Every Executive Core Qualification, every competency underneath it, and the Graduate School USA courses that develop each one. Use it to build an individual development plan, to close a gap an assessment turned up, or to plan a leadership cohort against the framework your agency is actually evaluated on.
OPM replaced the Executive Core Qualifications on October 1, 2025. The five most people know, and that most training material still cites, were Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions, with 22 competencies underneath them plus six Fundamental Competencies. Those are superseded. Only Leading People survives, and the competencies under it changed.
The framework on this page is the current one: five ECQs and 15 competencies, with OPM's own definitions quoted rather than paraphrased so you can check them against the source. Verified against OPM's page on 2026-08-03. If you are working from an older IDP template or a vendor crosswalk, it is worth checking which framework it is built on.
ECQ 1
This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
Demonstrates understanding and appreciation of the American system of government, including the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, federalism, and the historical development of the American Nation.
Upholds the principles of the American Founding, including equality under the law and democratic self-government. Ensures the law is applied fairly and consistently.
27 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Stays up-to-date on important developments in American government and aligns organizational objectives and practices with presidential and public interests. Demonstrates a commitment to serve the American people.
ECQ 2
This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
Strategically manages, allocates and monitors financial resources. Aligns priorities and initiatives to justify budget proposals. Monitors expenditures, cuts unnecessary costs, and uses cost-benefit analysis to set priorities.
32 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Manages resources efficiently and effectively based on current and projected organizational goals, skills, budget considerations, and staffing needs.
11 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Explores emerging technology and potential applications. Incorporates technology to enhance efficiency and achieve results. Ensures access to and security of technology systems.
93 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
ECQ 3
This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
Possesses the requisite technical knowledge and subject matter expertise to consistently produce timely, high-quality work. Is considered a strong contributor in his or her domain.
24 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Engages in critical and data-driven thinking when diagnosing root causes and evaluating options. Identifies and promptly addresses the most pressing, high-priority problems.
77 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Anticipates and adapts to change, new ideas, new information, and new conditions. Is committed to continuous improvement. Deals effectively with pressure and remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity.
ECQ 4
This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, trained, and retained. Takes swift action to address performance- or conduct-based deficiencies in employees supervised. Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
24 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Recognizes and rewards outstanding achievement in others. Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods. Cultivates a dynamic environment in which employees are not afraid to make mistakes.
3 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Makes well-reasoned, timely, and effective decisions and considers short- and long-term implications. Communicates effectively with stakeholders across all organizational levels, sharing and guarding information where appropriate.
44 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
ECQ 5
This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.
Effectively translates strategies into actionable steps and processes. Partners effectively with stakeholders to drive adoption and addresses blockers to ensure successful implementation.
26 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Applies creativity to improving products and processes, challenges convention, takes measured risks, and considers ways to simplify and remove unnecessary requirements.
56 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization by evaluating conditions, resources, capabilities, constraints, and organizational goals and values.
15 more courses in the catalog develop this competency. Search them all.
Pick the competency an assessment or a position description flagged, or search by keyword, and see every mapped course.
Showing all 390 mapped courses.
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How the mapping was made. Each course is matched against OPM's published definition of each competency, over the course's own learning objectives and module outline rather than its title alone. A course can develop more than one competency, and most do. Treat this as a starting point for an IDP conversation, not as an OPM endorsement: your agency's own competency model and assessment results should govern. Tell us where it looks wrong and we will fix it.
Tell us which competencies you need to move and how many people. We will map a sequence to them and quote it against the GSA Schedule.