U.S. Department of Energy

Working with its client, Colleague developed and facilitated a two-day team-building workshop for a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) budget and finance support organization that was having difficulty being productive. This organization had been significantly downsized over a number of years, leaving less than a dozen members geographically scattered over 4 locations across the United States. In addition to communication issues resulting from the distributed work force, there were issues of trust between line management and staff, as well as between line staff themselves.

The agenda for the two-day team-building workshop provided sessions for problem analysis and team-based problem solving, opportunities to work together in cross-site teams, and “appreciation” interventions designed to break down the mistrust between individuals in the organization. Evaluations conducted at the end of the session indicated that the conference objectives to improve communications and increase trust were met.

U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is required by the U.S. Office of Budget and Management (OMB) to align its human capital initiatives with the President’s Management Agenda. To meet this and its other varied mission needs requirements, Colleague created a communication plan to promote a competency development framework tool to be used by the Department.

The Competency-Centered Learning and Development Framework (CCLD) is a tool managers can use to 1) audit the skill set of their current workforce; 2) project the anticipated skill set of their future workforce; and 3) translate the gap between these two into concrete developmental needs such as training, job rotations, or new hires.

This communication plan provides recommendations and actions to successfully launch and promote the CCLD. The objectives of this plan are to generate managers interest in, and use of the CCLD; to encourage non-managers to view the CCLD as a relevant tool for developing their career; promote Human Resources as a valuable resource to DOE managers; to promote linkage of the CCLD to an online learning center; and to develop CCLD credibility and support among DOE executives. The plan accomplishes these objectives through a variety of tactics including face-to-face meetings; a dedicated intranet web-page; managers’ talking points for use in one-on-one meetings with employees; email tips for using the tool effectively; brochures with customized inserts explaining the usefulness of the CCLD tool; and an integrated branding and messaging campaign. The plan also contains suggestions for evaluating the success of the communication strategies. Those results will be used to update and improve communication materials.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

As a subcontractor, Colleague Consulting assisted in the design and development of a competency-based basic accounting skills certification instrument for the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The instrument is used to determine whether FDIC staff members have the necessary basic accounting knowledge and skills to successfully perform bank audits, or if they require remedial training in basic accounting principles and practices.

Colleague’s role on this project was to provide technical consulting services on the design of the test reliability and validation study process, the assessment of individual test items, and the determination of overall test reliability and validity.

Internal Revenue Service

As a subcontractor, Colleague Consulting wrote a step-by-step how-to guide for assessing, improving, and demonstrating the reliability of competency-based tests for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Level 2 Evaluation Procedure Guidelines and Templates document provides procedures for:

• Assessing competency-based test reliability.
• Conducting an item analysis to determine unreliable test items.
• Using the item analysis to revise items and improve test reliability.
• Performing an overall test reliability analysis.
• Calculating test reliability indices.
• Developing and implementing competency-based training tests that are compliant with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The procedures allow IRS workforce development managers to develop defensible, competency-based tests and to demonstrate their reliability. The procedures document also included a basic introduction to EEO law and ADA compliance, and their implications for competency-based test development and reliability demonstration. The guideline is currently official IRS policy and is available on-line as a resource to IRS test developers.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague Consulting designed and developed a competency development framework for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This framework provides a tool by which DOE leaders can capture and measure the competencies needed within the organization they lead.

The framework competency model enables a DOE leader to identify the strategic goals and objectives of the immediate organization; the functional areas associated with that organization; critical competencies associated with the functional areas; and where those critical competencies reside, or should reside, in the organization.

The framework also provides a gap analysis and gap closure planning processes at the organizational and individual employee levels. In addition to the development of the framework model, other products are being developed. These include a marketing plan to promote the competency assessment, a lecture-based training course to teach the target audience how to use the product, and a web-based version of the product to be installed on the DOE learning management system.

Under the framework, critical competencies are analyzed in four areas: universal, management, leadership, and mission critical.

U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) completed its required review of training under OMB Circular A-76. Its winning approach was intended to centralize the training management functions and bring its demonstrated operation to a high level of efficiency in meeting Departmental staff training and career development requirements. Colleague’s supporting consulting role in this ensuing implementation effort was to assist in the identification and codification of human resource (HR) management processes, the indoctrination of new and reassigned staff, and the preparation of the approximately 120 member team to sustain its work qualification skills.

