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European Personnel Selection Office

Management Plan 2016 European Personnel Selection Office

Ref. Ares(2016)1020169 - 29/02/2016

Contents

PART 1. Overview of main outputs for the year ................................................. 1

epso_mp_2016_public 1

PART 1. Overview of main outputs for the year

Relevant general objective: To help achieve the overall political objectives, the Commission

will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard assets and resources, and attract and

develop the best talents.

Specific objective 1: Highly qualified staff are made available to all EU Institutions by

organising Open Competitions and selection procedures in an inter-institutional context –

covering thereby their needs.

Main outputs in 2016:

Description Indicator Target/Target date

Reserve lists of AD, AST and

AST/SC Officials, as set out in

the Notice of Competition. In

total, 1502 laureates were

requested for 2016 (endorsed

by EPSO's Management Board

in December 2015)1.

Laureate delivery rate.

Duration of the selection

procedure.

≥90% of the cumulative

published target figures.

9 months for the cycles and 6

months for specialist

competitions.

Reserve lists for Contractual

Staff positions.

Successful candidates'

delivery rate.

≥ 90 % of cumulative

indicative target figures, both

for specialists and generalist

profiles whilst at the same time

achieving increased cost-

efficiency for the selection of

contract agents with the

operational deployment of the

Permanent CAST selection

model.

Permanent CAST selection

model.

Real time updated

candidates' database

permanently available to

recruiting services in the

context of CAST

Permanent.

Nr of tested candidates/Nr

of successful candidates

delivered.

Required IT structure and tools

for CAST Permanent

operational in the first quarter

of 2016;

Publication of CAST

Permanent call for expression

of interest by Summer 2016;

Successful transfer of CAST

interim for executive agencies

into CAST Permanent by the

end of the year;

Testing of >90% of all pre-

selected candidates by

Institutions by the end of 2016.

1 The number of 1502 laureates includes the laureates of the 6 competitions which had to be

postponed end of 2015. This figure may be reviewed later this year, as a consequence of the

measures that EPSO will have to take – in agreement with its Management Board – in order to

comply with the recent judgements of the Court of Justice concerning the use of languages in EPSO

selection procedures.


According to its founding decisions, EPSO is responsible for the selection of highly

qualified staff on behalf of the Institutions (the recruitment of staff from reserve lists

remains the responsibility of the individual Institutions). The actions under this activity

cover the full range of steps needed to complete the selection process (from planning and

publication of the Notice of Competition, right up to publication of the list of successful

candidates. Open Competitions are organised for generalists and experts at different

grades and categories (AD, AST and AST/SC) and in different fields and languages. The

latter includes linguistic competitions for translators, interpreters and lawyer-linguists.

Following the entry into force of the revised Staff Regulations in 2014, EPSO will

continue to apply the new framework defined in close cooperation with the Institutions

for the AST and AST/SC categories and for different profiles sought at each AST grade,

taking into account labour market conditions across the Member States. To meet the

changing needs of the Institutions, EPSO will continue to develop and propose flexible,

cost-effective testing solutions using modern technology and selection techniques.

In 2016, and provided that the implementing rules are being approved by the Institutions,

EPSO will launch the new CAST Permanent selection model for 8 priority profiles

(secretaries, human resources, communication, policy, legal, ICT, finance and project

management) requested by the Institutions, based on the preparatory work initiated in

2014, as well as the ongoing pilot-project started in July 2015 for the selection of contract

staff in the fields of finance and project management by Executive Agencies. The new

permanent selection model for contract staff is based on a talent pool and on a more cost-

efficient approach to testing with the introduction of the Entry ticket (i.e. the possibility

to retain validity of scores for a predefined period across different profiles). The required

development of IT systems and tools for CAST Permanent to be operational will be

completed in the first quarter of 2016. EPSO will strive to continuously improve these

tools based on users' feedback and experience.

In parallel, EPSO will continue to launch separate contract staff selection processes for

more specialised profiles to meet specific and targeted recruitment needs expressed by

Stakeholders, until the time when specialist selections for contract staff can be fully

integrated into the CAST Permanent selection model.

