Program Overview

Thank you for your interest in the Leadership Government Program. The 2022 application period has closed. Please check back in June of 2022 for the 2023 application.

Who May Apply?

Current GS-13 through GS-15 Permanent, Full-time GS Employees, in addition to U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Administration, Federal Aviation Administration and Military employees in comparable grade levels are welcome to apply.

Program Overview:

The purpose of the Leadership Government program is to aid in succession planning to ensure a pool of highly qualified persons to replace those projected to leave federal government service within the coming years.

Therefore, the 2021 Leadership Government program will focus on developing leadership skills with special emphasis on building all five of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) required by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to progress to Senior Executive Service (SES) roles within the federal government.

All training will take place during normal business hours and each session will directly link to one Executive Core Qualification (ECQ), with particular emphasis on one associated core competency.

NOTE: Due to COVID-1 and per CDC recommended social distancing guidelines, our October –through December classes will be conducted in a virtual environment using a variety of platforms (Adobe Connect, Zoom for Government, and Google Meets).  We will reassess our return to the face-to-face session prior to the beginning of the year.  In the event we are unable to resume face-to-face sessions in January, arrangements will be made to continue virtual sessions until face-to-face sessions are

The program period will be October 28, 2020 – September 23, 2021 and selection does not infer promotion.

Participation Outcomes:

Upon completion of the 2021 Leadership Government Program, participants will have the following in preparation for increased leadership responsibilities and/or a formal OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) in accordance with 5 CFR 412.302(c)):

  • 40+ hours of formal training that address ECQs

 Completion of training and project implementation to meet Six Sigma Green Belt certification requirements

  •  Paradigm 360 Coaching Certification with hands-on employee coaching experience
  •  Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) certification training with eligibility to participate in the Federal Shared Neutrals Program
  •  Meta Leadership and Emergency Preparedness training by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) experts

 Participant Responsibilities

Commitment of Time – Most agencies cannot afford for staff members to engage in a yearlong program where the employee will be away from their duty station and responsibilities.  Therefore, this program has been designed to offer optimal benefits using the least amount of out-of-office time possible.

Attendance – Program participants are expected to attend all class sessions, external awareness visits, and any events that are scheduled.  If a participant misses more than five (5) of the program days, or a mandatory program session, he or she will be dropped from the program.  All mandatory sessions and program dates are listed below.

Week Long and Multi-Day Certification Program Sessions are: (Mandatory Attendance for Certification)

Coaching Paradigm Certification (2 Days) **

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (1 Week)

Mediation Certification (ADR) (1 Week)

Meta Leadership Certification (2 Days)

**There will also be weekly webinars for nine weeks.  These meetings will typically last two hours and may require additional prep work or follow-up tasks in order to achieve the coaching certification.

Program Tuition Cost

Best Value – The estimated cost avoidance/savings to agencies for the 2019 Leadership Government Program was $28,045 per participant based on each participant taking these courses individually outside of the Leadership Government Program.

Program – Participants will meet government, private sector speakers and academic leadership to discuss issues impacting government and explore each topic with special attention focused on building the competencies required to meet Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).