Managing Officer Program

Handbook

Effective April 2022

Updated requirements for all enrolled in the program. New guidelines for those accepted after April 2018.
Mission Statement

We support and strengthen fi re and emergency medical 

services and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate 

and respond to all hazards.
 | iii

Managing Officer 

Program

Handbook

The Managing Officer Program provides first-level officers, midlevel officers and 

supervisors with an opportunity to:

ĵ Develop professionally, improve their supervisory skills, and meet emerging 

professional challenges.

ĵ Weigh a national perspective on professional development.

ĵ Support professional development and higher education.

ĵ Create a network of fire service professionals who support career development.

ĵ Enhance their existing supervisory roles with the knowledge, skills and abilities 

associated within the managing officer position.
iv | Managing Officer Program
 | v

MANAGING OFFICER PROGRAM

3

National Emergency Training Center

16825 South Seton Ave.

Emmitsburg, MD 21727-8998

Dear Managing Officer Program Participant:

Welcome to the Managing Officer Program. Whether you are new to the program or nearing

its completion, your participation is critical to the success of this major U.S. Fire

Administration initiative.

Your organization’s commitment and participation is vital to achieve our goals of encouraging

your professional development and inspiring you to pursue higher education.

The challenge that we extend to you is a leadership one. It is to help you grow professionally,

help you learn to think critically, and help you make data-driven decisions.

This document presents the current policies that govern the Managing Officer Program. The intent

is to establish a protocol that promotes equity, trust and a high level of academic standard.

I encourage you, at any time, to tell me if there is some way that we can serve you better. Likewise, 

if you are satisfied with the program, please communicate this word to others.

I wish you the greatest measure of success within the Managing Officer Program.

Tonya L. Hoover

Superintendent

National Fire Academy

U.S. Fire Administration
vi | Managing Officer Program
Table of Contents | vii

Table of Contents

Managing Officer Program Target Audience ................................................................... 1

Service requirement.......................................................................................................... 1

Training......................................................................................................................... 1

Academic requirements.................................................................................................... 2

Prerequisites ...................................................................................................................... 2

Additional course requirements (available at the state and local level) ............. 2

Program application process ........................................................................................... 3

Maintaining eligibility/Reporting a change in affiliation requirement ....................... 3

Program dismissal ............................................................................................................. 4

Successful program completion...................................................................................... 4

Managing Officer Program completion .......................................................................... 4

Managing Officer Program course sequencing............................................................. 5

Program management and coordination....................................................................... 5

First year ............................................................................................................................. 5

“Applications of Community Risk Reduction” (R0385)........................................... 5

“Applications of Leadership in the Culture of Safety” (R0388) ............................. 6

Second year ........................................................................................................................ 6

“Analytical Tools for Decision-Making” (R0387)...................................................... 6

“Training and Professional Development Challenges for Fire and Emergency 

Services Leaders” (R0389).......................................................................................... 6

Class/Course scheduling................................................................................................... 7

Schedule course change requests............................................................................ 7

Capstone Project................................................................................................................ 7

Capstone Project Guide...................................................................................................... 9

Capstone Project guidance............................................................................................... 9

What is a Capstone Project? ...................................................................................... 9

Selection of Capstone Project topics ....................................................................... 9

Capstone Project Proposal............................................................................................... 10

Capstone Project evaluation criteria............................................................................... 11
viii | Managing Officer Program

Suggested Project elements ............................................................................................ 11

Introduction................................................................................................................. 11

Background and significance .................................................................................... 11

Recommendations...................................................................................................... 12

Content................................................................................................................................ 12

Certification statement..................................................................................................... 12

Managing Officer Capstone submission......................................................................... 12

Capstone Project integrity standards............................................................................. 13

Appendix............................................................................................................................... 15

Managing Officer Program Course Completion Checklist and Certificate 

Information Sheet.............................................................................................................. 17

Managing Officer Program Capstone Project Proposal ............................................... 17

Managing Officer Program Capstone Project Evaluation Form.................................. 18

Managing Officer Program Capstone Certification Statement................................... 18
Managing Officer Program Target Audience | 1

Managing Officer Program Target 

Audience

The Managing Officer Program’s target audience is first-level officers, midlevel officers and 

supervisors in fire and emergency service organizations. This program is not designed 

for chief-level officers.

The selection criteria are divided between two requirement areas: service requirement 

and academic requirement.

Service requirement

At the time of application, you must be a current or acting supervisor. The head of your 

emergency services agency verifies this through their signature on the application.

Training

Applicants should have a well-rounded background, having received training that has 

exposed them to more than just local requirements, such as regional and state training 

with responders from other jurisdictions.

This training can be demonstrated in many forms, which may include, but is not limited 

to the following:

ĵ Certification at the Fire Officer I level (per National Fire Protection Association 

(NFPA) 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications) or EMS Officer I.

