CUSTOM PROGRAMS FOR AGENCIES Overview | Examples | Contact & Price List

Custom Programs for Agencies Overview

When specific requirements or challenges create the need for specialized training, The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (GWU CEPL) can design and deliver customized leadership and management development programs for federal, regional, or municipal organizations and agencies. With ten years of experience in providing leadership development programs, CEPL can design a program to meet the scope and size of your organization. Our approach to the executive development of public leaders involves a focus on key competency and awareness areas matched with appropriate learning methodologies that use principles of adult learning and leadership development best practices. Our key competency areas include: Networking, leadership, and partnering; Systems thinking; Self-awareness and self-management; Managing for results; Contextual awareness; Leading people; and Leading change. In addition, the majority of our customized programs are focused on the Executive Core Qualifications identified by the US Office of Personnel Management as critical to the success of Federal senior managers and executives.

CEPL has designed programs and workshops for:

• The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
• The National Institutes of Health
• The Food and Drug Administration
• The US Secret Service
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
• The District of Columbia Government

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Customized programs may include:

Assessment and Diagnostic Instruments:

The center provides diagnostic tools which foster increased self-awareness by enabling participants to asses and diagnose their leadership abilities and increase situational awareness by diagnosing organizational systems, team dynamics, and social networks. Leaders are helped to assimilate what they have learned and use it to enhance their professional development plans and their organizational strategies and interventions.

Training in Mission-Critical Competencies

Sessions can be tailored to support the organization’s critical strategic initiatives, especially through the development of organization-specific case studies, simulations, and application exercises. These sessions can blend a mix of leadership and management concepts that are particularly relevant for the organization’s mission and purpose.

Simulations

We use simulations which put participants in a “real-to-life” scenario where they have to practice and demonstrate the concepts and skills they are learning. Our simulations are tailored to reflect the strategies and change initiatives of the sponsoring organization. By participating in simulations with other executives, leaders gain breadth of perspective and depth of understanding about strategic issues as well as teamwork, negotiating, political sensitivity and system balancing skills.

Action Learning Projects

We use action learning projects to foster application of learning to real-world situations encountered by the executive. Often these are policy change projects which require participants to research an issue in depth; sensitize themselves to the viewpoints of a variety of stakeholder groups; calculate benefits, costs, and trade-offs; formulate proposed policy alternatives; and craft a change management strategy to build support and sustain implementation moving forward.

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Coaching Circles and Peer Review: Participants have the opportunity to present challenges they encounter, project ideas, the results of diagnostic assessments, or concepts from readings and lectures to a small group of their peers. The sharing and resultant discussion enables peer advice and coaching, shared learning, development of ideas, deepened understanding and application of leadership principles as well as networking and teambuilding. In addition, participants present their written work products to the entire class for feedback and coaching.

Case Studies, Group Exercises, and Role Plays: Relevant case studies are used to illustrate the content of the topics being discussed and to provide opportunities for participants to wrestle with leadership dilemmas that challenge decision-making and thinking abilities. The case studies are read and reviewed in large and small groups and discussions focus on new learning and applications. In addition, role plays and exercises are used to put concepts into action, experiment with new skills and approaches, and enhance observation and diagnostic skills.

Mock Presentations: Participants are challenged to make individual or team presentations as if they were in a formal setting. These approaches are used to work on constructing concise, effective presentations, quick analysis and summary of data and effective methods for organizing and presenting data, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and composure under fire. Often these presentations are videotaped and reviewed to identify strengths, opportunities for improvement, and points of emphasis for future practice sessions.

Outside Expert Speakers: Senior government officials, technical experts, policy advisors, researchers, and program alumni are used to present concepts in depth or share experiences related to challenges currently faced by participants. This provides an opportunity for participants to “get inside the heads” of respected leaders and thinkers and understand the thinking processes which formed the foundation for their effective leadership practices. Especially helpful is the sharing and analysis of significant failures which became formative learning experiences.

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