Federal leadership development
Five ECQ Certificate Pathways
Build focused capability through a certificate for each current OPM Executive Core Qualification. These pathways connect ADRA's Legal & Compliance, Technology & Innovation, and Leadership & Public Service tracks.
ECQ 1 · Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding
Federal Governance and Public Service Certificate
Enrollment openApply constitutional foundations, lawful authority, and public-service responsibility.
Explore certificate pathway →ECQ 2 · Driving Efficiency
Federal Resource Stewardship and Efficiency Certificate
Enrollment openStrengthen resource decisions, fiscal responsibility, and technology-enabled work.
Explore certificate pathway →ECQ 3 · Merit and Competence
Federal Professional Excellence Certificate
Enrollment openBuild occupational skill, solve problems with evidence, and adapt to change.
Explore certificate pathway →ECQ 4 · Leading People
Federal People Leadership Certificate
Enrollment openPractice accountability, coaching, and sound leadership judgment.
Explore certificate pathway →ECQ 5 · Achieving Results
Federal Strategy and Mission Results Certificate
Enrollment openTurn priorities into action, improve processes, and measure mission outcomes.
Explore certificate pathway →Program structure: each certificate combines three learning modules and an assessed workplace project within one LMS course. The estimated 32-hour structure supports a 160-hour pathway across all five certificates. Enrollment is open for each certificate at $995 with 90-day access.
ECQ 1 · Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding
Federal Governance and Public Service Certificate
Enrollment openApply constitutional foundations, lawful authority, and public-service responsibility.
ADRA track: Legal & Compliance
Register for ECQ 1 — $995 | View course and curriculum
One registration includes all three modules and the applied project, with 90-day access and asynchronous assessment by Guno Ritfeld.
Included modules, competencies, and applied project
- Government Foundations — Knowledge of the American System of Government
- Rule of Law in Federal Practice — Commitment to the Rule of Law
- Civic-Minded Public Service — Civic-Mindedness
Applied project: Analyze a federal workplace scenario and recommend an action grounded in authority, fairness, and public service.
Federal source readings: Required readings will include applicable 5 CFR provisions and federal ethics rules. Personnel-action cases will use GPPA Chapters 3 and 4 to distinguish substantive authority from documentation instructions. Constitutional topics will use the relevant constitutional text and federal source materials.
Authority-based assessment: locate the relevant provision, apply it to the facts, and cite the source supporting the answer.
Designed for: federal employees, team leads, supervisors, and managers, with assignments adapted to their responsibilities.
Estimated learning time: 32 hours: 12 self-paced, 12 guided self-paced, and 8 applied-project hours. Tuition: $995 per certificate. Access: 90 days. Assessment: asynchronous instructor review.
Completion: complete required learning, pass course assessments, and meet the published project rubric across all three competencies.
ECQ 2 · Driving Efficiency
Federal Resource Stewardship and Efficiency Certificate
Enrollment openStrengthen resource decisions, fiscal responsibility, and technology-enabled work.
ADRA track: Technology & Innovation
Register for ECQ 2 — $995 | View course and curriculum
One registration includes all three modules and the applied project, with 90-day access and asynchronous assessment by Guno Ritfeld.
Included modules, competencies, and applied project
- Fiscal Responsibility and Federal Budgeting — Fiscal Responsibility
- Workforce and Resource Planning — Managing Resources
- Technology for Efficient Federal Work — Leveraging Technology
Applied project: Develop an efficiency proposal with baseline costs, expected benefits, implementation steps, and safeguards.
Federal source readings: Workforce-planning exercises will use the Classifier’s Handbook with applicable classification standards; personnel-action exercises will use the relevant GPPA chapters. Fiscal modules will use GAO’s Principles of Federal Appropriations Law and current OMB budget guidance. Technology modules will use applicable federal information-management and security guidance.
Authority-based assessment: locate the relevant provision, apply it to the facts, and cite the source supporting the answer.
Designed for: federal employees, team leads, supervisors, and managers, with assignments adapted to their responsibilities.
Estimated learning time: 32 hours: 12 self-paced, 12 guided self-paced, and 8 applied-project hours. Tuition: $995 per certificate. Access: 90 days. Assessment: asynchronous instructor review.
Completion: complete required learning, pass course assessments, and meet the published project rubric across all three competencies.
ECQ 3 · Merit and Competence
Federal Professional Excellence Certificate
Enrollment openBuild occupational skill, solve problems with evidence, and adapt to change.
ADRA track: Leadership & Public Service
Register for ECQ 3 — $995 | View course and curriculum
One registration includes all three modules and the applied project, with 90-day access and asynchronous assessment by Guno Ritfeld.
Included modules, competencies, and applied project
- Occupational Technical Practice: Federal HR — Technical Skill
- Evidence-Based Problem Solving — Problem Solving
- Agility and Resilience in Federal Work — Agility and Resilience
Applied project: Produce a role-specific work sample and show how evidence and feedback improved its quality.
Federal source readings: The Federal HR module uses assigned readings from the Classifier’s Handbook Chapters 1–5, applicable classification standards, and GPPA Chapters 3 and 4 plus action-specific chapters. The current enrollment includes the Federal HR module.
