European Personnel Selection Office
Management Plan 2016 European Personnel Selection Office
Ref. Ares(2016)1020169 - 29/02/2016
Contents
PART 1. Overview of main outputs for the year ................................................. 1
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PART 1. Overview of main outputs for the year
Relevant general objective: To help achieve the overall political objectives, the Commission
will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard assets and resources, and attract and
develop the best talents.
Specific objective 1: Highly qualified staff are made available to all EU Institutions by
organising Open Competitions and selection procedures in an inter-institutional context –
covering thereby their needs.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Reserve lists of AD, AST and
AST/SC Officials, as set out in
the Notice of Competition. In
total, 1502 laureates were
requested for 2016 (endorsed
by EPSO's Management Board
in December 2015)1.
Laureate delivery rate.
Duration of the selection
procedure.
≥90% of the cumulative
published target figures.
9 months for the cycles and 6
months for specialist
competitions.
Reserve lists for Contractual
Staff positions.
Successful candidates'
delivery rate.
≥ 90 % of cumulative
indicative target figures, both
for specialists and generalist
profiles whilst at the same time
achieving increased cost-
efficiency for the selection of
contract agents with the
operational deployment of the
Permanent CAST selection
model.
Permanent CAST selection
model.
Real time updated
candidates' database
permanently available to
recruiting services in the
context of CAST
Permanent.
Nr of tested candidates/Nr
of successful candidates
delivered.
Required IT structure and tools
for CAST Permanent
operational in the first quarter
of 2016;
Publication of CAST
Permanent call for expression
of interest by Summer 2016;
Successful transfer of CAST
interim for executive agencies
into CAST Permanent by the
end of the year;
Testing of >90% of all pre-
selected candidates by
Institutions by the end of 2016.
1 The number of 1502 laureates includes the laureates of the 6 competitions which had to be
postponed end of 2015. This figure may be reviewed later this year, as a consequence of the
measures that EPSO will have to take – in agreement with its Management Board – in order to
comply with the recent judgements of the Court of Justice concerning the use of languages in EPSO
selection procedures.
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According to its founding decisions, EPSO is responsible for the selection of highly
qualified staff on behalf of the Institutions (the recruitment of staff from reserve lists
remains the responsibility of the individual Institutions). The actions under this activity
cover the full range of steps needed to complete the selection process (from planning and
publication of the Notice of Competition, right up to publication of the list of successful
candidates. Open Competitions are organised for generalists and experts at different
grades and categories (AD, AST and AST/SC) and in different fields and languages. The
latter includes linguistic competitions for translators, interpreters and lawyer-linguists.
Following the entry into force of the revised Staff Regulations in 2014, EPSO will
continue to apply the new framework defined in close cooperation with the Institutions
for the AST and AST/SC categories and for different profiles sought at each AST grade,
taking into account labour market conditions across the Member States. To meet the
changing needs of the Institutions, EPSO will continue to develop and propose flexible,
cost-effective testing solutions using modern technology and selection techniques.
In 2016, and provided that the implementing rules are being approved by the Institutions,
EPSO will launch the new CAST Permanent selection model for 8 priority profiles
(secretaries, human resources, communication, policy, legal, ICT, finance and project
management) requested by the Institutions, based on the preparatory work initiated in
2014, as well as the ongoing pilot-project started in July 2015 for the selection of contract
staff in the fields of finance and project management by Executive Agencies. The new
permanent selection model for contract staff is based on a talent pool and on a more cost-
efficient approach to testing with the introduction of the Entry ticket (i.e. the possibility
to retain validity of scores for a predefined period across different profiles). The required
development of IT systems and tools for CAST Permanent to be operational will be
completed in the first quarter of 2016. EPSO will strive to continuously improve these
tools based on users' feedback and experience.
In parallel, EPSO will continue to launch separate contract staff selection processes for
more specialised profiles to meet specific and targeted recruitment needs expressed by
Stakeholders, until the time when specialist selections for contract staff can be fully
integrated into the CAST Permanent selection model.
