Communicating and Influencing Example at Grade 6
A Grade 6 STAR example for Communicating and Influencing showing departmental-level influence and direct engagement with Permanent Secretaries.
**TL;DR.** At Grade 6, Communicating and Influencing is about leading departmental-level communication strategy, engaging directly with Permanent Secretaries and ministers, and shaping cross-government narratives.
Worked Grade 6 example (250 words)
*As Grade 6 head of policy communications, I led the department's engagement strategy for a high-profile reform programme affecting 2.4 million citizens. The programme had been contested in parliament and was the subject of sustained media scrutiny. I led the development of a narrative strategy involving the Permanent Secretary, the Minister's private office, the department's press team, and three delivery partner organisations. I drafted the ministerial line-to-take used across three Select Committee appearances, briefed the Permanent Secretary before her evidence session, and coordinated public messaging across the department and partner organisations through a weekly strategic comms meeting I chaired. Over six months the volume of critical press coverage declined from an average of 12 pieces per month to 4, and the programme met its delivery milestones. The Permanent Secretary commented that the integrated communications strategy was "the most effective cross-stakeholder narrative the department has delivered in a decade". This evidences Grade 6 Communicating and Influencing: departmental-scale strategy, Permanent Secretary and ministerial engagement, and measurable reputational outcome.*
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Frequently asked questions
What distinguishes Grade 6 Communicating and Influencing from Grade 7?
Grade 6 scope typically includes direct engagement with Permanent Secretaries and ministers, departmental-scale communication strategy, and shaping cross-government narratives. Grade 7 typically engages via Directors and focuses on directorate-level influence.