Colleague Consulting reviewed processes from geographically and programmatically dispersed DOE field and headquarters offices. These processes were then distilled and categorized by their application and utility for the centralized process. From these processes and, in combination with existing training modules in a variety of fundamental topics such as DOE organization and federal budgeting, Colleague developed a series of lesson plans for the new Most Effective Organization (MEO). Colleague also worked closely with DOE to develop and codify those training management topics which were missing or not fully developed. All of these lessons were organized into three principle categories: indoctrination; initial work process skills; and, advanced/sustaining work process skills.

National Environmental Training Office

Colleague Consulting, as a subcontractor, provided a variety of program and training support services to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE's) National Environmental Training Office (NETO). Individual projects completed under this contract are listed below.

Teambuilding and Organizational Start-up

Colleague Consulting developed and facilitated a team-building and strategic planning workshop for NETO, a new organization within DOE. The workshop introduced the basic characteristics of productive teams, and then assisted the new organizational members to develop plans for implementing the concepts.

Technology-Supported Learning Planning

Colleague represented NETO at DOE’s national workshop for developing an implementation plan to integrate Technology Supported Learning across the DOE complex. Colleague also helped NETO plan its first conversion of classroom-based training to web-based training.

Benchmarking Study

Colleague conducted a benchmarking study on the costs for developing and delivering technical training. Colleague surveyed training vendors for their historical development costs and prepared a report comparing industry costs to NETO costs. Colleague also developed benchmarks by which to judge the cost efficiency of future training efforts, and made recommendations for reducing NETO course development and delivery costs. The survey included costs for developing and delivering training through alternative media.

Training Evaluation

Colleague formally evaluated new training courses on deactivation and decommissioning, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) orientation, and remedial design and implementation, and made recommendations to improve presentation, format, and materials.

Development of Program Guidance

Colleague developed a guidance manual to help participants in DOE’s Technical Qualification Program comply with the Environmental Restoration, Environmental Compliance, and Waste Management Technical Qualification Standards. The manual summarized more than 25 learning resources available to DOE employees and developed a resource-to-competency matrix that indicated what learning resources were available to address each competency.

Logistics Procedures

Colleague developed a set of training logistic support procedures and checklists. The checklists serve both as job aids for logistics support personnel, and as management tools for supervisory personnel to ensure that all logistical details for a course delivery have been attended to and communicated.

State of Maryland

As a subcontractor, Colleague conducted the following activities for several State of Maryland school systems:

• Developed and taught a two-day Program Development and Evaluation training program. The program trained consultants on the use of the Program Development and Evaluation (PDE) program planning, implementation and formal evaluation model. PDE is a data-driven method in which local causes of the problem to be solved are identified, interventions are designed to address those causes, implementation and outcome measures are designed, and program success is continuously monitored and evaluated using rigorous social science evaluation designs.
• PDE was used to provide a cadre of youth violence prevention program consultants with a planning and evaluation tool that could be consistently applied state-wide. PDE was then used by the trained consultant to assist counties to plan and implement powerful youth interventions and to design and execute robust formal program evaluations.
• Designed, developed, monitored, and formally evaluated youth violence and drug use reduction programs in five Maryland counties.
• Planned and facilitated multi-stakeholder conferences involving community leaders and representatives of local educational, law enforcement, and social services agencies.
• Provided technical assistance in program planning and evaluation.
• Consulted on program components and assisted counties to identify potential interventions.
• Designed program evaluation strategies and data collection instruments. Evaluation designs included pre-post designs, quasi-experiments, and true experiments.

U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Colleague Consulting assisted the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in developing program development and evaluation procedures for HUD staff who were establishing and managing community centers in HUD-subsidized housing. As a subcontractor, Colleague Consulting provided overall program integration consulting, and contributed content on program design, tenant needs assessment, program evaluation, fund raising, and community relations.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague assisted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to design, plan, and conduct two conferences to start up a new nationwide training delivery approach and contract. The first conference’s primary objective was to inform DOE contracting officers, training specialists, and human resources development (HRD) practitioners from across the United States of the availability, scope of work, and contracting procedures for a new nationwide training development and delivery service contract. Colleague assisted DOE to plan the event, prepare presentation and hand-out materials, and facilitate the conference.

The second conference was a working conference in which DOE training personnel, DOE HRD personnel, and Colleague facilitators and trainers identified existing training development and delivery issues, brainstormed solutions, and made process improvement recommendations.

