Notice of open competition – EPSO/AST/153/22 – Heads of administration (AST 4) in EU Delegations
Date: 2022-07-14
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: Union delegation, administrator, competition (EU), recruitment








CA2022271EN.01000101.xml










14.7.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 271/1






NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION
EPSO/AST/153/22 – Heads of administration (AST 4) in EU Delegations
(2022/C 271 A/01)

Deadline for application: 27 September 2022 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time


CONTENTS








1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS
3










2.

WHAT DUTIES CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?
3










3.

AM I ELIGIBLE?
3










3.1.

General conditions
3










3.2.

Specific conditions — languages
3










3.3.

Specific conditions — qualifications and work experience
3










4.

HOW WILL THE COMPETITION BE ORGANISED?
4










4.1.

Overview of the competition procedures
4










4.2.

Languages used in this competition
4










4.2.1.

Language requirements
4










4.2.2.

Application and test languages
5










4.2.3.

Languages of communication
5










4.3.

Competition phases
6










4.3.1.

Application
6










4.3.2.

Pre-selection: reasoning tests
6










4.3.3.

Eligibility check
6










4.3.4.

Talent screener
6










4.3.5.

Assessment centre
7










4.3.6.

Check of supporting documents and establishment of the reserve list
7










5.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
8










ANNEX I

– Typical duties
9










ANNEX II

– General rules governing open competitions
10










ANNEX III

– Examples of minimum qualifications
17










ANNEX IV

– Talent screener: selection criteria and procedure
26



1.   GENERAL PROVISIONS

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition, based on qualifications and tests, to draw up a list from which the European External Action Service (EEAS) may recruit new members of the civil service as ‘heads of administration’ (function group AST).
This notice of competition and its annexes form the legally binding framework for this competition.
Number of successful candidates sought: 40

2.   WHAT DUTIES CAN I EXPECT TO PERFORM?

The heads of administration assist the heads of EU Delegations in fulfilling their mandate as regards the day-to-day running of the Delegation in accordance with existing rules and regulations, in particular, the management of an administrative budget, human resources, logistics, as well as safety and security of the Delegation. The position of a head of administration is a key one for an EU Delegation. It ensures the adequate day-to-day operations of the Delegation and its administrative relations with the host country. It therefore includes a wide and fulfilling variety of tasks, allowing contacts with a diversified range of interlocutors. Please see Annex I for more information about the typical duties that the successful candidates can expect to perform.
According to Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service, all EEAS staff shall periodically serve in EU Delegations. During their career, the EEAS officials will alternate between different geographic regions and headquarters and/or job functions. Some Delegations are in countries where living and security conditions can be difficult. The basic remuneration is supplemented by an allowance linked to the living conditions prevailing at the place of employment. When an official is employed in a country in which living conditions are deemed equivalent to those in the EU, no such allowance is payable.
All posts of head of administration in an EU Delegation require a personal security clearance. Successful candidates will be required to undergo security clearance procedures through their Member State unless they already hold a valid security clearance to level EU SECRET or higher (see also section 5 of the General rules governing open competitions in Annex II to this notice). A personal security clearance is required for the entire duration of a posting in a Delegation.
3.   AM I ELIGIBLE?

To be eligible, candidates must meet all the general and specific eligibility conditions listed below, on the closing date for applications.
3.1.   General conditions

A candidate must:






a)


enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State of the EU,










b)


have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service,










c)


meet the character requirements for the duties concerned.




3.2.   Specific conditions — languages

A candidate must have knowledge of at least two of the 24 official EU languages, as provided for in section 4.2.1 below.

3.3.   Specific conditions — qualifications and work experience

A candidate must have either:






a)


A level of post-secondary education of at least two years attested by a diploma in one of the following areas: law, business administration, human resources management, finance, accounting, logistics, building management, or engineering, followed by at least six years of relevant professional experience,
or










b)


A level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education followed by at least nine years of relevant professional experience.




Professional experience referred to in points a) and b) above will be considered relevant if it is related to the duties described in Annex I to this notice.
Please see Annex III for examples of minimum qualifications.
4.   HOW WILL THE COMPETITION BE ORGANISED?

4.1.   Overview of the competition procedures

This competition will be organised in the following phases:






—


Application (see section 4.3.1).










—


Pre-selection: reasoning tests (see section 4.3.2).










—


Eligibility check (see section 4.3.3).










—


Talent screener (see section 4.3.4).










—


Assessment centre: two tests to assess general competencies (a case study and a situational competency-based interview) and one test to assess field-related competencies (field-related interview) (see section 4.3.5).










—


Check of supporting documents and establishment of a reserve list (see section 4.3.6).




The delivery mode (remote/in-person) of the tests as well as other necessary details and instructions will be specified in the invitation letters to the tests.
If the tests are held in-person, EPSO will ensure that the conditions under which candidates sit the tests are in line with the recommendations established by the relevant Public Health Authorities (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, other International, European and national authorities).
For the reasoning tests and for the case study, candidates must book an appointment following the instructions received from EPSO. Typically, EPSO will offer several dates for the reasoning tests and one date for the case study, on which candidates can take these tests. The booking and testing periods are limited.
4.2.   Languages used in this competition

4.2.1.   Language requirements

A candidate in this competition must have both of the following:






a)


a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages. This language will further be referred to as ‘language 1’;










b)


a satisfactory knowledge (minimum B2 level) of English or French. This language will further be referred to as ‘language 2’. Language 2 must be different from language 1.




