Guide To Senior Executive Service Qualifications - …

1 June 2010 Guide To Senior ExecutiveService Qualifications 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. 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 .

2 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, they 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 new methods for selecting members of the SES, the Accomplishment Record and Resume-based methods.

3 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 descriptions of the new methods and sample write-ups. In this way we hope to make it even more useful to Senior Executive Service candidates as they strive to assess and describe their Executive Qualifications , in preparation for review by selection officials.

4 In addition to helping applicants, the Guide will be useful to individuals charged with reviewing Executive Qualifications , including agency personnel and Executive development specialists and members of agency Executive Resources Boards. 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 June 2010 Guide to the SES Qualifications June 2010 CONTENTS Executive 1 3 Merit Competition.

5 4 Qualifications Review Board 6 Writing Executive Qualifications 8 Examples of Qualifications 9 Writing Accomplishment Record Examples of Accomplishment Record Addressing Executive Qualifications in a Resume Appendix A: Competency Appendix B: Tips for Writing Effective ECQ Statements and Accomplishment Record Appendix C: English 101 Revisited and Other 1 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).

6 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.

7 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. Executive Core Qualifications : 1.

8 Leading Change This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is 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. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

9 3. Results Driven This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Guide to the SES Qualifications June 2010 2 4. Business Acumen This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. 5. Building Coalitions This core qualification involves 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.

10 Guide to the SES Qualifications June 2010 3 COMPETENCIES Competencies, shown in Appendix A, are the personal and professional attributes that are critical to successful performance in the SES. They are based on extensive research of Government and private sector executives and input from agency Senior Executives and human resources managers. There are 28 competencies. Twenty-two of the competencies are the specific competencies for the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). The remaining six are the fundamental competencies and are the attributes that serve as the foundation for each of the ECQs.