Internally, a major challenge and integral part of EPSO's operations in 2016 and beyond
will be to focus upon delivery of a revised linguistic regime in the light of judgements
brought before the Court of Justice against the Commission by Italy and Spain
concerning the use of languages in selection procedures organised by EPSO and the
Institutions.
In response to these judgements, EPSO's Management Board held several meetings at the
end of 2015 and in early 2016, in order to consider the use of languages in EPSO
selection procedures. In February 2016, the Board decided to establish a special Working
Group to examine this and related issues. The Group is expected to report back by the
end of June 2016.
While the Working Group completes its work, it has been agreed that some changes will
be made to EPSO's working programme for 2016. The publication of the AD5 2016
generalist competition has been postponed and EPSO has proposed to bring forward the
linguistic cycle from the summer to spring 2016. In the meantime, in order to enable the
Institutions to meet their urgent recruitment needs, a series of specialist competitions will
be organised from April.
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Specific objective 2 : Our communication with potential and current candidates is positive and
proactive, in order to contribute to a strong employer image for the EU Institutions and
improve our ability to attract the right talent.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target
date
1. Implementation of a new
tool for candidate questions
and issues.
Reduce number of queries dealt with by EPSO's
Candidate Contact Service (CCS) by at least 10%.
2016.
2. Structured cooperation
with Europe Direct Contact
Centre to manage general
queries from candidates in
24 languages.
Reduce number of queries dealt with by CCS by
10% (AD 5 cycle 2016).
2016.
3. Timely handling of
requests for review, Article
90 and Ombudsman
complaints.
100% of contributions / decisions prepared within
the set deadlines.
Maintain the ratio of requests for review that
become formal complaints (Article 90 or
Ombudsman).
2016.
4. Targeted communication
plan for candidates with
disabilities and/or special
needs.
Number of candidates with disabilities and/or
special needs applying for selection procedures.
High satisfaction rate amongst candidates with
disabilities and/or special needs (accommodation
of selection tests).
2016.
6. New reasonable
accommodations procedure
in place for candidates with
disabilities and/or special
needs.
New procedure formalised and expanded to all
competitions;
Expand candidate satisfaction survey to all types of
selection tests and procedures.
2016.
7. Recruitment and training
of EU Careers
Ambassadors.
Maintain or increase the number of universities
represented (116 in 2015) in all 28 Member States
with a focus on high quality.
All student ambassadors given face-to-face training
either in Brussels or Member States.
2016
8. Restructured and
redefined mandate for the
EU Staff Ambassadors.
At least 1 staff Ambassador per Member State and
per Institution.
2016
The EU Careers website remains the cornerstone of EPSO's communication efforts. In 2016,
the Office will re-launch a more user-centric website with new information architecture, an
interactive job search tool and a new tool for better responding to candidates' questions, as
well as improving the online application process and candidate accounts. We will continue
to use social media as a cost-effective and targeted way of reaching key audiences, including
through EU Careers Staff Ambassadors who blog about living and working in the EU. We
will maintain an active on-campus presence through the EU Careers Student Ambassadors,
as well as through targeted participation in careers events, fairs and other activities.
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Specific objective 3: EPSO's selection methods are continuously improved, based on experience,
best practice and international standards.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Improved Competency
Based Interview (CBI).
Adoption of a strength-based approach in
combination with the STAR method.
Use of the CBI to assess "Analysis and Problem-
solving".
Correlations between competencies in CBI <0.6.
Increased use of scoring scales.
2016.
Introduction of the
"split assessment"
approach.
Implementation of the approach in the context of
a specific competition.
Conduct of a comparison between 3 scoring
methods (assessors present in interview room,
remote assessors in average, remote assessors
normalized).
End 2016.
Implementation of an
action plan towards
future complete paper-
less delivery of exams.
Number of essay-type exams delivered on
computer (compared with 2013, the number of
essay-type exams delivered on computer, already
increased by 20%).
≥ 90% of all essay-type
events (case-studies,
translation tests, drafting
tests, etc…) delivered on
computer in 2016.
