Because the Trump administration pushes ahead with adjustments for the Senior Govt Service, a great authorities group is urging extra cautious consideration within the administration’s deliberate reforms for SES candidate improvement packages (CDPs).
The Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit group that advocates for enhancements to federal authorities operations, mentioned though it typically supported the Trump administration’s proposal to reform candidate improvement packages, it had lingering issues about some particulars of the adjustments.
Proposed laws from the Workplace of Personnel Administration in December outlined plans to reform SES candidate improvement packages by shortening the timeline, creating extra rigorous necessities, and standardizing the content material. The event packages are designed to coach federal staff all for becoming a member of the SES, however for years have been used inconsistently throughout authorities.
In its Feb. 13 feedback on OPM’s proposed laws, the Partnership expressed assist for the elevated give attention to what it referred to as “an underused pathway into SES roles.” However on the identical time, the Partnership raised issues over a number of particular components of OPM’s plan, together with a requirement for all candidates to face an “executive assessment” hurdle as a part of this system choice course of.
Beneath OPM’s proposed laws, businesses can be required to evaluate all candidates’ competencies and behaviors to make sure they’re a great match for an SES function. The proposal would require an preliminary evaluation when the worker is first chosen for the event program. Businesses would then must conduct a second evaluation throughout this system, “to identify and adjust, as needed, areas of continuing development,” OPM wrote.
The Partnership, nonetheless, argued that these assessments ought to solely be carried out throughout this system to evaluate a candidate’s progress — and never executed beforehand to find out whether or not they’re a great match for this system within the first place.
“That would be detrimental to the selection process,” the Partnership wrote in a Feb. 19 weblog put up. “These and other psychometric or behavioral assessments are meant to assess a candidate’s growth and improvement over time, not evaluate candidates for selection.”
Instead, the Partnership really useful utilizing preliminary assessments based mostly on SES “executive core qualifications,” which can be a fairer take a look at to find out a candidate’s health for this system.
“Given the new use of political essays in hiring processes, the proposed use of unspecified assessments as a criterion for CDP selection is concerning,” the Partnership wrote in its Feb. 13 feedback. “Political preferences should not be part of the CDP selection process, and any applicant assessments should follow the employee selection procedures.”
Candidate improvement packages typically assist put together profession federal staff for roles within the SES. However presently, the packages are inconsistent in each how businesses administer them and the way shortly or usually staff who full them really be a part of the SES. Simply 13 businesses run the event packages in any respect, and eligible staff are sometimes not conscious of this system’s existence.
The general public remark interval for OPM’s proposed laws closed Feb. 17. It’s unclear when OPM plans to finalize the laws and what adjustments it might make within the meantime. Federal Information Community has reached out to OPM for remark.
Along with its issues over the pre-program evaluation requirement, the Partnership pointed to potential challenges with OPM’s proposal to shorten this system completion timeline to 9-12 months normally, in addition to improve the required program hours from 80 to 100.
A shortened timeline might encourage extra staff to participate in this system, the Partnership mentioned, however the group raised issues that elevated hours would put extra stress on candidates, who’re already holding full-time jobs.
“This pressure could lead to overworked and underprepared graduates,” the Partnership wrote. “Programs should be monitored to ensure that a shortened timeline does not decrease program quality or value for participants.”
OPM, for its half, mentioned its proposed laws that the adjustments would save businesses prices and sources, improve this system’s rigor and enhance candidates’ management expertise.
One other key a part of OPM’s proposed laws would standardize CDPs governmentwide, as a approach to deal with present inconsistencies and underusage of this system. Regulating this system might make it simpler for businesses, the Partnership mentioned, however it additionally cautioned OPM on the precise implementation.
“OPM should avoid overly restrictive standards and reporting requirements or creating a one-size-fits-all program for agencies with different needs, workforces and missions,” the Partnership wrote. “Because CDPs are not mandatory programs, overburdening them with excessive red tape may discourage agencies from running them.”
On prime of reforming candidate improvement packages, the Partnership referred to as for bigger reforms to the SES and federal workforce planning total.
“Without broader changes and effective workforce planning, agencies will continue accepting individuals into, and graduating individuals from, CDPs without the skills that correspond to the agency’s future needs,” the Partnership wrote. “That is, building a bench, but filling it with players from a different sport.”
If you need to contact this reporter about current adjustments within the federal authorities, please electronic mail drew.friedman@federalnewsnetwork.com or attain out on Sign at drewfriedman.11
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