presented by dr. karl narang senior executive/associate area director, south atlantic area, usda,...

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GUIDE TO WRITING EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS)

Presented byDr. Karl Narang

Senior Executive/Associate Area Director, South Atlantic Area, USDA,

ARSAthens, GA

Office of Human Resources Management, Departmental Management

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WHAT ARE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS)?• ECQs are the primary selection criteria for the Senior Executive

Service (SES). While technical job-specific qualifications are important, the essence of the SES is the ability to lead.

• ECQs are written statements describing your leadership experience.

• The Office of Personnel Management(OPM) has developed ECQs that represent the critical leadership skills and competencies executives need to succeed in the 21st century.

• ECQs are required as part of the process of applying for a SES position or for the SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP).


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WHAT ARE THE FIVE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS?

1. Leading Change2. Leading People3. Results Driven4. Business Acumen5. Building Coalitions


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WHAT ARE THE FIVE EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS?

ECQ #1 - Leading Change

ECQ #2 - Leading People

ECQ #3 - Results Driven

ECQ #4 - Business Acumen

ECQ #5 -Building

Coalitions * Creativity and Innovation

* External Awareness

* Flexibility

* Resilience

* Strategic Thinking

* Vision

*Conflict Management

* Leveraging Diversity

* Developing Others

* Team Building

* Accountability

* Customer Service

* Decisiveness

* Entrepreneurship

* Problem Solving

* Technical Credibility

*Financial Management

* Human Capital Management

* Technology Management

* Partnering

* Political Savvy

* Influencing/ Negotiating

USDA Leadership Competency Framework


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FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES• These competencies are the foundation for success in all other

ECQ competencies. These include the following:

Interpersonal Skills Oral Communication Integrity/Honesty Written Communication Continual Learning Public Service Motivation

• These competencies do not need to be addressed separately because the Fundamental Competencies cross-cut in all the five ECQs.


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HOW TO PREPARE ECQS STATEMENTS


Tips for Success

• Tell a story

• Use the Challenge-Context-Action-Result model

• Focus on what you did

Your ECQ Statements Demonstrate Your Qualifications for the Job

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HOW TO PREPARE ECQS


Tips for Success

• Cover all competencies

• Use current examples

• Follow all instructions in announcements

carefully (font size, page limits)

• Take time to do your best

• Ask a SES mentor to review your draft

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HOW TO PREPARE ECQS


Common errors to avoid

• Omit results (including awards and recognition)

• “We” instead of “I”

• Examples dated

• Examples not at an appropriate level

• Incorrect grammar, spelling

• Use of confusing acronyms

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COMPETENCIES OF ECQS


ECQ #1: Leading change

• Creativity and innovation• External awareness• Flexibility• Resilience• Strategic thinking• Vision

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ECQ #1 EXAMPLECHALLENGE/PROBLEM (CP), CONTEXT (C), ACTION (A), RESULTS (R)

(FROM 2010 OPM GUIDE)


• Chief Officer of Security tasked to reinvent Personnel Security Process, which was too bureaucratic (CP)

• At FY end, 400 selected, security Clearance (SC) backlog; Zero SC adjudicated; No placement appointments (C)

• Best Candidates accepted other jobs (C)• Pressure from Congress & White House to hire 4000 positions in 6 months (recruitment, SC, & Training) to enforce borders (currently SC in 8 months) (CP) • Identified four problems (A): (i) Recruitment process too slow (ii) Software outmoded (iii) Lack of resources (iv) No written SC – SOPs• Entry on duty & Suitability Authorization delegation to Field Offices; • Adjudication training to Field Offices (A)• OPM’s automated transmission & waivers to reduce 8 to 5 months (A)• US Office of Investigation to process fingerprints (A); 3 months to 8 days (R)• Automated linkages in all 4 Field Offices (A)• First written SOP for SC in 20 years (R)• Team building by involving all parties led to collaboration – internal and

external (R)• Did meet Congressional and White House timelines or reduced the entire

process to fill positions (R)

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ECQ #2: Leading people

• Conflict management• Leveraging diversity• Developing others• Teambuilding

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• Legal Counsel, FLRA, Acting Director for Case Production and Case Intake Units, tasked to (C):

(i) Set LR (C) community outreach goals (CP): (ii) Improve draft quality (iii) Staff training (iv) Quality improvement (v) Reorganization of legal staff of the 2 Units into 1 Unit• Faced results of Predecessor’s actions (C): (i) GS-14 position changed to GS-13 (ii) Chairman resigned before Senate confirmed the replacement (iii) No quorum for authority decision (just one member) (iv) Attorney staff was a mix of new hires and a few 30-years veterans – morale down• Took several Actions (A): (i) Senior attorneys to mentor junior attorneys (ii) Adjusted annual performance goals of senior attorneys to focus on new goals (iii) Developed new training modules for the consolidated unit (Both Unit employees involved)• Outcomes included (R): (i) Training module adopted by Agencies in the DC area (ii) Major improvement in quality of submissions of arguments by Unions and Agency Officials (iii) Case production level up (iv) Junior staff attorneys skills improved

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• Chief, Information & Technology Office – Large Private Law Firm and Led 25-member staff of managers & senior technicians

• Morale and productivity were low with high turnover of staff (C/P)

• Rebuilding staff (A): (i) Filling vacant positions – leveraging diversity (ii) Motivating unproductive staff (iii) Reducing high absenteeism (iv) Improving morale • Results include (R): (i) Achieved a diverse workforce (ii) Hired females and minorities to fill 60 percent of the office vacancies

a. To fill 4 key management position and b. 3 staff positions

ECQ #2 EXAMPLE (ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE)CHALLENGE/PROBLEM (CP), CONTEXT (C), ACTION (A), RESULTS (R)



