Fast Stream Situational Judgement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are working on a sensitive policy area and a close friend who works for a lobbying firm asks you casually about your work over dinner. What should you do?
- Share general information since they're a trusted friend
- Politely decline to discuss work details, explaining that the nature of your role means you must maintain confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Share details but ask them to keep it confidential
- Lie about what you're working on to avoid the awkward situation
Correct answer: Politely decline to discuss work details, explaining that the nature of your role means you must maintain confidentiality
Civil servants must maintain confidentiality regardless of personal relationships. Politely declining while explaining why demonstrates integrity. Sharing information — even with trusted friends — risks it being used inappropriately, especially given the friend's professional role in lobbying.
Question 2: Your department is implementing a major digital transformation. Several older colleagues express anxiety about the new systems and resistance to change. As a Fast Streamer, what is the best approach?
- Report their resistance to management as an obstacle to progress
- Ignore their concerns as change is inevitable
- Offer to help them learn the new systems, listen to their specific concerns, and feed back common themes to the implementation team (Correct answer)
- Suggest that colleagues who can't adapt should consider early retirement
Correct answer: Offer to help them learn the new systems, listen to their specific concerns, and feed back common themes to the implementation team
Effective change management requires empathy and practical support. Offering help demonstrates collaboration, listening to concerns may reveal legitimate usability issues, and feeding back themes helps the implementation team improve their approach. This embodies the Civil Service behaviour of 'working together.'
Question 3: You are preparing a submission for your minister and realise that the evidence supports a policy direction that contradicts the minister's publicly stated preference. What should you do?
- Omit the contradictory evidence to avoid causing difficulty for the minister
- Present the evidence honestly and objectively, clearly setting out the implications while acknowledging the policy context (Correct answer)
- Leak the evidence to the press to force the minister's hand
- Delay the submission until after the minister's position changes
Correct answer: Present the evidence honestly and objectively, clearly setting out the implications while acknowledging the policy context
Civil servants have a duty to provide honest, impartial advice based on evidence, even when it's politically inconvenient. The Civil Service Code is clear that officials must not deceive or knowingly mislead ministers. Presenting evidence objectively while acknowledging context is the professional standard.
Question 4: You are on a Fast Stream rotation in a regional office. You observe that the London headquarters frequently makes decisions without consulting regional teams, despite these decisions significantly affecting local delivery. What is the most constructive response?
- Accept it as normal — headquarters always knows best
- Complain publicly on social media about the London-centric approach
- Document specific examples of where regional input would have improved outcomes and present a constructive proposal for better engagement to your line manager (Correct answer)
- Refuse to implement any decisions that weren't consulted on
Correct answer: Document specific examples of where regional input would have improved outcomes and present a constructive proposal for better engagement to your line manager
Using evidence to build a case for improvement is more effective than complaining or passive acceptance. Documenting specific examples makes the argument compelling and actionable. This demonstrates initiative, analytical thinking, and commitment to improving organisational effectiveness.
Question 5: During your Fast Stream placement, you notice that your team consistently works excessive overtime and morale is low. Your manager doesn't seem to acknowledge the problem. What should you do?
- Say nothing — you're a junior member of the team and it's not your place
- Request a private conversation with your manager to share your observations about workload and morale, suggesting it might be worth reviewing team capacity (Correct answer)
- Immediately escalate to HR without speaking to your manager
- Reduce your own working hours unilaterally without telling anyone
Correct answer: Request a private conversation with your manager to share your observations about workload and morale, suggesting it might be worth reviewing team capacity
Raising concerns about team wellbeing shows leadership potential, which is exactly what the Fast Stream develops. Speaking to your manager privately is respectful and gives them the chance to act. Fast Streamers are expected to show initiative regardless of seniority.
Question 6: You are asked to chair a stakeholder engagement event. One participant becomes increasingly hostile, accusing the government of 'not listening' and begins to dominate the discussion. What should you do?
- Ask security to remove the participant immediately
- Allow them to continue as their frustration is understandable
- Acknowledge their frustration, validate the importance of their perspective, but calmly explain the ground rules for the session and invite other participants to share their views (Correct answer)
- End the event and reschedule without the difficult participant
Correct answer: Acknowledge their frustration, validate the importance of their perspective, but calmly explain the ground rules for the session and invite other participants to share their views
Effective facilitation requires managing difficult situations with composure. Acknowledging the person's feelings demonstrates respect, but maintaining structure ensures all voices are heard. This reflects the Civil Service behaviour of 'delivering at pace' while also 'working together.'
Fast Stream Situational Judgement 2
You are working on a sensitive policy area and a close friend who works for a lobbying firm asks you casually about your work over dinner.
What should you do?