Decision Making: Practice Scenarios
CSAT · Decision Making and Interpersonal Skills
Introduction
This lesson applies the five-filter method to a wider range of administrative scenarios: emergencies, conflicts of interest, public grievances, resource allocation and inter-departmental coordination.
Key concepts
Scenario families
| Family | Key principle |
|---|---|
| Emergency and disaster | Life first; act now, document later |
| Conflict of interest | Disclose and recuse |
| Corruption and misconduct | Verify, refuse, report through channels |
| Public grievance | Listen, inform, give a timeline |
| Resource allocation | Need-based priority; essential services first |
| Coordination failure | Joint meeting, written responsibilities |
| Misinformation | Transparent facts, trusted messengers |
Worked reasoning pattern
For each option ask four questions: Is it legal? Does it solve the problem? Is it fair to everyone affected? Can it be done now with the resources available? The option that passes all four is the answer.
Discretion
Rules sometimes allow officers discretion. Using it in favour of a deserving applicant is acceptable when the rules permit it and the reasons are recorded – this protects both fairness and accountability.
- Legal? Solves? Fair? Feasible?
- Discretion only within rules, with reasons recorded
Solved examples
Example 1
A pregnant woman in a remote village needs to reach hospital at night, but the ambulance has broken down. You are the block officer.
What is the most appropriate action?
(a) Advise the family to manage on their own (b) Wait for the ambulance to be repaired (c) Lodge a complaint about the ambulance first (d) Arrange the nearest available vehicle immediately and alert the hospital to be ready
- Saving life comes first; administrative follow-up can come later.
Answer: (d) Arrange the nearest available vehicle immediately and alert the hospital to be ready
Example 2
You find that your close friend, who is a contractor, has applied for a tender in your department.
What should you do?
(a) Say nothing and evaluate normally (b) Help your friend win the tender (c) Declare the conflict of interest and recuse yourself from evaluating the tender (d) Reject his bid to avoid suspicion
- Disclosure and recusal protect fairness; rejecting him outright is also unfair.
Answer: (c) Declare the conflict of interest and recuse yourself from evaluating the tender
Example 3
Students protesting against a fee hike block the main road near a college.
As the local administrator, what is the best first step?
(a) Talk to student representatives, arrange a meeting with college authorities and request them to clear the road (b) Use force to clear the road immediately (c) Order the college to cancel the fee hike at once (d) Ignore the protest
- Dialogue addresses both the grievance and public inconvenience; force or ignoring escalates.
Answer: (a) Talk to student representatives, arrange a meeting with college authorities and request them to clear the road
Example 4
Your subordinate brings you evidence that a senior colleague is falsifying attendance records.
What should you do?
(a) Falsify your own records to be safe (b) Verify the evidence and report it through the proper channel (c) Confront the senior publicly (d) Ask the subordinate to forget it
- Verification plus proper reporting is responsible and fair.
Answer: (b) Verify the evidence and report it through the proper channel
Example 5
A storm has damaged power lines. Hospitals, water pumping stations and residential areas are all without power, and repair crews are limited.
Which should get first priority?
(a) Hospitals and water pumping stations (b) Government offices (c) Residential areas with the most complaints (d) Commercial markets
- Essential life-supporting services come first.
Answer: (a) Hospitals and water pumping stations
Example 6
You are posted to a district where people distrust the administration because of past corruption.
What is the best way to build trust?
(a) Blame the previous officers publicly (b) Announce that corruption has ended (c) Make processes transparent, respond to complaints on time and be visibly accessible (d) Avoid meeting the public
- Trust grows from consistent, transparent action.
Answer: (c) Make processes transparent, respond to complaints on time and be visibly accessible
Example 7
A rule requires a document that a poor applicant cannot provide, though other evidence clearly supports her claim.
What should the officer do?
(a) Approve without any record (b) Use the discretion available under the rules to accept alternative evidence, recording the reasons (c) Reject the application (d) Tell her to get the document somehow
- Lawful discretion, documented, balances rules with fairness.
Answer: (b) Use the discretion available under the rules to accept alternative evidence, recording the reasons
Example 8
A team member is very talented but rude to others, lowering team morale.
What is the best response?
(a) Criticise him in front of others (b) Ignore it because of his talent (c) Remove him from the team immediately (d) Give clear, private feedback on behaviour and its impact, and monitor improvement
- Specific private feedback is respectful and corrective.
Answer: (d) Give clear, private feedback on behaviour and its impact, and monitor improvement
- The best option often has two parts: an immediate step and a follow-up.
- Options that mention 'verify', 'consult', 'record' or 'proper channel' are frequently correct.
- Beware of options that sound decisive but skip verification.
- Equating 'decisive' with 'correct'.
- Ignoring the most vulnerable person in the scenario.