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ECQ #2 EXAMPLE (ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE)CHALLENGE/PROBLEM (CP), CONTEXT (C), ACTION (A), RESULTS (R)



• Senior Manager of a law firm (embroiled in employees disputes)

• Staff and customer of the law firm on edge and engaged in shouting matches. (C/P)

(i) Relationship between staff and 1 attorney deteriorated(C/P)• Had to serve as the buffer between the employee at the law

firm and customers and to keep good customer services (C)• Employee felt unappreciated for receiving a short deadline

to design a new software program (C)• They engaged in an argument in front of others (C)• Met with both individuals regarding the project and

expectation of the attorney (A)• Attorney agreed to extend deadline date (R)• Office tension dropped significantly after the situation was

resolved (R)• The employee produced an excellent new software (R)

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ECQ #3: Results driven

• Accountability• Customer service• Decisiveness• Entrepreneurship• Problem solving• Technical credibility

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• Member of the City (Springfield, IL) Zoning Commission. Tasked

to lead a citizens group to plan and implement the City Improvement Program to

improve quality of life (CP):• Context: Lack of funds and apathy among public. It would

require: (i) Leading volunteers campaign for increase in city sale tax from 4-cents to 5-cents (ii) Marketing idea to (citizen groups, local politicians) describing the benefits of an

attractive city and better access to recreational facilities.• Took several actions (A): (i) Recruited 50 volunteers (ii) Trained them in Capital Improvement Planning & Implementation (iii) To build recreation facilities (iv) TV appearances to win public support• Results included (R) (i) During elections, the proposed increase in sale tax was approved (ii) New Parks built (iii) New athletic facilities built (iv) New walking and bike trails built

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ECQ #3 EXAMPLE (ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE) CHALLENGE/PROBLEM (CP), CONTEXT (C), ACTION (A), RESULTS (R)



• ECQ #3 Example from• Budget Director, Prior Federal Service Experience• Congressional Mandate to cut $25 million before the next Fiscal Year

(C/P) (i) To reach goal, need to reduce funding in all areas (ii) Cuts in facilities, programs, and staff (primarily scientist and engineers) (iii) Agency’s focus on saving by use of new technology• Organized task groups of Functional, Program staff and Headquarters

(A)• Assigned specific goals to each group (A)• Over 4 months, employees developed various options to achieve

reduction still perform critical function (A)• Directed the staff to develop a computerized spreadsheet (A) (i) Allowed managers to immediately see the impact of their funding decision (ii) Allowed them to continually adjust the reduction targets as cost savings information is available (iii) Presented several alternatives to the agency head and resulting in selection of one option (R) (iv) Met Congressional mandate with minimal impact on agency’s mission (R)

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ECQ #4: Business acumen

• Financial management• Human capital management• Technology management

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• Director, Department of Transportation tasked to seek clarification of the law in respect to payment of removal of utilities from a Transportation Department right-of-way (C/P)

• Two major utility companies were opposed to the proposal (C)• Selected the Chair of the General Assembly Committee to

introduced a study resolution (A) (i) The resolution required the Department, Utility companies and other stakeholders to collaborate, develop a proposal and report back to the General Assembly the next session (C) (ii) The Department negotiated with the interest groups and designed an acceptable approach (A)• Same legislator introduced the resulting legislation the following

year and it was passed by the General Assembly (R) • Companies must pay for moving their utilities from rights-of-way

(R)• Savings are reflected in Department’s budget (R)

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ECQ #4 EXAMPLE(ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE)CHALLENGE/PROBLEM (CP), CONTEXT (C), ACTION (A), RESULTS (R)



• Director, NJ Department of Transportation; $1.2M budget; Chair of 7-member Executive Committee to oversee Department’s Divisions and Programs and set priorities

• City was under criticism for poor snow clearing services and high number of accidents (CP)

• The officials in different divisions showed apathy toward public complaints (C)

• Designed new budget strategies (A)• Increased fund allocation for snow removal and decreased fund

for mowing grass along city highways (A)• Negotiated with interest groups and built consensus (A)• Fewer weather related accidents in past 12-years (R)• New Jersey DOT received high praises from citizens (R)

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ECQ #5: Building coalitions

• Partnering• Political savvy• Influencing/negotiating

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• Director, of State EPA Department, State economy down, Budget projections down (CP)

• 5% workforce lay off projected, yet U.S. EPA wants additional staffing to comply with regs or threaten to close the facilities down (CP)

• State & Federal grant would no longer support State’s EPA Program (C)• Developed two options for Consideration by the Governor & General

Assembly (A) (i) Option A. Turn over the State Clean Air Act and Public Drinking Water Program to Federal Government for administration of programs (A) (ii) Option B. (Preferred option): Request General Assembly for rate increase for permits and authorizations user-fee programs (A) (iii) Have staff and others meet with EPA regularly (A) (iv) Persuade Governor and business groups , EPA, Public, Media to inform public of the rate increase (A)• Results: (i) News media & Businesses support up (to use fees to fund environmental programs) (R) (ii) General Assembly though hard to convince did approve fee caps, waivers with phase-in over 3 years (R) (iii) No staff laid off (R) (iv) 400 new jobs over 3 years to fill critical positions (R) (v) Fully implemented State & Federal EPA laws. (R)

presented by dr. karl narang senior executive/associate area director, south atlantic area, usda,...

Documents

departmental management

conflict management

financial management

technology management

human capital management

departmental management

ecq competencies

lack of resources