"Delivering at pace" is one of the Civil Service Leadership Statement's core competencies in the UK. It primarily focuses on the ability to deliver timely and quality services even under pressure.
"Deliver at Pace" underscores the importance of being able to respond quickly and effectively to the demands of the role, ensuring that public services and initiatives are delivered efficiently and meet the needs of the public in a timely manner. This competency is crucial in maintaining public trust and ensuring that the civil service operates effectively in serving the citizens.
In the UK Civil Service job applications, candidates are often required to provide a 250-word statement (or thereabouts, depending on the specific application guidelines) that demonstrates how they meet a particular competency or behaviour from the Civil Service Success Profiles or Competency Framework. This statement is crucial as it provides the hiring team with evidence of the candidate's suitability for the role.
See 5 example statements for the Delivering at Pace Behaviour
Purpose of the 250-Word Statement
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Showcase Competency: To demonstrate how the candidate embodies a particular competency or behaviour relevant to the role.
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Provide Evidence: To give specific examples from previous experiences that prove the candidate possesses the required skills or attributes.
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Express Motivation: To convey the candidate’s enthusiasm and understanding of the role they are applying for.
Structure of the 250-Word Statement
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Situation: Describe a specific situation where you demonstrated the competency or behaviour in question.
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Task: Explain the task that you were required to complete, providing context about your role and responsibilities.
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Action: Detail the actions you took to address the situation or complete the task, focusing on your own contributions and decision-making.
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Result: Describe the outcome of your actions, ideally quantifying the impact where possible and reflecting on what you learned.
- Learn more about how to structure 250 word statements (including when to add a B!)
Tips for Writing the Statement
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Be Concise: Stick to the word limit and ensure every word contributes to demonstrating your competency.
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Use the STAR Method: Structure your statement using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) technique to provide clear and concise examples.
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Be Relevant: Choose examples that are most pertinent to the competency you are demonstrating and the role you are applying for.
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Quantify Achievements: Where possible, use numbers or data to illustrate the impact of your actions.
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Proofread: Ensure your statement is free from errors and is easy to understand.
Deliver at Pace 250 Word Statement Example
"In my role as a Team Leader at XYZ Customer Service, I was confronted with a challenging situation where our team was required to manage customer inquiries during a major system outage, which doubled the incoming calls and emails (Situation). My task was to ensure that customer queries and complaints were addressed promptly and effectively, maintaining high customer satisfaction during this crisis, while also coordinating with the technical team to stay updated on the progress of issue resolution (Task).
I swiftly implemented a strategic action plan that involved redistributing the team’s workload, creating a dedicated team to handle outage-related queries, and another to manage regular customer inquiries. I also initiated a real-time communication channel with the technical team to receive instant updates on the outage resolution progress. Furthermore, I developed a script with clear and concise communication points to assist the team in providing consistent and accurate information to the customers. To manage the increased workload, I introduced staggered breaks for the team, ensuring continuous availability of agents to handle customer interactions (Action).
As a result, despite the surge in inquiries, our team successfully maintained a response time of under 2 minutes for calls and under 30 minutes for emails. Customer satisfaction scores remained stable at 85%, and the team was commended by senior management for effectively managing the crisis (Result)."
