Cover Your ECQ Bases at NextGen

Professional development is something we all strive for, but at times it can seem somewhat nebulous — how do we know we’re improving, and how can we keep track of the progress we’ve made? Just as importantly, how can we demonstrate to our organizations or supervisors that we’ve been making concrete progress in particular skill areas?

Fortunately for government employees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has a system to help leaders learn and grow in a structured and measurable manner. For the members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), OPM has established five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) that cover the various areas that SES members need to be competent in to lead effectively. These areas are: Leading Change; Leading People; Results Driven; Business Acumen; and Building Coalitions.

When an executive applies for a government job, a review board assesses their qualifications in reference to the 5 ECQs, looking for proficiency in each of the five based on the candidate’s experience. Anyone seeking an executive position in the federal government, then, needs to have a resume and professional history that demonstrate experience in each of the five areas.

So how can candidates ensure that they’re meeting ECQ requirements? They can check that their professional development activities are aligned with growth in each ECQ.

GovLoop’s 2019 NextGen Government Training Summit, taking place in Washington, D.C., July 25-26, offers the chance to do exactly that. With breakout sessions and workshops intentionally mapped to each of the five ECQs, NextGen will be an efficient and effective way to gain relevant, resume-enhancing experience. Day one, for example, features a breakout session centered around mindful leadership that can help attendees grow in the ‘Leading People’ ECQ; an example from day two is the project management best practices workshop that offers development in the ‘Results Driven’ ECQ.

Whether one is currently a member of the SES, hopes to be one day or simply wants to work on their leadership skills, the NextGen Summit will be a great place to learn, grow, connect with peers and build a history of ECQ-relevant training.