Internally, a major challenge and integral part of EPSO's operations in 2016 and beyond

will be to focus upon delivery of a revised linguistic regime in the light of judgements

brought before the Court of Justice against the Commission by Italy and Spain

concerning the use of languages in selection procedures organised by EPSO and the

Institutions.

In response to these judgements, EPSO's Management Board held several meetings at the

end of 2015 and in early 2016, in order to consider the use of languages in EPSO

selection procedures. In February 2016, the Board decided to establish a special Working

Group to examine this and related issues. The Group is expected to report back by the

end of June 2016.

While the Working Group completes its work, it has been agreed that some changes will

be made to EPSO's working programme for 2016. The publication of the AD5 2016

generalist competition has been postponed and EPSO has proposed to bring forward the

linguistic cycle from the summer to spring 2016. In the meantime, in order to enable the

Institutions to meet their urgent recruitment needs, a series of specialist competitions will

be organised from April.


Specific objective 2 : Our communication with potential and current candidates is positive and

proactive, in order to contribute to a strong employer image for the EU Institutions and

improve our ability to attract the right talent.


Description Indicator Target/Target

date

1. Implementation of a new

tool for candidate questions

and issues.

Reduce number of queries dealt with by EPSO's

Candidate Contact Service (CCS) by at least 10%.

2016.

2. Structured cooperation

with Europe Direct Contact

Centre to manage general

queries from candidates in

24 languages.

Reduce number of queries dealt with by CCS by

10% (AD 5 cycle 2016).

2016.

3. Timely handling of

requests for review, Article

90 and Ombudsman

complaints.

100% of contributions / decisions prepared within

the set deadlines.

Maintain the ratio of requests for review that

become formal complaints (Article 90 or

Ombudsman).

2016.

4. Targeted communication

plan for candidates with

disabilities and/or special

needs.

Number of candidates with disabilities and/or

special needs applying for selection procedures.

High satisfaction rate amongst candidates with

disabilities and/or special needs (accommodation

of selection tests).

2016.

6. New reasonable

accommodations procedure

in place for candidates with

disabilities and/or special

needs.

New procedure formalised and expanded to all

competitions;

Expand candidate satisfaction survey to all types of

selection tests and procedures.

2016.

7. Recruitment and training

of EU Careers

Ambassadors.

Maintain or increase the number of universities

represented (116 in 2015) in all 28 Member States

with a focus on high quality.

All student ambassadors given face-to-face training

either in Brussels or Member States.

2016

8. Restructured and

redefined mandate for the

EU Staff Ambassadors.

At least 1 staff Ambassador per Member State and

per Institution.

2016

The EU Careers website remains the cornerstone of EPSO's communication efforts. In 2016,

the Office will re-launch a more user-centric website with new information architecture, an

interactive job search tool and a new tool for better responding to candidates' questions, as

well as improving the online application process and candidate accounts. We will continue

to use social media as a cost-effective and targeted way of reaching key audiences, including

through EU Careers Staff Ambassadors who blog about living and working in the EU. We

will maintain an active on-campus presence through the EU Careers Student Ambassadors,

as well as through targeted participation in careers events, fairs and other activities.


Specific objective 3: EPSO's selection methods are continuously improved, based on experience,

best practice and international standards.



Improved Competency

Based Interview (CBI).

Adoption of a strength-based approach in

combination with the STAR method.

Use of the CBI to assess "Analysis and Problem-

solving".

Correlations between competencies in CBI <0.6.

Increased use of scoring scales.

2016.

Introduction of the

"split assessment"

approach.

Implementation of the approach in the context of

a specific competition.

Conduct of a comparison between 3 scoring

methods (assessors present in interview room,

remote assessors in average, remote assessors

normalized).

End 2016.

Implementation of an

action plan towards

future complete paper-

less delivery of exams.

Number of essay-type exams delivered on

computer (compared with 2013, the number of

essay-type exams delivered on computer, already

increased by 20%).

