Notice of open competition — EPSO/AD/303/15 — Development cooperation and managing aid to non-EU countries (AD 7)
Date: 2015-05-07
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EPSO, competition (EU), development aid, development policy, invitation to tender, regional development








CA2015150EN.01000101.xml










7.5.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 150/1





NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION — EPSO/AD/303/15
Development cooperation and managing aid to non-EU countries (AD 7)
(2015/C 150 A/01)


Deadline for registration: 9 June 2015 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time


The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition, based on qualifications and tests, to draw up a reserve list of 
60 successful candidates
 from which the European Commission will recruit new members of the civil service as ‘
administrators
’ (function group AD).
This Notice of Competition, together with the General Rules governing Open Competitions published in 
Official Journal of the European Union C 70 A of 27 February 2015
 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2015:070A:TOC), forms the legally binding framework for this selection procedure.

WHAT TASKS CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?

Administrators mostly support decision-makers in the European Union institutions where they work. This AD 7 competition focuses on development cooperation and managing aid to non-EU countries.
If you are recruited following this competition you will do five main types of work as part of a team:






1.


analysing development-related issues and policies;










2.


developing national and regional development policies;










3.


identifying, developing and managing development cooperation projects and programmes;










4.


managing budget support programmes;










5.


managing teams.




Furthermore, if you are recruited you are likely to spend some of your career working in an EU delegation in countries where living conditions can be difficult.
Please see ANNEX I for more information about the typical duties to be performed.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

You must meet ALL of the following conditions when you validate your application:






General conditions








—


Enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the EU










—


Meet any obligations under national laws on military service










—


Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned








Specific conditions: languages








—


Language 1: minimum level — C1 in one of the 24 official EU languages










—


Language 2: minimum level — B2 in English, French or German; must be different from language 1





For details on language levels, see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr)




Specific conditions: qualifications and work experience








—




At least 4 years’
 completed university studies attested by a diploma, and 
a minimum of 6 years’ professional experience
 in the field of the competition after obtaining the diploma,

or











—




At least 3 years’
 completed university studies attested by a diploma, and 
a minimum of 7 years’ professional experience
 in the field of the competition after obtaining the diploma.





For details on diplomas see Annex I to the General Rules governing Open Competitions (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2015:070A:TOC)




The second language chosen must be 
English, French, or German
. These are the main working languages of the EU institutions and, in the interests of the service, new recruits must be immediately able to work and communicate effectively in their daily work in at least one of them.
Please see ANNEX II for additional information on languages in EU competitions.

HOW WILL I BE SELECTED?

1)   
Computer-based Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) tests


If the number of candidates 
exceeds a certain threshold
, defined by EPSO acting as appointing authority, all candidates who validated their application form by the deadline will be invited to sit a series of computer-based MCQ tests in one of EPSO’s accredited centres.
If the number of candidates 
is below the threshold
, these tests will be held at the Assessment Centre (point 3) instead.
The computer-based MCQ tests will be organised as follows:











Tests






Language






Questions






Duration






Pass mark






Verbal reasoning


Language 1


20 questions


35 min


10/20




Numerical reasoning


Language 1


10 questions


20 min


Numerical + abstract combined: 10/20




Abstract reasoning


Language 1


10 questions


10 min




These tests are eliminatory and do not count towards the other tests held at the Assessment Centre.
2)   
Selection based on qualifications


First, the eligibility requirements will be checked on the basis of the data provided in the candidates’ online application. There are two possible scenarios:






—


If the computer-based MCQ tests 
are organised upfront,
 the files of the candidates will be checked for eligibility in descending order of the marks obtained until the number of eligible candidates reaches the threshold mentioned in point 1. The other files will not be checked.










—


If the computer-based MCQ tests 
are not organised upfront
, the files of all candidates will be checked for eligibility.




Second, 
only for the eligible candidates
 selected as described above; the selection based on qualifications will be carried out using the information provided by the candidates in the application form’s Talent Screener tab. The selection board will assign each 
selection criterion
 a weighting that reflects its relative importance (1 to 3) and each of the candidate’s responses will be awarded between 0 and 4 points.
The selection board will then multiply the points by the weighting for each criterion and add these to identify those whose profiles best match the duties to be performed.
Please see ANNEX III for the list of criteria.
3)   
Assessment Centre




A maximum of three times
 the number of successful candidates sought will be invited to this phase. If you scored one of the 
highest total marks
 at the selection based on qualifications, you will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre for 1 or 2 days, most probably in 
Brussels
, where you will take tests held in your 
language 2
.
If the computer-based MCQ tests described in point 1 were 
not organised upfront
, you will sit them at the Assessment Centre.
Eight general competencies and the specific competencies required for this competition will be tested at the Assessment Centre through 
four tests
 (general and specific competency-based interviews, group exercise and case study) as described in the following matrices:









Competency






Tests












1.


Analysis and problem-solving






Group exercise


Case study










2.


Communicating






Case study


General competency-based interview










3.


Delivering quality and results






Case study


General competency-based interview










4.


Learning and development






Group exercise


General competency-based interview










5.


Prioritising and organising






Group exercise


Case study










6.


Resilience






Group exercise


General competency-based interview










7.


Working with others






Group exercise


General competency-based interview










8.


