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

ECQ - 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. 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 fundamental executive 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. (This 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.

Announcements of individual Senior Executive Service (SES) vacancies and SES Candidate Development Programs (CDP's) include the ECQ's. Go to USAJOBS for information on SES and CDP opportunities. The Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications provides detailed information about executive qualifications and how to complete an SES application.

The web pages of the Federal Executive Institute and Management Development Centers have information on the developmental programs offered to enhance the leadership skills of Government executives and managers.