ĵ Credentialed at the Fire Officer designation through the Center for Public Safety 

Excellence.

ĵ Training at the fire or emergency medical services (EMS) leadership, management and 

supervisory level that includes state/regional symposiums, conferences and workshops 

supporting leadership, management and supervision. (Resume)

ĵ Other training that supports the competencies identified for the managing officer in 

the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Officer Development Handbook.
2 | Managing Officer Program

Academic requirements

Applicant must:

ĵ Possess an associate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

 or

ĵ Have earned a minimum of 60 college credit hours toward the completion of a bachelor’s 

degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution recognized by the U.S. 

Department of Education.

Prerequisites

At the time of application, the following courses must be completed:

ĵ “Introduction to Emergency Response to Terrorism” (Q0890).

ĵ ICS-100, “Introduction to ICS for Operational First Responders” (Q0462).

ĵ ICS-200, “Basic NIMS ICS for Operational First Responders” (Q0463).

ĵ IS-700.b, “An Introduction to the National Incident Management System.”

ĵ IS-800.c, “National Response Framework, an Introduction.”

Additional course requirements (available at the state and local level)

The corequisite courses below can be taken before, during or after the first and second 

years of the National Fire Academy (NFA) on-campus program. If you complete the core 

Managing Officer Program courses, but do not complete the additional corequisite 

courses, your Managing Officer Program certificate will not be awarded until these courses 

are complete.

ĵ “Leadership in Supervision — (6-Day)” (R/N0645).

or a total of 6 days of coursework from the list below

ĵ “Leadership in Supervision: Creating Environments for Professional Growth” (F/W0646) 

(dated May 2016 or later) (2-Day).

ĵ “Leadership in Supervision: Perspectives in Thinking” (F/W0647) (2-Day).

ĵ “Leadership in Supervision: Frameworks to Success” (F/W0648) (2-Day).

ĵ “Leadership I for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Company Success” (F/W/D/H/O0803) (2-Day).

ĵ “Leadership II for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Personal Success” (F/W/D/H/O0804) (2-Day).

ĵ “Leadership III for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Supervisory Success” (F/W/D/H/O0805) 

(2-Day).

ĵ “Shaping the Future” (F/W/O0602) (2-Day).
Managing Officer Program Target Audience | 3

Program application process

The Managing Officer Program has a structured application process and competitive 

selection process.

The applicant is required to submit all of the following:

ĵ An NFA General Admissions Application Form. This form must be submitted following 

the guidelines announced annually in the NFA Course Catalog. 

ĵ A letter from the applicant requesting admission into the Managing Officer Program. 

The letter should specify the applicant’s qualifications (reference https://www.usfa. 

fema.gov/training/nfa/programs/mo_program.html) and commitment to completing 

the entire program, including the Capstone Project.

ĵ A letter of recommendation from the sponsoring emergency services agency director 

or head (chief of department, etc.), indicating the organization’s commitment to allow 

the applicant to complete the entire program, including the Capstone Project. The 

letter will certify that the applicant has acting or assigned supervisor responsibilities, 

and that everything in the application package is true and correct.

ĵ If you are not a certified fire officer, submit a resume or list of training at the fire 

or EMS leadership, management and supervisory level that includes state/regional 

symposiums, conferences and workshops supporting leadership, management and 

supervision. The list should indicate the program title, program duties, cumulative 

training hours, and host agency or sponsor.

Only complete application packages will be evaluated by the NFA selection panel for 

Managing Officer Program acceptance. Each applicant will be notified in writing upon 

their acceptance or nonacceptance into the Managing Officer Program.

Maintaining eligibility/Reporting a change in affiliation requirement

To maintain eligibility as a Managing Officer Program student, you must be an active 

member of the emergency services with supervisory responsibilities. You are required 

to notify the Managing Officer Program Administrator via email about any changes in 

employer, organization, position, address or other contact information. Failure to do either 

may result in dismissal from the program.

Change of affiliation requires:

ĵ A copy of the organizational chart.

ĵ A letter of support from the chief of department or agency head.

ĵ A cover letter outlining the change of affiliation.
4 | Managing Officer Program

Program dismissal

Failure to maintain eligibility for the program, violation of student conduct or integrity 

standards, or failure to meet program completion criteria may result in dismissal from 

the Managing Officer Program. A student’s sponsoring agency will be notified when a 

student is dismissed.

Successful program completion

Successful Managing Officer Program completion will be based on the following criteria:

ĵ Compliance with general attendance policies and standards of academic code of 

conduct as established by the NFA.

ĵ Successful completion of each Managing Officer Program course, including satisfactory 

completion of the evaluation plan/curriculum for each course.

ĵ Successful completion of the Capstone Project according to the Managing Officer 

Program guidelines.

