1. Government Statistical Officers (StO) Candidate Pack Updated August 2016

2. The Statistician offer MOD is committed to developing the skills of its Statisticians and supporting their continuous professional development. Learning and development can be achieved through: Continuous professional development through a statistics and data science learning curriculum and a range of high quality training courses to develop your statistical and data science knowledge Secondments and voluntary sector placements outside of the Government Statistician Group (GSG) to develop a strong understanding of customer needs and how statistics are used outside government A comprehensive induction course that covers the structure and governance of the GSS, UK Code of Practice for Official Statistics, the UK Statistics Authority and career management.

3. Professional Status Candidates that are successful through the StO recruitment will automatically join the Government Statistician Group (GSG) which is part of the Government Statistical Service (GSS). The GSS is a community for all civil servants working in the collection, production and communication of official statistics. Our members come from a range of professions, including statisticians, economists, social researchers and communicators. They are spread across most UK government departments and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The National Statistician is head of the GSS.professions Each government department has a Head of Profession (HoP) for statistics, who is responsible for professional statistical matters and statistical staff working in their departments. HoPs are professionally accountable to the National Statistician. We collect, analyse and publish official statistics to help government, business, and the public understand the current state of the UK economy and society. Our statistics allow people to make informed decisions, whether it’s the Prime Minister trying to improve the UK economy, or a citizen interested in the crime rate in their area. GSS statistics are produced without any political influence, to ensure that they are a trusted and authoritative source of information.

4. What do StOs in MOD do? Statistical officers in MOD can work on a variety of projects such as: Developing statistical tools for future data collection Designing ways of collecting data through surveys or using administrative data for statistical purposes Quality assurance including checking and cleaning data Identifying customer needs and ensuring data delivery is fit for purpose Interpreting statistical analysis for policy development Help to build confidence in statistics by applying the Code of Practice for Official Statistics Answering Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and Freedom of Information requests

5. Applying to be a Statistical Officer (StO) - Eligibility You should have, or hope to obtain by September 2017 one of the following: A minimum of a 2:2 degree in a numerate discipline such as Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Business Studies, Psychology, Geography or similar. Your degree should contain some formal statistical training. A graduate diploma of the Royal Statistical Society or equivalent qualification. Applications from candidates who do not have a degree are welcomed, but they must demonstrate significant experience in a statistics related field, plus continuing professional development in a relevant area that leads to qualifications (for example the RSS Higher Certificate)

6. Applying to be a Statistical Officer (StO) - Application Candidates should refer to the GSG competency framework Level 1 when completing their application form. Candidates are expected to provide evidence against the three statistical strands: Acquiring Data/ Understanding customer needs Data Analysis Presenting and Disseminating data effectively As well as the following core competencies: Leading and communicating Collaborating and partnering Managing a quality service Candidates will also be tested on these competencies at the interview stage. Once the application form is submitted, candidates will automatically be asked to complete an online multiple choice test. Candidates will need to complete and pass this test before their application progresses to sift stage. Candidates that fail the test or do not complete the test will be rejected at this stage. Their applications will not be sifted.

7. Civil Service Competency Framework The Competency Framework sets out how we want people in the Civil Service to work. It puts the Civil Service values of honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity at the heart of everything we do and it aligns to the three leadership behaviours that every Civil Servant needs to model.Civil Service values The framework outlines ten competencies which are grouped under the three leadership behaviours. These headings will be used in our vacancies to indicate essential and desirable candidate requirements. Candidates must use the selection process to demonstrate that they have, at the very least, all the essential requirements and, if possible some or all of the desirable ones. The full framework is available online at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework

8. Preparing an application You must show that you have the appropriate level of knowledge, breadth of experience and, where appropriate, professional skill for the post. Under each competency heading you should produce a short statement that describes one relevant example of your best achievement using 1 st person singular (‘I’ not ‘we’) and taking account of the word count. We are looking for you to provide specific evidence of your individual competencies. To keep your answers structured in both your application and interview you may wish to use the STAR technique outlined below: S- Describe the situation that you were confronted with. T- Describe the task that needed to be accomplished. Keep it concise and informative, concentrating solely on what is useful to the story A- Explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did it. Be personal, i.e. talk about you, not the rest of the team. R- Explain what happened eventually – how it all ended. This is the most crucial part of your answer. Interviewers want to know that you are using a variety of generic skills in order to achieve your objectives.