≥ 90% of all essay-type

events (case-studies,

translation tests, drafting

tests, etc…) delivered on

computer in 2016.

Reduced deviation

between marker scores

and reduced need for

third marking.

Third marking in ≤ 10% of all cases following

score normalization.

2016.

Specific objective 4: Recruitment needs are clearly identified up-front in close cooperation with

Institutions, aligning thereby supply and demand for laureates.



Strategic planning 2017 –

2019.

Strategic planning exercise 2017 – 2019 endorsed

by EPSO Working Group and Management

Board.

October 2016.

As in previous years, EPSO will complete the strategic planning exercise together with its

stakeholders, enabling the Management Board to decide on the target figures for the coming

three years, i.e. 2017 until 2019. To facilitate this exercise, based on the revised set of

instructions from 2014, EPSO will continue to share best practice and guidelines in writing

and to push forward an efficient and effective planning exercise.

In this context, a new method of role-profiling will be tested, in order to reinforce the

planning process in 2016 and unify the common framework further. Role-profiling aims at

establishing a closer correlation between business strategies and jobs by identifying those

roles that are essential for an organisation to remain efficient and effective. Likely to

emphasise alignment with the Institutions' key needs and future strategies, it is paramount to

achieving results in the medium and long-term and to helping identify skills and knowledge-

gaps as part of talent management.


In parallel, EPSO will continue to further adapt the Notices (including for CAST) and

improve the existing descriptions of jobs and duties per position and in line with each staff

category, with a view to increasing consistency amongst profiles whilst fulfilling Institution-

specific needs.

Specific objective 5: Recruiting services can identify and recruit appropriate laureates rapidly and

effectively.



Monthly statistics on recruitment

rates.

Provision of reliable and updated statistical

information.

2016.

Proposal to EPSO Working Group

for reserve lists to be closed.

Acceptance of EPSO's proposal. 2016.

Specific objective 6: Existing processes are re-engineered, including the use of digital

technologies and collaborative tools, to make them more cost-effective, efficient, agile and rapid.



Collaborative tools consultancy:

strategy and guidelines on

collaborative tools to be put in

place.

Strategy & guidelines document available.

At least 2 trainings in collaborative tools.

End 2016.

Business process framework in

place: agreement on structure,

format, tools & process to describe,

maintain and improve process

descriptions for EPSO, including

the change management process.

Key selection processes agreed by

management team to be successfully re-

engineered.

End 2016.

Scale up "REMEMBER": lessons

learnt process scaled up to include

lessons not only from the Selection

Board but also other information

sources.

Capture and assessment of lessons learnt

from other sources, for example Selection

managers or AC managers.

Implemented changes issued from

recommendations.

End 2016.

Process for simplified eligibility

check in place. Eligibility checks are done as part of the

EPSO selection process (and no longer at

the recruitment phase).

For laureates from competitions launched in

the second half of 2016 the comprehensive

eligibility check is entirely done by EPSO.

2016.


Specific objective 7: The attraction, appointment and workings of selection boards and assessors

are further rationalised and professionalised.



Completion of the pilot-project

for the establishment of the

EPSO Academy.

Pool of 20 trained Selection Board members

available for the AD5-competition in 2016.

March 2016.

Information sessions to attract

new Selection Board members.

5 new sessions to be organised.

Number of new Selection Board members

found.

By October 2016.

Wiki Confluence pages

containing all relevant

documentation for all

competitions.

Inclusion of all key stakeholders across the

Institutions and the agencies, whenever

applicable.

2016.

Building on the considerable progress made in the past couple of years, further efforts will

be made in 2016 to increase the attractiveness of becoming an assessor for competitions

organised by EPSO. By continuing the 2014-2015 information and visibility campaign

launched internally and in close cooperation with the Institutions, EPSO wishes to raise

awareness about the attractiveness of the work performed by Selection Board members and

markers in selecting new staff, in order to ensure timely appointment of board members and

avoid unnecessary withdrawals during the process.

The information package for Selection Boards will be further streamlined by using the new

Guide for Selection Boards, which was endorsed in December 2015, for all competitions.

