4:33pm

charliegeorge wrote: »

Just glanced at the form, is the question on Policy new this time around?

Yes that's brand new, just looking at last year's form, there have been a few tweaks...

charliegeorge · 15-08-2017 4:39pm

Aglomerado wrote: »

Yes that's brand new, just looking at last year's form, there have been a few tweaks...

So copying and pasting is out the window.

Reading between the lines it seems like a HEO comp for Dublin mainly. Seriously wondering if I'll bother this time

Aglomerado · 15-08-2017 4:43pm

charliegeorge wrote: »

So copying and pasting is out the window.

Up to a point, the education and work experience are Ok as are some of the competencies. Management and Delivery of Results is now Managing Projects/ Operations.

BobCat123 wrote: »

Reading between the lines it seems like a HEO comp for Dublin mainly. Seriously wondering if I'll bother this time

I've been thinking the same. But we've nothing to lose by applying!

sligo_dave · 15-08-2017 6:05pm

Is the 2 years service strict or is there any leeway on it? Or is it even checked? It seems bizarre to be calling this competition 7 months prior to the expiry of the previous competition!

15-08-2017 6:07pm

sligo_dave wrote: »

Is the 2 years service strict or is there any leeway on it? Or is it even checked? It seems bizarre to be calling this competition 7 months prior to the expiry of the previous competition!

No leeway

yesjohn7 · 15-08-2017 9:21pm

Here we go again! When will the online assessment be?

Crunchymomma · 15-08-2017 9:42pm

I think there will be an open HEO comp announced soon. The circular i linked below states ratio of HEO hires in amongst garda civilians is 2 internal to 1 external (open)

http://cpsu.ie/02717-circular-civilian-posts/

Areas · 16-08-2017 8:57am

BobCat123 wrote: »

3 months short to be eligible, sickened

9 days short to be eligible....

drake70 · 16-08-2017 10:02am

yesjohn7 wrote: »

Here we go again! When will the online assessment be?

It's on the circular. 14th - 19th September 2017

Addle · 16-08-2017 12:07pm

I'm not going to bother with this new competition.
I didn't pass my interview in the current competition.
No guarantee I'd get that far again, but even if I did and was successful, I have no intention of ever working in, living in, or commuting to Dublin.

Best of luck to all.

beakerjoe · 16-08-2017 12:45pm

Im so not in the zone for this!

Areas · 17-08-2017 2:27pm

Decided to chance my arm and e-mail PAS to see if there was any flexibility about the 2 years service since I'm only 9 days short. The short answer was "No", as expected. I got a very polite and to the point e-mail back:

Thank you for your email.

Candidates must have 2 full years service on or before ¬ the closing date for applications which is the 05/09/2017.

Kind regards,

carleigh · 17-08-2017 7:42pm

I'm 2 days short, got the same reply and was told to contact DPER if I had anything further to query!

Areas · 18-08-2017 9:05am

carleigh wrote: »

I'm 2 days short, got the same reply and was told to contact DPER if I had anything further to query!

Oh god 2 days!!!! That's so tough.

Addle · 18-08-2017 9:17am

It's unfortunate, but do you actually think they'd be 'flexible' about eligibility?
They've enough calls to deal with from people who have actually made panels.

Areas · 18-08-2017 9:56am

Addle wrote: »

It's unfortunate, but do you actually think they'd be 'flexible' about eligibility?
They've enough calls to deal with from people who have actually made panels.

Didn't hurt to try!

Aglomerado · 18-08-2017 2:01pm

Got my form in today.

I had to give it a lot of thought, especially with the specificity of examples needed.

And the policy question? pfft.

I have no experience of that at all so I said so.

eagle1978 · 23-08-2017 10:37am

Any ideas on the structure of the Interview?
Do we have to give a presentation if we get to the interview stage!

Red Wolf · 23-08-2017 10:48am

eagle1978 wrote: »

Any ideas on the structure of the Interview?
Do we have to give a presentation if we get to the interview stage!

Interview is based on the six competencies, have back up examples. Also you will be required to do a presentation exercise, which is usually on the same day (different panel to the interview board though).

For the presentation you are sat in a room and given briefing documents which you have to analyse and do up a memo (make sure you know how to format/construct a memo). You will be given 90 mins after which you then have to submit your memo and then present your findings/recommendations to the presentation board. You are given 10 min for the presentation followed by 10 mins of questions.

Hope this helps.

eagle1978 · 23-08-2017 11:24am

Thanks Red Wolf - Great help.

eagle1978 · 23-08-2017 11:33am

Anyone know of any good sites that have similar numerical an verbal tests to the ones we will be sitting?

Aglomerado · 23-08-2017 11:42am

eagle1978 wrote: »

Anyone know of any good sites that have similar numerical an verbal tests to the ones we will be sitting?

shl.com is good for practice.

eagle1978 · 23-08-2017 12:01pm

Thanks Aglomerado, I will give it a try

Lux23 · 23-08-2017 3:52pm

Does this cover people in other parts of the public sector? Have over two years' service in a government agency and in a Higher Education Institute now.

Red Wolf · 23-08-2017 4:10pm

Lux23 wrote: »

Does this cover people in other parts of the public sector? Have over two years' service in a government agency and in a Higher Education Institute now.

Sorry no. Candidates must be serving in an established, unestablished or acting capacity in the Civil Service in a grade below that of Higher Executive Officer

Jakeren7 · 23-08-2017 4:41pm

where on public jobs website is this advertised cause I cannot see it online thanks

drake70 · 23-08-2017 4:58pm

Jakeren7 wrote: »

where on public jobs website is this advertised cause I cannot see it online thanks

https://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/59560.htm

Idjit · 24-08-2017 4:58pm

I haven't spoken to anyone at even EO level that seems able to answer the 'Policy' question.