The minimum levels indicated above apply to each linguistic ability (speaking, writing, reading, and listening) requested in the application form. These abilities reflect those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Language 2 requirements in this competition are based on the specificity of the duties of the EEAS staff, in particular, the heads of administration in EU Delegations world-wide.
The EEAS supports the High Representative in conducting the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (CFSP). The de facto working languages of the CFSP are English and French. This is why the EEAS requires that its staff have the capacity to work either in English or in French. This requirement is systematically included as an eligibility criterion in all internal and external vacancy notices published by the EEAS.
While knowledge of additional languages may be an advantage, in EU Delegations staff may work either mainly in English or mainly in French or in both. English is the dominant language in many Delegations, however, French comes next with 26 % of EU Delegations using French as the main working language.
Knowledge of at least one of these languages is essential for the newly recruited heads of administration to be immediately operational and to be able to carry out the duties listed in Annex I to this notice in one of the EU Delegations. The proper implementation of these duties is impossible without effective internal and external communication. The ability to be immediately operational and to communicate effectively is particularly important for heads of administration since they play a key role in the normal day-to-day functioning of the Delegation, in ensuring logistics, acquisition of the necessary supplies and services, as well as in guaranteeing security and safety of staff and assets.
Regarding external communication, it is important to emphasise that international diplomatic communication (diplomatic relations with Member State and third counties) is conducted in English and French. The newly recruited heads of administration will have to maintain relations — mostly in English or French — with the host country (e.g. in protocol matters) as well as with the diplomatic community including the EU Member States represented in the host country (e.g. in security or consular matters).
Regarding internal communication, to carry out their duties, heads of administration will rely heavily on and collaborate with the local staff whose second language is normally either English or French (local staff are selected considering their capacity to speak one of these languages, depending on the Delegation). The newly recruited heads of administration will also be reliant on the support by the EEAS headquarters and by their peers — other heads of administration in the field. Since the EEAS uses English and French as the main working languages, it is, again, essential that the selected heads of administration can work in at least one of these two languages in order to benefit from that support. The IT tools that the recruited officials will be using daily in their work are solely available in English and French, as are the training courses provided to new recruits.
For the reasons listed above, English or French must be amongst the languages mastered by the candidates in order to be immediately operational. This also determines the choice of the language of tests for the general and field-related competencies (see section 4.2.2 below).
4.2.2.   Application and test languages

In different phases of the competition, languages will be used as follows:







Competition phase


Tests


Language




Application


—


Any of the 24 official EU languages, with the exception of the

‘Talent Screener’ section which must be filled in language 2 of the candidate





Pre-selection


Reasoning tests


Language 1




Assessment centre


Field-related interview


Language 2




Case study


Language 2




Situational competency-based interview


Language 2




Candidates are requested to fill in the ‘Talent Screener’ part of their application form in English or French, i.e. in one of the languages in which candidates must be immediately operational upon recruitment.
4.2.3.   Languages of communication

In communication between the candidates and EPSO, the following will apply:






a)


In communication — via the EPSO account or by email — between EPSO and a candidate who submitted a valid application, EPSO will address the candidate concerned in one of the languages that the candidate has declared to have knowledge of at level B2 or higher in the ‘Ability to read’ section in the application form.










b)


In cases of requests and complaints referred to in points 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 of the General rules governing open competitions (in Annex II to this Notice), candidates are encouraged to submit their requests or complaints in their language 2. EPSO will reply as stated under point a).










c)


For all other questions from candidates to EPSO via the online contact form, they can address EPSO in any of the 24 official EU languages and EPSO will reply to the candidates concerned in one of the languages in which they indicated to be willing to receive a reply.




4.3.   Competition phases

4.3.1.   Application

To apply, a candidate needs to have an EPSO account. Candidates who do not yet have an EPSO account, will need to create one. Only one account may be created for all EPSO applications of a candidate.

Candidates must apply online on the EPSO website
https://epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities
by


27 September 2022 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.

By validating their application form, candidates declare on their honour that they meet all the conditions mentioned under the section ‘Am I eligible?’. Once candidates have validated their application form, they will no longer be able to make any changes. It is their responsibility to ensure that they complete and validate their application within the deadline.
Unless instructed otherwise, candidates will have to upload — to their EPSO account — scanned copies of the documents supporting the declarations made in their application form, including in the ‘Talent Screener’ section. Further details and instructions will be provided by EPSO.
4.3.2.   Pre-selection: reasoning tests

All the candidates who validated their application form by the deadline will be invited to sit a series of reasoning tests organised as follows:










Tests


Language


Questions


Duration


Scoring


Pass score




Verbal reasoning


Language 1


20 questions


35 minutes


0 to 20


20/40




Numerical reasoning


10 questions


20 minutes


0 to 10




Abstract reasoning


10 questions


10 minutes


0 to 10




Candidates who obtain the required pass score will have their application checked for eligibility as specified in section 4.3.3.
The score obtained in these tests will not count towards the final overall score.
4.3.3.   Eligibility check

Only the files of the candidates who obtained the required pass score in the pre-selection reasoning tests will undergo the eligibility check. The files of other candidates will not be checked.
The eligibility check involves verifying compliance with the eligibility conditions set out in section 3 (‘Am I eligible?’) of this notice. This will be done on the basis of candidates’ declarations made in their application form. The documents supporting candidates’ declarations regarding their eligibility will be verified by the Selection Board at a later phase of the competition (see section 4.3.6).
4.3.4.   Talent screener

For the candidates deemed eligible based on their declarations, the Selection Board will carry out selection based on qualifications. To do so, the Selection Board will perform a comparative assessment of the merits of all the eligible candidates as specified in Annex IV to this notice.
As a result of this assessment, the Selection Board will draw up a list of candidates in the order of the overall scores awarded. The candidates with the highest scores will be invited to the assessment centre.
The score attributed to the candidate at the talent-screener phase will not count towards the final overall score.
The documents supporting candidates’ answers to the ‘Talent Screener’ questions will be verified by the Selection Board at a later phase of the competition (see section 4.3.6).
4.3.5.   Assessment centre


A maximum of three times the number of successful candidates sought will be invited to the assessment-centre phase.
The aim of the assessment centre is to assess the general and field-related competencies of the candidates.
a)   Tests to assess general competencies

The general competencies will be assessed through two tests, taken in the language 2 of the candidate, as indicated in the following table:








Competency


Test


Scoring


Pass score










1.


Analysis and problem-solving






Case study


0 to 10


Combined pass score: 35/70










2.


Communication






Case study


0 to 10










3.


Delivering quality and results






Case study


0 to 10










4.


Learning and development






Situational competency-based interview


0 to 10










5.


Prioritising and organising






Case study


0 to 10










6.


