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Civil Service behaviour statement

Managing a Quality Service · EO

11 Nov 2026Executive Officer (EO)180 words of 250

How a panel would likely score it

Likely sift score

3–4

out of 7

Moderate demonstration

Borderline

This is a relevant, EO-level example with a clear root-cause investigation, but it stops before any result and says little about customers. A panel would likely give a 3, possibly a 4, because the outcome and customer evidence are missing.

CS behaviour scores use the Civil Service 1-7 scale. A range, because panel members differ; an estimate, not a guarantee.

Fix these first

Questions to answer in your own words. We point at what to change; we never write it for you.

1
Add a measurable result
With no outcome, the panel cannot credit quality or cost effectiveness, and this caps the score at 3-4.
Answer in your own words: What changed after the trial: waiting times, number of chasers, cases decided sooner, or feedback from doctors or customers? Give numbers if you have them.
About: “she agreed to try the approach”
2
Show customers' needs and what you told them
Three of the six descriptors are about customers, and none is currently evidenced beyond a claim.
Answer in your own words: What did customers need or expect, how did you find out, and what exactly did you tell them about what could be done and when?
About: “I made sure that customers were told about the change and kept updated on their cases.”
3
Explain your reasons and priorities
Reasons for actions and balancing customer need against business effort are what lift a 3 to a 4 or 5.
Answer in your own words: Why did you choose ten days and a checklist, and how did you weigh faster decisions against the extra work for the team?
About: “I also suggested that we call the practice if we had not received a reply within ten days”

The numbers

Words

180 / 250

within the limit

“I” vs “we”

67% I

12 I/me/my · 6 we/us/our

Figures

50, two, ten, 28

Sentences

23 words avg

8 sentences

Managing a Quality Service: the grade descriptors

What panels look for at EO. You don't need every one, but several with depth.

Weak
work with customers to understand their needs and expectations
You spoke to colleagues and a GP practice, but not to the customers who were waiting, so their needs and expectations are not evidenced.
“I spoke to two colleagues on the medical team and to a GP practice manager to understand the problem from their side.”
Ask yourself: Did you speak to, or review feedback from, any of the customers waiting, and what did you learn about what they needed?
Weak
create clear plans and set priorities which meet the needs of both the customer and the business
There is a change to the process but no plan, priorities or timescales, and no balance between customer and business needs.
“I also suggested that we call the practice if we had not received a reply within ten days, rather than waiting for 28 days as we did at the time.”
Ask yourself: How did you decide what to tackle first, and how did you weigh customer needs against the team's workload?
Weak
clearly explain to customers what can be done
This says customers were told but not what you said, how, or what they could expect.
“I made sure that customers were told about the change and kept updated on their cases.”
Ask yourself: What exactly did you tell customers, how did you do it, and what did they need to know about timescales?
Evidenced
keep colleagues and stakeholders fully informed of plans, possibilities and progress
You involved your manager and the medical team and presented your findings, but there is no ongoing updating on progress.
“I drafted a new letter to doctors with a short checklist of the information we needed, and I asked my manager and the medical team to review it.”
Ask yourself: How did you keep your manager and the medical team updated once the trial started?
Strong
identify common problems that affect service, report them and find possible solutions
This is your strongest evidence: you reviewed cases, found the cause, and proposed two solutions, a clearer letter and earlier chasing.
“I found that many cases were waiting for information from doctors, and that our letters to doctors did not make clear what we needed.”
Missing
deliver good customer service which balances quality and cost effectiveness
No result is given, so the panel cannot see whether service improved or what it cost in time or effort.
Ask yourself: What changed after the trial, such as waiting times, fewer chasers or cases closed sooner, and how did it affect the team's workload?

Descriptors: Success Profiles, Civil Service behaviours (GOV.UK). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

STAR check

The main example, part by part

Situation

Clear

Where were you and what was going on?

Clear and brief, though 'a long time' could be quantified.

“I was asked to look at why customers with medical conditions were waiting a long time for their licence decisions.”

Task

Weak

What did you need to achieve, and why did it matter?

The task is merged into the situation, with no goal or target for what success would look like.

“I was asked to look at why customers with medical conditions were waiting”

Action

Clear

What did you do, step by step, and why?

Specific, personal actions with some reasons, which is good, though the explanation of why you chose them is thin.

“I started by reviewing 50 recent cases to understand where the delays happened.”

Result

Missing

What changed because of you? Numbers if you have them

The statement ends on 'she agreed to try the approach' with no outcome for customers or the business.

Pitch and structure

Pitch: at the grade. Reviewing cases, finding a cause and proposing a process change is EO-appropriate, though the lack of customer focus and outcome keeps it from showing more.

Structure: At 180 words you have about 70 spare, and the statement stops at the action with no result paragraph. Use the spare words for customer needs, reasons and the outcome.

Your statement, as the panel reads it

8 highlights. Click one to see what it earns or costs.

As an Executive Officer in a driving licence team, I was asked to look at why customers with medical conditions were waiting a long time for their licence decisions.

I started by reviewing 50 recent cases to understand where the delays happened. I found that many cases were waiting for information from doctors, and that our letters to doctors did not make clear what we needed. I spoke to two colleagues on the medical team and to a GP practice manager to understand the problem from their side.

I drafted a new letter to doctors with a short checklist of the information we needed, and I asked my manager and the medical team to review it. I also suggested that we call the practice if we had not received a reply within ten days, rather than waiting for 28 days as we did at the time.

I presented my findings and the new letter to my manager, and she agreed to try the approach. I made sure that customers were told about the change and kept updated on their cases.

Keep this

You investigated with evidence, reviewing 50 cases, and identified the root cause of the delays.
Your actions are mostly written as 'I' and the solutions, a checklist letter and earlier chasing, are specific.
The context is brief and clear and gets to the action quickly.

An AI estimate against the published criteria, not a decision by any employer. Panels differ, and each employer's own rules on using AI apply to you. We give feedback only; the words in your application must be yours.

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