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Civil Service4 min read

Delivering at Pace Example at Grade 7

A worked Grade 7 STAR example for Delivering at Pace showing function-level delivery under sustained pressure.


**TL;DR.** At Grade 7, Delivering at Pace is about leading function-level delivery under sustained pressure with cross-government visibility and personal accountability for the outcome.

Worked Grade 7 example (250 words)

*As Grade 7 lead for a department's commercial reform programme I was given a 10-week deadline to deliver an end-to-end commercial framework covering 14 arm's-length bodies. I established a programme structure within five working days: a weekly steering group with the Director, three sub-workstreams led by SEOs, and a cross-ALB reference panel. When the Cabinet Office in week three escalated a new requirement (an additional data-sharing element that had not been in original scope), I renegotiated the scope with the Director — agreeing that the data-sharing element would be delivered as a fast-follow in weeks 11–12 rather than delaying the core framework. I personally briefed the Permanent Secretary once a fortnight and appeared at a Cabinet Office scrutiny session in week 7 to defend the timeline. The framework launched on time, all 14 ALBs were signed up to it within six weeks of launch, and the fast-follow data-sharing element was delivered in week 12. The Director's end-of-programme review cited the delivery as a model for other cross-government reforms.*

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Frequently asked questions

What distinguishes Grade 7 Delivering at Pace from SEO?

Scope. Grade 7 examples typically span multiple teams or cross-organisation delivery, involve Director or Permanent Secretary visibility, and produce outcomes cited at departmental or cross-government level. SEO examples are usually team-level.