Policy Officer
Also known as: Policy Officer · Policy Assistant
Gathers information, conducts research and drafts policy memos in preparation of policy, under direction of a policy advisor or manager.
The policy officer prepares the factual and legal foundation of policy documents but does not yet set policy direction themselves. Unlike the policy advisor, they work mainly in an executing role under direction of a senior colleague or manager. Selection often tests writing skill separately from political and administrative sensitivity, while that combination determines whether a draft memo is usable for a decision maker.
Competencies to measure
These are the behavioural and ability constructs in this profile. Each one shows which hrmforce questionnaire measures it.
| Competencies to measure | Target level | hrmforce instrument | Assessment method | Behavioural anchor at target level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrity and dependability Competency (50-framework): Integrity Knockout | N3 | Big Fifty (Integrity Scale), 360 Feedback, Structured interview | Personality questionnaire | Reports a possible conflict of interest on own initiative and asks for review before a decision is taken. |
| Verbal reasoning | N3 | Ability Scan | Cognitive ability test | Extracts the core arguments from a report of several pages and shows with textual references which conclusion does and does not follow. |
| Judgement under uncertainty Competency (50-framework): Judgment | N2 | Big Fifty, Competency Check | Situational Judgement Test | Indicates which data are missing when in doubt and proposes a provisional judgement to the manager. |
| organisational awareness Competency (50-framework): Organizational Sensitivity | N2 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Situational Judgement Test | Asks who needs to be involved in a topic before a proposal is shared with others. |
| independence Competency (50-framework): Independence | N2 | Big Fifty, 15PF | Personality questionnaire | Forms an own opinion on a familiar issue and compares it with the advice of a colleague. |
| Stress tolerance Competency (50-framework): Stress resilience | N2 | Big Fifty, 15PF, Mental Resilience (4C) | Personality questionnaire | Keeps working on the current task as pressure rises and asks the supervisor which task can wait. |
Short profile
The ten heaviest skills in this profile. The full profile with every skill, behavioural anchor and assessment method is in the download.
| T | Skill | Target level | Weight | Knockout | Assessment method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Critical thinking and source evaluation | N3 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| V | Business reporting | N3 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| G | integrity and dependability | N3 | 5 | yes | Personality questionnaire |
| V | Legal analysis | N3 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| K | Applying legislation | N2 | 5 | no | Knowledge test |
| A | Verbal reasoning | N3 | 4 | no | Cognitive ability test |
| V | Policy development | N3 | 4 | no | Portfolio or evidence |
| G | Judgement under uncertainty | N2 | 4 | no | Situational Judgement Test |
| V | Advisory skill | N2 | 4 | no | Assessment centre |
| V | Stakeholder management | N2 | 4 | no | Assessment centre |
See all 23 skills in the full profile
Assessment instruments for this job
Competency Check
Behavioral-Level Competency Assessment
Work sample test
Representative work sample under standardized conditions
Knowledge test (client-specific)
Professional knowledge test, customized for each client
360 Feedback
Multiple assessments based on behavioral anchors
Big Fifty
Personality questionnaire, 150 items, 25 factors
Ability Scan
Aptitude Test: Verbal, Numerical, and Abstract Reasoning Skills
Portfolio
Evaluation of prior work against fixed criteria
Structured interview
Behavioral interview with a fixed structure
15PF
Personality Profile, a shorter alternative to the Big Fifty
Big Fifty (Integrity Scale)
Mental Resilience (4C)
Mental Resilience According to the 4C Model
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