Resilience






Situational competency-based interview


0 to 10










7.


Working with others






Situational competency-based interview


0 to 10




There is no pass score per competency. However, candidates must reach a pass score of at least 35/70 in total for all the competencies combined. The score obtained in these tests will count towards the final overall score.
b)   Field-related interview

The field-related competencies of the candidates will be assessed through a field-related interview organised as follows:








Test


Language


Scoring


Pass score




Field-related interview


Language 2


0 to 100


50/100




The score obtained will count towards the final overall score.
Candidates who obtain all the required pass scores, as well as one of the highest overall scores in the tests to assess general and field-related competencies, will have their supporting documents checked as specified in section 4.3.6.
4.3.6.   Check of supporting documents and establishment of the reserve list

The Selection Board will check the candidates’ supporting documents following the assessment-centre phase and before establishing the reserve list. It will take a final position on the eligibility of candidates by examining (i) the documents the candidates have uploaded to their EPSO account and (ii) their declarations in the application form (including in sections ‘Education and Training’, ‘Professional Experience’ and ‘Talent Screener’).
To draw up the reserve list, the Selection Board will check the files of the candidates with the highest overall scores, in the descending order of scores, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached. The files of other candidates will not be checked.
The reserve list will therefore only include the names of those eligible candidates who have obtained the required pass scores in all the tests as well as the highest overall scores, out of 170, in the tests to assess general and field-related competencies.
Names will be listed alphabetically. The reserve list will be made available to the recruiting services.
All candidates who have taken the tests in the assessment centre will receive a competency passport containing qualitative feedback from the Selection Board. The competency passports of successful candidates will also be made available to the recruiting service.

Inclusion on a reserve list does not confer any right to or guarantee of recruitment.

5.   EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

EPSO endeavours to apply an equal opportunities policy to all candidates.
Candidates who have a disability or a medical condition that may affect their ability to take the tests, should indicate this in their application form and follow the procedure to request reasonable accommodations as described in the General rules annexed to this notice (see Annex II, under section 1.3). Having examined the candidates’ request as well as the relevant supporting documents, EPSO may grant reasonable accommodations where deemed necessary.
More information about EPSO’s equal opportunities policy and how to request reasonable accommodations can be found on the EPSO website.




ANNEX I
Typical duties
This Annex presents examples of typical duties that successful candidates in this competition may be asked to perform.
Under the supervision of the Head of Delegation, the head of administration manages the administration section. Together, they are responsible for the overall administrative and financial implementation of the Delegation's budget, including procurement procedures, dealing with expatriate and local staff matters, the Delegation premises, the EU ambassador's residence and the accommodation of expatriate staff. They oversee logistics, supplies and services and ensure the security and safety of staff and assets. The head of administration works together with the Delegation's management team to ensure the smooth running of the Delegation.
In particular, the duties may include the following:
1.   Budget and finance

Preparation of budget estimates for the Delegation's annual budget; follow-up, adjustment, and verification of the implementation of the budget; accounting verification of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; management of the treasury.
2.   Human resources (HR)

Management of HR matters in the administration section (job descriptions, monitoring of performance, evaluation, etc.), estimation of resource needs, organisation of selection and/or recruitment procedures, organisation of training for staff in coordination with the line manager. Management of local staff in coordination with headquarters, including salary revisions, salary payments and calculation of contributions and benefits based on local law.
3.   Logistics support

Control of the physical assets of the Delegation (offices, residence, accommodations, vehicles, furniture, office and housing equipment, IT equipment, etc.); administration of the Delegation's security infrastructure (alarm systems, secure communication, etc), supervision of the implementation of security contracts (together with the Delegation's security coordinator); organisation of procurement procedures.
4.   General administration

Planning and coordination of the day-to-day running of the administration section, preparation of reports, mission planning for all Delegation staff; supervision of IT and other technical/support staff and of service providers; handling of sensitive or classified information and documents for transmission, including maintenance of equipment used and supervision of proper handling of diplomatic bags.
5.   Representation and negotiation

On behalf of the Head of Delegation, attending meetings with the authorities of the host country, public and private organisations, and diplomatic missions; in particular, attending or chairing of meetings of EU diplomatic missions in the host country on administrative, consular or Schengen matters; communication with local authorities on administrative matters in relation to the Delegation and diplomatic staff.
End of ANNEX I, click here to return to main text





ANNEX II
General rules governing open competitions

GENERAL INFORMATION

Any reference, in the framework of selection procedures organised by EPSO, to a person of a specific gender must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of any other gender.
Where candidates tie for the last available place at any stage of the competition, they will all go through to the next stage of the competition. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal will also be invited to the next stage.
Where candidates tie for the last available place on the reserve list, they will all be included on the reserve list. Any re-admitted candidates following a successful appeal at this stage of the procedure will also be added to the reserve list.
1.   WHO CAN APPLY?

1.1.   General and specific conditions

The general and specific conditions (including knowledge of languages) for each field or profile are indicated in the section ‘Am I eligible?’.
Specific conditions regarding qualifications, professional experience and knowledge of languages vary depending on the profile requested. In your application, you should include as much information as possible regarding your qualifications and professional experience (where required) as described in the section ‘Am I eligible?’ of this notice 
that is relevant to the duties
.






(a)



Diplomas and/or certificates: Diplomas, whether issued in EU or non-EU countries, must be recognised by an official EU Member State body, e.g. an EU Member State's education ministry. The Selection Board will allow for differences between education systems.
For post-secondary education and technical, professional or specialist training, indicate the subjects covered, the duration and whether it was full-time, part-time or an evening class.










(b)



Professional experience (if required) will be taken into account only if it is relevant to the required duties and:






—


constitutes genuine and effective work;










—


is remunerated;










—


involves a subordinate relationship or the supply of a service; and










—


subject to the following conditions:






—



voluntary work: if remunerated and involving similar weekly hours and duration to a regular job;










—



traineeships: if remunerated;










—



compulsory military service: completed before or after the required diploma for a period not exceeding the statutory duration in your Member State;










—



maternity/paternity/adoption leave: if covered by an employment contract;










—



doctorate: for a maximum of three years, provided the doctorate was actually obtained, and whether or not the work was remunerated; and










—



part-time work: calculated pro rata on the basis of the number of hours worked, e.g. half-time for six months would count as three months.












