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PCIE/ECIE OIG Leadership Development
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American University's Leadership Course To strengthen leadership and enhance succession-planning efforts in the Inspector General community, the Human Resources Committee is pleased to announce the Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program for Inspector General Leaders at the GS-13 through SES level, delivered by faculty from American University.
Program Descriptions: Overview; Session A;
Session B; Session C; General Information
Program Description ~ Overview
The total program includes three Sessions with each Session building on material
presented in the previous one. After taking Session A, a student may enroll in
any subsequently scheduled Session B. Similarly, after taking Sessions A and B,
a student may enroll in any subsequently scheduled Session C.
Session A
Courses included in Session A are as follows:
Students explore various roles, responsibilities, and choices in creating high-performing
organizations. A basic assumption is that leadership is a journey of continuously struggling
to know oneself, understand one's relationship with others, and take responsibility for
making conscious choices through reading, dialogue, and reflection. Students focus on
their personal approaches to leadership, develop an awareness of the advantages and
disadvantages that accompany them, identify personal values and understand how those
values drive both a leader's and follower's behavior, learn about the role of individual
vision and mission in leading others, and understand the different skills required as
one is promoted to levels of increasing responsibility. (Three Days)
Students are challenged to provide a context for exploring the role of the leader
as a team builder, including providing experiential learning activities to build
the team and to use tools that can be applied in the workplace. A self-introductory exercise is used to launch the course by exploring the theme
of "intentional leadership" and using oneself as an instrument of change.
Participants describe the culture in which the OIG operates and its attitude
toward teams. Students review class norms and discuss how they have been used.
The FIRO B instrument is administered and processed by looking at three levels:
the individual, the team, and the agency. Group activities focus on the dimensions
of inclusion, control, and openness to relationships. Participants are challenged
to critically review their leadership/ management style to see whether they are
receiving the results they want with their direct reports, peers, bosses, and key
stakeholders. If not, students are challenged to identify behaviors they might
choose to change to be more effective with those they lead. In addition, students examine the actions needed to create a high-performing team.
Participants are guided as to behaviors they should engage in when facilitating a
team through the stages of group development, including "forming, storming,
norming, and performing." Students also discuss the importance of developing a
team charter, which includes the need for addressing goals, roles, norms, and
relationships. (Two Days)
The course is designed to approach ethics in an applied and practical manner
and to focus on the various processes by which students can achieve ethical
decision-making and enhance integrity in organizations. During Session 1,
students will discuss the text, Defining Moments, with particular emphasis
on the idea of "right vs. right" decisions and the need for reflection.
Students also review fundamental principles and historical foundations of moral
philosophy and examine major frameworks for thinking about ethics and integrity. (One Day)
The goal of this course is to give OIG leaders a better appreciation for the
constitutional context in which public sector enterprises, including the Offices
of Inspector General, function. To gain this appreciation, students read decisions
of the U.S. Supreme Court and discuss them in class, with an eye toward relating
the legal concepts discussed to the role of government, generally, and the work
of the Inspectors General in particular.
During the first session, students examine aspects of the Constitution that govern the
relationship between the government and its employees. Students focus primarily upon
free speech issues, including whistleblower protection. The class will read excerpts
from several important Supreme Court decisions involving the First Amendment rights
of public employees. Students discuss the relationship between the government's
interest as an employer in the efficient operation of its workplace, employees'
interests in free expression of their opinions, and the public's interest in
hearing the views of government employees. The class will apply the principles
discussed in the context of real-life situations, including those they experience
at their worksite. Members of the class will be encouraged to share their views
about how OIGs can best work with government employee whistleblowers to accomplish
the OIG mission. (One Day)
The Action Learning course offers new approaches to executive problem solving.
The Action Learning framework is a modern application of proven classical methods
of questioning and reflection and provides a very adaptable structure for
exploring creative approaches to a variety of problems. As a problem-solving
tool, it provides an effective means of arriving at mutually acceptable solutions.
Simultaneously, participants gain new insights into how their behavior affects
others and how learning leaders can use this self-awareness to collaborate more
effectively. The goal of this course is to give leaders renewed awareness of the impact they have on
groups and individuals, as well as provide practical techniques for discussing and
solving problems. In short, one basic objective is to draw attention to the
value of being a learning leader, rather than simply a learned leader. Through
increased self-awareness, leaders have more opportunities to make deliberate
choices about how to approach problems and situations, interact with others,
and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the people and organizations to
which they have dedicated their service. To accomplish this, a series of
increasingly intensive Action Learning exercises are conducted, using different
combinations of roles and topics to demonstrate the full potential of Action
Learning. Students are encouraged to propose exercise topics that involve
problems facing the Inspector General community but are free to suggest any
topic for discussion. (One Day) Each student will conduct a 360-degree evaluation and be assigned an Executive
Coach to interpret the results in a 2-hour meeting during Session A. A second
coaching session of 1.5 hours will be scheduled within 90 to 120 days after
Session A.
