Global Leadership Consortium

Overview

Throughout American history, the domestic and foreign policy arenas have been viewed as mostly separate and distinct spheres of action. Government leaders who worked in domestic agencies felt they needed to know little about other countries and interacted with them seldom if at all. This had certainly begun to change in the l980s and 1990s. It is now a real imperative in the wake of September 11, 2001.

The combined and accelerating forces of globalization and technology have forged an interconnected world in which changes and threats -– and the need to anticipate and respond to them -– are both faster and more complex. Clearly, more than ever before, international and domestic issues and actions are inextricably linked. U.S. economic, military, and cultural power and influence made us a growing global presence by default well before 9-11, and therefore federal organizations and the people who lead them were finding themselves increasingly thrust into the global context. Now there is no time to lose, no margin of error: the need to ensure homeland security demands that all federal agencies think and act globally. In addition, emerging regional and national economies have created new competition in global economic markets. As a result, the federal sector must turn its attention to the active and conscious development of leaders at all levels prepared to represent the United States in a complex and challenging global context.

Increasingly, domestic agencies and particular offices within them have programs and issues with international ramifications. The Department of Homeland Security, for example, is extensively “foreign” focused in virtually all of its responsibilities because of the global nature of security and threats.

At the same time, every cabinet department, however “domestic” its mission, has long had substantial dealings which impact globally. Examples include the following: (a) Health and Human Services (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and NIH); (b) Education Department’s American Overseas Research Centers; (c) Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey; (d) Transportation’s Maritime Administration and FAA); and (e) many of the regulatory agencies with responsibilities and decision-making which affect other nations and their nationals. In the economic arena alone, for example, various agencies represent U.S. interests such as the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s trade missions throughout the globe. Given the many bilateral exchange agreements with other countries to which the U.S. is a party, there is almost no activity area where someone is not engaged with international counterparts. Knowledge of basic global competencies (including best practices for international effectiveness) will enhance all such interactions.

Products & Outcomes

The Global Leadership Consortium is results-driven and outcome-oriented. Initial products will include:

• A report, based on survey and other research, detailing the business case for developing global leaders,
• A set of distinct, researched, and well-grounded global leadership competencies to guide curriculum development and delivery, and
• An initial catalog of global leadership development best practices from federal, state, and local government and from the private sector, matched to the competencies identified.

These products fit within the broader context of the Consortium’s long-term outcomes, which are:

• To identify and communicate the business case for global leadership competence within the Federal Government,
• To increase the breadth and depth of global leadership skills within federal agencies,
• To help build global federal agencies skilled at addressing global governance challenges,
• To foster the learning of best thinking and best practices from public and private sector global leadership from around the world, and
• To improve the image of U.S. federal agency leaders worldwide.

Future products will be determined and pursued by the Consortium members.

Work Plan

The initial products of the Consortium are emerging from a work plan focused on three broad sets of activities:

• Research – A body of preliminary research will outline in detail the powerful business case for developing globally savvy leaders. Surveys and best practices will produce new models and tools for operating in an international environment.

• Learning – Learning activities, including formal programs and Web-based services, will enable agency leaders to discuss cutting edge solutions and share management lessons from around the world.

• Networking – Promoting dialogue and communications will foster communities of practice within the Consortium, spread research and lessons learned to a broader community, and support needed change within the federal government.

The Work Plan in Table 1 shows the connection between specific Consortium activities and their associated products.

GLC Work Plan

Table 1

Membership

GLC charter members include the Academy, the Federal Executive Institute, and the Graduate School USDA. Information about each charter member is included below. To inquire about GLC membership, please Contact Us.

The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)

NAPA has a Congressional Charter, signed into law in 1984, which distinguishes it as a national institution dedicated to the public good, and recognizes its capacity to provide counsel and expertise to Congress, federal agencies, state and local governments and other public institutions. Indeed, the Academy’s role in the Consortium is particularly relevant because of the scope of its Congressional Charter. (“NAPA shall, whenever called upon by Congress, or the Federal Government, investigate, examine, experiment and report upon any subject of government…”) The Academy’s role in this regard will provide a synergy, bolstering the broader efforts led by FSI/State, FEI/OPM, and Graduate School/USDA. Congressional support for this effort should follow accordingly and strengthen the Consortium’s potential.

NAPA is the preeminent organization dedicated to improving the performance of governance systems -- the network of public institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private companies that now share in the implementation of public policy. The Academy also promotes discourse on emerging trends like global leadership through its Standing Panels and with external funding. NAPA’s key roles and contributions will include serving as the convening body for the Consortium, managing research projects, and helping build public support for Consortium work. The National Academy of Public Administration can act as a catalyst on behalf of the Consortium. In turn, the Consortium also has strong potential vis-à-vis Congress and its immense role and influence in global issues.

For more information about the Academy, click here. (http://napawash.org)

The Federal Executive Institute (FEI)

The Federal Executive Institute (FEI) is part of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and is the federal government’s premier center for leadership development. Its interagency Leadership for a Democratic Society program includes significant attention to global issues, as part of its mission to develop leaders who will excel in a 21st century environment. Its Center for Executive Leadership offers focused skill building courses, custom designed programs and consulting services for federal agencies. And FEI’s sister institutions, the Management Development Centers, offer both management programs for global leaders at the mid-management level and a range of public policy seminars that include an international focus.

FEI’s key roles and contributions will include the design and offering of learning activities, the building of interagency networks and support, and the use of its alumni network to support Consortium activities. The Federal Executive Institute and the Management Development Centers are dedicated to developing career leaders for the federal government. They work to create, share and apply knowledge and skills needed by public sector organizations, develop values and competencies, and offer state-of-the-art learning experiences that include an international focus.

For more information about the Institute, click here.

The Graduate School, USDA (Grad School, USDA)

Established in 1921 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Graduate School is a leading provider of professional development and continuing education services in the federal community. The Graduate School continually adapts in response to changing trends in government; the addition of its International Institute in 1968 formalized its global role. To support the evolving needs of government, the Graduate School offers a broad range of training and consulting services in areas such as leadership, management sciences, human resource management, organizational development, communications, financial management, auditing and information technology.

As the global arm of the Graduate School, the International Institute annually provides services to international participants in as many as 50 countries, through its multilingual staff and consultants. Drawing on the full range of Graduate School capabilities, the International Institute provides the following services:

• long-term program management
• program design and development
• cross-cultural orientation and training
• project management services
• training for U.S. government agencies and foreign governments
• educational exchange and observational study programs
• needs assessments and program evaluations
• institutional capacity building

For more information about the Graduate School, click here.