1) Why do you think you are best suited for the Job of Clerk Assistant?

The Candidate should clearly match his skills and competencies to the roles of the job eg;
Analytical capabilities,
Good report writing skills,
Good interpersonal and communication skills,
etc
2) What do you understand by the principle of separation of powers? Do you think it is
important and if so, why?
Developed in ancient Greece and Rome, the doctrine of Separation of powers denotes the
dichotomy of the state into branches, each with separate and independent powers and
areas of responsibility so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with the powers
associated with the other branches. The typical division of branches is into a legislature, an
executive, and a judiciary.
Yes it is important because;
Prevents abuse of power and safeguards freedoms for all,
It enhances accountability,
Sharing of power and checking one another (checks and balances)
It enables smooth running of government through minimizing conflict since roles are
clearly delineated
3) Distinguish between a Bill and an Act:
A Bill is a draft law while an act is a Bill that has been passed by Parliament into law and
signed by the President
4) Name four (4) of your key result areas for this position and for each state how well aligned
your capabilities are to those areas?

Rendering administrative support and procedural advice to the Speaker and
Committees,
Drafting Reports
Writing briefs
Compiling minutes of meetings
Organizing field activities
Budgeting for Committee Activities

5) In your opinion, what characterizes the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians?
How can this relationship be improved?
The relationship between bureaucrats and politicians has historically been characterized by
friction and suspicion. This has traditionally bred conflicts between them.
To improve this relationship; there is need for;
Open communication to bridge information gaps,
Clear guidelines and regulations to guide interactions,
Delineation of responsibility,
Open channels for redress incase of complaints
6) What are the basic qualities of a good report?
a) Clear title
b) Executive Summary and good background information
c) The language should be simple, clear and unambiguous. Short sentences should be
used as far as possible.
d) The phraseology should be adapted to suit the occasion or the issue under
consideration. It would be improper to adopt technical terms or business phraseology
which are not likely to be understood by the person (s) for whom the report is
intended.
e) The report should preferably be written in the narrative form setting out the facts,
findings and recommendations in such a logical way that they present a coherent
picture.
f) The data presented in support of the recommendations should be accurate, reliable and
complete. These should be properly classified, tabulated and analyzed so that they can
give a realistic and concrete reading of any problem under consideration.
g) The conclusions and recommendations should be based on factual data (not
impressions) and unbiased so that they can be depended upon by the recipient (s) for
deciding on a course of action.
h) The report should be as brief as possible in keeping with the purpose for which it is
needed. But clearness should not be sacrificed for the sake of conciseness. The report
should be to the point, using the minimum number of words and avoiding all
repetitions and exaggerations. It the writer sticks to these qualities, the report will
automatically remain concise.

7) What does it take to organize a successful meeting?
Pre meeting: Agree on the date and agenda for the meeting, analyse relevant documents
and prepare briefs for Members, make reservations for venue and refreshments, send
out meeting invites and disemminate any relevant documents in time.
During meeting: Read prayer, Take minutes, and render procedural advice
Post meeting: Follow up on resolutions, present minutes for review and signing.

8) Once upon a time, a Clerk Assistant unilaterally arranged for a meeting between Members
of a Committee and representatives of some Civil Society Organizations and far reaching
decisions were made. However, the Chairperson of the Committee later challenged the
decisions of that meeting claiming that the Clerk Assistants action was ultra-vires. What
do you understand by the principle of ultra-vires? What was ultra vires about the Clerks
action?
Ultra vires is a Latin phrase meaning literally "beyond powers"/"beyond [the] powers",
although its standard legal translation and substitute is "beyond power". In administrative
law, an act may be judicially reviewable for ultra vires in a narrow or broad sense. Narrow
ultra vires applies if an administrator did not have the substantive power to make a
decision or it was wrought with procedural defects. Broad ultra vires applies if there is an
abuse of power
The Clerks Action was ultra vires because he/she arranged the meeting without the
consent of the Chairperson, contrary to established procedure. The Clerk Assistants actions
were unilateral.
9) What do you understand by ethics and etiquette? What do you consider the major values a
public servant needs to effectively discharge their functions?

Ethics are the standards or codes of behaviour considered to be correct and expected by the
group to which an individual belongs. Etiquette is a code of behaviour that outlines
expectations for social behaviour within a society, social class or group. Rules of etiquette
include all aspects of social interaction including manners.

Major values of a public servant;

Impartiality/political impartiality
Integrity
Honesty
Objectivity

10) As you are aware, there are a lot of accusations of government employees being corrupt
amidst numerous interventions aimed at addressing corruption in government. What
practical proposals would you advance to further mitigate corruption in Uganda?

The candidate should exhibit knowledge about and limitations of existing institutions and
legal regimes to fight corruption.

Responses should revolve around modalities for strengthening existing institutions and
legal regimes.

More punitive measures against convicted corrupt officials including forfeiture of
property and lengthy jail terms,
More civic engagement in detecting and reporting acts of corruption
More robust legislative oversight