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Making Effective Decisions: Civil Service Behaviour at HEO and SEO
The Civil Service behaviour Making Effective Decisions focuses on using evidence, analysis, and consultation to reach clear and well-supported conclusions. At HEO and SEO grade, this means being confident in your recommendations, weighing risks carefully, and showing that you can stand by a decision even if it is difficult.
This behaviour is about more than reaching an answer quickly. It is about demonstrating that you understand the responsibility of decision-making, that you use a structured approach, and that you take account of the potential impact on stakeholders and end users.
Strong evidence in a 250-word statement should cover the following:
✨ Show your belief in using evidence and consultation as the foundation of decision-making.
✨ Give a short description of the situation and your role in it, making clear that you had responsibility for the outcome.
✨ Explain the actions you took, such as gathering data, consulting stakeholders, or analysing risks.
✨ End with the result, ideally using figures or clear measures of success to prove the impact of your decision.
Using the B-STAR method is particularly effective here. It allows you to set the context briefly and then focus most of your words on what you did and what the outcome was. Always highlight how your decision was based on credible information and how you presented your reasoning clearly.
The image above contains a full example of a 250-word statement for Making Effective Decisions at HEO/SEO grade. Study the structure and flow, then apply the same approach to your own experience to build a strong and confident response.
