Clerk Grade 7 Interview

Interview Question:

Can you describe your experience with project management and how it relates to the role of a Project Officer?

Candidate's Answer:

Situation · In my role within Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (MAPS), I was responsible for triaging high-volume requests, particularly during the busy parliamentary sitting weeks. The team had to manage urgent and often last-minute requests, such as Budget Estimate Notes (BENs) or Questions on Notice (QONs), which had short deadlines and required swift, organised responses. This required flexibility and agility to ensure all stakeholders, including the Minister’s Office, Deputy Secretary’s Office, and Secretary’s Office, received the necessary materials on time. Task · During the 2022 Budget Estimate cycle, I worked with a small team to support the Attorney-General, Minister Ward, and Minister Elliott. We were tasked with preparing and coordinating various parliamentary materials, including Budget Estimate Notes, Questions on Notice, and other documents. The challenge was to efficiently manage urgent, high-priority requests while maintaining accuracy and compliance with DCJ/MAPS protocols. Action · Triaging and Prioritisation: When I received urgent requests, I quickly reviewed and categorized each item, prioritising those with the shortest deadlines. I followed DCJ/MAPS procedures and made sure I only send endorsed materials to stakeholders. · System Registration: I registered all parliamentary matters, including LA and LC QONs, in systems such as Trim, MiniApp, and MAPS tracker, ensuring that each request was properly documented and tracked. · Communication and Follow-Up: I communicated clear deadlines to the relevant teams and followed up with them as the due dates approached, sending reminders or calling them when matters were overdue to ensure timely completion. · Document Review and Feedback: I reviewed documents such as BENs, providing feedback with track changes to ensure accuracy, proper formatting, and compliance with department protocols. I also consulted with the team on any contentious issues to ensure the appropriate steps were taken before sen

Evaluation:

Your answer effectively addresses the question by providing a clear structure and relevant examples that highlight your experience in project management within the context of your role. You utilize the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which is an excellent approach for demonstrating your competencies. Here's a breakdown of your response:

1. Situation: You begin by setting the scene, explaining your responsibilities during high-demand periods. This provides context for your role and the challenges faced, which is important for understanding your project management experience.

2. Task: You specify the particular project you were involved in (the 2022 Budget Estimate cycle) and the significance of that task. This gives insight into the complexity and importance of what you were managing.

3. Action: You detail the specific actions you took to manage requests effectively, including prioritizing tasks, registering matters systematically, communicating deadlines, and reviewing documents. This demonstrates your organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure.

4. Result: Although you don't explicitly outline the results achieved, implying that all stakeholders received the necessary materials on time is a positive indication of your effectiveness. Including specific outcomes would strengthen your answer.

To improve your response, consider adding measurable results, such as how many requests were successfully managed or improvements made in the process. You could also highlight how your experience aligns specifically with the responsibilities of a Project Officer, such as coordinating between stakeholders or managing timelines and resources.

Overall, I would rate your answer 4/5. It is strong in structure and content, but could benefit from a clearer outcome and stronger connection to the specific responsibilities of a Project Officer.

Interview Question:

What strategies do you use to ensure project outcomes are achieved on time and within budget?

Candidate's Answer:

Situation
• In my role within Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (MAPS), I was responsible for triaging high-volume requests, particularly during the busy parliamentary sitting weeks. The team had to manage urgent and often last-minute requests, such as Budget Estimate Notes (BENs) or Questions on Notice (QONs), which had short deadlines and required swift, organized responses. This required flexibility and agility to ensure all stakeholders, including the Minister’s Office, Deputy Secretary’s Office, and Secretary’s Office, received the necessary materials on time.
Task
• During the 2022 Budget Estimate cycle, I worked with a small team to support the Attorney-General, Minister Ward, and Minister Elliott. We were tasked with preparing and coordinating various parliamentary materials, including Budget Estimate Notes, Questions on Notice, and other documents. The challenge was to efficiently manage urgent, high-priority requests while maintaining accuracy and compliance with DCJ/MAPS protocols.
Action
• I have a history of working in high volume environments where I would continuously meet deadlines or exceed the expectation of my manager
• I am skilled at multitasking and start the day by planning ahead
• I prioritise my tasks in order of importance by working on the most important BEN/task to the least important one; to meet all deadlines
• I am flexible to meet with changing work priorities such as an urgent ministerial
• I help others and ask for help (team priorities take precedence)
• I seek advice from manager when there are competing priorities, and I am unsure which one is the priority
• I ensure that all my deadlines are met prior to logging off each night and keep in contact with my team members on MS Teams during the day.
• A tip from my colleague is I can keep track of my day by adding my daily workload into my calendar for example if I must work on the DLO handbook that is due in 2 days I can block out 2 hours in my calendar to work on it. I find

Evaluation:

Your answer provides a detailed overview of your experience, clearly demonstrating your ability to manage high-pressure projects effectively. You successfully use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response, which is commendable.

Strengths of your answer:
1. Contextual Relevance: You provide a specific context (Ministerial and Parliamentary Services) where you dealt with high volume and urgent requests, making your answer relatable to the question.
2. Organizational Skills: You highlight your ability to prioritize tasks, plan ahead, and multitask—all key strategies for completing projects on time and within budget.
3. Team Collaboration: You emphasize teamwork and seeking help, showcasing your ability to engage effectively with colleagues and superiors.
4. Proactive Approach: The mention of using calendars to manage your workload reflects your proactive approach to time management.

Areas for Improvement:
1. Results Focus: While you described actions taken, consider including specific outcomes or metrics to illustrate how your strategies led to successful project completion on time and within budget.
2. Budget Management: Explicitly addressing budget management strategies would strengthen your answer, as budget adherence is a critical aspect of project management.
3. Conciseness: Streamlining your response to focus more on direct strategies related to project outcomes could enhance clarity.

Overall, your answer is strong but could benefit from a sharper focus on metrics and budget management.

Rating: 4/5