Section 317.401 - General(a) The head of each agency is responsible for establishing qualifications standards for Senior Executive Service (SES) positions in accordance with the procedures described in this subpart.(b) A written qualification standard must be established for a position before any appointment is made to the position. If a position is being filled competitively, the standard must be established before the position is announced.54 FR 9758, Mar. 8, 1989, as amended at 60 FR 6385, Feb. 2, 1995