The highly competitive ALDP draws on Service employees at the GS-13 /14 level with demonstrated potential for assuming leadership at higher levels of the agency. The ALDP enables participants to explore leadership in the Service while developing leadership skills through challenging assignments outside their program area.

While the Service's National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) hosts ALDP, the entire Fish and Wildlife Service is the main campus for participants whose assignments include a 30-day job swap and a 60-day developmental detail to explore leadership opportunities both within and outside the agency. During three visits to NCTC, participants receive training and counseling on their leadership effectiveness and insights into the larger arena of natural resources management in the U.S.