Delivering at Pace: Civil Service Behaviour Examples
What Delivering at Pace assesses, how to structure examples that show performance under pressure, and a worked HEO example with a tight deadline.
**TL;DR.** Delivering at Pace is one of the 9 Civil Service behaviours. Assessors look for evidence of delivery under time pressure with clear prioritisation, personal accountability, and a strong outcome. The common trap is confusing "busy" with "delivering at pace" — strong examples show structured delivery, not frantic activity.
Worked HEO example (250 words)
*As an HEO project manager I was given a four-week deadline to launch a new policy briefing series to coincide with a high-profile parliamentary debate. The original timeline had been six weeks but the debate was brought forward. I drafted a delivery plan breaking the four weeks into three milestones: research and outline (week 1), drafting (weeks 2–3), clearance and publication (week 4). I held a kick-off meeting with four contributors and assigned each a clear deliverable with a hard deadline two days before each milestone. I instituted daily 15-minute stand-ups in the final two weeks. When one contributor flagged a delay in week 2 due to a separate emergency tasking, I personally drafted that contributor's section in the evenings to keep the timeline. I held a final clearance call with the deputy director on day 26 and delivered the published series on day 28 — two days before the parliamentary debate. The series was used in the debate by both opposition and government speakers, and cited in the department's quarterly highlights.*
What scores 1 at Delivering at Pace
Describing being busy without naming a deadline. Missing the structure of how you delivered. Failing to name your personal action when the plan was at risk. Describing the outcome as "we delivered" rather than attributing specific work to yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Delivering at Pace assess?
Delivering at Pace assesses structured delivery under time pressure — clear prioritisation, personal accountability, and a strong outcome. Panels distinguish between "busy" and "delivering at pace" — strong examples show structure, not frantic activity.
How do I structure a Delivering at Pace example?
Name the deadline and why it mattered, describe the delivery plan you drafted (milestones, contributors, check-ins), name your personal action when the plan was at risk (stepped in to cover a contributor, escalated a dependency), and close with the outcome and evidence of impact.
Can I evidence Delivering at Pace without a project management role?
Yes. Any role can evidence delivery under pressure — casework with a statutory deadline, an emergency response, a rapid stakeholder turnaround, an audit preparation. The situation matters less than the structured response.