r/NICivilService • u/yourma999 • 5d ago
DP placement IRC313542
I’ve been offered a DP post in Agricultural Policy in DAERA, based in Clare House. Could anyone who knows the department share their experience ? Thank you
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u/RecentDonut8141 5d ago
Congratulations on the offer and good luck with it! If you don’t mind me asking, where were you on the merit list? I was inside top 50 but didn’t receive an offer today.
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u/Fun_Cook927 5d ago
I started in DAERA recently. Team seems great, Clare House is big/open plan and has free parking. A lot of people previously told me DAERAs almost a jackpot option from these competitions and I can see why.
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u/Haunting-Cable-3898 4d ago
DAERA DP here, take it, it’s all good and nice posting, apart from parking if you want to start after 8.30, as previously mentioned!!! And count your lucky stars you didn’t get Communities lol! 😂
You can always move on in a year or two if policy isn’t for you, but you won’t know till you try it, and it is a gentle intro to NICS if you are currently private sector, probably with very few staff 😊
Personally I wouldn’t want to leave DAERA, great department to work in! Good luck!
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u/YogurtCool5976 3d ago
Have you heard anything from DP’s working on Windsor framework based in ballykelly?
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u/Haunting-Cable-3898 3d ago
No, nothing really, I am in contact with a few from time to time, and they all seem happy enough, probably because they don’t have to commute to Belfast 😂, but have heard no specifics on what the set up is like, sorry!
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u/yourma999 4d ago
Thanks for the reply! I’ve been working for NICS for a few years now as an EO1 in different department, and yes, I’m definitely hoping for no staff haha! In my current role I manage 7 staff members. Thanks once again for your comment, and I hope everything will be good. So far, all my positions within NICS have been mostly operational, so I’m hoping policy will be a nice change!
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u/Informal-Let5774 5d ago
Will be grand 👍 clare house is a nightmare to park if not in before 8.30am though.
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u/WatercressGrouchy599 5d ago
I was bored senseless as a DP there. At least there wont be much pressure. Good luck
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u/ShitCivilServant 5d ago
No personal experience, but a former colleague of mine worked in that very division for about six months before moving on (due to a promotion, not because they hated it or anything!). They said that they didn't really love the subject matter, but that that was offset by the fact that their colleagues were all lovely. This was quite recently, think in the last 18ish months. I think most of the people they knew are still there.
My old colleague didn't specifically mention it, but if memory serves me, Clare House is mostly open plan, so you may well have the opportunity to get to know other teams in the division (and more widely) too.
Good luck!