This capability is about using people, resources and systems effectively to achieve public value.
It is not just about efficiency for its own sake.
It is about making sensible decisions so the work area delivers better outcomes with the resources available. Panels are often looking for evidence that you understand trade-offs and can improve the way work is organised, rather than just keeping things ticking along.
That means this capability usually benefits from a STAR-style example showing a concrete problem, a resource decision, and a business outcome. If you need a refresher, go back to our STAR Method Examples for NSW Government Applications.
What changes across the levels
- Foundational: only relevant in a basic sense where there is limited management responsibility
- Intermediate: uses resources and team capability more deliberately
- Adept: improves business outcomes through stronger planning, allocation and oversight
- Advanced: aligns resources, operations and priorities across broader work areas
- Highly Advanced: drives enterprise-level public value, performance and resource optimisation
How to build a stronger example
Strong examples often show:
- improving efficiency without lowering quality
- aligning people or resources to priorities
- making better use of systems or processes
- lifting performance in a practical way
Example paragraph: Intermediate / Adept
In a management role, I reviewed how work was being allocated across the team and identified that some tasks were sitting with staff whose workload was already stretched, while other capacity was underused. My task was to improve the use of team capacity without disrupting delivery. I adjusted responsibilities, clarified expectations and improved the way work was tracked, which created a more balanced distribution of effort and improved turnaround times.
Example paragraph: Advanced
In a senior operational role, I looked across staffing, workflow and service demand to identify where resources were not aligned to the most important business outcomes. The challenge was that effort was being absorbed by lower-value activity while higher-priority work was under pressure. My task was to realign the work so resources were being used more effectively. I made changes to priorities, sequencing and team focus so effort was directed where it created the most value. That improved both delivery and the overall use of available resources.
Example paragraph: Highly Advanced
At a broader leadership level, I focused on how structure, people and investment decisions affected long-term public value. Rather than treating performance issues as isolated problems, my task was to look at the system behind them and make more durable changes. I adjusted settings so resources were being used more effectively across the organisation, which created a stronger foundation for sustainable outcomes rather than short-term fixes.
Final advice
This capability is strongest when your example shows trade-offs and judgment.
Panels want to see that you understand how better use of people and resources leads to better outcomes.