RELATED March 31, 2026 The State of Federal Data Products in 2025 March 24, 2026 Partnership for Public Service’s public comments on OPM’s “Managing Senior Professional Performance” March 24, 2026 Partnership for Public Service's public comments on OPM's "Performance Appraisal for Non-SES Federal Employees" Back to Reports Strengthening the Senior Executive Service: A Review of Challenges Facing the Government’s Leaders March 29, 2011 Partnership CEO, Max Stier, delivered testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management on efforts to reform the Senior Executive Service (SES). “With almost half of the SES eligible to retire, we have a unique opportunity to fundamentally rethink the SES. We need a senior leadership team that is innovative and flexible and works across agencies and sectors to deliver results for the American people.” In his testimony, Stier argues that sustained leadership attention is key in driving these reforms. He calls for increased mobility among the senior ranks and a rebalancing of career and political leadership. In addition, he provides recommendations for Congress on how government can recruit, hire, onboard and develop executive talent. Download (376k)