1.2.   Supporting documents

At different steps of the selection procedure, you will need to provide an official document proving your citizenship (e.g. passport or identity card) which must be valid on the closing date of your application (closing date of the first part of your application in the case of a 2-part application scenario).
All periods of professional activity must be covered by originals or certified photocopies of:






—



documents from former and current employer(s) stating the nature and level of duties performed, and start and end dates, with the official header and stamp of the company, and the name and signature of the person in charge; or










—



employment contract(s) and first and last pay slips, with a detailed description of the duties performed;










—


(for non-salaried work, e.g. self-employed, liberal professions) invoices or order forms detailing the work performed or any other relevant official supporting documents;










—


(for conference interpreters where professional experience is required) documents attesting the number of days, and languages interpreted from and into, relating specifically to conference interpreting.




In general, no supporting documents are required to prove your knowledge of languages, except for some linguist or specialist profiles.
You may be asked for additional information or documents at any stage of the procedure. EPSO will inform you of what supporting documents you need to provide and when.
1.3.   Equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations

If you have a disability or a medical condition that may hinder your ability to sit the tests, please indicate this in your application form and let us know the type of reasonable accommodation you need. If a disability or condition develops after you have validated your application, you must inform EPSO as soon as possible using the information indicated below.
Please note that you will have to send a certificate from your national authority or a medical certificate to EPSO in order for your request to be taken into consideration. Your supporting documents will be examined, so that reasonable accommodation can be made where required.
Should you encounter any accessibility issues, or should you require more information, please contact the EPSO-accessibility team by:






—


email (EPSO-accessibility@ec.europa.eu); or










—


post:





European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)




EPSO ACCESSIBILITY




L107 02/DCS




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË








2.   BY WHOM WILL I BE ASSESSED?

A Selection Board is appointed to compare candidates and select the best ones on the basis of their competencies, aptitudes and qualifications in the light of the requirements set out in this notice of competition. Its members also decide on the difficulty of the competition tests and approve their content on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.
To ensure the Selection Board’s independence, it is strictly forbidden for candidates or anyone outside the board to attempt to contact any of its members, except in the context of tests which require direct interaction between the candidates and the board.
Candidates who wish to state their case or assert their rights must do so in writing, addressing their correspondence intended for a Selection Board to EPSO, which will pass it on to the board. Any direct or indirect intervention by candidates that does not comply with these procedures is forbidden and may result in disqualification from the competition.
The existence of a family relationship or a hierarchical link between a candidate and a Selection Board member, in particular, gives rise to a conflict of interest. Selection Boards are asked to declare any such situations to EPSO immediately when they become aware of them. EPSO will evaluate each case individually and take the appropriate measures. The non-respect of the above mentioned rules could make Selection Board members liable to disciplinary action and result in disqualification from the competition for candidates (see section 4.4).
The names of the Selection Board members are published on the EPSO website (www.eu-careers.eu) before the beginning of the assessment centre/phase.
3.   COMMUNICATION

3.1.   Communication with EPSO

You should consult your EPSO account at least twice a week to keep track of your progress during the competition. If you are prevented from doing so because of a technical problem on EPSO's side, you must notify EPSO immediately and exclusively via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
EPSO reserves the right not to supply information that is already clearly stated in this notice of competition, its annexes or on the EPSO website, including under ‘frequently asked questions’.
In all correspondence relating to an application, please mention your name as given in your EPSO account, your application number and the reference number of the selection procedure.
EPSO reserves the right to cease any improper (i.e. repetitive, abusive and/or irrelevant) correspondence.
3.2.   Access to information

Candidates have specific rights of access to certain information concerning them individually, granted in the light of the obligation to state reasons, in order to allow for an appeal against rejection decisions.
This obligation to state reasons must be balanced with the confidentiality of the Selection Board proceedings, which ensures the boards' independence and the objectivity of the selection. Due to confidentiality, attitudes adopted by members of Selection Boards regarding the individual or comparative assessments of candidates cannot be disclosed.
These access rights are specific to candidates in an open competition and legislation on public access to documents may not confer on them rights broader than those specified in this section.
3.2.1.   Automatic disclosure

You will automatically receive the following information via your EPSO account after each stage of the selection process organised for a given competition:






—



MCQ tests: your results and a grid with your answers and the correct answers by reference number/letter. Access to the text of the questions and answers is explicitly excluded;










—



eligibility: whether you were admitted; if not, the eligibility conditions that were not met;










—



Talent Screener: your results and a grid with the question weightings, the points awarded for your answers and your total score;










—



preliminary tests: your results;










—



intermediate tests: your results if you are not amongst the candidates invited to the next phase;










—



assessment centre/phase: if you are not disqualified, your competency passport showing your overall marks for each competency and the Selection Board’s comment providing quantitative and qualitative feedback on your performance at the assessment centre/phase.




As a rule, EPSO does not communicate to candidates any source texts or test assignments, as these are intended for re-use in future competitions. For certain tests, however, it may exceptionally publish the source texts or assignments on its website if:






—


the tests have been completed;










—


the results have been established and communicated to candidates; and










—


the source texts/assignments are not intended for reuse in future competitions.




3.2.2.   Information on request

You may request an uncorrected copy of your answers in written tests where the content is not intended for reuse in future competitions. This explicitly excludes answers to e-tray exercises and case studies.
Your corrected answer papers and the details of the marking, in particular, are covered by the secrecy of Selection Board proceedings and will not be disclosed.
EPSO endeavours to make as much information available to candidates as possible, in accordance with the obligation to state reasons, the confidential nature of Selection Board proceedings and the rules on the protection of personal data. All requests for information will be evaluated in light of these obligations.
Any requests for information should be submitted via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en) within 10 calendar days of the day your results were published in your EPSO account.
4.   COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES

4.1.   Technical and organisational issues

If, at any stage of the selection procedure, you encounter a serious technical or organisational problem, in order to allow us to investigate the issue and take corrective measures, please inform EPSO, exclusively via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
In all correspondence, please mention your name (as given in your EPSO account), your application number and the reference number of the selection procedure.