For this conference, Colleague assisted DOE to develop the overall agenda, to invite and assist in travel arrangements of attendees, to prepare presentation materials, to facilitate plenary and four break-out sessions, and to prepare meeting notes and a final report.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague Consulting assisted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to design its Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP). This program is a key element of DOE's Human Capital Management workforce restructuring and succession planning efforts. The purpose of the program is to prepare a diverse cadre of high performing individuals to be eligible for consideration for positions of leadership within DOE.

The DOE SESCDP is designed to provide career enhancement and to develop the executive skills of GS-14 and GS-15 employees, or equivalent, with high potential for Department-wide leadership positions as well as the SE ranks. This program consists of individually-planned developmental experiences and formal training courses, spanning a nine-to-fifteen (9-15) month period, which prepares candidates for immediate assignment to DOE leadership positions and/or gains them SES Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) certification.

Colleague assisted DOE to develop and plan its program, laying out tasks, schedules, estimated costs, and an overall approach. Colleague also provided valuable information gained from researching successful programs.

Wichita Public Schools

Colleague Consulting assisted eight Wichita Public Schools and their in-school management team (principals, assistant principals and guidance counselors) to design, develop, and evaluate out-of-school suspension reduction programs. Prior to the start of the school year, Colleague held a workshop to train school personnel in the use of the Program Development and Evaluation (PDE) program planning and evaluation method. PDE is a data-driven method in which causes of a higher rate of out-of -school suspensions than in other Wichita schools were identified, programs were designed to eliminate or reduce those causes, implementation and outcome measures were designed, and program success is continuously monitored and formally evaluated using rigorous social science evaluation designs.

Throughout the school year, Colleague Consulting provided on-going technical assistance and consulting for program implementation and monitoring, and trained school personnel on organizational development, and program planning and evaluation methodologies. In year one of the project, the program was implemented in four schools serving families with children at risk. After successfully reducing out-of-school suspensions, Colleague was issued a second contract to expand to eight schools in the second year. In year two, Colleague Consulting expanded the program to include the entire faculty and staff of all eight schools, and trained Wichita Public School System staff to conduct and evaluate the program internally.

U.S. Department of Energy

In response to the Secretary of Energy’s department wide initiative on improving program management, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ventured to improve internal program management practices by developing a training plan to implement a rigorous program management training curriculum. Colleague Consulting, working with a variety of departmental elements, facilitated a three-month long series of workshops to assist senior DOE staff to design the Program Managers' Career Development Curriculum (PMCDC), and to develop the core course, Fundamentals of Program Management. Colleague facilitated a series of nine meetings during the summer of 2006 to analyze and design a training and education plan for program managers. Using a multi-step approach to develop the plan, including the review of current programs, development of competencies appropriate for program management leaders, and identifying new course development needs, Colleague Consulting assisted DOE to create a six-course curriculum targeted for emerging and senior DOE leaders. Recommendations were also made for a program development process, a program charter, and a program evaluation and lessons learned process.

Colleague produced draft documents and facilitated working group and plenary sessions. Prior to each of the facilitated planning sessions, Colleague produced draft and “straw man” proposals and documents, and facilitated analysis and extensions of these in large group sessions. Colleague also facilitated smaller groups that met between the large group sessions. As draft proposals and plans were prepared by smaller working groups, Colleague facilitated plenary sessions that reviewed and approved the working group proposals. All sessions were led through a consensus building process that allowed for equal representation by all parties, while keeping the team moving forward at a quick pace to meet a challenging schedule.

This management curriculum was approved by senior DOE management in the summer of 2006. Subsequently, Colleague developed a lesson plan and detailed outline for the Fundamentals of Program Management course and developed all instructor and student materials. Colleague currently teaches the Fundamentals course for DOE.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague is assisting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to design and develop a leadership development curriculum. The curriculum will outline requirements for training DOE leaders at four levels: Pre-Supervisory, Supervisory, Middle Management, and Executive.

As part of this effort, Colleague is researching leadership competency models developed by the Office of Personnel Management, other Federal agencies and the private sector, and leadership training available from U.S. government and private sector resources. The leadership curriculum will serve as the basis for all leadership development efforts in DOE.

The objective of the project is to develop, based on best practices and cost-effectiveness, an integrated training curriculum that will prepare junior through senior DOE managers for additional responsibilities, and will ensure that DOE maintains a continuum of leadership capability throughout its staff. A secondary objective is to ensure that DOE maintains experienced and trained senior leaders as current executives in the Department transition to retirement.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague assisted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in designing, and developing a five-day Advanced Leadership course as part of the project management certification program for DOE Federal Project Directors (FPDs).

