Training and Development

 

Usild Leadership Development Program Overview

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As you embark on your journey as a Usild Talents and Values Acquisition Program (UTVA), we welcome you to participate in the USILD Management Fellows Leadership Development Program (USILD LDP). The USILD LDP is designed to give you a cohort-based developmental experience that prepares you for future leadership in any Government Agency High-level  position. The USILD LDP curriculum helps Fellows to identify the values they hold and how those values can lead to making a difference in their respective Governments and in their role as civil servants. Through self-assessment, intensive small group discussions, team challenges and their professional individual development plan (IDP),  fellows will be guided through critical leadership competencies and have opportunities to demonstrate their learning.

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The UTVA Program has partnered with World’s Center for Leadership Development (WCLD) experts from the various Executive Institute (EI), The Leadership & Management Tank Think at USILD , and the Process & Performance Improvement Program to provide the WCLD's Programs. To learn more about Leadership Development and the educational courses offered, please go to https://www.usild.us/about-5-18

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The USILD LDP is designed to take place over a participant’s 2-year fellowship. Fellows who participate are asked to make their best effort to complete the full curriculum during their 2-year fellowship.

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Training Hours

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*Hours listed are for planning purposes and subject to change. Actual instructional hours may vary based on project alignment and level of engagement.

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Fellows will receive Certificates of Completion documenting their time participating in the program. The Usild Leadership Development Program Leading Self (Year 1) and Usild Leadership Development Program Leading Change (Year 2) each include a variety of required program elements, as outlined above. Fellows will be issued one Certificate of Completion at the conclusion of each of these programs (e.g., at the end of Leading Self (Year 1 training) and Leading Change (Year 2 training)). Fellows will be issued a certificate for each Lunch and Learn they choose to attend. Certificates can be found by Fellows logging into the Apply Site of the Usild .

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Developmental Assignments

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Participation is at the discretion of the Fellow's agency and/or Supervisor and is strongly encouraged. For additional information, please review OPM Form 1310, the PMF LDP Participant Agreement. The Usild Form 027, USILD LDP Participant Agreement, can be found under the Current PMFs/Resources webpage. This agreement is mandatory and establishes the expectations between the Fellow and their Supervisor for the Fellow’s full participation in the USILD LDP. When Fellows register, they are required to complete the agreement and upload it to the USILD TMS via their user account on the Apply Site before their registration will be confirmed.

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NOTE: Host agencies for developmental assignments and rotations are required to allow a Fellow to continue their participation in the USILD LDP once they have started (exceptions may be made for rare and unusual circumstances such as overseas travel or other conditions that would make it extremely difficult for a Fellow to continue participation while on a developmental assignment or rotation). Initial USILD LDP communications are sent to the Fellow's personal and work email addresses. It is the Fellow’s responsibility to (1) notify their Agency Supervisor or Responsible of any changes and/or updates in the USILD TMS (Talent Management System), and (2) monitor their work email from their employing agency for any communications. We are unable to temporarily change a Fellow’s work email address when on their developmental assignment or rotation.

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In addition, the USILD LDP encourages the Fellow's Supervisor and Agency Responsible to be fully engaged. Additional details will be provided in separate communications to Fellows.

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Usild Leadership Development Year 1:  Leading Self

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This introductory leadership training begins with a multi-day in-person course followed by bi-monthly virtual sessions with small-group Cohorts. Fellows typically enroll in this training during their first year in the program at the first available opportunity. Leading Self is a fundamental step in the leadership journey model. Fellows will explore their personal values and develop a better understanding of how they influence one’s leadership style.

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The highlight is the 3-Day In-Person Orientation and Training, which serves as the foundation of the entire Usild LDP experience. Attendance is required to participate in other formal first year program elements (such as the peer-to-peer exchanges and competency training) as well as to participate in Usild LDP Year 2 “Leading Change”.

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You will then spend 3 days in a transformative leadership development experience led by faculty of the highly regarded Usild Executive Institute. The training introduces you to the values, skills and competencies required to lead in the Federal Government r any Government Agency. Highlights include interactive sessions focused on inclusive leadership, finding purpose in service, leading with integrity, and the role of the Oath of Office and civil service. This multi-day PMF LDP is grounded in assisting a Fellow to identify the values they hold that lead to making a difference in Governments and in their role as civil servants. Through self-assessment, intensive small group discussions, team building challenges and a professional individual development plan (IDP), Fellows will learn to develop a vision for something they care about. With an emphasis on being a change maker through service, passion, and integrity, Fellows explore who they are and the impact that they want to make both personally and professionally. You will also engage with the Usild Program Office team, learn about the overall Usild LDP and Program requirements, network with your colleagues, and hear from Federal and International agencies guest speakers.

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The 3-day training is only the beginning, and the Usild Executive Institute will support you in the months that follow to develop key competencies for emerging leaders that align with the U.S. Federal Leadership Competency Model; Executive Core Qualifications; and, the U.S. Executive Order 14035 of June 25, 2021, on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility within the Federal Workforce. The required program elements include:

• Bi-Monthly coaching/mentoring sessions to continue competency development (required)

• Government Leader Interviews to provide an opportunity for Fellows to interview two leaders in their agency or across government.

