I’ve posted a (too long) email I sent to Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell applauding the agency’s attempt to control SES performance rating inflation but criticizing the draft standards as ‘forcing’ a quota of high ratings, when those ratings ought to be aligned (and consistent) with broader agency performance. Note that those ratings should not be based on individual qualities either, as almost all career SES members are ‘wonderful’ in that regard; rather, they should reflect their contribution to overall agency performance (along with their political leadership). This, if an agency performs well, its SES members should be rated accordingly, but the reverse ought to be true as well.