Authority-based assessment: locate the relevant provision, apply it to the facts, and cite the source supporting the answer.
Designed for: federal employees, team leads, supervisors, and managers, with assignments adapted to their responsibilities.
Estimated learning time: 32 hours: 12 self-paced, 12 guided self-paced, and 8 applied-project hours. Tuition: $995 per certificate. Access: 90 days. Assessment: asynchronous instructor review.
Completion: complete required learning, pass course assessments, and meet the published project rubric across all three competencies.
ECQ 4 · Leading People
Federal People Leadership Certificate
Enrollment openPractice accountability, coaching, and sound leadership judgment.
ADRA track: Leadership & Public Service
Register for ECQ 4 — $995 | View course and curriculum
One registration includes all three modules and the applied project, with 90-day access and asynchronous assessment by Guno Ritfeld.
Included modules, competencies, and applied project
- Accountability and Federal Team Performance — Accountability
- Coaching and Employee Development — Developing Others
- Leadership Judgment and Communication — Executive Judgement
Applied project: Complete an assessed leadership simulation and prepare a team performance and development plan.
Federal source readings: Required readings will include applicable provisions of 5 CFR governing supervisory development, performance, and employee relations, together with OPM performance-management guidance. Workforce and personnel-action cases will use relevant classification guidance and GPPA instructions.
Authority-based assessment: locate the relevant provision, apply it to the facts, and cite the source supporting the answer.
Designed for: federal employees, team leads, supervisors, and managers, with assignments adapted to their responsibilities.
Estimated learning time: 32 hours: 12 self-paced, 12 guided self-paced, and 8 applied-project hours. Tuition: $995 per certificate. Access: 90 days. Assessment: asynchronous instructor review.
Completion: complete required learning, pass course assessments, and meet the published project rubric across all three competencies.
ECQ 5 · Achieving Results
Federal Strategy and Mission Results Certificate
Enrollment openTurn priorities into action, improve processes, and measure mission outcomes.
ADRA track: Leadership & Public Service
Register for ECQ 5 — $995 | View course and curriculum
One registration includes all three modules and the applied project, with 90-day access and asynchronous assessment by Guno Ritfeld.
Included modules, competencies, and applied project
- From Strategy to Implementation — Operational Mindset
- Practical Innovation and Process Improvement — Innovation
- Strategic Thinking for Federal Mission Results — Strategic Thinking
Applied project: Build a 90-day implementation plan with owners, milestones, outcome measures, and risks.
Federal source readings: Execution and strategy exercises will use current OMB planning and performance guidance and applicable agency plans. Workforce implementation cases will use relevant 5 CFR provisions and GPPA processing instructions; other cases will use the federal authority governing the process.
Authority-based assessment: locate the relevant provision, apply it to the facts, and cite the source supporting the answer.
Designed for: federal employees, team leads, supervisors, and managers, with assignments adapted to their responsibilities.
Estimated learning time: 32 hours: 12 self-paced, 12 guided self-paced, and 8 applied-project hours. Tuition: $995 per certificate. Access: 90 days. Assessment: asynchronous instructor review.
Completion: complete required learning, pass course assessments, and meet the published project rubric across all three competencies.
Federal curriculum standard
Learn Directly from Federal Authorities and Handbooks
The new federal ECQ curricula will use assigned readings, worked examples, and assessments tied to the applicable federal authorities. Each lesson will identify its source section or handbook chapter and the version reviewed.
Participants will locate the governing provision, apply it to a realistic case, and cite the authority supporting their work. Instruction will distinguish regulatory requirements, OPM guidance, and agency procedures. Sources will be checked for updates before delivery.
Classification and personnel-action instruction will be assigned to the relevant HR and workforce modules. Other topics will use the federal authorities that govern their subject matter.
Your registration and learning checklist
- Choose your certificate and select its registration button. Review the tuition, access period and enrollment policies before checkout.
- After enrollment is confirmed, sign in with your enrollment account and open My Courses. Select your ECQ certificate.
- Work through the three modules in order. Complete each assigned reading, worked example and individual practice activity, then submit the linked assessment.
- Complete and submit the integrated applied project using its rubric.
- Check instructor feedback and submit requested corrections. All four assessments require at least 80/100 and instructor clearance of critical errors.
- After successful completion and instructor evaluation, access your ADRA completion certificate in the LMS. Contact ADRA support if the course or certificate is not visible.
Plan to complete your work and revisions within the 90-day access period. The listed modules are included in the certificate enrollment; separate module purchases are not required.
Flexible delivery, demonstrated learning
These ECQ certificates combine self-paced coursework, guided individual practice, and applied project work with asynchronous instructor assessment. Existing ADRA offerings also include interactive self-paced and instructor-guided formats. Review each course for its actual availability and completion requirements.
Agencies can request a cohort development plan. Individuals can explore existing leadership programs, including the comprehensive Federal Executive Leadership Readiness Program.
These professional-development certificates are aligned with OPM's ECQ framework; they do not confer OPM endorsement, SES appointment eligibility, or QRB certification. Any continuing-education credit is identified separately for each eligible offering under ADRA's published policies.