Reduced deviation
between marker scores
and reduced need for
third marking.
Third marking in ≤ 10% of all cases following
score normalization.
2016.
Specific objective 4: Recruitment needs are clearly identified up-front in close cooperation with
Institutions, aligning thereby supply and demand for laureates.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Strategic planning 2017 –
2019.
Strategic planning exercise 2017 – 2019 endorsed
by EPSO Working Group and Management
Board.
October 2016.
As in previous years, EPSO will complete the strategic planning exercise together with its
stakeholders, enabling the Management Board to decide on the target figures for the coming
three years, i.e. 2017 until 2019. To facilitate this exercise, based on the revised set of
instructions from 2014, EPSO will continue to share best practice and guidelines in writing
and to push forward an efficient and effective planning exercise.
In this context, a new method of role-profiling will be tested, in order to reinforce the
planning process in 2016 and unify the common framework further. Role-profiling aims at
establishing a closer correlation between business strategies and jobs by identifying those
roles that are essential for an organisation to remain efficient and effective. Likely to
emphasise alignment with the Institutions' key needs and future strategies, it is paramount to
achieving results in the medium and long-term and to helping identify skills and knowledge-
gaps as part of talent management.
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In parallel, EPSO will continue to further adapt the Notices (including for CAST) and
improve the existing descriptions of jobs and duties per position and in line with each staff
category, with a view to increasing consistency amongst profiles whilst fulfilling Institution-
specific needs.
Specific objective 5: Recruiting services can identify and recruit appropriate laureates rapidly and
effectively.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Monthly statistics on recruitment
rates.
Provision of reliable and updated statistical
information.
2016.
Proposal to EPSO Working Group
for reserve lists to be closed.
Acceptance of EPSO's proposal. 2016.
Specific objective 6: Existing processes are re-engineered, including the use of digital
technologies and collaborative tools, to make them more cost-effective, efficient, agile and rapid.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Collaborative tools consultancy:
strategy and guidelines on
collaborative tools to be put in
place.
Strategy & guidelines document available.
At least 2 trainings in collaborative tools.
End 2016.
Business process framework in
place: agreement on structure,
format, tools & process to describe,
maintain and improve process
descriptions for EPSO, including
the change management process.
Key selection processes agreed by
management team to be successfully re-
engineered.
End 2016.
Scale up "REMEMBER": lessons
learnt process scaled up to include
lessons not only from the Selection
Board but also other information
sources.
Capture and assessment of lessons learnt
from other sources, for example Selection
managers or AC managers.
Implemented changes issued from
recommendations.
End 2016.
Process for simplified eligibility
check in place. Eligibility checks are done as part of the
EPSO selection process (and no longer at
the recruitment phase).
For laureates from competitions launched in
the second half of 2016 the comprehensive
eligibility check is entirely done by EPSO.
2016.
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Specific objective 7: The attraction, appointment and workings of selection boards and assessors
are further rationalised and professionalised.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Completion of the pilot-project
for the establishment of the
EPSO Academy.
Pool of 20 trained Selection Board members
available for the AD5-competition in 2016.
March 2016.
Information sessions to attract
new Selection Board members.
5 new sessions to be organised.
Number of new Selection Board members
found.
By October 2016.
Wiki Confluence pages
containing all relevant
documentation for all
competitions.
Inclusion of all key stakeholders across the
Institutions and the agencies, whenever
applicable.
2016.
Building on the considerable progress made in the past couple of years, further efforts will
be made in 2016 to increase the attractiveness of becoming an assessor for competitions
organised by EPSO. By continuing the 2014-2015 information and visibility campaign
launched internally and in close cooperation with the Institutions, EPSO wishes to raise
awareness about the attractiveness of the work performed by Selection Board members and
markers in selecting new staff, in order to ensure timely appointment of board members and
avoid unnecessary withdrawals during the process.
The information package for Selection Boards will be further streamlined by using the new
Guide for Selection Boards, which was endorsed in December 2015, for all competitions.
