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The Civil Service Fast Stream Development Programme is a training and development programme for talented graduates, who are selected on the basis of their potential to reach the Senior Civil Service. The Civil Service recruits to the Fast Stream on the basis of fair and open competition and selection on merit. Existing civil servants nominated by their departments can apply for the Fast Stream through a separate internal scheme.
The standard of entry to the to the Fast Stream remains high. This site provides information on the 2002 recruitment schemes (ie: those completed between 1st April 2002 and 31st March 2003) and summarises some of the developments during this period.
CSSB - The Civil Service Selection Board; our assessment centre in London
QT - The Qualifying Test; the written test prior to our assessment centre
PIB - The Preliminary Interview Board; for disabled candidates who opt for interview instead of the qualifying test, or after failure at the qualifying test.
FSB - The Final Selection Board; a final panel interview for applicants for the Diplomatic Service or Clerkships in Parliament.
GFS - The General Fast Stream. By far the largest Fast Stream scheme, this includes options for posts within Central Departments, the Diplomatic Service (plus economists), European Fast Stream (plus lawyers), Parliamentary Clerkships and the Science & Engineering Fast Stream.
Open Fast Stream - There was open recruitment to five Fast Stream schemes in 2002: the General Fast Stream, Economists, Statisticians, Inland Revenue and GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters)
Marketing
To maintain awareness of the Fast Stream amongst high calibre graduates, and to ensure that the Fast Stream is openly publicised, we have again run a programme of career fairs, presentations, and policy management games. We have once more offered career advisers the opportunity to observe CSSB. Interest in the Fast Stream continues to rise, and the Fast Stream has risen to first place in the High Fliers UK Graduate Careers Survey 2003. ‘Word of mouth’ now plays a significant part in attracting our successful candidates.
Vacancies, Applications and Appointments
The overall number of Fast Stream vacancies dropped slightly for the second year in succession, but applications increased by 21%. The GFS saw vacancies decrease by 7% but applications rise by 16%, a trend that seems set to continue.
119 GFS applicants were declared ineligible, 18 on the basis of nationality and 101 on the basis of qualifications. Subject to conditions published in the 2002 GFS Application & Selection Booklet, applicants with disabilities could request exemption from the requirement for a degree. None did so this year. In addition, applicants who had been successful at CSSB or FSB on a previous occasion could claim exemption from the QT. On this basis, ten candidates were granted exemption in 2002.
As a result of the increased interest and the small decline in need, we saw a further improvement in meeting our vacancies - 81% filled, compared with 69% two years ago. The GFS again met all its vacancies. Although 17 candidates withdrew, we placed an additional 33 Fast Streamers who had deferred their entry in a previous competition. The Economists’ Fast Stream filled 71% of vacancies, a significant improvement on the 50% achieved last year. Statistician Fast Stream entrants remained the most difficult to recruit, with only 35% of posts filled.
Of those successful at CSSB for the GFS, 24 were awarded the highest board marks (1 and 2) and 18 declined the offer of a Fast Stream post,both figures similar to last year’s.
The Summary of Vacancies, Applications and Successes (PDF, 47.3KB) table details the results of the 2002 Fast Stream competitions and includes totals for vacancies, applicants, and successful candidates.
In Service Nomination Scheme
The In-Service scheme offers civil servants of two years’ or more the opportunity to apply internally for the Fast Stream. Nominated by their departments, they are exempt from the degree requirement and QT. Posts are available for everyone who reaches the required standard.
In line with the recommendations in the Fast Stream Review, the In-Service scheme was re-launched in 2002. Major improvements included revamped publicity material and scheme literature, seminars for departments and the provision of pre-selection tests. As a result, the scheme attracted a higher number of nominations this year - 92 compared with 60 in 2001. 29 candidates were successful, an increase of seven on the previous year. Gender and ethnicity figures for the scheme are included in the diversity tables. Following an evaluation of the changes, the 2003 scheme was launched a month early, giving departments longer to publicise it and select candidates.
Diversity
Gender
A slightly higher proportion of women applied successfully to the Fast Stream this year. Applications from women rose from 47.6% last year to 49.9% in 2002, and they made up 52.1% of those recommended for appointment - up from 51.5%. Only the Economist scheme again attracted more men. They made up 63% of the applicants and 70% of the successful candidates.