Introduced in May 2015, the new commitment letter, clarifying the rules of conduct and

explaining what the appointment as a member of a Selection Board entails, will be applied to

all upcoming competitions and aims at further reducing the withdrawal rate amongst the

Selection Board members.

Specific objective 8: A comprehensive offering of flexible and adaptive services – including

expertise in the fields of assessment, selection, occupational psychology, psychometrics and

employer branding – as well as support to ensure the implementation of talent management

strategies in the EU Institutions are provided to help meet challenging stakeholder needs.



Catalogue of services for EU

Institutions, agencies and

bodies.

Availability of catalogue in 2016.

2016.

Online publication of job

vacancies for EU Agencies

and other bodies on the

EPSO website.

Successful implementation of a new tool

facilitating the publication of job vacancies in 24

languages.

2016.

Delivery of on-line testing

directly in the premises of

some recruiting services.

Number of candidates tested.

Stakeholder and candidate satisfaction.

2016.


One of the most popular and visible services that EPSO provides to the EU Agencies and

other bodies is the online publication of job vacancies on the EPSO website. Highly

appreciated by both employers and potential employees, this website has become a one-

stop-shop for job opportunities and recruitment of temporary staff within the EU

Institutions and Agencies and will continue to increase in visibility. In this context, a new

tool will be introduced in the first half of 2016 in order to facilitate and simplify the

publication of new vacancy notices in all 24 official languages by making the process more

automated and efficient.

Following an amendment to its Framework contract for computer-based tests, EPSO will

start delivering on-line testing directly in the premises of some recruiting services in 2016.

Specific objective 9: The linguistic abilities in a third language of staff eligible for a first

promotion (officials, contract staff in function group IV, temporary agents assisting political

groups in the European Parliament and temporary agents in agencies) are evaluated in a

harmonised, consistent and cost-efficient manner.



Delivery of assessments of

linguistic ability by EPSO

and the evaluation

committees to satisfy the

requirements of Article

45§2 and Article 85§3 of

CEOS.

Timely delivery of assessments

concerning the diplomas and

certificates submitted by the

candidates.

100 % evaluation by the end

of the year of files (diplomas

and certificates) submitted

within the deadline.

Delivery of assessments of

linguistic ability by EPSO

and the external service

provider to satisfy the

requirements of Article

45§2 and Article 85§3 of

CEOS.

Timely delivery of linguistic tests. 100 % satisfaction by the end

of the year of requests

received for testing third

language capabilities.

Delivery of an online

satisfaction survey for

candidates processed

during the year.

Satisfaction rate of candidates with

the assessment of their third

language abilities.

≥ 90% satisfaction rate of

candidates who reply to the

satisfaction survey.

Finalisation of on-going

procurement process and

delivery of a new

framework contract for

linguistic tests in the 24

official EU-languages.

New framework contract in place

and covering the delivery of

linguistic tests in the 24 official

EU-languages.

New framework contract in

force for testing candidates as

soon as possible in 2016.

Measures are taken to ensure

continuity of service.

The on-going procurement process initiated in 2015 in order to secure a new framework

contract covering the assessments of 24 official languages will be finalised in the first

quarter of 2016. All measures will be taken by EPSO to ensure continuity of assessments

in 2016 until the new framework contract is awarded.


Specific objective 10: To contribute to the running of the certification procedure



Delivery of examinations

in order to enable the

examining board to

establish Reserve lists of

certified Officials.

Timely delivery of accurate

certification examinations in

compliance with the Institutions'

requirements.

100% timely and accurate

delivery of list of certified

Officials according to the

deadlines set by Institutions.

Delivery of examinations

in compliance with

examining board's

expectations.

Satisfaction rate of examining

board with the organisation of tests. 100% satisfaction of examining

board with tests delivered.

Launch of a procurement

process to secure a new

framework contract for the

delivery of certification

tests.

Procurement process initiated in

the course of 2016. New framework contract in

place and operational for the

2017 Certification exercise.

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