Delivering at Pace
Delivering at Pace means taking responsibility for delivering timely, quality results — even when things get in the way. At every grade, assessors want to see that you keep moving and bring others with you.
What assessors look for: Evidence that you work efficiently, meet deadlines, maintain quality under pressure, and keep others informed and on track.
What Delivering at Pace means
Delivering at Pace means taking responsibility for delivering timely, quality results — even when things get in the way. At every grade, assessors want to see that you keep moving and bring others with you. This behaviour is one of the nine assessed under the Civil Service Success Profiles framework. Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level, and 500–750 words at SEO and above.
The Civil Service defines Delivering at Pace as a core behaviour that assessors evaluate at both sift and interview stages. The exact wording of the framework may vary slightly by department — always check the job advert for the specific wording used.
Example statement
Below is a 250-word example for Delivering at Pace. Every example on this site is original, word-count accurate, and includes a STAR breakdown.
[S] Our team inherited a backlog of approximately 200 unprocessed housing benefit cases from a colleague who had left suddenly. The cases were time-sensitive, with statutory deadlines approaching, and the remaining team was already at full capacity.
[T] I needed to help clear the backlog quickly while ensuring no cases missed their deadlines and quality standards were maintained.
[A] I volunteered to take on 60 of the cases and proposed a structured approach to my manager. I prioritised cases by deadline urgency, created a daily tracker visible to the whole team, and identified that 30 cases were straightforward renewals that could be fast-tracked with a simplified checklist. I worked an additional hour each day for two weeks to stay on track, and I flagged three complex cases early to senior colleagues so they did not become blockers. I also briefed a new temporary colleague on the fast-track process so they could help.
[R] All 200 cases were cleared within three weeks. None missed their statutory deadline. A random quality audit of 20 cases found zero errors. My manager asked me to document the fast-track checklist for future use.
- Shows ownership of a difficult situation (volunteering, proposing a structured approach).
- Demonstrates efficiency (identifying fast-track cases, creating a tracker) rather than just working harder.
- Balances speed with quality (zero errors in the audit).
- Includes a number that makes the scale tangible (200 cases, 60 taken on).
- Describing only working long hours without showing how you worked smarter.
- Confusing this with Managing a Quality Service — pace is about timely delivery, not just quality.
- Using "delivered quickly" without evidence of what the deadline was and how you met it.
Plagiarism note: This example is for inspiration only. Adapt it to your own experience. Assessors can spot generic or copied statements, and they score poorly.
Examples by grade
Each grade requires a different level of complexity. Click your grade to see a tailored example.
Focus on following procedures, supporting team goals, and showing awareness of wider context.
EOShow initiative within your role and understanding of how your work supports the team.
HEODemonstrate broader awareness, stakeholder engagement, and proactive problem-solving.
SEOShow strategic thinking, cross-team influence, and management of wider priorities.
Grade 7Demonstrate senior-level strategic oversight, policy awareness, and organisational impact.
Grade 6Show director-level strategic leadership, cross-departmental influence, and systemic change.
How to write a Delivering at Pace statement
Follow these steps to write a strong statement. For a full guide, see how to write behaviour statements.
- Pick one specific example. Choose a real situation from your work, volunteering, or education. One well-told example beats three vague ones.
- Write the Situation in two sentences. Set the scene quickly. Assessors do not need every detail — just enough to understand the context.
- State the Task in one sentence. What did you need to achieve? Be specific about your responsibility.
- Spend 60% of your words on Action. This is where you show what you did, not what the team did. Use "I" not "we".
- End with a clear Result. Include a number if you can. What changed? What was the outcome?
Write long, then cut. First drafts of 350 words usually contain a strong 250. Focus on cutting adjectives and filler phrases like "I felt it was important to" — they add words without adding meaning.
Interview questions
At interview, you may be asked follow-up questions about your behaviour statement. Prepare for questions like:
- "Tell me about a time when you demonstrated delivering at pace."
- "What would you do differently if you faced that situation again?"
- "How did you ensure your approach was the right one?"
See the full interview question bank for Delivering at Pace.
Frequently asked questions
Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level. SEO and above may allow 500 or 750 words. Always check the job advert — the limit varies, and on Civil Service Jobs it is sometimes a word limit and sometimes a character limit.
Yes, but you must rewrite the example to focus on the specific behaviour being assessed. The same project could show Leadership (how you directed the team) and Working Together (how you collaborated with stakeholders), but the emphasis and wording must be different for each.
You do not need a dramatic story. A well-told ordinary example — Team member who cleared a backlog of 200 cases in three weeks while maintaining accuracy standards. — scores better than an extraordinary one told badly. Assessors look for clarity and evidence, not grandeur.