The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) employs a distinct competency framework, different from that used by the main Civil Service departments across England. Similarly, the Welsh and Scottish Governments have their own frameworks. The current Northern Ireland Civil Service Competency Framework reference document was created in April 2014. One of the first steps in preparing for your interview is to thoroughly understand the competency framework used by the NICS. This framework outlines the key competencies expected for various roles. Familiarising yourself with these will help you identify which of your experiences best showcase your strengths and suitability for the position.
Another crucial aspect is understanding the format of competency-based questions. These questions typically start with prompts like “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give an example of…”. Your responses should be well-structured, focusing on specific situations where you demonstrated the required competencies. Using a methodical approach to answer these questions will enable you to clearly convey your skills and experiences to the interviewers.
Interview Skills Clinic has successfully coached many candidates for Civil Service interviews in NICS, as well as Scotland and Success Profile interviews in England. If you have an important NICS interview coming up or have struggled with a previous one, we offer specialist civil service one-to-one interview coaching. You can book an initial free consultation on our website to discuss coaching options.
You will find that job descriptions for roles in the Northern Ireland Civil Service are generally very comprehensive and take the form of a multi-page Candidate Information Booklet. Under the heading ‘Assessment Process’ within this document, you can read exactly how this competency-based interview will be assessed and crucially how marks will be awarded. For some competencies, there will be a minimum mark that must be achieved. For instance, a recent role listed five competencies and detailed the maximum marks awarded to each answer at the interview. The overall pass mark was shown, and one of the competencies required the interviewee to achieve a minimum score as follows:
| Competency | Marks Available | Minimum Standard |
| Making Effective Decisions | 40 | 24 |
| Delivering Value for Money | 20 | No minimum set |
| Collaborating and Partnering | 20 | No minimum set |
| Managing a Quality Service | 20 | No minimum set |
| Achieving Outcomes through Delivery Partners | 20 | No minimum set |
| Total Marks Available | 120 | |
| Minimum Score to pass the board | 72 |
For this position, only one competency answer had a minimum required mark of 24, and the overall required pass mark for the interview was 72. Despite this fact, it goes without saying that consistency in terms of the quality of answers is vital, and scoring very low on one or two answers while very high on others would be inadvisable.
If you would like support with your NICS interview then it is best to initially Book a Free Consultation so we can discuss bespoke coaching options in more detail.
Before considering any typical sample interview questions, it is essential to carefully read through and understand the Northern Ireland Civil Service framework. There is a selection of ten possible competencies from which you will be assessed, which are grouped into three clusters. The descriptors for each behaviour are further categorised into six levels according to the seniority of the role. Consequently, the type of answer expected from someone interviewing for a higher management role is noticeably more complex and challenging.
Each competency in the framework has specific criteria that describe what good performance looks like. Familiarising yourself with these criteria will help you pinpoint relevant examples from your past experiences that best illustrate your strengths. It’s helpful to review any documentation provided by the NICS about the competencies required for the role you’re applying for. The competency framework often serves as a guide for the interview questions. For example, if teamwork is a critical competency for the role, you might be asked to describe a situation where you successfully worked as part of a team. Similarly, if decision-making is a key requirement, you may be asked about a time when you made a significant decision and its impact.
To prepare, thoroughly review the competency descriptions and think about instances in your career where you have demonstrated these skills. Be ready to discuss these examples in detail, explaining the situation, the actions you took, and the outcomes achieved. This preparation will enable you to confidently align your experiences with the competencies, presenting yourself as a strong candidate for the role.
Once you have drafted your examples, it is time to start practising them against some likely interview questions. Below are a range of sample questions typical of lower- to middle-management interviews:
Interview Questions – Cluster 1: Setting Direction
- Give me an example of how your broader insight into the external environment helped address or shape a recommendation you made? (Seeing the bigger picture)
- What approaches do you use to ensure that your work and that of your teams aligns with organisational strategies and priorities? (Seeing the bigger picture)
- Tell me about a time when you made changes/improvements to processes. What would you do if your colleagues did not agree with these changes or improvements? (Changing and improving)
- Describe a time when you improved how you work—for example, finding a more efficient way to complete a task? (Changing and improving)
- What have you done to encourage others to question existing practices? How do you support other people’s ideas? How do you facilitate change and improvement? (Changing and improving)
- Tell us about a time when you had to analyse and evaluate complex information and competing options before making a decision? (Making effective decisions)
- Describe a time when you had to choose between several different options to achieve particular results? (Making effective decisions)
- Tell us about a time when you changed your advice on a project policy after considering financial, technological, or reputational risks? (Making effective decisions)
Interview Questions – Cluster 2: Engaging People
- Give us an example of handling a difficult or sensitive situation requiring careful communication? (Leading and communicating)
- Describe when you went through several steps to influence an individual or group on an important issue? (Leading and communicating)
- Describe when you had to drive change and ensure it was communicated effectively throughout the team? (Leading and communicating)
- Give us an example of working collaboratively with others? (Collaborating and partnering)
- Talk us through when you improved collaborative working between teams across organisational boundaries? (Collaborating and partnering)
- Describe when you worked with someone whose viewpoint differed significantly from yours? (Collaborating and partnering)
- How do you support your team in building their knowledge base? (Building capability for all)
- When did you learn something new and communicate it effectively to others? (Building capability for all)
- How do you ensure continual innovation within your teams? Provide an example when this was effective.(Building capability for all)
Interview Questions – Cluster 3: Delivering Results
- Describe managing competing priorities to complete a project under difficult circumstances? (Delivering at pace)
- Tell us about leading a team in a fast-paced environment—how did you manage motivation and resilience? (Delivering at pace)
- Describe dealing with a project that had gone off track? (Delivering at pace)
- Tell us about identifying an inefficient process representing poor value for money — what action did you take? (Delivering value for money)
- Tell us about motivating staff towards efficient solutions using resources cost-effectively? (Delivering value for money)
- Describe proactively finding solutions to customer problems improving service quality?(Managing quality service)
- Explain responding to new customer feedback solving problems enhancing service quality?(Managing quality service)
- Describe working effectively with business partners achieving long-term strategic objectives?(Achieving outcomes through delivery partners)
- How do you ensure alignment with overall organisational objectives whilst adapting to external challenges — please give an example?(Achieving outcomes through delivery partners)
Preparing For Unexpected Questions
Interviews can sometimes present unforeseen questions. To handle these effectively:
1. Stay composed: Take a moment to consider your response.
2. Seek clarity: If unsure, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or extra thinking time.
3. Relate back: Draw on prepared examples aligning them with unexpected queries.
4. Maintain positivity: An unforeseen question is an opportunity demonstrating adaptability/problem-solving abilities.
5. Stay calm/methodical: Convert challenges into chances highlighting suitability.
Other Posts
If you’re applying for Civil Service roles check out our other posts:
- Applying to The Civil Service
- How To Ace A Civil Service Interview
- Civil Service Success Profiles: How To Prepare For Strength Questions
- Civil Service Interview Questions Updated For 2025
- Looking For Graduate Job Opportunities – The Civil Service Is Worth Considering
- How To Answer A Civil Service Question On Managing A Quality Service
