Problem Solving and Judgment Flashcards

You are assigned a project with a two-week deadline. After one week, you realize it will take three weeks total. What should you do?

Answer: Tell your supervisor immediately that more time is needed.

Proactively notifying your supervisor of a deadline risk allows management to adjust resources or expectations — this demonstrates accountability.

A new policy is introduced that conflicts with a procedure you have been following for two years. What is the correct approach?

Answer: Follow the new policy immediately and inform your team.

New policies take effect upon implementation. Following and helping to communicate the new policy is the appropriate response.

You are processing a grant application and realize the applicant is a personal friend. What should you do?

Answer: Declare a conflict of interest and recuse yourself from handling the file.

Declaring a conflict of interest and recusing yourself is the required response when a personal relationship affects impartiality.

Your team is under pressure and a colleague is clearly overwhelmed and making errors. What is the best course of action?

Answer: Offer to help with some of their tasks and, if the situation persists, raise it with the supervisor.

Offering help addresses the immediate issue, while escalating to a supervisor (if needed) addresses the root cause — balancing teamwork with accountability.

You notice that a process you follow daily wastes significant time and could be improved. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Document the issue and suggest the improvement to your supervisor.

Documenting the inefficiency and bringing it to a supervisor's attention is the appropriate way to contribute to continuous improvement in the public service.

A member of the public submits an application with a technical error that disqualifies it under strict rules, but they clearly meet the program's intent. What is the best action?

Answer: Contact the applicant to explain the error and advise them on how to resubmit correctly.

Informing the applicant of the error and giving them the opportunity to correct and resubmit is both fair and consistent with good public service.