Vacancy 39/15: Visa Officer (B)

SELECTION CRITERIA

Visa Officer B - Locally Engaged Level 3 (LE3)

Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate strong interpersonal and liaison skills and have the ability to conduct business with clients from varied backgrounds. They will have well-developed organisational skills, strong written and oral communication skills, sound information technology skills. Successful applicants will also show initiative, be able to focus on priorities, meet deadlines and work well in a team situation.

Fluent written and spoken English is essential for this position. Skills in a regional language (e.g., Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati) are desirable.

You should provide a written statement of claims to demonstrate your suitability under each of the following selection criteria. Your statement forms the most important part of the application, as this information, together with your resume, will be used to shortlist applicants for further consideration for the vacancy.

Criteria 1

Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to help others understand the wider goals of an organisation and the way these relate to the daily operations of a client service work area.

In your answer, please ensure you address the following:

• What was the situation? What role were you performing?
• What were the goals of the organisation?
• What particular work area were you in and how did the daily operations of this area align with the broader organisation?
• What action did you take to help others understand this? Were you successful?

(Maximum 300 words)

Criteria 2

Provide an example of a time when you have shown flexibility in responding to a client’s needs.

In your answer please address the following:
• What was your role?
• What were the client needs that you were responding to?
• In what way(s) did you demonstrate flexibility?
• How did you determine whether or not the client’s needs had been met?
• How effective were you at meeting the client’s needs?
• What was the outcome? How did the approach you took contribute to the outcome?

(Maximum 300 words)

Criteria 3

Give an example of a time when you have wanted but were unable to help someone and so have sought advice and/or guidance from a colleague or more experienced person.

In your answer, please ensure you address the following:
• What was the situation?
• What action did you take to attempt to help the individual and why did you decide that you were unable to do so?
• What advice did you seek and from whom?
• How did that advice help you to assist the person?
• What was the outcome?

(Maximum 300 words)

Criteria 4

Provide an example of a time when you have received feedback on your performance that you thought was wrong, unfair or not particularly helpful; and what was the outcome?

In your answer please address the following:
• What was the situation?
• What feedback did you receive? Why did you think it was wrong, unfair or not particularly helpful?
• What action did you take in response to the feedback?
• What was the outcome of the situation?

(Maximum 300 words)

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF

INTRODUCTION
The key underlying principles of conduct for locally engaged staff employed at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi are:

1. To act in accordance with the local law and applicable Australian law;
2. To deal equitably, honestly and in a professional manner with both the public and colleagues;
3. To ensure there is no real or apparent conflict of interest; and
4. To ensure their professional or personal behaviour does not bring the Australian High Commission or Australia into disrepute.

LES must at all times behave in a way that upholds the integrity and good reputation of the High Commission.
• Personal behaviour should be appropriate
• Dress and appearance should be in accordance with standards appropriate to an employee's duties
• LES should not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other prohibited or performance impairing substances in the work place
• The High Commission is a smoke-free work environment

LES must behave honestly and with integrity in the course of his/her employment with the High Commission.

LES should not use their official position to improperly influence or try to influence colleagues or members of the public by giving them gifts or by entering into financial or other arrangements with them.

LES must act with care and diligence in the course of their employment with the High Commission.

In the course of their duties LES are required to:
• be fair and impartial;
• give others likely to be affected by a decision an opportunity to have their case considered promptly;
• explain the reasons for action/decisions;
• at all times act according to local law and applicable Australian law.

LES, when acting in the course of their employment with the High Commission, must treat members of the public and colleagues with respect and courtesy, and without coercion or harassment of any kind.

LES are required to:
• treat members of the public and colleagues equitably, regardless of their sex, marital status, ethnicity, age sexual orientation, disability or religious beliefs or any other similar ground;
• be professional and courteous;
• provide reasonable assistance to the public and to help them understand their entitlements and their obligations;
• deal with the public and colleagues in an equitable and fair manner.

LES must comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by a person in the High Commission who has the authority to give the direction. LES are at all times subject to the authority of the High Commissioner/Consul General and the officer in charge of the section in which they are employed.

The relevant A-based or locally engaged staff supervisor has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the required standards of conduct and work performance are met and maintained by LES.

The LES must maintain appropriate confidentiality about information obtained during the course of their employment at the mission.

Official information must not be disclosed to any person unless an employee is authorised to do so in the course of his/her duties.

LES must not misuse information obtained in the course of his/her duties, including taking advantage of another person on the basis of information held about the person in official records.

LES must disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with his/her employment in the High Commission, including in relation to any outside employment and/or business activities.

LES must seek the permission of the High Commissioner or Consul General before engaging in outside employment.
 

The High Commissioner/Consul General may not grant permission to engage in outside employment that is incompatible with the employee's duties on behalf of the High Commission.

LES who have interests, financial or otherwise, including in respect of family and friends that could conflict with the proper performance of their duties must disclose this interest to their supervisor and take whatever action is necessary to avoid that conflict.

LES must use resources in a proper manner and avoid waste or extravagance. LES must be scrupulous in the use of official money, human and other resources.

LES have a responsibility to care for and maintain High Commission property. The property of the High Commission is to be used for official purposes only and is to be used efficiently and effectively.

LES must not, in the course of their employment in the High Commission, provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes.

An employee is expected to:
• exercise reasonable care in giving written or oral information or advice; and
• take reasonable steps to ensure that the information provided is accurate.

Where there are doubts about the reliability of information this should be checked with a supervisor. Where the information being given is of an interim or conditional nature, this should be made clear.

An employee must not make improper use of inside information or the employee's duties, status, power or authority in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee, or for any other person, including the acceptance of gifts, sponsored travel, hospitality, accommodation, hire car costs and entertainment.

These restrictions also apply to the families of LES, where the gift or benefit is a direct result of the official duties of the employee.

Gifts or benefits generally should not be accepted. In cases where not accepting would cause offence to an extent that could adversely affect Australia's interests, a gift or benefit can only be accepted with the written approval of the High Commissioner or Consul General.

If in doubt about whether or not to accept a gift the matter should be discussed with the employee's A-based supervisor.

A bribe is a gift given or offers made with the intention of influencing an employee to take or not to take a specific action.

The acceptance of a bribe will result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee.

Money must never be accepted as a gift.