9. How to present evidence in the application form What should my examples look like? Good example - I would perform a regression analysis when I want to explore the relationship between two variables, and I theorise them as one being the independent variable, and the other the dependent variable. For example, in the past I have run an investigation that focused on the predictive value of students’ high-school achievement and of students' performance at an admission test, on their later University-academic achievement. In this occasion, I performed a multiple linear regression, because I wanted to learn how much variance (R^2) was explained by my two independent variables, and also how much each of the independent variables contributed uniquely to the effect (i.e. their Betas). I have also experience with hierarchical multiple regression, with binary and with multinomial logistic regressions. Indeed, in my research I have sometimes used hierarchical multiple regression analyses in order to detect interaction effects between the independent variables (in these cases I would include the two centred IVs at step 1 and step 2, and then at step 3 I would include the interaction term between the two IVs). My experience with non-linear regression is more limited, but I am confident I could improve my skills in this area. Borderline example - I completed a large piece of coursework in which I used linear modelling techniques to answer a variety of questions around national student survey data. Often it was appropriate to use ANOVA to test whether a model with fewer predictors gave equivalent descriptive value to a model with more predictors. In particular, I asked whether the average degree outcome of the students at a particular institution could be predicted by information about the demographic and pre- university grades of a student, or whether additional descriptive value was given by any other data, such as overall score on the national student survey. To do this, I created two linear models; one with the all available predictors and one with only the pre-university predictors and used ANOVA to give the statistical likelihood that, given the assumption that the smaller model is best, the data could be better predicted by the model with maximum information Poor example – I am currently studying a post graduate qualification. One of the modules in this is Applied Statistics and Econometrics. Within this course we have examine sample variance and what this measures, as well as standard deviation, homo and heteroskedasticity in the dispersion of data. A definition of the technique alone does not constitute a good example

10. Preparing an Application - Your Checklist:  Have you given yourself enough time to put together a well thought out application form?  Have you reviewed the job description carefully so you have a clear understanding of the role?  Have you got a copy of the Civil Service and GSG Statistician competency frameworks, these will be handy whilst you are putting your examples together?  Have you chosen your most powerful and relevant examples?  Have you included the result and described your contribution/impact?  Did you draft first then refine?  Have you avoided jargon (assume that the sift panel will have no knowledge of the situation you are referring to)?  Have you checked for spelling and typos?  Have you written in the first person, ‘I’ and not ‘we’ and used active language such as: ‘I organised’, ’I accomplished’, ‘I calculated’, etc.  Have you adhered to the word count limit, the word limit is 250.  Have you put yourself in the Vacancy Manager’s shoes and read your application through from their perspective before submitting? If the answer to each of the question is ‘’yes’ – Well Done

11. Online Multiple Choice test Candidates are required to complete an online multiple choice test once they have submitted their application. This test forms part of the minimum criteria required for these posts. The test is timed and will take 45 minutes Candidates should note that every correct answer is worth 3 points, an incorrect answer -1 and not answering the question will score 0. Our advice is ‘if in doubt do not answer the question’. If you have selected an answer and change your mind you can ‘clear the answers’ If candidates pass the online multiple choice test their application form will progress to the next stage – sift. Attached to the advert is a copy of a practice test and the answers. Candidates are advised to try this before attempting the real test.

12. The Sift The purpose of a sift is to assess and score the evidence provided on the application form. The sift panel, which is made up of two or three representatives of the profession, will discuss and agree standards against which they assess each application. There is a single rating scale used throughout Government, which allows candidates to compare feedback from applications made to different departments. GSS operates the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities that may affect their application. All GIS applicants who meet the minimum standard are invited to interview. RatingLabelDefinition 1Not DemonstratedNo positive evidence of the competency 2Minimal DemonstrationLimited positive evidence of the competency, without consistency 3Moderate DemonstrationModerate positive evidence of the competency, without consistency 4Acceptable DemonstrationAdequate positive and consistent evidence of the competency 5Good DemonstrationSubstantial positive and consistent evidence of the competency 6Strong Demonstration Substantial, consistent positive evidence of the competency and includes some evidence of exceeding expectation 7Outstanding DemonstrationEvidence provided wholly exceeds expectation at this level