- Choosing to escalate to the media or public before using internal channels.
Practice set
Attempt all 12 questions (about 90 seconds each), then check the worked solutions below.
Q1. During an election, you see a candidate's supporters distributing cash near a polling booth.
What should you do as the officer on duty?
(a) Ignore it as it is not your duty (b) Join the supporters to avoid trouble (c) Warn them privately and let them continue (d) Report it immediately to the election authorities and ensure action as per the rules
Q2. You have promised a village a new water tank, but the funds have been delayed.
What is the best action?
(a) Blame the higher authorities (b) Cancel the project quietly (c) Inform the villagers honestly and arrange temporary supply by tanker (d) Say nothing until funds arrive
Q3. A junior colleague asks you to sign attendance on his behalf while he attends a personal function.
What should you do?
(a) Sign it as a favour (b) Report him immediately without talking (c) Sign but tell the supervisor later (d) Refuse politely and suggest he apply for leave
Q4. A child labourer is found working in a roadside eatery.
What is the most appropriate action?
(a) Ask the child to work fewer hours (b) Rescue the child through the appropriate authority and ensure rehabilitation and schooling (c) Fine the owner and leave the child there (d) Ignore it because the family is poor
Q5. Two departments blame each other for a delay in a project that affects the public.
As the coordinating officer, what should you do?
(a) Call a joint meeting, fix responsibilities and a timeline in writing (b) Take over the project personally (c) Let them settle it themselves (d) Blame both publicly
Q6. A social media post falsely claims that your office is demanding bribes for a service.
What is the best response?
(a) Publish the correct procedure and fees, invite complaints and check internally (b) Delete your office's social media page (c) File a case against the poster immediately (d) Ignore the post
Q7. You are asked to cut costs by 10% in your office.
Which is the most sensible approach?
(a) Cut all salaries by 10% (b) Ignore the instruction (c) Stop all public services (d) Review expenses, cut waste first and protect essential services
Q8. A farmer requests a loan waiver that is not allowed under the scheme rules but is in genuine distress.
What should you do?
(a) Send him away (b) Grant the waiver anyway (c) Explain the rules and help him access other eligible schemes and support (d) Promise to change the rules yourself
Q9. Your office must choose a vendor. The cheapest vendor has a poor record of delivery.
What should guide the decision?
(a) Always the lowest price (b) Value for money, including quality and reliability, as per procurement rules (c) The vendor with the best advertisement (d) The vendor known to the officer
Q10. An elderly person cannot use the online portal to apply for a pension.
What should the office do?
(a) Reject the application (b) Provide assisted help at the counter or through a facilitation centre (c) Ask him to find a younger relative (d) Tell him the portal is the only way
Q11. A rumour spreads that a vaccine causes illness, and parents stop bringing children for vaccination.
What is the best response?
(a) Make vaccination compulsory with penalties immediately (b) Ignore the rumour (c) Engage trusted local leaders and health workers to explain facts and address fears (d) Stop the vaccination drive
Q12. You realise that a decision you took last week was wrong and is causing problems.
What should you do?
(a) Acknowledge the mistake, correct it and inform those affected (b) Blame your subordinate (c) Defend the decision to save face (d) Wait and see if anyone notices
Q1 – (d) Report it immediately to the election authorities and ensure action as per the rules. Free and fair elections require prompt reporting.
Q2 – (c) Inform the villagers honestly and arrange temporary supply by tanker. Honesty plus an interim solution keeps trust.
Q3 – (d) Refuse politely and suggest he apply for leave. Refusing falsification while offering a legitimate option.
Q4 – (b) Rescue the child through the appropriate authority and ensure rehabilitation and schooling. Law and the child's welfare both require rescue and rehabilitation.
Q5 – (a) Call a joint meeting, fix responsibilities and a timeline in writing. Coordination and clear accountability resolve inter-departmental delay.
Q6 – (a) Publish the correct procedure and fees, invite complaints and check internally. Transparency counters misinformation and an internal check ensures the claim is truly false.
Q7 – (d) Review expenses, cut waste first and protect essential services. Targeting waste protects core functions.
Q8 – (c) Explain the rules and help him access other eligible schemes and support. Compassion within the rules: guide him to legitimate support.
Q9 – (b) Value for money, including quality and reliability, as per procurement rules. Procurement seeks value for money, not just the lowest price.
Q10 – (b) Provide assisted help at the counter or through a facilitation centre. Inclusive service ensures no one is left out by technology.
Q11 – (c) Engage trusted local leaders and health workers to explain facts and address fears. Trusted communication changes behaviour more effectively than coercion.
Q12 – (a) Acknowledge the mistake, correct it and inform those affected. Accountability and correction show integrity.
- Emergencies: act first
- Conflict of interest: recuse
- Grievances: listen + timeline
- Discretion with recorded reasons
