Guide To Senior Executive Service Qualifications

Guide To Senior Executive Service Qualifications

September 2012

INTRODUCTION

In the 21st century, Government executives face special challenges. They must be visionary leaders with a strong commitment to public service. They must be able to apply "people skills" to motivate their employees, build partnerships, and communicate with their customers. Finally, they need solid management skills in order to produce optimum results with limited resources.

Membership in the Senior Executive Service (SES) demands leadership, professional integrity, a broad perspective, and a commitment to the highest ideals of public service. The women and men charged with leading the continuing transformation of government possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective of government and a public service commitment which is grounded in the Constitution. The keystone of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the SES was designed to be a corps of executives selected for their leadership qualifications today. While technical job-specific qualifications are important, the keystone of the SES is executive leadership.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) helps make sure the Government selects strong leaders by developing the core qualifications used to test new career appointees to the Senior Executive Service (SES) and by administering peer review boards which evaluate whether candidates possess these essential leadership qualifications.

The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) were developed in 1997 after extensive research on the attributes of successful executives in both the private and public sectors. They were revalidated and reissued with a few modifications in 2006. In their current form, ECQs represent the best thinking of organizational psychologists, human resources professionals both at OPM and other agencies, and Senior Executives themselves.

The ECQs are:

? Leading Change ? Leading People ? Results Driven ? Business Acumen ? Building Coalitions

In 2008, OPM piloted two additional methods for selecting members of the SES; the Accomplishment Record and Resume-based methods. Both of these methods continue to be based on the ECQs. However, the Accomplishment Record method differs from the traditional approach to selecting SES members in that applicants are not asked to address the five broad ECQs but rather on a select few of the 28 executive competencies underlying them. The Resume-based option is even simpler, with the applicant showing possession of the ECQs in a standard resume format. In order to keep this Guide up to date, with these developments, we are reissuing it with more user friendly resume based examples.

All current vacancies for career SES positions and SES candidate development programs at departments and agencies across the Federal Government's appear on OPM's official job website located at .

Guide to the SES Qualifications

September 2012

CONTENTS Executive Qualifications......................................................................................................... 1 Competencies.......................................................................................................................... 3 Merit Competition .................................................................................................................. 6 Qualifications Review Board Certification............................................................................. 7 Writing Executive Qualifications Narratives........................................................................... 9 Examples of Qualifications Narratives................................................................................... 10 Writing Accomplishment Record Narratives.......................................................................... 23 Examples of Accomplishment Record Narratives.................................................................. 24 Addressing Executive Qualifications in a Resume................................................................. 29 Resume Example..................................................................................................................... 30 Appendix A: Tips for Writing Effective ECQ Narratives, Accomplishment Record Narratives, and Resume................................................................................ 38

Guide to the SES Qualifications

September 2012

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EXECUTIVE QUALIFICATIONS

The law requires that the executive qualifications of each new career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) be certified by an independent Qualifications Review Board based on criteria established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) describe the leadership skills needed to succeed in the SES; they also reinforce the concept of an "SES corporate culture." This concept holds that the Government needs executives who can provide strategic leadership and whose commitment to public policy and administration transcends their commitment to a specific agency mission or an individual profession.

Executives with a "corporate" view of Government share values that are grounded in the fundamental Government ideals of the Constitution: they embrace the dynamics of American Democracy, an approach to governance that provides a continuing vehicle for change within the Federal Government.

OPM has identified five executive core qualifications. The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential--not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions--not whether they are the most superior candidate for a particular position. (The latter determination is made by the employing agency.) Successful performance in the SES requires competence in each ECQ. The ECQs are interdependent; successful executives bring all five to bear when providing service to the Nation.

The ECQs are:

1. Leading Change

This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. This ECQ requires the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

2. Leading People

This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. This ECQ requires the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. Results Driven

This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. This ECQ requires the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

Guide to the SES Qualifications

September 2012

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4. Business Acumen

This core qualification requires the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions

This core qualification requires the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Guide to the SES Qualifications

September 2012

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