Leadership






Group exercise


General competency-based interview




Pass marks


3/10 per competency and 40/80 in total




Weighting of the general competencies


40 % of the overall mark















Competency






Test






Specific competencies


Specific competency-based interview




Pass mark


50/100




Weighting of the specific competencies


60 % of the overall mark




4)   
Reserve list


After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a 
reserve list
 of the eligible candidates who have obtained the highest marks following the Assessment Centre, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached. Names will be listed alphabetically.

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I APPLY?

Apply online on the EPSO website http://jobs.eu-careers.eu by:


9 June 2015 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.




ANNEX I

DUTIES

The EU administrators will be expected to fulfil tasks in the field of development cooperation as indicatively described hereunder:






—


contribute to the analysis of development related issues and policies, the elaboration of national and regional development policies, including sector policies, and policy dialogues with relevant partners and stakeholders,










—


participate in the identification and formulation of development cooperation projects and programmes including preparation of financing proposals and agreements,










—


participate in the operational management of development cooperation projects and programmes including drafting terms of reference, tendering, contracting and supervision of the implementation of contracts (auditing, approval of reports, payments and closure of contracts),










—


participate in the operational management of budget support programmes for development cooperation,










—


monitor and evaluate the development cooperation projects and programmes,










—


liaise with all the relevant actors such as government counterparts, international and regional organisations, Member States and civil society in the field of development cooperation,










—


manage a team of professionals.





The applicant agrees, by validating the application form, to accept the obligation to serve in a delegation of the European Union (mainly in developing countries).


Those recruited must be willing to accept a first posting in a delegation in a country where living conditions can be difficult.


The delegations are located in countries where the following languages are the most widely spoken: French, English, Portuguese and Spanish.

End of ANNEX I, click here to return to main text



ANNEX II

LANGUAGES

In the light of the judgment given by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Grand Chamber) in Case C-566/10 P, Italy v Commission, the EU institutions wish to state the reasons for limiting the choice of the second language in this competition to a small number of official EU languages.
Candidates are informed that the second language options in this competition have been defined in line with the interests of the service, which require new recruits to be immediately operational and capable of communicating effectively in their daily work. Otherwise the efficient functioning of the institutions could be severely impaired.
It has long been the practice to use mainly English, French, and German for internal communication in the EU institutions and these are also the languages most often needed when communicating with the outside world and dealing with cases. Moreover, English, French, and German are the most common second languages in the European Union and the most widely studied as a second language. This confirms what is currently expected of candidates for European Union posts in terms of their level of education and professional skills, namely that they have a command of at least one of these languages. Consequently, in balancing the interests and needs of the service and the abilities of candidates, and given the particular field of this competition, it is legitimate to organise tests in these three languages so as to ensure that all candidates are able to work in at least one of them, whatever their first official language. Assessing specific competencies in this way allows the institutions to evaluate candidates’ ability to be immediately operational in an environment that closely matches the reality they would face on the job.
For these same reasons, it is reasonable to limit the language of communication between candidates and the institution, including the language in which applications are to be drafted. Furthermore, this ensures uniformity when comparing candidates and checking their application forms.
To ensure equal treatment for all candidates, everyone — including those whose first official language is one of the three — must take some tests in their second language, chosen from among these three.
None of this affects the possibility of later language training to enable staff to work in a third language, as required under Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations.
End of ANNEX II, click here to return to main text



ANNEX III

SELECTION CRITERIA


The selection board considers the following criteria for the selection based on qualifications:







1.


Proven knowledge of one or more of the following languages (this can include your main or second language as declared in the application): English, French, Portuguese or Spanish (minimum level required: B2 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr)).










2.


Degrees or certificates in one or more of the following fields, such as: engineering, energy, rural development, agronomy, animal health/husbandry, fisheries, food security, disaster risk reduction, forest management, environment, natural resources, climate change, education, health, finance, economics, business administration, law, social sciences, development studies, political science and international relations.










3.


Professional experience of working in the headquarters of an international organisation or a bilateral aid agency/ministry.










4.


Professional experience in the management of development cooperation projects or programmes at field level (in the beneficiary country).










5.


Professional experience of working in a country representation of a bilateral or multilateral organisation (such as EU delegation, EU Member State embassy/development agency office, UN regional office or equivalent).










6.


Professional experience of working on issues related to countries in crisis situations or fragile states.










7.


Professional experience as a team leader.










8.


Professional experience of working with various aid delivery modalities such as project approach, sector policy support programmes, budget support, blending grants and loans or other financial instruments.










9.


Professional experience in policy analysis and development, or policy dialogue.










10.


Professional experience of drafting guidelines for development cooperation.










11.


Professional experience of working with cross-cutting issues such as: democracy, gender equality, environmental sustainability and climate change, good governance and human rights, the rights of the child and indigenous peoples, or HIV/AIDS in development cooperation projects and programmes.










12.


Professional experience in one or more of the following sectors, such as: governance, human rights, elections, parliamentary affairs, judiciary, health, education, culture, communication, social cohesion, gender, child protection, indigenous peoples, decentralisation and local authorities, macroeconomics, public finance management, public sector reform, private sector, trade, regional integration, environment and natural resources, climate change, food security, disaster risk reduction, rural development, agriculture, animal health/husbandry, forestry, fisheries, water, energy, infrastructure, transport.










13.


Professional experience in one or more of the following areas: auditing, risk assessment, monitoring and evaluation of development cooperation projects and programmes.










14.


Professional experience of working with the private sector in a development context or international development banks.




End of ANNEX III, click here to return to main text