Stakeholder Management (Applied)
1. Tell us about a time when you had to manage a difficult stakeholder with
competing expectations.
o What was the situation?
o How did you manage the relationship and outcome?
2. Describe an occasion where you identified an opportunity to add value for
a stakeholder beyond the initial request.
3. Give an example of a time when you connected stakeholders or teams
from different areas to resolve an issue or improve outcomes.
4. Tell us about a time when a stakeholder raised concerns or complaints
about a project or service. How did you handle it?
Managing Difficult Conversations (Accomplished)
1. Describe a difficult conversation you had with a colleague, contractor, or
stakeholder regarding performance, delays, or non-compliance.
o How did you approach the discussion?
o What was the outcome?
2. Tell us about a time when you had to negotiate a solution between parties
with conflicting priorities.
3. Give an example where you coached or supported someone else in
handling a challenging negotiation or conversation.
4. Describe a situation where emotions or tensions were high, and you still
needed to achieve a professional outcome.
Political and Organisational Context (Accomplished)
1. Tell us about a time when you had to navigate organisational politics or
competing priorities to achieve an outcome.
2. Describe a situation where you had to influence decision-makers without
having direct authority.
3. Give an example of when you ensured a decision or action complied with
organisational policies, legislation, or ethical obligations despite pressure
to proceed differently.
4. Tell us about a project or issue where you had to consider the interests of
multiple stakeholders or business units before making recommendations.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (Applied)
1. Describe a complex problem where there was no clear procedure or
guideline available.
o How did you analyse the issue?
o What actions did you take?
2. Tell us about a time when you had to gather additional information before
making an important decision.
3. Give an example of when you identified the root cause of a recurring issue
and implemented a solution.
4. Describe a situation where you used critical thinking to improve a process,
resolve an operational issue, or reduce risk.
Project Delivery (Applied)
1. Tell us about a project or work activity you coordinated from planning
through to completion.
2. Describe a time when a project fell behind schedule or faced unexpected
challenges.
o What corrective actions did you take?
3. Give an example of how you coordinated tasks and guided others to
achieve agreed outcomes.
4. Tell us about a time when you monitored progress against deadlines and
had to reprioritise work to meet objectives.
Business and Commercial Acumen (Applied)
1. Describe a time when you identified a more efficient or cost-effective way
of working.
2. Tell us about your experience managing contractors, suppliers, or external
vendors.
o How did you ensure accountability and delivery against agreed
terms?
3. Give an example of when you had to balance operational needs with
budget or commercial constraints.
4. Describe a situation where you identified financial, contractual, or
operational risks and took action to address them.
Working Collaboratively (Applied)
1. Tell us about a time when you worked collaboratively across multiple
teams to resolve an issue or deliver a project.
2. Describe a situation where you supported a colleague or team member
through a challenging period.
3. Give an example of how you contributed to building a positive and
cooperative team environment.
4. Tell us about a time when sharing information across teams improved
decision-making or outcomes.
Flexibility and Adaptability (Applied)
1. Describe a time when priorities changed suddenly during a project or
operational activity.
o How did you adapt?
2. Tell us about a situation where you had to quickly learn a new process,
system, or way of working.
3. Give an example of when you successfully worked with teams outside your
immediate area or expertise.
4. Describe a time when you had to manage uncertainty or ambiguity while
still delivering results.
Panel Follow-Up Questions (Useful Across All Criteria)
What was your specific role in that situation?
What alternatives did you consider?
What challenges did you face?
What would you do differently next time?
What was the measurable outcome?
How did you ensure stakeholders remained informed?
What did you learn from that experience?