Changing and Improving: the framework explained
Changing and Improving is the Success Profiles behaviour about being open to change, suggesting better ways of working and responding well to feedback. This guide explains the framework definition, level descriptors and how levels map to grades.
The framework definition
Within Success Profiles, Changing and Improving covers three connected things: being open to change, suggesting ideas for improvement, and seeking out and responding to feedback. It is not about change for its own sake. It is about noticing that how we work could be better, and doing something constructive about it.
Assessors use this behaviour to find people who will not accept a poor process because 'that is how it has always been done'. They want evidence that you look at your own work with fresh eyes and act on what you hear.
From the official guidance
The Success Profiles guidance published on GOV.UK sets out the framework definition and level descriptors for each behaviour. Read the current wording on GOV.UK before you apply: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. Departments sometimes tailor the descriptors for specific roles, so the job advert is always the final word.
Understand level descriptors
Each behaviour has a set of level descriptors: short statements describing what the behaviour looks like at increasing levels of responsibility. The higher the level, the wider your influence is expected to be, from your own tasks, to your team, to the whole organisation.
For Changing and Improving, the descriptors broadly move through three shifts as levels rise:
- From being open to change, to actively suggesting improvements, to leading change.
- From responding to feedback yourself, to creating ways for others to give and act on feedback.
- From improving your own work, to improving team processes, to improving how the organisation works.
Your statement does not need to name the descriptor. It needs to show the behaviour at the level the advert asks for. A strong example at the wrong level still scores poorly.
How levels map to grades
Departments usually ask for the descriptor level that matches the grade of the role. The mapping below reflects common practice, but it is not universal — some adverts ask for a different level, so always check.
| Level | Typical grades | What it emphasises |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | AA and AO | Openness to change, responding to feedback, suggesting ideas |
| Level 2 | EO | Suggesting improvements and helping to put them in place |
| Level 3 | HEO and SEO | Reviewing practices, leading smaller changes, supporting others |
| Level 4 | Grade 7 and Grade 6 | Leading change across teams, building a culture of improvement |
| Levels 5 and 6 | SCS | Setting organisational direction for change and improvement |
Notice the pattern: the action moves from 'suggest' to 'lead' to 'set direction'.
What this behaviour looks like in practice
Changing and Improving shows up in ordinary work more often than people think. You do not need to have led a transformation programme.
- You spotted a slow or error-prone process and suggested a fix.
- You changed how you work after feedback from a manager, colleague or customer.
- You tried a new system or method and helped others adjust to it.
- You questioned a wasteful routine constructively and offered an alternative.
For example, a retail assistant who notices the returns desk duplicates a form, suggests merging the two steps and trials it for a week has a genuine Changing and Improving example.
Check the job advert
Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour, but some ask for 500 or 750, and the limit on Civil Service Jobs is sometimes a word count and sometimes a character count. Check the advert for the descriptor level too.
Tip
Copy the exact behaviour name and any descriptor wording from the advert into your notes before you write. Assessors score against what the advert asked for, not against a generic idea of the behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
It is the behaviour about being open to change, suggesting improvements to how work is done, and seeking out and responding to feedback. Assessors look for evidence that you notice better ways of working and act on them, rather than accepting inefficient processes because they are familiar.
No. A small, well-told improvement you suggested and tested scores better than a dramatic programme you were only loosely involved in. What matters is your personal role: you noticed the opportunity, you acted, and you can show what happened as a result.
Level descriptors are short statements that describe what each behaviour looks like at different levels of responsibility. Junior levels focus on your own work and openness to feedback; senior levels focus on leading change and setting direction across an organisation. Check the job advert for the level required.
Next step
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