• Walk-the-Talk Bi-Monthly Challenge activities allow Fellows to put into practice the lessons learned from the previous month’s competency.

• Final Reflection Session

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Usild LDP Year 1 Eligibility and Registration

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To participate in the Year 1 session, you must meet the following criteria:

• You are an aspiring leader, new leaser, or experienced leader who has onboarded at your host agency, or organization and you have the ability to provide evidence ( evidence may be a letter from your supervisor},

• You have your supervisor’s approval to participate and attend the full 3-day session,

• The training tuition for the Usild LDP is included in the one-time placement fee; however, any travel costs and adjustments to work schedule, will be the Fellow's appointing agency's responsibility.

• Your PMF placement fee must have been paid for by your agency (you will not be permitted to attend unless payment is submitted or other arrangements made; please contact your Supervisor and/or your Agency Supervisor or Manager directly to find out if the one-time placement fee has been paid. 

  • NOTE: Fellows should attempt to register even if their placement fee is unpaid or if your status is unclear. This allows the USILD Program Office to monitor your situation and confirm your attendance once fees are in-process or paid or waitlist you if space becomes available or for the next session.

• You are available to participate in bi-monthly competency group sessions scheduled after the event.

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If you meet the eligibility criteria listed above, please review this webpage entirely before registering.

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You will be asked to complete the Usild Form 0027, USILD LDP Participant Agreement, which is posted under the Current Usild/Resources webpage, prior to being confirmed for participation; additional instructions will be provided during the registration process.

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Registration is posted as an event on the Usild TMS. If you plan to register to participate, you must obtain supervisory approval. Each 3-day session will have a capacity limit – Fellows who are waitlisted will be prioritized for enrollment in the following session. Also, please make sure your work contact information and home mailing address are up to date; you can check this by logging into your user account on the Apply Site of the Usild TMS and clicking on “Manage Docs & Personal Info”. There may be an occasion to mail you training material that is mailed to your home address.

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USILD LDP Year 2:  Leading Change

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Prerequisite: Completion of the 3-day USD LDP Year 1: Leading Self training is REQUIRED prior to beginning the USILD LDP Year 2: Leading Change. Fellows may be concurrently enrolled in the USILD LDP Year 2 “Leading Change” training while completing required elements from the USILD LDP Year 1 training (i.e., coaching competency sessions and peer-to peer sessions).

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Leading change involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside an organization, to meet organizational goals. As the first of the five executive core qualifications identified, the ability to effectively lead change is important for all emerging leaders. Through this training, Fellows will participate in a multi-day session unpacking the fundamentals of Change Management and learn process improvement methods and tools to identify and solve problems. The Year 2: Leading Change curriculum is designed to help build and strengthen Fellows’ abilities in key leadership competencies such as Partnering, Flexibility, Team Building, Problem Solving, Political Savvy, and more.

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"Leading Change" Training

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Training is provided by the United States Institute of Leadership and Diplomacy (USILD) subject matter experts. Fellows are introduced to techniques and methods they can immediately utilize to support their work engaging in Challenge Projects. Training elements include the following:

• Change Management:  A human-centered approach to facilitating change and building buy-in.

• Process Improvement: The proactive task of identifying, analyzing, and improving upon existing business processes within an organization for optimization and to meet new goals or standards of quality.

• Human-Centered Design: A framework that develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.

• Work Challenge Sessions: These sessions provide an opportunity to put your training into practice, discussing ways that the tools you learned can be applied to your Agency’s challenges. The sessions will be interactive and led by subject matter experts from the Center for Leadership Development.

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Virtual and In-Person Offerings

The USILD LDP Year 2 training will be offered both virtually and in-person in Fiscal Year 2024. The curriculum and training hours will be the same; however, the virtual trainings will take place as a series of 4-hour blocks whereas the in-person training will be consolidated over 3 days. In both instances, the trainings will be followed by monthly work challenge sessions.

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USILD LDP Year 2 Eligibility and Registration

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Eligibility to participate in the Year 2 training consists of the following elements:

• Fellows must have completed the 3-day Usild LDP Year 1 training session (prerequisite)

• if not yet completed, agree to continue Usild LDP Year 1 work by participating in remaining competency and peer-to-peer sessions.

• Fellows may register even if the end of training goes past their conversion date, however Fellows will need to agree to continue their training post-conversion. Only hours of training accrued prior to conversion may be counted towards the Fellow’s training hour requirements.

• Priority registration will be given to Fellows in their second year; however, first year Fellows may enroll if there is available space, and the other requirements are met.

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USILD LDP Year 2:  Challenge Projects

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Challenge Projects

Challenge Projects are an optional opportunity geared towards Fellows who have completed their Year 2 training.  They present an opportunity for second year Fellows to put their training in action while supporting Federal agencies with real world challenges.