13. If you have completed and passed the online multiple choice test and achieved the pass mark set by the sift panel you will then be invited to attend the assessment day. This will consist of a Data Analysis and Dissemination presentation and a competency based interview. Data Analysis and Dissemination presentation: Candidates will be presented with tables of statistics on enterprises in the United Kingdom. [An enterprise is defined as an active business that had either turnover or employment in the year.] You will have 20 minutes to study this table and prepare a short presentation of what you see as the key features of the statistics shown in the table. [You will retain the tables during the test so there is no need to copy or memorise the data.] Candidates should write down up to five bullet points describing these features on the form that follows the table. These can be in note form but they should be capable of being read and understood by the Assessors, as they will form part of the assessment. When you enter the Assessors’ room you will be asked to present the information in these bullet points orally in a way that would be understandable to a non-technical audience who are not familiar with these statistics or any technical terms used. The Assessors may then ask you questions about the information you have given or about aspects that you have not covered in your presentation. Candidates may bring a calculator with them. Mobile devices (e.g. phones, i-pods, i-pads, etc.) cannot be used. Assessment Day

14. The Interview The purpose of the interview is to test your suitability for the requirements of the role and provides all candidates with an opportunity to express their views and present their evidence The interview will start with a presentation on the data in the dissemination test followed by questions on the following areas: Statistical Competencies Acquiring Data/Understanding customer needs Data Analysis (testing two statistical techniques and programming software used) Presenting and Disseminating data effectively Civil Service Competencies Leading and communicating Collaborating and partnering Managing a quality service You need to prepare well for a good interview – Fail to prepare, prepare to fail Don’t be put off by the panel taking notes. It is important that they make a record of your answers so that they are able to score you at the end of the interview.

15. Preparing for an Interview - Your Checklist  Read through your application form to refresh your memory of the evidence you provided  Familiarise yourself with the Civil Service and GSG competency frameworks  Think about how you might expand on the examples you gave on the application form  Think about other strong examples you could use  Arrange a practice interview with people you trust (friends, colleagues, current manager, etc) - practice makes perfect  Check out the GSS website  Make sure you know where the interview is taking place and how to get there  Make sure you take along all requested ID documents  Think about what to wear, your posture and your non-verbal behaviour  Remember, it’s not about being good enough for the job, it’s being the best candidate for the job – interviews are competitions  Remember that pretty much everyone feels the same about interviews – they make you nervous; know what works best for you in terms of calming your nerves.

16. Online candidate system and feedback GSS uses the on-line Civil Service Jobs website to advertise vacancies and manage all correspondence with candidates. If invited to interview, candidates will be asked to select a suitable date and time for their interview via the online system. All candidates will receive their feedback via the online system. Individual comments against the competencies and overall comments are not provided. Following interview candidates will receive an email via the online system to say if they have passed or failed. If they have passed their status will show as ‘reserve’. All correspondence with candidates is carried out via the online system. All candidates will be notified if they have passed or failed both sift and interview.

17. Security Clearance All new recruits to the GSS must meet certain security standards. All offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of security clearance. The following conditions will affect your security clearance and therefore may affect your eligibility for our vacancies: Criminal record: If you have criminal records Nationality and Immigration status: Particularly relevant if there are specific nationality and residency requirements for the advertised role. Address History: If you have lived at numerous addresses in the UK in the last 5 years. Lived outside UK: You should have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years and for 5 years or more for higher security roles. Employment History: If you have had multiple employers in the last 5 years. Credit Reference Check: If there any financial concerns that could lead to potential vulnerability. The credit reference check is made to assess the financial state of the individual being vetted. Others factors: Associated with, or have or lived in areas associated with organisations seeking to disrupt the government or have family who have associated with, organisations and/or individuals known to security services e.g. Northern Ireland.

18. Good Luck! If you need more information/advice please email: DefStrat-Stat- HoPS-Recruitment@mod.uk