If the problem occurs at a test centre or during remote testing, please:






—


alert the invigilators immediately so that a solution can be investigated. In any case, ask them to record your complaint in writing; and










—


contact EPSO no later than 3 calendar days after your tests via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en) with a brief description of the problem.




For problems occurring outside test centres (e.g. issues with test booking, or technical issues during remote testing before you are connected to an invigilator), please follow the instructions in your EPSO account and on EPSO's website and contact EPSO immediately via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en).
For issues with your application, you must contact EPSO immediately and in any case before the deadline for applications via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en). Queries sent less than 5 working days before the deadline for applications might not be answered before the deadline.
4.2.   Internal review procedures

4.2.1.   Error in the computer-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs)

The MCQ database is subject to permanent in-depth quality control by EPSO and Selection Boards.
If you believe that an error in one or more of the MCQs affected your ability to answer, you are entitled to ask for the question(s) to be reviewed by the Selection Board (under the ‘neutralisation’ procedure).
Under this procedure, the Selection Board may decide to cancel the question containing the error and to redistribute the points among the remaining questions of the test. Only those candidates who received that question will be affected by the recalculation. The marking of the tests remains as indicated in the relevant sections of this notice of competition.
Arrangements for complaints about the MCQ tests are as follows:






—



procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en);










—



deadline: within 3 calendar days of the date of your computer-based tests;










—



additional information: describe what the question was about (content) in order to identify the question(s) concerned, and explain the nature of the alleged error as clearly as possible.





Complaints received after the deadline or that do not clearly describe the contested question(s) and alleged error will not be taken into account.

In particular, complaints merely pointing out alleged issues of translation, and which do not clearly specify the problem, will not be taken into account.

The same review procedure applies with regard to errors in the e-tray exercise.

4.2.2.   Requests for review

You can request a review of any decision taken by the Selection Board or EPSO that establishes your results and/or determines whether you can proceed to the next stage of the competition or are excluded.
Requests for review may be based on:






—


a material irregularity in the competition process; and/or










—


non-compliance, by the Selection Board or EPSO, with the Staff Regulations, the notice of competition, its annexes and/or case law.




Please note that you are not allowed to challenge the validity of the Selection Board’s assessment of the quality of your performance in a test or the relevance of your qualifications and professional experience. This assessment is a value judgment made by the board and your disagreement with the board’s evaluation of your tests, experience and/or qualifications does not prove that it has made an error. Requests for review submitted on this basis will not lead to a positive outcome.
Arrangements for requests for review are as follows:






—



procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en);










—



deadline: within 10 calendar days of the date on which the contested decision was published in your EPSO account;










—



additional information: indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.





Requests received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt within 15 working days. The body which took the contested decision (either the Selection Board or EPSO) will analyse and decide on your request and you will receive a reasoned reply as soon as possible.

If the outcome is positive, you will be re-entered in the selection process at the stage at which you were excluded, regardless of how far the competition has progressed in the meantime.
4.3.   Other forms of contestation

4.3.1.   Administrative complaints

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to address an administrative complaint to the Director of EPSO acting as the appointing authority.
You may submit a complaint against a decision, or lack thereof, that directly and immediately affects your legal status as a candidate, only if the rules governing the selection procedure have clearly been infringed. The Director of EPSO cannot overturn a value judgment made by a Selection Board (see section 4.2.2).
Arrangements for administrative complaints are as follows:






—



procedure: please contact EPSO only via the EPSO website (https://epso.europa.eu/help_en);










—



deadline: within three months of notification of the contested decision or of the date by which a decision should have been made;










—



additional information: indicate clearly the decision you wish to contest and on what grounds.





Complaints received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

4.3.2.   Judicial appeals

As a candidate in an open competition, you have the right to submit a judicial appeal to the General Court, under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.
Note that appeals against decisions taken by EPSO rather than by the Selection Board will not be admissible before the General Court unless an administrative complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations has first been made (see section 4.3.1). In particular, this is the case with the decisions concerning the general eligibility criteria, which are taken by EPSO not the Selection Board.
Arrangements for judicial appeals are as follows:






—



procedure: please consult the website of the General Court (https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/).




4.3.3.   European Ombudsman

All EU citizens and residents can make a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

Before you submit a complaint to the Ombudsman, you must first make the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned (see sections 4.1-4.3).
Making a complaint to the Ombudsman does not extend the deadlines for lodging administrative complaints or judicial appeals.
Arrangements for complaints to the Ombudsman are as follows:






—



procedure: please consult the website of the European Ombudsman (https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/).




4.4.   Disqualification from the selection procedure

You may be disqualified at any stage in a selection procedure if EPSO finds that you:






—


have created more than one EPSO account;










—


have applied to incompatible fields or profiles;










—


do not meet all the eligibility conditions;










—


made false declarations or declarations unsupported by the appropriate documents;










—


did not reply to any of the Talent Screener questions;










—


have not complied with the terms and conditions for the tests organised remotely;










—


have failed to book or sit one or more of your tests;










—


have cheated during the tests;










—


did not declare in your application form the languages required in this notice of competition, or did not declare the minimum level(s) required for those languages;










—


attempted to contact a member of the Selection Board in an unauthorised manner;










—


failed to inform EPSO of a possible conflict of interest with a Selection Board member;










—


submitted your application in a language other than that/those specified in this notice of competition (allowances may be made regarding the use of another language for proper nouns, official titles and job titles as indicated in the supporting documents or labels/titles of diplomas); and/or










—


signed or wrote a distinctive mark on anonymously marked written or practical tests.




