September 2012

Guide To Senior Executive

Service Qualifications

Guide to the SES 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

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

• 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

departments and agencies across the Federal Government’s appear on OPM’s official job website

located at http://www.usajobs.gov/SeniorExecutives.

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

CONTENTS

Executive Qualifications......................................................................................................... 1

Merit Competition .................................................................................................................. 6

Qualifications Review Board Certification............................................................................. 7

Writing Executive Qualifications Narratives........................................................................... 9

Examples of Qualifications Narratives................................................................................... 10

Resume Example..................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix A: Tips for Writing Effective ECQ Narratives, Accomplishment Record

Narratives, and Resume…………………………………………………………………….. 38

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

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.

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.

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

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

Competencies 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

Qualifications (ECQs). The remaining six are the fundamental competencies and are the attributes

that serve as the foundation for each of the ECQs. Experience and training that strengthen and

demonstrate the competencies will enhance a candidate’s overall qualifications for the SES.

The ECQ Competencies are:

Leading Change

policies and trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders’ views; is aware of the

organization’s impact on the external environment.

Flexibility – Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing

conditions, or unexpected obstacles.

Resilience – Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under

adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks.

Strategic Thinking – Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with

Leading People

Conflict Management – Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and

takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and

disagreements in a constructive manner.

Leveraging Diversity – Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences

are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Developing Others – Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization

by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and

informal methods.

Entrepreneurship – Positions the organization for future success by identifying new opportunities;

builds the organization by developing or improving products or services. Takes calculated risks to

Problem Solving – Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of

Technical Credibility – Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures,

requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.

Human Capital Management – Builds and manages the workforce based on organizational goals,

budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited,

selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manages a multi-

sector workforce and a variety of work situations.

Technology Management – Keeps up-to-date on technological developments. Makes effective

use of technology to achieve results. Ensures access to and security of technology systems.

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Initial career appointments to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must be based on merit

competition. The law (5 U.S.C. 3393) requires agencies to establish an Executive Resources Board

process includes choosing a selection method, advertising the position, preliminary review of

applications by a human resources specialist, rating and ranking of applicants by a panel with in-

depth knowledge of the job’s requirements, evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications by an

Executive Resources Board, and making recommendations to the appointing authority. After the

agency merit staffing process is completed and the appointing authority has selected the candidate

he or she believes is best qualified for the position, the agency forwards the candidate’s application

to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for consideration by a Qualifications Review

Merit Staffing Selection Methods

selection methods:

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

security process. (Action) All of my employees joined the effort and we formed a truly effective

team. Working together, we implemented new security investigations methods and gained the

respect and trust of employees within our agency and throughout the Federal investigations

community. (Result)

for entry on duty security decisions was reduced from 195 to 20 days, on average. This streamlined

process made it possible to screen 14,000 prospective candidates for law officer positions

nationwide. (Result) I received the agency’s Meritorious Service Award for these achievements.

This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization’s vision,

Competencies

Leveraging Diversity

Developing Others

Team Building

While serving as Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, I was

assigned collateral duties to serve as the Acting Director of the Offices of Case Production and

Case Intake. The staffs of these departments were seriously demoralized by a recent reorganization

that eliminated the existing structure of separate legal staffs and consolidated them into one

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

the organization to focus on quality improvements and internal training without any impact on

production goals.

To attack this dual deficiency, I encouraged senior attorneys to utilize their extensive subject matter

(Action) This process effectively utilized the attorneys’ substantial skills base and provided

essential training to more junior and recently-hired attorneys.

