I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together.
I am informed by publicjobs that, prior to the launch of the Principal Officer (PO) 2025 competition, it engaged with civil service organisations to assess demand for the skills and experience being sought through the campaign. This included a survey of relevant organisations and an information session attended by representatives from 38 such organisations. There was also consultation between my Department, public jobs and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) on the planned competition. The overall feedback received indicated demand for candidates with certain skills and experience, which informed the design of the competition.
To better align candidates skills and those sought by organisations, candidates for this competition were invited to indicate up to three skills areas when applying. Assignments are made by matching the skills and experience verified during the selection process to the requirements of individual vacancies. Where more than one candidate is considered suitable for a role, the candidate whose skills and experience most closely align with the requirements of the vacancy is selected. Where candidates cannot be differentiated on this basis, the order of merit arising from the shortlisting stage is used.
To date, 25 candidates have been placed on the panel, and nine appointments have been made. The panel remains in place until 30 September 2026. Future appointments will depend on recruitment requests received from Departments and organisations and, as such, it is not possible to estimate the number of additional vacancies that may be filled before the panel expires.
