Situational Judgement (Public Sector Scenarios) Flashcards

You are chairing a meeting where two senior colleagues are in strong disagreement. What should you do?

Answer: Ensure both views are heard, refocus on the objective, and seek a way to move forward

A good chair manages conflict by ensuring all voices are heard and refocusing on the shared goal. Taking sides or allowing conflict to escalate is poor meeting management.

You are asked to carry out a task that you believe falls outside the legal powers of your department. What should you do?

Answer: Raise the legality concern with your manager and seek legal advice before proceeding

Civil servants must not act beyond their legal powers (ultra vires). Raising the concern and seeking legal advice is both the professional and legally correct course of action.

A project is falling behind schedule. You are under pressure to report it as on track to avoid scrutiny. What should you do?

Answer: Report the true position accurately and propose a recovery plan

Accurate reporting is a core civil service obligation. Concealing slippage prevents senior officials from making informed decisions and undermines accountability.

A journalist publishes an inaccurate story about your department. Your manager asks you not to correct it publicly. What should you do?

Answer: Follow your manager's instruction and raise your concerns about accuracy through internal channels

You should follow your manager's instruction whilst raising concerns through proper internal channels. Acting unilaterally by going to the media or social media breaches protocol.

You need to deliver a training session but the materials provided are out of date. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Update the materials yourself if qualified to do so, or flag the issue to the owner before the session

Delivering inaccurate training causes harm. Updating materials or escalating the issue before the session is the responsible professional choice.

You are leaving a role and your successor asks for advice. You have strong opinions about how the role should be done differently. What should you do?

Answer: Share your honest experience and insights while encouraging them to form their own approach

Sharing honest experience while respecting the successor's autonomy is the mark of a good handover. Imposing your methods or being destructively critical is unhelpful.