I also initiated development of a training module that demonstrated to both internal employees and

the Labor-Relations Community that the Authority was still “in business”. I engaged employees of

both the Case Production and Case Intake staffs in the development of a training module on

Authority Case Law Developments. (Action) This training module was publicized and offered to

and Agency representatives. (Context) Internally, case productivity has markedly improved and

staff attorneys have demonstrated a broader case knowledge and skills base. (Result)

Throughout my career, I have recognized the value of motivating and rewarding employees. In my

current position as the agency’s Director of Information Resources, I lead a very competent staff of

17 senior technical professionals and 90 contractors. These employees design and manage the

agency’s local area network and telecommunication systems. (Context)

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Before joining the Federal Government, I was chief of the Information and Technology Office at a

large private sector law firm. I led a 25-member staff of managers and senior technicians who were

responsible for developing and managing the firm’s information technology systems. (Context) I

workforce by hiring females and minorities to fill 60 percent of the office’s vacant positions,

including four key management and three staff positions. (Action)

When I joined the law firm, most of the staff had not had annual performance reviews for two

years. (Challenge) Morale and productivity were very low, and there had been a high turnover of

staff in recent months. (Context) I immediately set out to change this situation.

After 9 months under the new work plans, I saw a significant improvement in morale as well as

cooperation among staff members who previously had not worked well with their colleagues.

(Result)

As the office’s senior manager, I served as the primary buffer between my staff and our customers-

-the firm’s attorneys. In one case, I was able to diffuse an explosive situation that developed when

one of my employees felt he was being unfairly pressured to design a new software program within

a very short deadline. (Challenge)

The two employees had engaged in several shouting matches within ear shot of several attorneys

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

ECQ 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

Accountability

Customer Service

Decisiveness

Entrepreneurship

Problem Solving

Technical Credibility

vote on particular issues. Because of my successful track record in those positions, the Mayor asked

me to lead a citizens group in planning and implementing a City Improvement Program.

(Challenge)

I recruited approximately 50 volunteers and educated them in the areas of public and municipal

finance and capital improvement planning. (Action) The team was committed to serving their

customers--fellow residents--and to meeting the Mayor’s high expectations for improving the

quality of life in Springfield. (Context) I led the volunteers in a local election campaign to increase

the city sales tax from 4 to 5 cents. I marketed the idea by talking to citizens groups and local

politicians, describing the benefits of an attractive city and better access to recreational facilities.

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

I organized task groups of functional and program staff from the field and headquarters and

assigned specific priorities to each group. (Action) Over the next 4 months, these employees

developed various options to accommodate the reductions, taking into consideration the interests of

our scientists and engineers, managers who rely on these professionals, congressional demands, and

At the same time, I directed my staff to develop computerized spreadsheets that allowed managers

to immediately see the impact of their funding decisions. (Action) Later, we used this system and

related processes to continually adjust the reduction targets as cost savings information was refined,

allowing almost instantaneous mid-course corrections to the list of reduction targets. (Context)

Well before the start of the new Fiscal Year, we presented several alternatives to the agency head,

Example 2: Results Driven

During my career, I have consistently used a results-driven approach in handling all aspects of my

responsibilities. I effectively leveraged my experience and leadership, human capital resources,

technology, and program management tools to achieve these results. While Vice President and

Controller of a global corporation, I was asked to lead an initiative to improve the profitability of

one of our lines of business in Canada that included a multitude of clients and services. (Challenge)

The business line was worth in excess of $50 Million, and I was accountable for improving its

bottom line while increasing profit margins. The initiative began in September 2008. The business

unit leader of this particular line of business was new to his role, as was his direct supervisor. I was

under tremendous pressure from the highest levels of the organization to show improvement. In

fact, I was required to make weekly reports on our progress. (Context)

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

felt that inactivity would only serve to further undermine profitability. In the end, my proactive

attitude paid huge dividends.

We created a database of profit and loss results by client compared to budget. We then segmented

threshold for all business services. The segmentation was a result of establishing criteria on which

specific services we would offer and which clients we would retain. While remaining highly

sensitive to our client relationships, I directed the formulation of a transition strategy for those

businesses we would exit and for those businesses with which we could not renegotiate a better

profit position. In the process of evaluating the business line, we commonly received requests for

low margin accounts to be strategic. We accepted the notion of strategic accounts but set a time

limit for holding lower margin business that failed to meet the established target. (Action)

clients. (Result)

ECQ 4 - Business Acumen

This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources

strategically.

