Policy Officer Behaviour Statement Examples

Policy behaviour guidance and complete 250-word examples from EO to Grade 7

Policy vacancies often assess behaviours that reveal how you use evidence, understand the wider context and explain recommendations. The advert decides which behaviours matter, so prepare around the named requirements rather than assuming every policy role will use the same set.

Return to the Civil Service Policy Officer Applications hub for personal statement, CV and interview guidance.

Behaviours commonly used for policy roles

• Making Effective Decisions, where the evidence should show how you assessed information, compared options and reached a defensible conclusion.
• Communicating and Influencing, where the evidence should show how you tailored advice, handled challenge and gained understanding or agreement.
• Seeing the Big Picture, where the evidence should connect the immediate work to wider priorities, affected groups and emerging issues.
• Working Together, where the evidence should show effective relationships across professions, departments or external organisations.
• Delivering at Pace, where the evidence should show control of priorities, quality and deadlines during a demanding piece of policy work.
• Leadership, particularly at senior grades, where the evidence should show direction, inclusion, challenge and responsibility for the outcome.

A policy example does not score simply because it involved a minister, consultation or high-profile subject. The actions still need to match the behaviour and the grade.

What changes between grades

EO

EO examples usually concern a defined decision, piece of research, consultation task or improvement. Show sound judgement within guidance, clear communication and sensible use of advice.

HEO

HEO examples should show independent ownership, stronger analysis and direct handling of stakeholders. The applicant may develop options and prepare a recommendation for senior approval.

SEO

SEO examples usually reach across teams or organisations. The applicant may coordinate specialists, manage difficult trade-offs and remain accountable for the quality of the advice or implementation.

Grade 7

Grade 7 examples should show strategic direction, significant consequences and influence at senior level. The applicant may frame choices for ministers or directors, set governance and lead delivery through others.

Choosing a policy behaviour example

Choose a situation where the behaviour affected the outcome. For Making Effective Decisions, the example needs a real choice. For Communicating and Influencing, there needs to be an audience whose understanding, position or action mattered.

Keep the setting brief. Use most of the word count to explain what you did, why you chose that approach and how you dealt with evidence, challenge or risk. State the result without inventing a clean percentage or claiming credit for a decision made above your authority.

Common mistakes

• Writing a policy summary instead of a behaviour statement.
• Using the same activity to claim several behaviours without showing the specific actions required by the named one.
• Listing stakeholders without explaining what they wanted or how their input changed the work.
• Presenting an obvious next step as a difficult decision.
• Giving the team every action and leaving the applicant invisible.
• Adding a final sentence that merely says the example demonstrates the behaviour.