Furthermore, if you did not participate in the connectivity trial but subsequently took part in remote tests and experience connectivity issues, EPSO reserves the right not to reschedule your test.
Candidates for recruitment by the EU institutions must show the highest possible integrity. Fraud or attempted fraud may render you liable to penalty and compromise your eligibility for future competitions.
5.   SECURITY CLEARANCE

Staff handling sensitive and classified information requiring a high degree of confidentiality (‘EU classified’ information) must have the appropriate level of security authorisation.
Consequently, successful candidates in a competition may be asked, for certain posts, to hold or be in a position to obtain in due time, a valid personnel security clearance certificate.
This might imply that, as a pre-requisite for recruitment to certain posts, the successful candidates might be required to undergo the security clearance procedure which is carried out by the national competent authority in the Member State of their nationality.
Candidates are advised to inform themselves about the procedure before applying to this competition.
Such requirements will be clearly indicated in the vacancy notice for the post concerned.
6.   DATA PROTECTION

Your personal data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
See also the specific privacy statement on personal data protection within the framework of an open competition (2).
End of ANNEX II, click here to return to main text


(1)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).

(2)  https://epso.europa.eu/content/specific-privacy-statement-personal-data-protection-within-framework-open-competition_en





ANNEX III
Examples of minimum qualifications per Member State and the United Kingdom and per grade corresponding, in principle, to those required by the notices of competition
Please click here for an easy-to-read version of these examples









COUNTRY


AST-SC 1 to AST-SC 6
AST 1 to AST 7


AST 3 to AST 11


AD 5 to AD 16




Secondary education (giving access to post-secondary education)


Post-secondary education (non-university higher education course or short university course lasting at least 2 years)


University-level education (lasting at least 3 years)


University-level education (4 years or more)




Belgique — België — Belgien


Certificat de l’enseignement secondaire supérieur (CESS)/Diploma secundair onderwijs
Diplôme d'aptitude à accéder à l'enseignement supérieur (DAES)/Getuigschrift van hoger secundair onderwijs
Diplôme d'enseignement professionnel/Getuigschrift van het beroepssecundair onderwijs


Candidature/Kandidaat
Graduat/Gegradueerde
Bachelor/Professioneel gerichte Bachelor


Bachelor académique (180 crédits)
Academisch gerichte Bachelor (180 ECTS)


Licence/Licentiaat
Master
Diplôme d'études approfondies (DEA)
Diplôme d'études spécialisées (DES)
Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (DESS)
Gediplomeerde in de Voortgezette Studies (GVS)
Gediplomeerde in de Gespecialiseerde Studies (GGS)
Gediplomeerde in de Aanvullende Studies (GAS)
Agrégation/Aggregaat
Ingénieur industriel/Industrieel ingenieur
Doctorat/Doctoraal diploma




България


Диплома за завършено средно образование


Специалист по …


 


Диплома за висше образование
Бакалавър
Магистър




Česko


Vysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce


Vysvědčení o absolutoriu (Absolutorium) + diplomovaný specialista (DiS.)


Diplom o ukončení bakalářského studia (Bakalář)


Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského studia
Magistr
Doktor




Danmark


Bevis for:
Studentereksamen
Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF)
Højere Handelseksamen (HHX)
Højere Afgangseksamen (HA)
Bac pro: Bevis for Højere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX)


Videregående uddannelser
= Bevis for = Eksamensbevis som (erhvervsakademiuddannelse AK)


Bachelorgrad (BA eller BS)
Professionsbachelorgrad
Diplomingeniør


Kandidatgrad/Candidatus
Master/Magistergrad (mag.art)
Licenciatgrad
ph.d.-grad




Deutschland


Abitur/Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife
Fachabitur/Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife


 


Fachhochschulabschluss
Bachelor


Hochschulabschluss/Fachhochschulabschluss/Master
Magister Artium/Magistra Artium
Staatsexamen/Diplom
Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen
Doktorgrad




Eesti


Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus + riigieksamitunnistus
Lõputunnistus kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta


Tunnistus keskhariduse baasil kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta


Bakalaureusekraad (min 120 ainepunkti)
Bakalaureusekraad (< 160 ainepunkti)


Rakenduskõrghariduse diplom
Bakalaureusekraad (160 ainepunkti)
Magistrikraad
Arstikraad
Hambaarstikraad
Loomaarstikraad
Filosoofiadoktor
Doktorikraad (120–160 ainepunkti)




Éire/Ireland


Ardteistiméireacht, Grád D3, I 5 ábhar/Leaving Certificate Grade D3 in 5 subjects
Gairmchlár na hArdteistiméireachta (GCAT)/Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)


Teastas Náisiúnta/National Certificate
Gnáthchéim bhaitsiléara/Ordinary bachelor degree
Dioplóma náisiúnta (ND, Dip.)/National diploma (ND, Dip.)
Ardteastas (120 ECTS)/Higher Certificate (120 ECTS)


Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (3 bliana/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)/Honours bachelor degree (3 years/180 ECTS) (BA, B.Sc, B.Eng)


Céim onóracha bhaitsiléara (4 bliana/240 ECTS)/Honours bachelor degree (4 years/240 ECTS)
Céim ollscoile/University degree
Céim mháistir (60-120 ECTS)/Master’s degree (60-120 ECTS)
Dochtúireacht/Doctorate




Ελλάδα


Απολυτήριο Γενικού Λυκείου Απολυτήριο Κλασικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Τεχνικού Επαγγελματικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Πολυκλαδικού Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Ενιαίου Λυκείου
Απολυτήριο Τεχνολογικού Επαγγελματικού Εκπαιδευτηρίου


Δίπλωμα επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης (IΕΚ)


 


Πτυχίο ΑΕI (πανεπιστημίου, πολυτεχνείου, ΤΕI)
Μεταπτυχιακό Δίπλωμα Ειδίκευσης (2ος κύκλος)
Διδακτορικό Δίπλωμα (3ος κύκλος)




España


Bachillerato + Curso de Orientación Universitaria (COU)
Bachillerato
BUP
Diploma de Técnico especialista


FP grado superior (Técnico superior)


Diplomado/Ingeniero técnico


Licenciatura
Máster
Ingeniero
Título de Doctor




France


Baccalauréat
Diplôme d'accès aux études universitaires (DAEU)
Brevet de technicien


Diplôme d'études universitaires générales (DEUG)
Brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS)
Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)
Diplôme d'études universitaires scientifiques et techniques (DEUST)


