October 7, 2004



# Leadership Development and **Organizational Transformation**  **at EPA**

NACEPT Leadership Sub-team

March 26, 2012p. 2 March 26, 2012 

# NACEPT Advice Letters To EPA

On Workforce Planning  Scientific and Technical Competencies to Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges (January 31, 2011)  Leadership Capabilities and Culture for “One EPA”  Strategies to Obtain and Retain Scientific and Technical Expertise (July 11, 2011)  Ensuring Diversity (December 22, 2011)  Strategies to Attract and Retain Superior Executive Leadership Talent (February 15, 2012)p. 3 March 26, 2012 

# Charge to NACEPT on

Leadership Development  Given the complexity of EPA’s mission, the rapid pace of scientific and technological advances, and shifts in policy, science, engineering and other technical competencies, how can EPA best attract and retain superior executive leadership talent that can effectively direct and challenge its workforce so that the Agency can maintain its position as an environmental leader?  How can EPA best position its SeniorExecutive Service (SES) members to lead and support a highly technical and evolving workforce?p. 4 March 26, 2012 

# Leadership Development Discussion  NACEPT addressed five aspects of leadership development:  Organizational Transformation  Leadership Competencies  Succession Planning  External Sourcing/Recruitment  Mobility 

###  NACEPT also emphasized:  the importance of achieving the “One EPA” objective  ensuring diversity and inclusiveness  promoting effective collaborationwithin EPA and with its stakeholdersp. 5 March 26, 2012 

# Observations  EPA’s 5 leadership principles identified in its strategic plan provide a solid foundation for leadership development:  Outcome orientation  Shared understanding  Collaborative relationships  Inclusiveness  Ownership  Multiple approaches to succession planning throughoutthe Agency do not advance the “One EPA” principle  The SES mobility program provided benefits in lessening the silo mentalities, broadening interdisciplinary thinking, advancing a One EPA culture, providing workforce satisfaction and improving diversity  In light of expected increases in SES retirements, EPA needs more focus on succession planning and organization transition planningp. 6 March 26, 2012 

# Perspectives  Periodic review of needed leadership competencies would help identify and fill potential gaps early  Assessment of needed skills mix for SES staff would enable EPA to identify and pursue appropriate developmental activities with individual SES candidates  Alignment across EPA would encourage shared understanding of succession planning issues and collaborative development of effective solution methods  Innovative, practicable measures are needed to identify outstanding leadership talent for SES candidate pools  Diversity and inclusion are key to achieving EPA’s missionp. 7 March 26, 2012 

# Summary:

NACEPT Recommendations  **Accelerate Organizational Transformation**   Charge the Executive Management Council to lead this effort  Implement an Agency action plan for executive development  Strengthen leadership competencies of emerging leaders  Annually evaluate leadership competencies and anticipate developing skills gaps 

###  **Strengthen Basic Leadership**  **Skills in SES Candidates and Fund the Formal SES Candidate**  **Development Program**  Promote the Successful Leaders and Aspiring SES programs  Ensure a diverse pool of internal and external SES leadership candidates to improve underutilization of minoritiesp. 8 March 26, 2012 

# NACEPT Recommendations  **Ensure Effective Succession Planning and External**  **Hiring for Departments**  Accommodate unique needs in regional and program offices and anticipatefuture attrition  Align regional and program office succession leadership programswith the EPA succession planning  Consider Title 42, Scientific and Professional, and Senior-Level candidatesfor possible recruitment into SES program 

###  **Enhance Career Management Planning to Encourage**  **Mobility**  Reinstate the SES Mobility program or its equivalent  Encourage SES candidates to strive for boundary-spanning, interdisciplinary leadership experiencesp. 9 March 26, 2012 

# Reference Documents

 Third NACEPT Advice Letteron EPA Workforce Planning: Ensuring Diversity, December2011  Second NACEPT Advice Letteron EPA Workforce Planning: Leadership Capabilities and Culture for One EPA and Strategies to Obtain and Retain Scientific and Technical Expertise, July 2011  First NACEPT Advice Letteron EPA Workforce Planning: Scientific and Technical Competencies to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges, January 2011  Best Practicesfor Leadership Development from EPA Regional Offices, Prepared by Stanley Meiburg, Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Region 4, September2011  The Use of Title 42 Authority at the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency: A Letter Report, Prepared by the National Research Council of the NationalAcademies,April 2010  EPA’s Plan for Strategic Leadership Succession 2006/2007, Prepared by the Human Capital Planning Branch, Office of Human Resources, OARM, August 2006  Executive Core Qualifications, Office of Personnel Management  2011/2012Trends in Executive Development:A Benchmark Report, Executive Development Associates, Inc. and Pearson Education, Inc., September2011  Boundary Spanning Leadership: Mission Critical Perspectivesfrom the Executive Suite, Center for Creative Leadership, 2011p. 10 March 26, 2012 

# Acknowledgments  EPA/OFACMO Support  Eugene Green  Cynthia Jones-Jackson  Mark Joyce  Megan Moreau  Lisa Tomlinson 

###  NACEPT Sub team  Effenus Henderson  Leah Ann Lamb  Sara Kendall  Olufemi Osidele 

###  Interviews & Consultations
 Linda Fisher  Jennifer Margolies  Stanley Meiburg  Claire Milam  William Ocampo  David O’Connor  ChristopherZarba