U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Questions & Answers

1. Do I need to address each Fundamental Competency within each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ)?
2. Will I be assessed on all of the competencies?
3. What happened to the key characteristics?
4. What if I have an SES vacancy announcement posted right now? Will I need to remove it or add the new ECQs?

Q: Do I need to address each Fundamental Competency within each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ)?

A: No. Because the Fundamental Competencies are cross-cutting, they should be addressed over the course of the ECQ narrative. It is not necessary to address them directly as long as the narrative, in its totality, shows mastery of these competencies on the whole.

Q: Will I be assessed on all of the competencies?

A: No. You will be assessed on each ECQ, not on the individual competencies (although you are expected to demonstrate mastery of the Fundamental Competencies somewhere within your narrative statement).

Q: What happened to the key characteristics?

A: We reviewed the key characteristics and determined this information was not essential to the application process. For further clarification of the ECQs, candidates may refer to the competency definitions.

Q: What if I have an SES vacancy announcement posted right now? Will I need to remove it or add the new ECQs?

A: No. Any vacancies posted prior to October 1, 2006, will not need to be updated to reflect the new ECQs. Only those vacancies posted after October 1, 2006, will need to reflect the new ECQs. However, during this transition, it is preferable for human resources officers to attach the vacancy announcement to the application package to ensure the ERB and QRB members are aware of the applicable ECQ definitions for each vacancy.