UN Competency Framework Overview

https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/224953?language=en

The Competency Based Framework for the United Nations Secretariat outlines various competencies, each tailored for different managerial roles. From the provided document, here are some details about these competencies:

1. Competency: Integrity (Staff Member)

   • Meaning: Integrity as a core value for the UN involves working honestly, openly, impartially, and in accordance with UN values.
   • Positive Indicators: Upholding UN principles, demonstrating UN values in daily activities, acting without personal gain, resisting political pressure, not abusing power, and taking prompt action against unethical behavior.
   • Outstanding Criteria: Proactively understanding and supporting UN values, acting without personal gain, ensuring actions and decisions are in the Organization’s best interest, and addressing unethical behavior.

2. Competency: Integrity (Manager)

   • Similar values and indicators are noted for managers, with an emphasis on leadership aspects of integrity.

3. Competency: Professionalism (Manager of Managers)

   • Meaning: Professionalism as a core value involves working in a calm, competent, and committed manner.
   • Positive Indicators: Showing pride in work, demonstrating professional competence, being efficient in meeting commitments, motivated by professional concerns, and remaining calm in stressful situations.
   • Outstanding Criteria: Honoring commitments, taking pride in work, raising professional standards, and remaining calm and confident in difficult situations.

4. Competency: Respect for Diversity

   • Specific details for the 'Respect for Diversity' competency at different managerial levels are not provided in the document.

This framework provides a thorough understanding of how each competency is expected to be demonstrated and the standards for excellence at different levels within the UN Secretariat.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER P3

Thank you for providing the details of your intended position at the United Nations Secretariat. Based on your input:

• Position Title: Programme Management Officer
• Position Level: P3
• United Nations Secretariat Entity (Department): Not specified

Given the position level of P3, the managerial role associated with this position would be that of a staff member. As a Programme Management Officer at the P3 level, you would typically be expected to demonstrate competencies relevant to this role. According to the Competency Based Framework, a P3 level staff member usually needs to demonstrate around three key competencies.

Could you please provide specific competencies listed in your job description? This will help in tailoring the preparation towards the required competencies for your role as a Programme Management Officer.

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of financial principles and practices. Ability to independently conduct research and analysis, formulate options and present conclusions and recommendations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Thank you for sharing the specific competencies required for the Programme Management Officer (P3 level) position. Based on your input, the required competencies are:

1. Professionalism
2. Communication
3. Planning & Organizing

These competencies are crucial for the role, and each has its own set of expectations and indicators of success. Given that you are applying for a P3 level position, which is a staff member role, it's important to tailor your preparation to demonstrate these competencies effectively.

Let's start with one of these competencies for detailed preparation. Please select one of the competencies (Professionalism, Communication, or Planning & Organizing) that you would like to focus on first. We will then proceed to list relevant questions and follow-ups for this competency and work on formulating structured responses using real-life examples following the Context, Actions, Results, Learning (CARL) approach.

Professionalism

For the competency of Professionalism, here are some relevant interview questions and their follow-ups that you can prepare for:

1. Question: Give me an example of when it has been important for you to appear knowledgeable about your area of specialty.

   • Follow-ups:
     • Why was this so important?
     • How did you go about establishing credibility?
     • When has your approach been less successful?
     • What would you do differently?
     • To what extent are you considered to be competent in your field? How do you know this?

2. Question: Give me an example of when you have experienced a setback.

   • Follow-ups:
     • Describe what happened.
     • How did you react to the problem?
     • To what extent did others see how you were feeling?

3. Question: How do you define success in your current role/previous work?

   • Follow-ups:
     • Can you give me a specific example of when this has occurred?
     • What specifically do you wish to achieve?
     • How do you know when you have achieved success?

4. Question: Give me an example of when you have set yourself an ambitious target.

   • Follow-ups:
     • What made it so ambitious?
     • How did it compare with other targets you had set yourself?
     • How well did you do?

5. Question: Tell me about a time when you worked especially hard in your current role/work.

   • Follow-ups:
     • Which aspect of the situation motivated you to work hard?
     • Which aspect of the situation demotivated you?
     • What feedback did you have on your performance?
     • What kinds of professional concerns motivate you?

These questions are designed to assess your ability to demonstrate professionalism in various situations. Remember to use the Context, Actions, Results, Learning (CARL) framework to structure your responses. This means providing a specific example (Context), detailing the actions you took (Actions), describing the results of those actions (Results), and reflecting on what you learned from the experience (Learning).

Would you like to work on formulating a response to one of these questions using the CARL approach? If so, please choose a question and provide a brief overview of a relevant experience you have had.

Great, let's prepare for the question: "Give me an example of when it has been important for you to appear knowledgeable about your area of specialty." We'll use the CARL (Context, Actions, Results, Learning) approach.

To start, please provide a brief overview of a specific situation or instance where it was crucial for you to demonstrate your expertise in your field. This should include:

1. Context: Describe the situation or challenge where you needed to showcase your knowledge. This could include details like the project you were working on, the team you were part of, the goals you were trying to achieve, or the problem you were addressing.

2. Actions: Explain the steps you took to establish your credibility and expertise. This could involve research, practical applications, collaborations, or specific strategies you employed.

3. Results: Share the outcome of your actions. How did your expertise impact the situation? What were the tangible results or improvements that occurred because of your knowledge?

4. Learning: Reflect on what this experience taught you. Consider how it has influenced your professional growth, your approach to similar situations in the future, or your understanding of your field.

Once you provide these details, I can help formulate a structured and impactful response that aligns with the expectations for the Professionalism competency at the P3 level.