Federal Government SES Special - $950.00 - Senior Executive Service (SES) Discounted Package includes all ECQs and up to 2 KSAs for one complete job vacancy. Offer Ends Sunday, September 10, 2005 or when cancelled.
Senior Executive Service (SES)
Merit Competition
Initial career appointments to the SES must be based on merit competition. The law (5 U.S.C. 3393) requires agencies to establish an Executive Resources Board to conduct the merit staffing process. Within this framework, an agency has considerable flexibility in structuring the SES merit staffing process to meet its unique needs. Generally, this process includes preliminary review of applications by a personnel 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 Board.
SES Merit Staffing Process
1. Agency advertises the position through the Governmentwide automated employment information system for a minimum of 14 days. The area of consideration is: - Qualified Federal Employees Only (only current Federal civil service employees may apply); or - All Qualified Persons (anyone may apply).
2. Candidates submit their applications to the agency.
3. Agency rating panel reviews and ranks candidates.
4. Agency Executive Resources Board recommends the best qualified candidates to the selecting official.
5. Selecting official makes a choice and certifies that the candidate meets both the technical and executive qualifications (ECQ's) for the position.
6. Agency submits candidate's application package to an OPM-administered Qualifications Review Board (QRB) for certification of executive qualifications.
7. Following QRB certification, agency appoints the candidate to the SES position.
Qualifications Review Board Certification
The Office of Personnel Management convenes weekly Qualifications Review Boards (QRB's) to provide an independent peer review of applications for initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service. The Board consists of three executives; at least two members must be career appointees. Board members review each application and decide if the candidate's experience meets the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ's) requirements. The QRB does not rate, rank, or compare the candidate's qualifications against those of other candidates. Rather, Board members judge the overall scope, quality, and depth of a candidate's executive qualifications within the context of the five ECQ's.
QRB Certification Based on Announcement of a Specific Vacancy:
Criterion A -- Demonstrated executive experience.
Candidates must demonstrate executive experience in all five ECQ's. While they don't need to have in-depth experience in each Key Characteristic to demonstrate possession of an ECQ, their applications should reflect an overall record of the knowledges, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed in the SES. This record may include professional and volunteer experience, education, training, and awards, in addition to Federal experience. (See Writing Executive Qualifications Statements.)
QRB members review each candidate's resume or Federal application form, executive qualifications statement, and other documents provided by the agency.
Criterion C -- Possession of special or unique qualities which indicate a likelihood of executive success.
The candidate must possess special or unique qualifications which support the ability to perform the duties of the position and the potential to quickly acquire full competence in the ECQ's (e.g., an individual who is exceptionally familiar with an agency's programs through high-level staff experience, or who has had a significant impact on the highest policy levels of the agency). Criterion C cases are very rare and appropriate only when exceptional candidates with demonstrated experience are not available.
QRB members review several documents for each candidate:
• an evaluation of the candidate's background as related to the ECQ's;
• at least one written reference by someone familiar with the candidate's managerial qualifications; and
• an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that includes developmental assignments and/or formal training, focused on the specific ECQ's that need to be enhanced.
The IDP must show the training and development the candidate will receive following appointment.
QRB Certification Based on Completion of a Candidate Development Program:
Criterion B -- Successful participation in an Office of Personnel Management-approved Candidate Development Program (CDP).
Candidates who compete Government-wide for participation in a CDP and successfully complete the program are eligible for non-competitive appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES). In some cases, CDP openings are announced within a single agency rather than Governmentwide; these graduates must compete for SES positions. Either way, CDP graduates are not entitled to placement in the SES.
The agency's Executive Resources Board chair must certify that the candidate has successfully completed all CDP activities. OPM staff and an "ad hoc" Qualifications Review Board (QRB) review each candidate's training and developmental experience to assure that it provides the basis for certification of executive qualifications. QRB members assume that if the candidate has completed all CDP requirements, then he or she possesses the executive qualifications for initial career appointment to the SES.