Senior Executive Service
New law aims to avoid repeat of recent scandals at Veterans Affairs
VA in 2024 paid millions in critical skill bonuses to senior executives and received nearly $3 billion in supplemental funding to address a budget shortfall that ultimately didn’t materialize.
NSF slashes most career executive roles after shedding one-third of staff
The National Science Foundation is initiating a reduction in force for senior executives, but offering them opportunities to stay at the agency.
6 reasons to consider corporate board service on your professional journey
COMMENTARY | Senior federal officials underestimate their potential for board service. They shouldn’t.
Trump’s push for executive order loyalty risks undermining the federal workforce and the Constitution
COMMENTARY | Federal workers are being asked to prove their loyalty to Trump’s agenda, but history shows that when politics overtakes merit, government performance suffers.
Limited number of agency senior executives could be rated as ‘outstanding’ under Trump proposal
The Trump administration has sought to exert more political influence over members of the senior executive service.
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Trump nixes 2025 awards for federal employees
The presidential rank awards recognize exceptional members of the senior executive service.
12 senior executives at the Federal Acquisition Service head for the exits
The agency had 34 senior executive service members in September 2024.
Trump to convert some top career roles to political appointments and evaluate execs on adherence to president’s agenda
New policy ensures top roles can only be filled by the "administration's political cronies," senior executive group says.
Government’s top career execs face new political oversight as Trump vows to get ‘rid of all the cancer’
New memo could boost transfer of senior executives, as the president did on a limited basis in his first term.
Senior executive standards get first update in more than 15 years
OPM said technological advances necessitated the changes, but some stakeholders argued the modifications still don’t reflect current governmental needs.
The forgotten keys to agency performance: Senior Executives
COMMENTARY | To help agencies better address their performance management, it could be time to take a fresh look at senior executives, and how they are compensated.
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Want to reform the federal government? Start with career execs
COMMENTARY | Career senior executives are a national asset, not tools of agency heads. It’s time to manage them as the valuable resource they are, argues one expert.
Two senior executives receive unpaid suspensions for unlawful hiring practices
While one of the executives currently works for a different agency with a new position, they will still be disciplined, OSC officials said.
OPM wants agencies to tally their senior executive needs
The federal government’s HR agency has requested biennial projections for the number of SES and scientific professionals that agencies will likely need through 2027.
Lawmakers blast VA over executive bonus scandal, but secretary declines to offer any heads
Many Republicans called for VA to fire top officials after it improperly approved $11M in bonuses for senior executives.
New regulation would allow some former feds to skirt conflict-of-interest contact requirement
A rule proposed in the Federal Register would allow for former senior employees of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to have contact with HHS officials within the conflict-of-interest restriction period of one year.
Lawmakers look to ban foreign payments to senior feds
Top federal executives would not be able to "betray the public's trust" under Democratic bill.
VA to review more previously awarded bonuses after improperly doling out $11M to execs
The department has used an “improper and overzealous application” of new authorities to give extra pay to certain employees, IG says.
OPM offers data guidance to help inform new federal executives website
The recent guidance details how agencies are to collect and report data to the HR agency’s new public-facing website detailing the names, roles and pay levels of thousands of federal executives.
The 3 duties of public servants
COMMENTARY | With all that’s going on in Washington these days, public officials have three fundamental duties that they cannot shirk.
