United NationsManagerial Competency

Judgement / Decision Making — UN competency

Identifying the key issues in a complex situation and taking sound decisions in a timely way, including under pressure.

What this competency means

Judgement and decision-making covers gathering relevant information before deciding, considering positive and negative impacts on others and on the Organization, proposing a course of action based on all available information, checking assumptions against facts, and taking difficult decisions when necessary.

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Common interview question patterns

Tell us about a decision you took with incomplete information.
Describe a difficult decision that affected other people.
Give an example of a decision you would take differently today.

These are illustrative, general questions. Questions asked in an actual interview will depend on the nature and level of the position. PanelPrep · IO can generate questions tailored to the specific vacancy you are applying for, so you can practise against the competencies that matter for your interview.

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Based on the UN Competency Framework

Behavioural indicators

Identifies the key issues in a complex situation and gets to the heart of the problem quickly
Gathers relevant information before making a decision
Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them
Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization
Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information
Checks assumptions against facts
Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision
Makes tough decisions when necessary

Our interpretation for interview preparation

Behaviours that weaken an answer

Delays a decision until the option is taken away
Decides on instinct without testing assumptions
Ignores the effect of the decision on other units

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What a strong example might demonstrate

Candidates preparing for competency-based interviews can use this competency to think about a decision they owned. A strong behavioural example would demonstrate the information gathered, the options weighed, the trade-off accepted, and the result — including anything you would decide differently now.

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How to prepare for questions on this competency

Questions usually concern a decision taken with incomplete information, under time pressure, or with significant consequences.

STAR preparation

Situation — set the context in two sentences: where, when, who was involved.
Task — state precisely what you were responsible for, not what the team was responsible for.
Action — spend most of the answer here, in the first person, showing the indicators above in practice.
Result — quantify the outcome and add what you learned or changed afterwards.

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Common mistakes

Describing a group decision without your own reasoning
Presenting only the option chosen, with no alternatives
Refusing to acknowledge any downside

Real interview questions and model answers

Questions panels use to assess Judgement / Decision Making, with what they look for and a worked STAR example.

Advanced · P3

“Describe a complex legal issue you analysed under time pressure and the recommendation you made.”

Why panels ask it

ICC legal officer panels test analytical rigour, sound judgement and the ability to justify a recommendation.

How to answer it

Set out the legal question, the sources you weighed, the risks of each option, your recommendation and how it was received or applied.

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Advanced · AD5

“Describe a time you analysed a complex policy problem and proposed a workable solution.”

Why panels ask it

EPSO scores "Analysis and problem solving" as one of eight general competencies.

How to answer it

Structure the answer around the problem, your analytical method, the options considered and the recommendation adopted.

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Source and attribution

The competency name, category and behavioural concepts on this page are based on United Nations, "UN Competency Development – A Practical Guide". Summaries, interview guidance, question patterns and preparation advice are original PanelPrep · IO content.

Framework version: UN Competency Development – A Practical Guide. Source date: 2010-01-01. Last verified: 2026-08-09.

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