Notice of open competition — EPSO/AST/123/12 — Assistants with Croatian citizenship (AST 3)
Date: 2012-10-25
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: Croatia, EPSO, assistant, communications profession, competition (EU), legal profession, project management








CA2012324EN.01000601.xml










25.10.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 324/6





NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION
EPSO/AST/123/12 — Assistants with Croatian citizenship (AST 3)
(2012/C 324 A/02)
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising a test-based open competition to establish a reserve pool from which to recruit assistants (1).

EPSO/AST/123/12 — Assistants with Croatian citizenship (AST 3)


in the following fields:







1.



LEGAL MATTERS











2.



COMMUNICATION











3.



PROJECT MANAGEMENT/PROGRAMMES/CONTRACTS





The purpose of this competition is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union.


Before applying, you should carefully read the guide to open competitions published in Official Journal C 270 A of 7 September 2012 and on the EPSO website.




This guide is an integral part of the competition notice and will help you to understand the rules governing procedures and how to apply.


CONTENTS






I.



GENERAL BACKGROUND











II.



DUTIES











III.



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS











IV.



ADMISSION TESTS











V.



ASSESSMENT CENTRE











VI.



RESERVE LISTS











VII.



HOW TO APPLY





I.   GENERAL BACKGROUND












1.


Number of successful candidates sought, by field







Field 1 = 22


Field 2 = 15


Field 3 = 15











2.


Remarks







You may not apply for more than one of these fields.


You must make your choice when you apply online and you will not be able to change it after you have confirmed and validated your online application form.

Candidates should be aware that the main purpose of this competition is to guarantee the integration into the European public service of a minimum workforce in anticipation of the accession of Croatia. It is an essential guarantee that the principle of administrative continuity recognised by the jurisdictions of the Union and the efficient operation of the public service may be upheld. The intention is to commence preparatory work in view of the accession without prejudice to the ratification of the accession treaty and the regulations necessary for its effective implementation. The validity of the reserve lists is therefore subject to the condition of ratification of the accession treaty by all Member States. Should the accession treaty not be ratified, or the regulations not enter into force, candidates are informed that this selection procedure may be terminated at any moment and, should the selection procedure already be completed, candidates placed on the reserve lists would not derive any rights from this circumstance.




II.   DUTIES
AST 3 assistants contribute to performing the functions of their institution or agency under the supervision of an administrator and are called upon to carry out executive, implementation, support and logistical tasks in various fields of activity.
There is a detailed description of the various fields in the Annex.
III.   ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

On the closing date for online applications, you must fulfil all the following general and specific conditions:












1.


General conditions






(a)


You must be a Croatian citizen.










(b)


You must enjoy your full rights as a citizen.










(c)


You must have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws on military service.










(d)


You must meet the character requirements for the duties involved.


















2.


Specific conditions








2.1.



Qualifications: see Annex




2.2.



Professional experience: see Annex




2.3.



Knowledge of languages (2)












(a)


Language 1







Main language:







 


A thorough knowledge of Croatian.








and


 










(b)


Language 2







Second language:







 


A satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German.








IV.   ADMISSION TESTS
The admission tests are organised by EPSO and you will take them on a computer. The selection board decides on the difficulty of the tests and approves their subject matter on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.













1.


Invitation






You will be invited to sit the tests if you have validated your application on time (see Section VII).

Important







1.


By validating your application, you are declaring that you meet the general and specific conditions listed in Section III.










2.


You must reserve a date to sit the tests. This must be done by the deadline notified to you via your EPSO account.














2.


Nature and marking of tests






A series of tests comprising multiple-choice questions to assess your general ability as regards:




Test (a)


Verbal reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 20
Pass mark: 10




Test (b)


Numerical reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10




Test (c)


Abstract reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10




 


The aggregate pass mark for tests (b) and (c) is 10




Test (d)


Professional skills:
accuracy and precision


Marking: this test will be marked out of 20




Test (e)


Professional skills:
prioritising and organising


Marking: this test will be marked out of 20




 


The aggregate pass mark for tests (d) and (e) is 20




Test (f)


Situational judgement


Marking: this test will be marked out of 40
Pass mark: 24










3.


Language of the tests






Language 2 (English, French or German)




V.   ASSESSMENT CENTRE

















1.


Invitation






You will be invited to the assessment centre:






—


if you have obtained pass marks in the admission tests, and










—


if you have obtained one of the highest aggregate marks for the admission tests (3), and










—


if the check carried out on the basis of the information given in your online application (4) shows that you fulfil the general and specific conditions listed in Section III.