The Analysis by Gender (PDF, 344KB) table details the number of applicants by gender at each selection stage of the Fast Stream schemes
Ethnic Minorities
The proportion of both applications and successful candidates from ethnic minority groups increased this year, although we recognise that there remains much more to be done. Applications across the Fast Stream rose marginally from 16.5% to 17.0% - and 9.7% of those recommended for appointment were from ethnic minority groups compared with 7.6% last year. In the GFS, 7.4% of successful candidates were ethnic minority graduates, compared with 6.0% in 2001 and 4.5% in 1997.
The Outreach Team organises training programmes, work placements, presentations and policy games on a regular basis, details of which can be found on the Fast Stream diversity site www.faststream.gov.uk/diversity [External website]
The Analysis by Ethnicity (PDF, 343KB) table contains the number of applicants by ethnicity at each selection stage of the Fast Stream schemes
Disabled Candidates
The overall number of applicants recording a disability has remained at 267, although in percentage terms this represents a small decrease from last year. The number of candidates recording a disability and recommended for appointment has risen from 12 to 16, an increase from 2.9% to 3.9% of the total. Again, we recognise that we have much to do in this area.
In the GFS the number of applicants recording a disability has risen by 14 this year to 213. 61 of these candidates requested a PIB and exemption from the QT, and a further 77 requested a PIB after failing the QT. In total, 42 candidates were successful at PIB and invited to CSSB. The number of candidates recording a disability and recommended for appointment has remained at 12 which, in real terms, represents a small increase on the 2001 scheme - from 4.0% of those successful to 4.7%.
The Analysis by Disability (PDF, 342KB) table provides the number of applicants recording a disability at the applicant and assessment centre stage, and includes figures for those who requested an interview under the Department for Work & Pensions’ Employer Disability Symbol (two ticks) scheme.
Age, Academic Institution and Degree Disciplines
The average age on application for the schemes overall, and for the GFS, has remained at 24. This is also the average age of successful candidates in both cases.
Candidates for the 2002 Fast Stream came from a wide range of academic backgrounds and successful candidates from 78 different institutions. Across all Fast Stream schemes, applications from Oxbridge universities rose from 7.9% to 8.4% of the total compared to 8.7% in 1997. Oxbridge graduates made up 27.5% of those recommended for appointment, compared with 28.0% last year and 34.3% in 1997.
Oxbridge candidates comprised 35.5% of successful candidates for the GFS, up from 32.2% last year. In 1997 43.5% of successful GFS candidates originated from Oxbridge universities.
Most of the candidates recommended for appointment have come from language, social science and humanities backgrounds. In the GFS and GCHQ schemes over two thirds of successful candidates have come from these disciplines. In the Statistician scheme, which requires numerate disciplines, candidates with mathematical science backgrounds, particularly psychology, were most successful.
During the year we began a pilot with Liverpool John Moores, South Bank and Westminster universities to look for ways in which we could widen the range of institutions from which attract potentially successful Fast Stream candidates and improve the diversity of those we recruit.
The Analysis by University (PDF, 40KB) table lists the university of first degree for both applicants and successful candidates
The Analysis by Degree Type (PDF, 340KB) table details the degree types of applicants and successes in line with the categories of the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Further Information on Diversity Trends
The Open Fast Stream Diversity Trends (PDF, 346KB) table provides diversity trend data over the last 5 years for the Open Fast Stream in total.
The General Fast Stream Diversity Trends (PDF, 24.6KB) table provides diversity trend data over the last 5 years for the GFS alone
Developments during the Year
The GFS support contract with Capita plc came to an end on 31st March 2003, and during the year the Cabinet Office has conducted a procurement exercise for its successor. Following competitive tender, a new support contract was agreed with Parity plc. It looks towards a partnership style of working rather than a traditional contractor/ supplier relationship, and is based around a much greater use of computer technology. Parity will become responsible for the other Fast Stream schemes in 2003, as current contracts with Capita expire.
Research and Development
We regularly modify the FS selection process in line with developing best practice. In some respects, however, our processes are beginning to look a little dated and a fundamental examination is now underway. We also needed to address a number of the recommendations of the 2001 review of the Fast Stream, and others made by the Cabinet Office’s expert advisers. In response the Cabinet Office developed a research and development plan, upon which work began in October 2002 and will extend over 18 months. It has four linked elements:
The audit and benchmarking work included a major review of the competency based Fast Stream person specification, and was taken forward in parallel with research into the graduate selection procedures used currently by other ‘blue chip’ organisations. We also reviewed the research into the effectiveness of alternative approaches. The outcomes of this stage will inform the re-design of the selection procedures, which we plan to use for the 2005 Fast Stream schemes and will be subject to quality assurance.