Licence


Maîtrise
Maîtrise des sciences et techniques (MST), maîtrise des sciences de gestion (MSG), diplôme d'études supérieures techniques (DEST), diplôme de recherche technologique (DRT), diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (DESS), diplôme d'études approfondies (DEA), master 1, master 2 professionnel, master 2 recherche
Diplôme des grandes écoles
Diplôme d'ingénieur
Doctorat




Hrvatska


Svjedodžba o državnoj maturi
Svjedodžba o završnom ispitu


Stručni pristupnik/pristupnica


Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)


Baccalaureus/Baccalaurea (sveučilišni prvostupnik/prvostupnica)
Stručni specijalist
Magistar struke
Magistar inženjer/magistrica inženjerka (mag. ing)
Doktor struke
Doktor umjetnosti




Italia


Diploma di maturità (vecchio ordinamento)
Perito ragioniere
Diploma di superamento dell’esame di Stato conclusivo dei corsi di studio di istruzione secondaria superiore


Diploma universitario (DU)
Certificato di specializzazione tecnica superiore
Attestato di competenza (4 semestri)


Diploma di laurea — L (breve)


Diploma di laurea (DL)
Laurea specialistica (LS)
Master di I livello
Dottorato di ricerca (DR)




Κύπρος


Απολυτήριο


Δίπλωμα = Programmes offered by Public/Private Schools of Higher Education (for the latter accreditation is compulsory)
Higher Diploma


 


Πανεπιστημιακό Πτυχίο/Bachelor
Master
Doctorat




Latvija


Atestāts par vispārējo vidējo izglītību
Diploms par profesionālo vidējo izglītību


Diploms par pirmā līmeņa profesionālo augstāko izglītību


Bakalaura diploms (min. 120 kredītpunktu)


Bakalaura diploms (160 kredītpunktu)
Profesionālā bakalaura diploms
Maģistra diploms
Profesionālā maģistra diploms
Doktora grāds




Lietuva


Brandos atestatas


Aukštojo mokslo diplomas
Aukštesniojo mokslo diplomas


Profesinio bakalauro diplomas
Aukštojo mokslo diplomas


Aukštojo mokslo diplomas
Bakalauro diplomas
Magistro diplomas
Daktaro diplomas
Meno licenciato diplomas




Luxembourg


Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires et techniques


BTS
Brevet de maîtrise
Brevet de technicien supérieur
Diplôme de premier cycle universitaire (DPCU)
Diplôme universitaire de technologie (DUT)


Bachelor
Diplôme d'ingénieur technicien


Master
Diplôme d'ingénieur industriel
DESS en droit européen




Magyarország


Gimnáziumi érettségi bizonyítvány
Szakközépiskolai érettségi-képesítő bizonyítvány


Felsőfokú szakképesítést igazoló bizonyítvány (Higher Vocational Programme)


Főiskolai oklevél
Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 180 credits)


Egyetemi oklevél
Alapfokozat (Bachelor degree 240 credits)
Mesterfokozat (Master degree) (Osztatlan mesterképzés)
Doktori fokozat




Malta


Advanced Matriculation or GCE Advanced level in 3 subjects (2 of them grade C or higher)
Matriculation certificate (2 subjects at Advanced level and 4 at Intermediate level including Systems of Knowledge with overall grade A-C) + Passes in the Secondary Education Certificate examination at Grade 5
2 A Levels (passes A-C) + a number of subjects at Ordinary level, or equivalent


MCAST diplomas/certificates
Higher National Diploma


Bachelor’s degree


Bachelor’s degree
Master of Arts
Doctorate




Nederland


Diploma VWO
Diploma staatsexamen (2 diploma's)
Diploma staatsexamen voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen VWO)
Diploma staatsexamen hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs (Diploma staatsexamen HAVO)


Kandidaatsexamen
Associate degree (AD)


Bachelor (WO)
HBO bachelor degree
Baccalaureus of «Ingenieur»


HBO/WO Master's degree
Doctoraal examen/Doctoraat




Österreich


Matura/Reifeprüfung
Reife- und Diplomprüfung
Berufsreifeprüfung


Kollegdiplom/Akademiediplom


Fachhochschuldiplom/Bakkalaureus/Bakkalaurea


Universitätsdiplom
Fachhochschuldiplom
Magister/Magistra
Master
Diplomprüfung, Diplom-Ingenieur
Magisterprüfungszeugnis Rigorosenzeugnis
Doktortitel




Polska


Świadectwo dojrzałości
Świadectwo ukończenia liceum ogólnokształcącego


Dyplom ukończenia kolegium nauczycielskiego
Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej


Licencjat/Inżynier


Magister/Magister inżynier
Dyplom doktora




Portugal


Diploma de Ensino Secundário
Certificado de Habilitações do Ensino Secundário


 


Bacharel Licenciado


Licenciado
Mestre
Doutorado




România


Diplomă de bacalaureat


Diplomă de absolvire (colegiu universitar)
Învățământ preuniversitar


Diplomă de licenţă


Diplomă de licenţă
Diplomă de inginer
Diplomă de urbanist
Diplomă de master
Certificat de atestare (studii academice postuniversitare)
Diplomă de doctor




Slovenija


Maturitetno spričevalo (spričevalo o poklicni maturi) (spričevalo o zaključnem izpitu)


Diploma višje strokovne šole


Diploma o pridobljeni visoki strokovni izobrazbi


Univerzitetna diploma
Magisterij
Specializacija
Doktorat




Slovensko


Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške


Absolventský diplom


Diplom o ukončení bakalárskeho štúdia (Bakalár)


Diplom o ukončení vysokoškolského štúdia
Bakalár (Bc.)
Magister
Magister/Inžinier
ArtD.




