Practice Exchange

Ilene Gast, Associate Editor

This column highlights innovative assessment programs of interest to assessment professionals. If you are conducting a project that would interest the ACN readers, or if you know someone who is, please let me hear from you. I can be reached by phone at (202) 305-0590, fax at (202) 305-3664, or electronic mail at ifgast@aol.com.

Executive Assessments at the INS

Introduction

In August 1998, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) implemented competency-based assessments to select individuals for Senior Executive Service positions. The assessments measure skills in four broad competency areas identified as important for performing in SES positions by the Office of Personnel Management and the Research and Development Division in INS's Office of Human Resources and Development. The competency areas are Leadership Skills, Communication Skills, Management Skills, and Thinking Skills.

Overview of the Process

The INS Executive Assessment consists of three parts. Initially, all candidates for SES positions at INS complete two exercises. In the Executive Thinking Skills Exercise, candidates are presented eight passages of information drawn from sources that any executive in the Government would be expected to read. For each passage, candidates are asked to evaluate five statements based on the information presented in the passage. In the Executive Judgment Exercise, candidates are asked to play the role of an executive in a fictitious organization in either the public or private sector. Candidates review a series of documents and then make presentations on an issue or issues relevant to the fictitious organization.

After completing the assessments, all candidates participate in a structured, competency-based interview process that is administered by the INS Executive Resources Board. In addition to the assessments and the interview, a competency-based reference check is conducted on the candidates in order to obtain information about their past performance.

Each of these procedures systematically elicits information about the extent to which candidates possess the competencies that are necessary for effective performance at the executive level.

Return on Investment

The Research and Development Division undertook a return-for-investment analysis that compares the expected gains to the expected costs of the program. The assessment process produces value for INS and taxpayers in excess of its developmental and operational costs. The return-for-investment study will be published in the third quarter of FY99. A copy can be obtained from the Research and Development Division at the number listed below.

Diagnostic Feedback

In addition to its high return-for-investment, another positive feature of the system is that candidates receive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses in each of the competencies. Candidates also receive a Developmental Resource Guide which they can use to address training in areas of developmental need.

For further information about the Executive Assessments, contact David Pollack at the Research and Development Division on (202) 305-0600.