The number of candidates invited to the assessment centre will be approximately 2,5 times the number of successful candidates indicated in the competition notice and it will be published on EPSO's website (http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eu-careers.info/).










2.


Assessment centre






The assessment centre aims to assess the following competencies:
A.   Specific competencies in the field
Your specific competencies in the field will be tested through the case study alone (5).
B.   General competencies (6):






—


Analysis and problem-solving,










—


Communicating,










—


Delivering quality and results,










—


Learning and development,










—


Prioritising and organising,










—


Resilience,










—


Working with others.




Your general competencies are tested by means of:






(a)


an in-tray exercise;










(b)


a structured interview;










(c)


a case study in the chosen field;










(d)


a group exercise.




Your knowledge of the main language (language 1) will also be tested in the case study (point (c)) by means of a linguistic comprehension test.
You will be invited to carry out a case study (7) in your chosen field (an integral part of the overall assessment) and to take the other tests at the assessment centre, which will normally be held in Brussels over one day.

These individual competencies will be tested in accordance with the following model:





 


In-tray


Structured interview


Case study


Group exercise




Analysis and problem-solving


x


 


x


 




Communicating


 


x


x


 




Delivering quality and results


x


 


x


 




Learning and development


 


x


 


x




Prioritising and organising


x


x


 


 




Resilience


 


x


 


x




Working with others


x


 


 


x










3.


Languages for the assessment centre






Language 2 (English, French or German).
Language 1 — Croatian comprehension test.










4.


Marking






Specific competencies in the chosen field (point (c))
Marked out of 30
Pass mark: 15
Knowledge of the Croatian language
Marked out of 10
Pass mark: 8

Weighting: 30 % of the overall mark

General competencies
Each general competency will be marked out of 10.
Pass mark:






 


3 for each competency

and











 


an aggregate of 35 out of 70 for all 7 general competencies





Weighting: 70 % of the overall mark





VI.   RESERVE LISTS












1.


Candidates placed on the reserve lists






The selection board will place your name on a reserve list:






—


if you have obtained the specified pass marks and are one of the candidates with the highest aggregate marks in the assessment centre tests (8) (see number of successful candidates sought, Section I.1),










—



and if your supporting documents show that you meet all the eligibility requirements.




Supporting documents will be verified in descending order of candidate's marks until the number of candidates who can be placed on the reserve lists and who actually fulfil all the conditions for admission reaches the threshold.
The files of candidates below this threshold will not be examined. If verification shows that the information given by any candidate in their online application form (9) is not borne out by appropriate supporting documents, they will be disqualified from the competition.










2.


Classification






Lists will be drawn up for each field and names will be listed in alphabetical order.




VII.   HOW TO APPLY












1.


Online application






You must apply online, following the instructions on the EPSO website and particularly in the online application manual.

Deadline (including validation): 27 November 2012 at 12 noon Brussels time.










2.


Submission of application files







If you are one of the candidates invited to the assessment centre, you will have to bring with you your full application file (signed online application form and supporting documents) when you come to the assessment centre (10).

Procedure: see point 6.1 of the guide to open competitions.






(1)  Any reference in this notice to a person of the male sex must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of the female sex.

(2)  Please see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages — language 1 = C1/language 2 = B2 — (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Downloads/CEF/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid.csp).

(3)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be invited to the assessment centre.

(4)  This information will be verified against the supporting documents before the reserve list is drawn up (see Section VI.1 and Section VII.2).

(5)  The content is approved by the selection board.

(6)  More information on these competencies can be found in point 1.2 of the guide to open competitions.

(7)  For organisational reasons, the case study may be organised in test centres in the Member States, in Croatia and/or in Brussels, separately from the other assessment centre tests.

(8)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be placed on the reserve list.

(9)  Information concerning the general conditions is verified by EPSO while information concerning the specific conditions is verified by the selection board.

(10)  You will be notified in good time of the date when you have to attend the assessment centre via your EPSO account.


ANNEX
1.   LEGAL MATTERS
1.   Duties
The assistants recruited will be expected to work under the authority of an administrator, performing duties such as those described below.
(1)   Assistance in the legal field






—


Helping to analyse and summarise files in order to prepare the position to be taken by the institutions, legal officers, and/or lawyers instructed.










—


Helping to draft advice on questions relating to law, litigation, or procedure. Helping legal officers to prepare and draft notes and letters.










—


Preparing files for the adoption of decisions by the institution via the delegation procedure or written procedure, draft communications to the institution, and drafts for consultation of departments. Following up these internal procedures and ensuring that decisions adopted are implemented.