Suomi/Finland


Ylioppilastutkinto tai peruskoulu + kolmen vuoden ammatillinen koulutus – Studentexamen eller grundskola + treårig yrkesinriktad utbildning
Todistus yhdistelmäopinnoista (Betyg över kombinationsstudier)


Ammatillinen opistoasteen tutkinto – Yrkesexamen på institutnivå


Kandidaatin tutkinto – Kandidatexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 120 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)


Maisterin tutkinto – Magisterexamen/Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto – Yrkeshögskoleexamen (min. 160 opintoviikkoa – studieveckor)
Tohtorin tutkinto (Doktorsexamen) joko 4 vuotta tai 2 vuotta lisensiaatin tutkinnon jälkeen – antingen 4 år eller 2 år efter licentiatexamen
Lisensiaatti/Licentiat




Sverige


Slutbetyg från gymnasieskolan (3-årig gymnasial utbildning)


Högskoleexamen (80 poäng)
Högskoleexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng
Yrkeshögskoleexamen/Kvalificerad yrkeshögskoleexamen, 1–3 år


Kandidatexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 120 poäng, varav 60 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 10 poäng)
Meriter på grundnivå: Kandidatexamen, 3 år, 180 högskolepoäng (Bachelor)


Magisterexamen (akademisk examen omfattande minst 160 poäng, varav 80 poäng fördjupade studier i ett ämne + uppsats motsvarande 20 poäng eller två uppsatser motsvarande 10 poäng vardera)






—


Licentiatexamen










—


Doktorsexamen




Meriter på avancerad nivå:






—


Magisterexamen, 1 år, 60 högskolepoäng










—


Masterexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng




Meriter på forskarnivå:






—


Licentiatexamen, 2 år, 120 högskolepoäng










—


Doktorsexamen, 4 år, 240 högskolepoäng








United Kingdom


General Certificate of Education Advanced level — 2 passes or equivalent (grades A to E)
BTEC National Diploma
General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ), advanced level
Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education, A level (VCE A level)


Higher National Diploma/Certificate (BTEC)/SCOTVEC
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ)
Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) level 4


(Honours) Bachelor degree
NB: Master’s degree in Scotland


Honours Bachelor degree
Master’s degree (MA, MB, MEng, MPhil, MSc)
Doctorate





NOTE:

UK diplomas awarded in 2020 (until 31 December 2020) are accepted without an equivalence. UK diplomas awarded as from 1 January 2021 must be accompanied by an equivalence issued by a competent authority of an EU Member State.




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





ANNEX IV
Talent screener: selection criteria and procedure
A.   Selection criteria for talent screener

The following selection criteria will be applied by the Selection Board at the talent-screener phase of the competition:








1.


Professional experience in the supervision of team members in a diplomatic/consular context, in an international organisation, or in an non-governmental organisation (NGO).












2.


Professional experience in setting-up a team or an office or in managing a considerable organisational change.












3.


Professional experience in the execution of an annual administrative budget, including the preparation, adjustment, or monitoring of its execution.












4.


Professional experience in managing real estate, including maintenance works in the building sector (electrics, sanitation and plumbing, housing and office structures, security installations, etc.).












5.


Professional experience (other than that referred to in point 4) in managing logistics, including the organisation of the maintenance and repair of housing equipment (generators, inverters, air conditioners, etc.) or office equipment (scanners, copiers, Private Automatic Branch eXchange (PABX), shredders, security installations, etc.) or in managing supplies (consumables, office supplies, spare parts, etc.).












6.


Professional experience (other than that referred to in point 5) in public procurement, in handling tender procedures and in the preparation and implementation of contracts.












7.


Professional experience in representation/negotiation (with landlords, providers, local authorities, staff, etc.).












8.


Professional experience in working in a security-sensitive environment and/or working with classified information, for which a security clearance was a requirement.












9.


Specific training attested by a diploma/certificate in handling tender procedures and/or in the preparation and implementation of contracts.












10.


Knowledge of one or more of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Chinese. In order to be taken into account, this knowledge must be:






(i)


of a language other than those declared as language 1 and language 2,










(ii)


of a minimum level equivalent to B2 level of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and










(iii)


attested by a certificate/diploma.








B.   Procedure

B.1.   Determination of the order in which the applications will be assessed









1.


When completing the ‘Professional Experience’ section of their application, for each entry, the candidates will have to indicate the percentage of time devoted to one or more ‘task(s)’ from a given list that largely corresponds to the selection criteria listed in section A above. This will allow calculating the overall length of experience (in days) on a particular task.












2.


The Selection Board will assign to each task and to each ‘Talent Screener’ question (see paragraph 1 in section B.2 below) a weighting that reflects their relative importance (1 to 3).












3.


The overall number of days devoted to a particular task (see paragraph 1 above) will then be multiplied by the weighting attributed to that task by the Selection Board. This will produce — for each candidate — a score per task as well as the aggregate score for all the tasks.












4.


A ranking will be drawn up in descending order of the candidates’ aggregate scores.












5.


The scores and the ranking established in accordance with this section will not be taken into account for the purposes of deciding which candidates can proceed to the next phase of the competition. The decision on which candidates to invite to the next phase of the competition is taken by the Selection Board exclusively on the basis of the weighted scores awarded in accordance with section B.2.




B.2.   Selection of candidates through talent screener









1.


When completing the ‘Talent Screener’ section of the application form, all candidates must answer the same set of questions and provide the information requested. These questions will be based on the selection criteria listed in section A above. The selection based on qualifications will be carried out using solely the information provided in the ‘Talent Screener’ section. Candidates must include all the relevant information in their answers in the ‘Talent Screener’ section, even if the same information was already included in other sections of their application form. Any references to documents uploaded in the candidate’s EPSO account or other references (such as links to websites) will be disregarded. Only the text filled in by the candidate in the appropriate fields, in reply to the ‘Talent Screener’ questions, will be taken into account.












2.


The Selection Board will proceed — in a descending order of the ranking established according to section B.1 — to the assessment of the candidates’ answers in the ‘Talent Screener’ section of the application.












3.


The Selection Board will examine the talent-screener answers of all the candidates and will award 0 to 4 points to each answer. These points will then be multiplied by the weighting set by the Selection Board for each ‘Talent Screener’ question (see section B.1, paragraph 2 above). Finally, the weighted points for each ‘Talent Screener’ question will be added, to give an overall score.












4.


The Selection Board will draw up a list of candidates in the order of the overall scores awarded according to paragraph 3.












5.


The candidates with the highest scores will be invited to the next phase of the competition.




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