United NationsCore Competency

Planning and Organizing — UN competency

Setting clear goals consistent with agreed strategies, identifying priorities and adjusting them as required.

What this competency means

Planning and organizing covers translating objectives into activities and timelines, allocating appropriate time and resources, building in contingencies, monitoring progress against plans, and using time efficiently. It is closely linked to how a candidate handles competing demands.

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Common interview question patterns

Describe a time you had to manage several competing deadlines.
Tell us about a plan that had to change significantly.
Give an example of how you prepared for risks in a project.

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

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
Identifies priority activities and assignments and adjusts priorities as required
Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary and uses time efficiently

Our interpretation for interview preparation

Behaviours that weaken an answer

Reacts to whatever arrives last rather than to priority
Plans without contingency and is derailed by predictable risks
Does not track progress until the deadline

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What a strong example might demonstrate

Candidates preparing for competency-based interviews can use this competency to think about a period with genuinely conflicting demands. A strong behavioural example would demonstrate the criteria used to prioritise, how the plan was tracked, and what was adjusted when circumstances changed.

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How to prepare for questions on this competency

Panels commonly ask about competing deadlines, a plan that had to be reworked, or managing a workload with shifting priorities.

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

Listing tools instead of decisions
No explanation of why one task outranked another
Omitting the outcome against the original deadline

Real interview questions and model answers

Questions panels use to assess Planning and Organizing, with what they look for and a worked STAR example.

Foundational · P2

“Give an example of when you had to manage several competing priorities with a tight deadline.”

Why panels ask it

Tests whether you prioritise deliberately and adjust plans rather than simply working longer hours.

How to answer it

Show the criteria you used to prioritise, who you consulted, what you deprioritised, and the outcome for each stream.

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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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