—


Monitoring action taken, the procedural stages (pre-litigation and litigation phase), and compliance with deadlines.










—


Conducting preparatory research and analysis of national and EU law.










—


Assisting legal officers in the selection of outside lawyers according to the substance of the case and the competent court, and maintaining collaboration throughout legal proceedings. Creating and checking follow-up sheets in respect of contracts concluded with outside lawyers. Establishing the necessary powers for the institution to be represented before national courts. Monitoring expenditure on legal assistance (lawyers' fees for litigation or consultation on national law).




(2)   Mail management






—


Taking receipt of consultation documents from departments of the institution and of mail from outside lawyers relating to debt recovery and national litigation, and taking receipt of correspondence from national judicial bodies.










—


Analysing and recording these data in the database of national litigation.




(3)   Communication activities






—


Data input and updating the database for the management of national litigation.










—


Centralising data relating to national litigation files and debt recovery.










—


Compiling statistics.










—


Performing searches for information at the request of users. Identifying requirements for developing the application.




(4)   In-house communication






—


Answering questions and requests for information relating to litigation files in the broad sense and to debt recovery.










—


Helping to define new document management tools.




(5)   External communication






—


Maintaining contact with outside lawyers handling litigation and with national courts.










—


Helping with coordination between departments and outside lawyers in the course of judicial proceedings.




(6)   Documentation management






—


Compiling files on national and EU litigation and enforced recovery of debts. Getting files ready for judicial proceedings.










—


Data input and management of databases of national and EU law.




2.   Diplomas/qualifications
Post-secondary education attested by a diploma in the legal field.

OR

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to higher education, followed by at least three years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties.


NB:
 These three years of experience will not be counted towards the professional experience required in point 3 below.
3.   Professional experience
At least three years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.
2.   COMMUNICATION
1.   Duties
Assistants will carry out their duties in one or more of the sectors related to internal and external communications and information (relations with the press, media, the public, preparation and dissemination of information, organisation of events related to promoting the image of the European Union, publication of information documents, analyses of media and their impact).
They will be called upon to carry out tasks such as, for example:






—


handling contacts with the press, the media and the public,










—


drafting, revising and preparing various documents for publication (press files and thematic files, press releases, press briefings),










—


organising different types of events (press conferences, interviews, information campaigns, exhibitions),










—


preparing information documents, publications, brochures of promotional material and/or audiovisual products,










—


managing communication activities through websites, social media and collaborative platforms,










—


participating in the analysis and media impact of communication activities,










—


liaising and coordinating with stakeholders (Publications Office, contractors, etc.) supporting the institution in its communication activities.




2.   Diplomas/qualifications
A level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma showing completion of studies in one of the following fields: communication, media studies, journalism or public relations.

OR

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and at least three years' professional experience relevant to the duties concerned in one of the following sectors: press agency, PR agency, journalism, communications consultant, web and/or external communication in public or private bodies.


NB:
 These three years of experience will not be counted towards the professional experience required in point 3 below.
3.   Professional experience
At least three years' professional experience relevant to the duties concerned in one of the following sectors: press agency, PR agency, journalism, communications consultant, web and/or external communication in public or private bodies.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.
3.   PROJECT MANAGEMENT/PROGRAMMES/CONTRACTS
1.   Duties
Assistants will carry out their duties in one or more of the sectors related to management of (scientific, technical, administrative, cooperation) projects/programmes/contracts in the institution.
They will be called upon to carry out support and logistics tasks such as, for example:






—


assisting in preparing programmes and work programmes,










—


assisting in drafting the terms of reference of contracts, specifications, calls for proposals, and financing agreements,










—


preparing/verifying calls for proposals/invitations to tender, and calls for expressions of interest, with a view to concluding contracts and agreements relating to grants,










—


preparing and participating in selection committee meetings to supervise the procedures for selection and award of scholarships/grants,










—


assisting in the preparation of financing decisions,










—


preparing and following procurement procedures, including the evaluation of tenders,










—


assisting national, regional and local authorities and participants in implementing programmes/projects/contracts,










—


assisting with the supervision and/or evaluation of the implementation of programmes/projects/contracts,










—


handling and following project and contract management and their continuity: following the life-cycle of the project (commitments, payments, closings),










—


analysing interim and final reports on the implementation of programmes/projects/contracts,










—


handling operations at the end of programmes/projects/contracts.




2.   Diplomas/qualifications
A level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma showing completion of studies.

OR

A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to higher education, followed by at least three years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties.


NB:
 These three years of experience will not be counted towards the professional experience required in point 3 below.
3.   Professional experience
At least three years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.