Do you think implementing policy could be something as simple as following the changing procedures of your office or would it have to be that you yourself had an active role in policy being launched?
I don't really understand how complicated or how simple the answers to this question should be.

Avada · 24-08-2017 5:53pm

Jade182 wrote: »

I haven't spoken to anyone at even EO level that seems able to answer the 'Policy' question.

Do you think implementing policy could be something as simple as following the changing procedures of your office or would it have to be that you yourself had an active role in policy being launched?
I don't really understand how complicated or how simple the answers to this question should be.

Personally my job involves a good bit of policy work, so there are EO roles out there that do.

drake70 · 24-08-2017 5:58pm

I've been in IT for the last 17 years, so haven't a clue what to put in the policy box

sinorita · 24-08-2017 6:43pm

I thought it was optional to complete that section? That you only input an answer if it applied to you?

eimaj18 · 25-08-2017 8:59am

sinorita wrote: »

I thought it was optional to complete that section? That you only input an answer if it applied to you?

Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?

bronzesheep · 25-08-2017 9:26am

eimaj77 wrote: »

Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?

I think the same - it's a difficult one!

How long are your answers for each competency? It says: 'Please try not to exceed the space provided in the boxes.'. Apart from the Personal Statment however there is no word count, and I just put in 5 A4 pages into one to check if it had an unseen wordcount and it accepted that amount of text. Generally, I put in one A4 page worth per answer if there is no word count, but I've seen other competitions with word counts of around 300 words per competency.

drake70 · 25-08-2017 10:44am

eimaj77 wrote: »

Yeah looks like it's optional but I would have thought putting something in may give you an edge?

I see that now

"Please outline your experience of Policy Development or Implementation (if any)"

Aglomerado · 25-08-2017 10:52am

drake70 wrote: »

I see that now

"Please outline your experience of Policy Development or Implementation (if any)"

I thought about cobbling something together for that, but I think it would bite me on the backside were it to come up in interview.

I understand policy development, implementation and evaluation from a theoretical point of view, but I'd only be citing textbooks and papers.

The "if any" was reassuring, they don't expect you to have this experience. I know many HEOs who don't have it either!

carnie · 26-08-2017 2:21pm

I submitted mine yesterday evening.

My AP told me to use my experience of updating a series of booklets as my policy example.

MaisieMoo · 28-08-2017 11:15am

Point 2 of the circular states that "candidates must have experience in managing and leading teams, managing projects, managing budgets and developing or implementing policy."

Mac0783 · 28-08-2017 3:21pm

Application submitted, as I haven't put down Dublin as a location I'm not sure if there's any point.

Is there anywhere to find out what Counties have what Departments? Or what numbers of Civil Servants there are per county? Aside from my current county I found it difficult to choose a second, I'm will to drive a distance but found it difficult to pick a direction!

Lodi26900 · 28-08-2017 3:44pm

Hi all,

I'm very confused by the fact that the circular this competition, outlines 6 competencies, whereas the application form only has 5.

The circular does not include the competencies ‘Policy’ and ‘Managing Projects/Operations.

The application form does not include the competencies ‘Management and Delivery of Results’, ‘Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development’ and ‘Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values’.

These appear to be discrepancies.

If I have missed the explanation in the circular or application regarding the competencies, could someone please point me in the right direction.

I have also emailed PAS twice over this and have yet to receive a response to the second email where I included screen grabs (images) showing the discrepancies.

It sounds like people are fudging one competency into another as if that makes sense. It doesn't!

Red Wolf · 28-08-2017 4:59pm

Lodi26900 wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm very confused by the fact that the circular this competition, outlines 6 competencies, whereas the application form only has 5.

The circular does not include the competencies ‘Policy’ and ‘Managing Projects/Operations.

The application form does not include the competencies ‘Management and Delivery of Results’, ‘Specialist Knowledge, Expertise and Self Development’ and ‘Drive and Commitment to Public Service Values’.

These appear to be discrepancies.

If I have missed the explanation in the circular or application regarding the competencies, could someone please point me in the right direction.

I have also emailed PAS twice over this and have yet to receive a response to the second email where I included screen grabs (images) showing the discrepancies.

It sounds like people are fudging one competency into another as if that makes sense. It doesn't!

The form doesn't deal with all the competencies, it is a guide for the interview panel, who Will question you on all six competencies. They can, and often do, ask for all new examples. Also they can ask questions covering multiple competencies.

gilli82 · 29-08-2017 10:31pm

Hi, I'm completing this form and I'm having some issues, I want to delete an employment record but that option doesn't seem to be available, anyone know how to do this?

bronzesheep · 30-08-2017 8:28am

gilli82 wrote: »

Hi, I'm completing this form and I'm having some issues, I want to delete an employment record but that option doesn't seem to be available, anyone know how to do this?

I tried to do that before and couldn't. I started a new form. I'd be interested to know if someone knows a way to do it.

cicimc · 30-08-2017 8:30am

I remember this happening with my form last year and I started a new form as well. Its not the easiest of forms to navigate if you want to delete something!!

cicimc · 30-08-2017 8:33am

cicimc wrote: »

I remember this happening with my form last year and I started a new form as well. Its not the easiest of forms to navigate if you want to delete something!!

Also does anyone know if you can delete the blank education boxes on the first page if you don't have enough to fill all of them. Thanks

Red Wolf · 30-08-2017 9:14am

The PDF has restricted editing enabled. You cannot delete fields. You will need to start a new form if you want to keep it looking clean.

(Aug 17) NEW Interdepartmental HEO comp (Serving civil servants only)

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