When it comes to executive core qualifications (ECQs), Harvard Kennedy School offers a suite of programs to meet the professional training needs of U.S. federal managers and their military, corporate, and international counterparts.

The curricula for many of these programs incorporate the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ECQs and their associated core competencies. The current ECQs, updated by OPM in May 2025, are the fundamental prerequisites for selection to, assessment of, and continued assignment within the Senior Executive Service.

  • Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding  
  • Driving Efficiency
  • Merit and Competence
  • Leading People
  • Achieving Results
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Executive programs meeting the ECQs are ideal for:

  • U.S. federal employees participating in an SES Candidate Development Program (SES-CDP)
  • Current senior-level executives who desire to change jobs and need to readdress their ECQs or would like to demonstrate enhanced education in their annual performance assessment
  • Transitioning military personnel applying for federal positions
  • Corporate executives who work closely alongside and/or advise U.S. federal leaders
  • International elected or career civil service executives who want to sharpen a broad range of leadership competencies and would at the same time enjoy gaining a deeper appreciation for strategies for success in large bureaucracies with the U.S. political and civil service systems
  • Any person who, regardless of employment, will be applying for a Senior Executive Service position

While Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education identifies an alignment between our program’s curricula and the ECQs, this does not connote a certification by OPM. Harvard Kennedy School is designated as part of the Executive Development Community on the OPM website.

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