Under this effort, Colleague researched advanced leadership issues and conducted an analysis of advanced skills needed to successfully lead and motivate teams. Based on these analyses, Colleague developed a five-day “companion” training to the basic Leadership and Supervision course for the project management curriculum. Advanced Leadership provides participants with leadership theory and practical, real-world skills that enable them to effectively manage large, complex projects and diverse teams. This course provides participants an opportunity to realistically assess their leadership strengths and needs, develop the communication and relationship-building skills that their professional environment requires, and discover how their personal leadership style aligns with their organization's culture. Course topics include: the relationship between ethics and leadership; characteristics of a leadership model relevant to DOE; effective communication strategies and vehicles; avoiding decision traps; gaining stakeholder alignment; and creating a personal development plan. The courses includes skill assessments, hands-on workshops, exercises, videos and a final exam.

U.S. Internal Revenue Service

Colleague is providing executive coaching to senior leaders in the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Executive Readiness Program. These leaders are preparing to apply for Senior Executive Service (SES) candidacy. Under this program, Colleague is providing executive coaches for two annual “classes” of candidates. A total of 76 senior IRS leaders are being coached toward achieving the Office of Personnel Management’s Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ’s) for SES personnel.

The coaching program includes holding an initial coaching orientation session with each program participant, followed by six individualized coaching sessions. Prior to the initial coaching orientation session, each coach reviews 360 and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment data from their assigned participants and prepares suggestions for each participant’s development. During the subsequent coaching sessions, participants, working with their coaches, develop individual development plans and receive coaching on how to work toward their SES status. The goal of the coaching program is to ensure that all IRS SES candidates are fully prepared to apply for, and receive, SES status.

U.S. Department of Energy

Colleague Consulting provides front-line supervisor and emerging leader training for U.S. Department of Energy sites throughout the country. The following one or two-day leadership courses have been taught by Colleague in this curriculum:

• Coaching and Counseling for Improved Performance
  
• Team Building for Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leaders
  
• Introduction to Human Resources for Team Leaders, Supervisors, and Managers
  
• Creative Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
  
• Situational Leadership
  
• Constructive Conflict Resolution
  
• Moving Forward: Building Stronger Mentoring Relationships
  
• The Inspirational Leader

U.S. Defense Finance and Accounting Service

As a subcontractor, Colleague Consulting helped develop and implement a multi-tier management development program for the U.S. Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). Colleague Consulting assisted in the design and development of two DFAS mid-level leader courses, Management Development I, and Organizational Learning. Courses were developed and taught for supervisors, middle managers, and executives. Colleague also provided instructors for both courses over a total of six deliveries.

Management Development I is a three-day course. Lessons include:

• Agenda and Rationale
• Manager’s Toolkit: Situational Leadership
• Manager’s Toolkit: Effective Communications
• Manager’s Toolkit: Organizational Systems and Processes
• Capstone Team Exercise

Organizational Learning is a four-day course. Lessons include:

• Agenda and Rationale
• Introductory Case Study
• Leadership and Followership
• Organizational Leadership Model
• Decision-making
• Communications
• Managing Customer Relationships
• Closing Case Study

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

Colleague has facilitated the re-engineering of systems management processes for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE's) Office of Science (SC) in the technical areas of project management, legal services, and personal property management. In Stage 1 of the project, Colleague facilitated a three-day planning conference in which teams of DOE and contractor experts developed initial plans for a streamlined project management system within SC. Colleague also reviewed and commented on draft project management procedures developed by DOE subject matter experts, and facilitated a series of conference calls reviewing and improving the draft documents. In Stage 2 Colleague facilitated a week-long re-engineering conference to streamline SC’s legal processes and legal office procedures. In Stage 3, Colleague facilitated a third re-engineering workshop for SC on the topic of personal property management.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

As a subcontractor, Colleague Consulting assisted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to design and implement a Leadership Development Program (LDP) for SEC supervisors, managers and executives. Colleague has consulted on overall LDP curriculum design, assessed and selected leadership assessment tools, designed a base set of nine training courses, and assisted the SEC to estimate program implementation costs. Colleague Consulting is also managing the development of a SEC-wide oral and written communications skills training curriculum.