October 7, 2004

Leadership Development and 

Organizational Transformation at EPA

NACEPT Leadership Sub-team

March 26, 2012
March 26, 2012 p. 2

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)
March 26, 2012 p. 3

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 Senior Executive 

Service (SES) members to lead and support a highly 

technical and evolving workforce?
March 26, 2012 p. 4

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 collaboration within EPA and with its 

stakeholders
March 26, 2012 p. 5

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 throughout the 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 planning 
March 26, 2012 p. 6

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 mission
March 26, 2012 p. 7

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 minorities
March 26, 2012 p. 8

NACEPT Recommendations

 Ensure Effective Succession Planning and External 

Hiring for Departments

 Accommodate unique needs in regional and program offices and 

anticipate future attrition

 Align regional and program office succession leadership 

programs with the EPA succession planning

 Consider Title 42, Scientific and Professional, and Senior-Level 

candidates for 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 experiences
March 26, 2012 p. 9

Reference Documents

 Third NACEPT Advice Letter on EPA Workforce Planning: Ensuring Diversity, December 2011

 Second NACEPT Advice Letter on 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 Letter on EPA Workforce Planning: Scientific and Technical Competencies 

to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges, January 2011

 Best Practices for Leadership Development from EPA Regional Offices, Prepared by Stanley 

Meiburg, Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Region 4, September 2011

 The Use of Title 42 Authority at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: A Letter Report, 

Prepared by the National Research Council of the National Academies, 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

 2011/2012 Trends in Executive Development: A Benchmark Report, Executive Development 

Associates, Inc. and Pearson Education, Inc., September 2011

 Boundary Spanning Leadership: Mission Critical Perspectives from the Executive Suite, Center for 

Creative Leadership, 2011
March 26, 2012 p. 10

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

 Christopher Zarba