Seeing the Big Picture EO Example Statement (250 Words)
At EO, assessors want to see that you demonstrate seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. Your example should match organising work beyond your own desk, coordinating with others and showing sound judgement. Focus on your actions and a clear result.
Example statement
SIn a local authority benefits team, overtime backlog clearance was reducing the queue but creating a spike in incorrect awards that later needed costly rework by the quality team and distorted the directorate's monthly accuracy KPI.
TMy team leader asked me to redesign the overtime approach so we cleared cases without damaging accuracy targets that senior leaders reported publicly.
AI pulled three months of quality fail reasons and mapped them against overtime case types. Complex earnings cases drove most fails. I proposed splitting overtime into a fast track for simple claims and a supervised stream for earnings cases, and I wrote a one-page briefing for the quality lead linking the change to the directorate accuracy KPI rather than to local vanity clearance numbers. I piloted the split for two evenings, coached two colleagues on the earnings checklist, and fed daily fail counts back to the team leader. I also flagged that our clearance target needed a temporary quality weighting so staff were not incentivised to rush the hard cases. I checked progress against the measures we had agreed and adjusted the plan when leading indicators moved. I kept a short decision log so others could see why we chose this path and what we had ruled out.
ROver the four-week pilot, overtime fails on earnings cases fell from 18% to 6% while overall clearance stayed within 5% of the previous rate. The quality lead adopted the split model for the next quarterly campaign.
Use this as a model, not a script. This is an original example written for this site. Adapt the structure to your own experience. Copying it word for word risks plagiarism and will not reflect your evidence.
Why this scores well
- Connects team overtime tactics to directorate accuracy KPIs.
- Uses data to change the approach rather than working harder at the same method.
- Quantifies quality and delivery trade-offs honestly.
What EO level requires
| Grade | What assessors expect |
|---|---|
| AO | At AO level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing reliable delivery of your own work, clear communication and helpful teamwork on everyday tasks while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| EO ← this page | At EO level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing organising work beyond your own desk, coordinating with others and showing sound judgement while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| HEO | At HEO level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing independent judgement, leading small pieces of work and connecting your work to team goals while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| SEO | At SEO level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing leading workstreams, influencing without always having formal authority and managing risk while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| Grade 7 | At Grade 7 level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing strategic framing, leading teams or complex projects and advising senior stakeholders while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| Grade 6 | At Grade 6 level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing setting direction across areas, managing significant risk and influencing SCS and partners while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
| SCS | At SCS level, Seeing the Big Picture means showing organisational leadership, cross-government influence and accountability for major outcomes while demonstrating seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals. |
Common mistakes at this level
- Focusing only on how many cases you cleared.
- Ignoring how local targets relate to wider reporting.
- Claiming strategic insight without any evidence trail.
Next step
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