Technical Competency

 Safe Communications and Interviewing

Anchoring the Competency into Recruitment Processes

Step 1: Integrating it into existing frameworks and procedures

For those with no existing Competency Framework, this is relatively simple and is does not require integration or finding an equivalent within your own system. For those with Competency Frameworks, such as the UN, European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) and other agencies and organisations, you can find a table below of associated values, behaviours or competencies within other frameworks to allow you to incorporate and test this competency within an equivalent in your existing system.

Step 2: Adding language into your vacancy announcement, job description and Terms of Reference

In order to anchor this technical competency within the recruitment process, and onwards into expectations in terms of job performance, it is important to include wording in your vacancy announcement, job description and terms of reference. Some model wording and options for this competency are included below.

In the job/position tasks and responsibilities section:

• “Create safe, supportive environments for survivor interactions that reduce fear and anxiety, while prioritising the survivors’ well-being.”

• “Plan, resource, design, undertake and monitor safe, confidential remote interviews ensuring response and escalation resources in situ for survivors.”

• “Use trauma-informed, survivor-centred communication when engaging with survivors of sexual violence, ensuring safety, dignity, and respect in all interactions.”

• “Apply active listening, empathy, and non-judgmental questioning techniques to build trust and rapport with survivors.”

• “Adapt communication style to meet the needs of diverse survivors, including those with disabilities, language barriers, or intersecting risks.”

• “Conduct interviews with child survivors of sexual violence in a trauma-informed, age-appropriate, and developmentally sensitive manner.”

• “Use open-ended, non-leading, and child-sensitive questioning techniques to gather information without suggestion or coercion.”

• “Work collaboratively with child specialists, psychosocial staff and guardians to ensure interviews with children are conducted ethically and appropriately.”

In the qualifications/experience section - what we are looking for?

• “Proven experience in planning and implementing survivor-centred, trauma-informed interviewing and interactions with survivors of sexual or gender-based violence (in field settings/remotely).”

• “Demonstrated ability to communicate with empathy, sensitivity, and cultural competence in high-stress or emotionally charged situations.”

• “Established ability to adapt communication techniques for people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, and capacity/developmental levels.”

• “Training in child-centred and trauma-informed interviewing methods (e.g. NICHD protocol, Child Forensic Interviewing, or equivalent).”

• “Strong knowledge of child safeguarding principles, including mandatory reporting requirements and confidentiality standards.”

• “Track record of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure safe and effective interviews with child who witnessed or were subjected to sexual violence.”

• “Training or proven track record of delivering safe and effective remote interviews, including planning and building local response systems in advance, strategies for building rapport and ensuring survivor-centred communication and responding to distress or retraumatisation in non-physical settings.”

Consider some of the inserts for Composure and Balance.

Step 3: Designing written tests or interview questions which assess this competency

One of the most useful ways of understanding a candidate’s competencies is to set either case scenarios or hypothetical examples to understand what they would do and how they would do it. You can also test technical knowledge through written assessments. These can all be tailored to the relevant field of work or specific job. A few broad examples are provided below, both as written tests and for interview questions.

Sample written tests examples

Hypothetical (can be based on relevant context and job requirements): 

1. You have been asked to plan to conduct a series of remote interviews in a country you cannot get physical access to and where there is an active conflict. What are your main considerations and what safeguards must you put in place?

2. Your team has started to conduct a series of survivor interviews in an IDP camp. It becomes clear that many of the survivors are under 18 years old but are also married (early marriage is common and increasing in that setting). You don’t have direct experience or training to interview children. What actions do you take?

Technical:

1. How do you plan for and deliver a safe interview structure, giving the survivor control but still guiding the process, and ensuring a safe, closing phase?

2. What are the key ingredients for creating a safe space for disclosure

Sample interview questions

1. Tell us about a work experience when you recognised and had to adjust to communication barriers and challenges, verbal and non-verbal cues, or when you were not being understood or could properly understand the other person. How did you identify the problem, and what was your response?

2. Describe a time when you successfully created a supportive, physically and psychologically safe environment for an in-person or a remote interaction, which was accessible and gender, age, disability, social, cultural and context sensitive?

3. Can you describe your experience with any structured child interviewing methods (e.g. revised NICHD protocol, forensic interviewing protocols)?

4. Please share an experience in which the information being proved by a survivor (or another person) was either internally inconsistent or was not consistent with other information you had previously collected. What did you do?

For such important skills for frontline personnel, recruitment or early professional development onboarding sessions should include simulated interviews as role-plays to ensure green lighting before commencing work.

Consider some of the questions for Composure and Balance.

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