Financial Management

Human Capital Management

Example 1: Business Acumen

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

For example, several years ago during a particularly bad winter we made a decision to spend

additional money on snow removal and to reduce funding for lower priority maintenance such as

spring/summer grass cutting along the highways. (Challenge) Before making this decision, I met

with Committee members to review upcoming expenditures and how this budgeting shift would

As a result of our decision, we had the fewest weather-related traffic accidents in 12 years, and the

Department received very high marks from New Jersey citizens. (Result)

I have designed budget strategies to support Departmental priorities. These strategies include

coordinating with other executive agencies and outside stakeholders, and targeting State legislators

as patrons. When key interest groups oppose the Department’s legislation, I negotiate with them to

I selected a General Assembly committee Chair to introduce a study resolution requiring the

Department, the utility companies, and other stakeholders to collaborate, develop a proposal, and

report back to the General Assembly the next session. (Action) The Department negotiated with all

of the interest groups and designed an acceptable approach. (Context) The same legislator

introduced the resulting legislation the following year and it was passed by the General Assembly.

Companies must now pay for moving their utilities from rights-of-way; this savings is reflected in

the Department’s budget. (Result)

As a member of the Department’s Steering Committee, which is composed of Department heads

from the internal audits and finance offices, and a team from the information systems office, I led

Example 2: Business Acumen

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

I spent 6 months negotiating with union representatives, VA patients and their families. (Action)

These emotionally charged sessions were held weekly; input from all of the stakeholders appeared

in the final plan. The plan to close the nursing home was accepted by VA headquarters after

found new Federal positions for all displaced employees and received minimal complaints from

VA patients and their families. (Result)

Recently, I envisioned and implemented changes to our Medical Center’s Funds Management

Program. Under my leadership, our Financial Officer automated the program, creating spreadsheets

that use macros to automatically extract payroll data from the system. (Action) This information is

distributed over our network to Service Chiefs for use in managing their salaries and expenses

Earlier in my career, I was the Medical Center’s Senior Supply Officer. I led 15 District Supply

Officers in designing several innovative contracts with community hospitals. (Context) For

example, we contracted with a local hospital to acquire their stand-alone Women’s Outpatient

Clinic. (Challenge) The contract included $230,000 to purchase the clinic and an annual recurring

cost of $300,000.

After weeks of negotiating with hospital employees and their union representatives, I developed a

plan to staff the Clinic with community hospital employees. (Action) This action minimized

hardships on the hospital employees and saved time by avoiding the longer process of announcing

the Clinic vacancies.

ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Example 1: Building Coalitions

While I was Director of my state’s Environmental Protection Agency, the state’s economy was in

decline and revenues were significantly below budget projections. The Governor made uniform

in two program areas or face possible sanctions. (Context) Since state general revenues and Federal

grants would no longer support the full range of the state’s environmental programs, I developed

two options for consideration by the Governor and General Assembly. (Action) The first would be

to turn the state’s Clean Air Act permitting program and Public Drinking Water Program over to

the Federal Government for administration, reduce staff to meet state budget cuts, and reassign air

quality and public drinking water staff to other programs. The second, and preferred, alternative

was to request authority from the General Assembly to substantially raise the fees charged by the

sell the idea to business groups, environmental organizations, the General Assembly and ultimately

the public. (Action) Given the state budget timelines, I only had about 3 months to obtain General

Assembly support. (Challenge) The plan started with a press release and my meeting with the

editorial boards of the six largest newspapers to explain the user fee proposal. I then met with

business, municipal, and environmental organizations on the proposal and the consequences of

failure. (Action) All major newspapers endorsed the plan to use fees to fund environmental

programs and the major business, municipal, and environmental organizations also became

supporters. The most difficult group to persuade was the General Assembly. I spoke at several

long hearings on the fee proposal and met individually with key members of both the House and

Senate to discuss details items such as fee caps, fee structure, exceptions, and phase in schedule.