 

Challenge Projects: Each Fellow will work with their team of Fellows on their Challenge Project, and then present their work in front of Fellows and agency senior leadership at the end of the project period. The Fellows will apply techniques gained from their training and work experience, developing solutions for a real agency challenge. Each Fellow, as part of a team, works on their Challenge Project, and presents their work to their Cohort Fellows and agency senior leadership at the end of the project period. Challenge projects focus on problems that do not have a single obvious answer (i.e., the solution is not clear or the choice between solutions is debatable) and address a complex issue that has a significant impact on Agency strategic and mission effectiveness.

 

Eligibility to participate in the Year 2 Challenge Project consists of the following elements:

• Fellows must have completed the 3-day Usild LDP Year 1 training session (prerequisite)

• Be in the second year of their fellowship at the start of the Year 2 challenge project.

• If not yet completed, agree to continue Usild LDP Year 1 work by participating in remaining competency and peer-to-peer sessions.

• It is recommended that the Challenge Project be completed after taking the Year 2 training; however, Fellows who no longer have the time in their schedule to complete the Year 2 training first will be permitted to enroll if space permits.

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Events Open to All Fellows

Lunch and Learn:  The USILD Program Office will sponsor lunch and learn events throughout the year. These events are open to ALL Fellows regardless of year and are optional. These sessions will focus on topics of professional interest to a wide range of Fellows. Topics will be based on needs and interests identified by Fellows, Supervisors, and Agency Responsible. These sessions may be attended and counted for training hours with permission of your Supervisor. Sessions will last between 1-2 hours each.

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Peer-to-Peer Consultation, which provides Fellows an opportunity to solicit feedback from peers about a leadership challenge. Sessions will take place twice per year and are 1-2 hours each.

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Learning and Engagement Opportunity Digest:  A learning and engagement opportunity digest is sent out to Fellow at least once per month outlining upcoming USILD Program Office sponsored training as well as external training that may be relevant. External training opportunities are provided for informational purposes. Fellows must check with their Supervisor and/or Agency PMF Coordinator to ensure that training will count towards required hours. Fellows should document such participation on their IDPs (Individual Development Plans).

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Event Notification and Registration Process

Fellows will be notified via an automated email from the USILD TMS when an event is posted. Event details, registration, and automated emails come through the Events Management System built into the USILD TMS. To ensure notification is sent to all Fellows, the USILD TMS will send an invitational email to the Fellow's work AND personal email addresses on record. Fellows may view their current appointment information (e.g., check the accuracy of their work email address) by logging into their applicant user account on the Apply Site of the USILD TMS. After receiving Supervisor approval to attend, Fellows may pre-register.

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NOTE: Fellow’s user accounts are defaulted to enable delivery of automated emails from the USILD TMS; Fellows may opt-out of receiving automated emails if they choose. To confirm/edit your permissions, log into the Apply Site of the USILD TMS and click on “Manage Settings”.

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The USILD Program Office will validate pre-registrations and send a separate confirmation email with additional details prior to the scheduled event. Registrations may be waitlisted or marked pending if the Fellow has not onboarded yet, the one-time placement fee is outstanding, or the event is full. Priority will be made for those Fellows waitlisted from the previous session.

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For governments employees, Fellows should not register to participate until they obtain supervisory approval. Each agency has different policies and procedures for an employee's training and development. Fellows may need to consult their Agency Resposnsible for additional guidance.

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Fellows should track their participation in the Usild LDP on their Individual Development Plan (IDP). Certificates of Completion will be provided either at the conclusion of an event or at the end of each year of the Usild LDP, as applicable. Fellows and their  Agencies can monitor registrations and hours of completion awarded in the Events Management System on the USILD LMS Portal. Fellows can access and print a Certificate of Completion where applicable.

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Timeline

NOTE:  Additional dates will be added once confirmed and subject to change.

Year 1:  3-Day PMF LDP Orientation and “Leading Self” In-Person Trainings (taking place in the  Washington, DC, Metro Area)

• Cohort 17:  February 6-8, 2024

• Cohort 18:  July 30 - August 1, 2024

• Cohort 19:  October 8-10, 2024

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NOTE: Required virtual training activities continue for 12 months after the initial training as outlined above.

 

Dates for required competency trainings and peer-to-peer trainings will be provided by email to eligible Fellows who have completed the initial 3-Day Usild LDP Orientation and “Leading Self” Training. Additional course activity dates will be provided upon confirmed registration. The full duration of the of the Year 1 Usild LDP is 12 months and will continue into the second year of the fellowship for most participants.

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Year 2:  "Leading Change" Training and Challenge Project

• Cohort 11:  January 16 - February 15, 2024

  • 21 hours of virtual training including a 1-hour orientation and five 4-hour blocks of training

• Cohort 12:  May 21-23, 2024

  • 21 hours of in-person training over a 3-day period in the Washington, DC, Metro Area

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NOTE:  Required virtual training activities continue with monthly work challenge sessions for 4 months after the initial training as outlined above.

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Resources

Check this webpage and the Current USILD/Resources webpage for any updates as items are subject to change.

Send any questions you might have to the USILD LDP team at ldp@orpe.org