Session B
Courses included in Session B are as follows:
Students continue working on incorporating reflection and practicing dialogue to
understand why others would choose to follow a leader. Students focus on creating
commitment to individual and organizational goals through an understanding of
what creates commitment and how a leader's behavior encourages or inhibits it.
In addition, students will learn processes for managing conflict for positive
results. (Two Days)
The second day in this series focuses on ethics in the context of the public
service, particularly the role of OIG leaders in modeling and promoting ethics
and integrity in their organizations. Key concepts reviewed include trust,
public confidence, accountability, self awareness, and learning. Each participant
will develop an individual action plan to integrate and build upon the major
themes in the course. (One Day)
In the second session students examine the constitutional context of the relationship
between the government and its citizens, the structure of the federal courts, and
the role the courts play in making public policy. The readings concern equal
protection of the laws, substantive due process, and judicial activism. By
reading some of the "hot-button" cases in these areas, students explore the
difference between legal reasoning and policymaking. In addition, students
discuss issues of official immunity - i.e., the extent to which government
employees and officials can be held personally liable in suits that challenge
the lawfulness of the governmental actions in which they have been involved.
(One Day)
In the second session, students further explore Action Learning techniques and
principles. More complex exercises will be carried out using problems presented
by the group members. These exercises will be based on current, real-life
problems facing the Inspector General community as well as personal issues
that can affect anyone. Participants will leave with a heightened sense of
the impact they have on their colleagues and the consequences of the choices
they can make in order to communicate more effectively. (One Day)
A coaching session of 1.5 hours will be scheduled for each Session B student
within 30 days prior to Session B, and a second session of 1.5 hours will be
scheduled within 90 to 120 days after Session B.
Session C
Courses included in Session C are as follows: The first two sessions focus on leading direct reports and those who might be
colleagues. We revisit the different mix of leadership skills required at different
levels of responsibility and introduce the leadership skills necessary to work
across an organization and outside an organization. (One Day).
Students will facilitate the group through a real-time, team-building exercise.
Each facilitation team will address the essential elements of building a team
charter, including defining the purpose, clarifying the roles, addressing the
norms/procedures, and improving the relationships. After each facilitation
team finishes, they will receive feedback from the group. The course will
conclude with a review of each individual's learning goals and an action plan
to apply the tools and skills learned back in the workplace and throughout the
OIG community. (One Day)
In the third session, students consider issues related to the separation of
powers between the branches of government. Students also discuss the special
role of Inspectors General, constitutional considerations related to their
independence, and related issues. In addition, the class explores several
crucial aspects of administrative law: what role administrative agencies
play in making law through regulation, the role of OMB, and how the courts
and Congress oversee the administration of statutes by the Executive Branch. (One Day)
Leading Organizational Change for Results presents useful concepts and practical
tools to enable participants to lead a successful organizational change effort.
The course addresses situational change, the psychological aspects of transitioning
through change, and deep change.
Participants define basic concepts related to organization change; identify models
for examining, setting the stage for, and implementing a structured change process;
assess change readiness; increase understanding of self and others' behavior styles
as these styles relate to change; increase ability to move beyond resistance;
determine a personally relevant framework for assessing organizational performance;
reflect on the role of perceptions, assumptions, beliefs, and values crucial to
change initiatives; and increase self-awareness for a strengthened ability to
manage self in the midst of organizational change. (Two Days)
Each student will conduct a 360-degree evaluation, and the student's assigned
executive coach will interpret the results in a 2-hour meeting during Session C.
Schedule of Classes ~ 2009 Calendar will be updated with additional sessions
Registration Contact Sophie Idilbi, Academic Advisor, at 202-885-6256 or
si8400a@american.edu to register for the Program.
Program Cost Session A: $4,650/student, which includes 8 days of instruction, a 360-degree
evaluation, a 2-hour coaching session, and a 1.5-hour coaching session. Session B: $3,050/student, which includes 5 days of instruction and two 1.5-hour
coaching sessions. Session C: $3,200/student, which includes 5 days of instruction, a 360-degree
evaluation, and one 2-hour coaching session. Program Payment The process for payment may include the submission of SF-182 forms to American
University. American University will submit individual invoices as a basis for payment. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits
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