Example 2: Building Coalitions

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

An example of this representational skill is my work on behalf of a local homeless clinic. I became

aware of a pattern and practice by the city government of purposefully frustrating the orders of the

local court system to avoid providing a wide variety of social services for the poor and homeless.

While the government’s failures were obvious in individual cases, little attention was paid to the

brought to light (Challenge) was by preparing a detailed report describing the city’s misconduct in

approximately 15 cases.

Working with three associates from my firm, we compiled information on the cases filed against

the city by various plaintiffs (e.g., homeless individuals, public interest groups). In addition, we

gathered facts from the plaintiffs’ attorneys, talked to other legal service providers to identify

relevant documents for the cases, and recruited a dozen local lawyers to write chapters for the final

their support. (Action)

In drafting and editing the report, we were constantly required to work with these groups to be sure

that the report was accurate and reflected everyone’s interests. During the writing phase, there

were serious conflicts among the groups as to what the report should be addressing; we were

frequently required to mediate these disputes without sacrificing the report’s quality. (Context)

After publishing the 450-page report, we received hundreds of phone calls and letters praising our

efforts. The report was covered on local radio and television stations, and the demand for copies

prompted a second printing (500 copies) of the document. As a result of our findings, the Mayor

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

ADDRESSING EXECUTIVE QUALIFICATIONS IN A RESUME

A well-written resume prepared in response to a resume-based vacancy announcement for an SES

Follow the instructions in the vacancy announcement carefully when preparing your resume.

Applicants typically provide the following information:

• Full name, mailing and email addresses, day and evening telephone numbers.

• Vacancy announcement number.

• Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities attended, as

well as the type of any degree received.

• Information about paid and nonpaid work experience related to the position including: job

title, duties and accomplishments, employer’s name and address, duration of employment, and

recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Refer to the following U.S. Department of

• Read the vacancy announcement carefully. Agencies often note that written narratives addressing

the ECQs will not be considered.

• Adhere to any page limitations that may be noted in the vacancy announcement.

• Quantify your accomplishments.

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

EXAMPLE OF RESUME

The following example illustrates a good resume for a Senior Executive Service candidate being

certified. Candidates should keep the ECQs in mind as they write their resumes, but it is not

illustration, these five phrases appear throughout the example to show possession of the ECQs.

These two examples, from an actual Qualifications Review Board case, have been modified to

protect the privacy of the SES candidate.

Gene Works

12354 Memory Lane

creation of new products and services that increase profitability, expand customer base and propel

annual sales of 100+ million. Accountable for driving profitability by managing profit and loss

success for budgets of over $50 million and up to 350 staff. Acknowledged talent in innovating

and launching complex, solution-oriented technical systems, including a government system

currently managing over 5 million documents. Proven leader with the ability to identify and

capitalize on individual strengths, motivate teams and implement vision to achieve business goals

on a global level. Core competencies include:

•

Developing Strategy

•

Leading Change

·

•

Negotiation

•

Program Management

and the Office of the

Federal Register. Leading Change

technology selection, migration, and management. Business Acumen

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

recognition for green initiatives and

utilization of advanced solutions, such as

virtualization and cloud computing. Business

Acumen

.

Defined system requirements,

selected optimum technologies and

Driven

Business Acumen

with foreign camera and film manufacturers

.

This effort supported the successful launch of the last consumer film format and delivered

advanced features to the consumer photo market. Business Acumen, Building Coalitions

computer storage product to market in less than

15 months of company launch

schedule. Results Driven

systems,

IT

operations and technology management.

Directed 140 staff and $40 Million annual

budget.

Restructured and managed IT operations

Delivered new information systems consistent with strategy. Negotiated licensing agreements for

technology component implementation into digital content system

.