Introduced in May 2015, the new commitment letter, clarifying the rules of conduct and
explaining what the appointment as a member of a Selection Board entails, will be applied to
all upcoming competitions and aims at further reducing the withdrawal rate amongst the
Selection Board members.
Specific objective 8: A comprehensive offering of flexible and adaptive services – including
expertise in the fields of assessment, selection, occupational psychology, psychometrics and
employer branding – as well as support to ensure the implementation of talent management
strategies in the EU Institutions are provided to help meet challenging stakeholder needs.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Catalogue of services for EU
Institutions, agencies and
bodies.
Availability of catalogue in 2016.
2016.
Online publication of job
vacancies for EU Agencies
and other bodies on the
EPSO website.
Successful implementation of a new tool
facilitating the publication of job vacancies in 24
languages.
2016.
Delivery of on-line testing
directly in the premises of
some recruiting services.
Number of candidates tested.
Stakeholder and candidate satisfaction.
2016.
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One of the most popular and visible services that EPSO provides to the EU Agencies and
other bodies is the online publication of job vacancies on the EPSO website. Highly
appreciated by both employers and potential employees, this website has become a one-
stop-shop for job opportunities and recruitment of temporary staff within the EU
Institutions and Agencies and will continue to increase in visibility. In this context, a new
tool will be introduced in the first half of 2016 in order to facilitate and simplify the
publication of new vacancy notices in all 24 official languages by making the process more
automated and efficient.
Following an amendment to its Framework contract for computer-based tests, EPSO will
start delivering on-line testing directly in the premises of some recruiting services in 2016.
Specific objective 9: The linguistic abilities in a third language of staff eligible for a first
promotion (officials, contract staff in function group IV, temporary agents assisting political
groups in the European Parliament and temporary agents in agencies) are evaluated in a
harmonised, consistent and cost-efficient manner.
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Delivery of assessments of
linguistic ability by EPSO
and the evaluation
committees to satisfy the
requirements of Article
45§2 and Article 85§3 of
CEOS.
Timely delivery of assessments
concerning the diplomas and
certificates submitted by the
candidates.
100 % evaluation by the end
of the year of files (diplomas
and certificates) submitted
within the deadline.
Delivery of assessments of
linguistic ability by EPSO
and the external service
provider to satisfy the
requirements of Article
45§2 and Article 85§3 of
CEOS.
Timely delivery of linguistic tests. 100 % satisfaction by the end
of the year of requests
received for testing third
language capabilities.
Delivery of an online
satisfaction survey for
candidates processed
during the year.
Satisfaction rate of candidates with
the assessment of their third
language abilities.
≥ 90% satisfaction rate of
candidates who reply to the
satisfaction survey.
Finalisation of on-going
procurement process and
delivery of a new
framework contract for
linguistic tests in the 24
official EU-languages.
New framework contract in place
and covering the delivery of
linguistic tests in the 24 official
EU-languages.
New framework contract in
force for testing candidates as
soon as possible in 2016.
Measures are taken to ensure
continuity of service.
The on-going procurement process initiated in 2015 in order to secure a new framework
contract covering the assessments of 24 official languages will be finalised in the first
quarter of 2016. All measures will be taken by EPSO to ensure continuity of assessments
in 2016 until the new framework contract is awarded.
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Specific objective 10: To contribute to the running of the certification procedure
Main outputs in 2016:
Description Indicator Target/Target date
Delivery of examinations
in order to enable the
examining board to
establish Reserve lists of
certified Officials.
Timely delivery of accurate
certification examinations in
compliance with the Institutions'
requirements.
100% timely and accurate
delivery of list of certified
Officials according to the
deadlines set by Institutions.
Delivery of examinations
in compliance with
examining board's
expectations.
Satisfaction rate of examining
board with the organisation of tests. 100% satisfaction of examining
board with tests delivered.
Launch of a procurement
process to secure a new
framework contract for the
delivery of certification
tests.
Procurement process initiated in
the course of 2016. New framework contract in
place and operational for the
2017 Certification exercise.