Director of Planning, Research and Statistics practice interview
Leading strategic planning, research priorities, official data quality and evidence services for executive decisions. Practise the 5 questions interviewers ask for this role with follow-ups. Paid plans add scored feedback on every answer.
A Pro practice interview, on the Pro plan from ₦5,000 a month billed yearly, or on Premium.
- Lead
- 20 minutes
- 5 questions
- Scored feedback on paid plans
About the role
This executive interview covers leadership of an integrated planning, research and statistics function. The panel will assess how you prioritise evidence needs, safeguard data and research quality, advise executives under uncertainty and build a directorate whose work improves public decisions.
How to prepare
- Prepare an example of aligning a research or data programme with strategic planning decisions.
- Review how you would reconcile conflicting administrative, survey and operational evidence.
- Think through criteria for prioritising research when resources and staff capacity are constrained.
- Prepare an example of raising quality standards across multidisciplinary teams.
- Check the official vacancy notice for the current mandate and recruitment requirements.
Common mistakes
- Running planning, research and statistics as separate reporting functions.
- Choosing research topics without a clear decision need or likely user.
- Smoothing over conflicting evidence instead of investigating and explaining it.
- Promising certainty when data quality or research design cannot support it.
What to expect
A real first-round interview
5 questions the way interviewers ask for this role, with follow-ups when an answer needs more.
Spoken, like the real thing
Speak your answers in your browser or the free desktop app, with live captions. You can ask the interviewer to repeat anything.
Scored on 4 areas
The things this interview weighs most. With a paid plan, your report shows how you did on each one.
A private report
On Plus, Pro and Premium: every answer scored, your strongest lines quoted and what to say differently next time. Interview creators never see it.
More education practice
Data Collection Officer (Census)
Conducting census interviews, following field protocols, protecting responses and resolving coverage gaps.
EducationResearch Officer (Public Policy)
Policy research design, evidence appraisal, interviews, data analysis and clear recommendations for public decision-makers.
EducationResearch Officer (Social Policy)
Designing ethical social research, synthesising mixed evidence and producing useful findings for public policy.