Developed technology selection

processes to effectively identify best agency solutions. Attained Top Secret

clearance.

detailed system requirements for the new agency-wide digital information system. Directed

development of complex

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

access to bulk data

This accomplishment was a key part of the initiative. Building Coalitions

and overall operational efficiency. Leading Change, Results Driven

virtualization techniques and cloud computing. As a result, recognized as a finalist at the

Computer World's 2008 Green IT symposium. Results Driven

Executive Director, Product Management

Corporate Headquarters, Chicago, IL

Administered Product Management and Marketing departments

with responsibility for P&L of all

Management, resulting in delivering increased operations efficiency. Leading Change,

Results Driven

centric marketing concepts, including

Change

product strategy for short-run

durable graphics

business

positioning the corporation as a leader in its field. Leading Change, Results Driven

Management & Marketing Division. Empowered staff at all levels, and enabled staff to be a

part of the successful business results. Leading People

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Attained over $100 Million in annual revenue which supported

$2 Billion in revenue within $7

Billion Consumer Imaging Division

.

Developed innovative transformation strategy for the industry

software/systems- centric organization in order to best support digital market. Structured and

negotiated partnership relationships with equipment and system

manufacturers to provide

equipment

compliant with system requirements.

richer detail and vibrant color and improving sharpness and

contrast. This process is

currently the foundation

of digital print processing for conventional film and digital images.

Leading Change, Results Driven

positioning as a leader in delivery of digital services. Leading Change, Results Driven

a new direction for

traditional systems to digital printing and alternate output technologies.

solutions that met business goals and output quality goals. Leading Change, Leading People,

Results Driven, Building Coalitions

Technical & Strategic Director, New Business Opportunities April 1995 to July 1997

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

EDUCATION

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Accomplishments:

3, with a net savings of more than $5 million. Results Driven, Business Acumen

85% to less than 2% across the organization within 5 months. Results Driven

enabled the construction of 4 consolidate server locations throughout the country. Building

Coalitions, Business Acumen

the migration of more than 8,000 email users from legacy exchange service to 1 email

system. Results Driven, Leading Change

Director, Transition Office, GS-15 June 2000 – July 2002

Agency Headquarters, Washington, DC

Led the new Presidential Administration transition team, from confirmation of the Secretary to the

vetting, selection, and submission of all political appointee nominations including those requiring

officials to effectively and fairly interview prospective candidates and make selection

recommendations to the President for final approval by the Senate. Completed initial

recommendations to the Secretary and President for all primary positions within 4 months

of commencing transition activities. Results Driven

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

for their Senate confirmation hearings, including overcoming repeated obstacles in a high

pressure environment. Leading Change

Corporate Headquarters, Fairfax, VA Annual salary: $145,000

information technology programs in support of Federal Government contracts.

Accomplishments:

Provided administrative and protocol support to the Director and Deputy Director of an agency

engaged in global research and development of security protocols and emerging technologies.

Maintained Top Secret security clearance.

Accomplishment:

core expertise. Collaborated across agencies to build strategic relationships resulting in an

increase in customer requests for briefings by agency experts. Leading Change, Building

Coalitions

Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia

AWARDS:

Special Act Award 1997

Secretary’s Award 2002

Special Service Award 2005

Guide to the SES Qualifications September 2012

Format

• Follow the instructions in the announcement carefully; ignoring page limits or other formatting

requirements may jeopardize your application.

• Include special qualifications if relevant to the position sought: public speaking, publications,

languages spoken, membership in related professional organizations or scientific societies, or

expertise in a technical area (e.g., budget, information technology).

• Show measurable results, especially in terms of improved customer service, increased efficiency,

productivity, or money saved.

• Spell out all acronyms.

• Write in short, complete sentences (subject, verb, proper tense agreement).

• Use common words and expressions instead of bureaucratic ones.

• Economize on words and expressions, but not to a cryptic extreme.

Good: I briefed Congress.

Bad: I conducted a briefing to key Congresspersons and their staffs. (10 words.)