95 BOA: Study Group Tonight: Group Exercises

I'll be meeting tonight with my study group. Group Exercises are on tap. I have lots of work to do to improve my skill set in that area. The group exercise is an integral part of the Oral Assessment. Here's the description from the State Department summary:

Preparations

For the first exercise of the day, candidates are brought together in a group of three to six to
comprise an Embassy task force charged with allocating resources to competing projects in
their host country. Each candidate receives a package of common background materials, as
well as a five-page candidate specific project to read and absorb (30 minutes). At the end of
that time, each candidate will present his or her project to the group. Candidates may take
notes at any time.

Common Materials
• General instructions
• Memorandum from a senior US Embassy official in one of various mythical
countries appointing the candidate to a task force to consider proposals for use of scarce resources
• Country Background Notes
• The U.S. Country Plan and Objectives
• Lists of key U.S. Embassy and host government officials
• A map of the country
Project Specific Information
• Five pages describing the candidate's individual project

The Presentation Phase
When the 30-minute preparation time is over, four assessors join the group and take seats in the corners of the room. At this point in the assessment, the assessors know nothing about the candidates. The assessors do not participate; they only observe the group exercise. Candidates are briefed on the ground rules and are invited to begin their individual project presentations in any order they choose; however, they are cautioned that projects are not to be compared or evaluated in the presentation phase. Each candidate has six minutes to present his or her project to the others, covering all relevant facets of the project, including both negative and positive points, U.S. interests, and required resources. Time may be left at the end of each
presentation for questions from other candidates.

The Discussion Phase
After the last presentation has been made, the lead examiner informs the group that it is now entering the discussion phase of the exercise, the stage in which the candidates must reach a consensus on project selection and allocation of their limited resources.

In this phase, candidates discuss and debate the merits and/or drawbacks of the various projects in order to make recommendations to the Ambassador. Toward that end, the group negotiates and debates pros and cons with the goal of reaching, within the time allotted (20-25 minutes - depending on group size), a consensus on which projects should be supported and at what level.

The group exercise measures oral communication, objectivity and integrity, ability to work with others, information integration and analysis, planning, judgment, initiative, leadership, and composure. Strong candidates are those who keep in mind the objective of the exercise: to help the Ambassador decide how best to allocate limited U.S. Government resources among a number of worthy projects. They have the ability to integrate information not just about their own projects but also about projects presented by their colleagues. They may suggest original ideas and solutions. A good leader can draw out others and help move the group to consensus.

Active participation is essential to successful performance. Examiners cannot judge qualities they cannot see. Even if a candidate presents a clear project, lack of involvement in the discussion phase can make the difference when the scores are determined.

Got a great study group. They're very helpful. To anyone who sets out on this path, a bit of advice: Find some great folks who are motivated, disciplined, and generous. Makes all the difference.

Talked to a friend last night about signing up for State. She didn't realize that they were hiring. She sounded fascinated, said she'd always wanted to do this, but when I described the lengthy hiring process, she was daunted. Can understand that. The hiring process is daunting. Heck, it can be downright terrifying. But if you want something bad enough, then fear shouldn't stop you. It shouldn't, but ... yeah, I know, it sometimes does.