Managing Officer Program completion

Upon successful completion of the program, students must complete and submit the 

National Fire Academy Managing Officer Program Course Completion Checklist and 

Graduate Certificate Information Sheet (see appendix). This sheet must include electronic 

copies of all corequisite training documents and should be sent via email to tina.crevier@

fema.dhs.gov for review.

The Managing Officer Program completion certificate will be processed and sent directly 

to the student.
Managing Officer Program Target Audience | 5

Managing Officer Program course sequencing

These core courses are only open to students who are accepted into the Managing Officer 

Program.

Managing Officer Program

Program 

acceptance 

First year

“Applications of 

Community Risk 

Reduction” and 

“Applications of 

Leadership in 

the Culture of 

Safety”



Second year

“Analytical Tools 

for DecisionMaking” and 

“Training and 

Professional 

Development 

Challenges 

for Fire and 

Emergency 

Services 

Leaders”

Submit Capstone 

Project Proposal

 Capstone 

Project

Program management and coordination

ĵ Administrative responsibility for the Managing Officer Program, including oversight 

of student selection.

ĵ Administrative responsibility for Capstone Projects.

ĵ Supporting responsibility for Managing Officer Program.

ĵ Programmatic coordination/oversight/leadership.

First year

“Applications of Community Risk Reduction” (R0385)

This course is designed to inspire students to lead and conduct risk-reduction activities 

within the service area of their community. The course is for both the managing officer 

who is currently engaged in risk-reduction activities and those who desire to lay the 

foundation to start community risk reduction.
6 | Managing Officer Program

“Applications of Leadership in the Culture of Safety” (R0388)

This course is designed to bring together the role of first line supervisor with the 

responsibility of safety. Through opportunities to apply knowledge, skills and abilities of 

leadership as they are applied to the culture of safety, students will critique the current 

culture of safety, evaluate the impacts of human dynamics, and apply a risk management 

plan. Using an identified safety issue for their agency, each student will develop a safety 

culture improvement plan to implement in their agency.

Second year

“Analytical Tools for Decision-Making” (R0387)

This course is technically/technologically intensive and will present significant challenges for 

those not proficient with the use of personal computers, complex software and manipulation 

of data. A substantial portion of the course involves geospatial technologies and their 

applications. You will receive hands-on training in the use of alternate computer technologies.

“Training and Professional Development Challenges for Fire and Emergency 

Services Leaders” (R0389)

This course begins prior to attendance, with participants conducting an analysis of 

performance within their organizations and identifying a training need and its impact on 

performance. Participants will be expected to submit a research paper using American 

Psychological Association (APA) format regarding their training issue prior to the conclusion 

of the first day of class. During the class, they will review the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, 

Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model, review current research to improve 

training program design and delivery, discuss current trends, and discuss issues that 

impact hiring, training, retention and career development, with an emphasis on training.

The program concludes with participants conducting an executive-level briefing for 

policymakers, which builds on the research conducted prior to the course; seeking 

funding to develop and deliver training to meet the organizational training needs; and 

tying training needs to community outcomes. In addition, participants will develop an 

executive-level briefing paper and take a final written exam.
Managing Officer Program Target Audience | 7

Class/Course scheduling

The Managing Officer Program participants will be notified by the Admissions Office of 

their first-year assigned class offering dates. These classes will be offered concurrently 

and in the beginning of the following FY. (The federal FY begins Oct. 1 and continues 

through Sept. 30 of the following year.)

The FY is divided into two semesters. The first semester is Oct. 1 through March 31, and 

the second semester is April 1 through Sept. 30. The Managing Officer Program students 

will be randomly assigned within both semesters.

Schedule course change requests

If you are unable to attend a scheduled course, you are required to notify the 

Admissions Office via email at cynthia.wilhelm@fema.dhs.gov as soon as possible

before the class begins (at a minimum 30 day notice); failure to do so may result in future 

suspension of eligibility to attend NFA courses.

The NFA realizes that students are serving in the emergency services, and that things 

happen professionally and personally. We will continue to try to accommodate any 

requests from Managing Officer Program students to change their scheduled class dates. 

Once assigned, any requests for a change in class dates must be submitted in writing to 

the Managing Officer Program Administrator, who will approve/disapprove all change 

requests. A confirmation letter from the student’s sponsoring emergency services agency 

director or head (chief of department, etc.) may be required.

ĵ If the request is based on an unanticipated local or family event (federal or local 

disaster, the student was injured in the line of duty, illness, significant family event), 

additional documentation will be required to support the request. These events are 

usually last-minute cancellations.

ĵ Students requesting a change will be placed in the next class on a space-available basis. 

Specific date choices cannot be honored. Students who request a change based on a 

documented, unanticipated local or family emergency will be given priority. Students 

who request a change based on their or the department’s convenience will be given 

the lowest priority.

ĵ If there is no space available in the FY, the student will be assigned to the next available 

class the following FY.

Capstone Project

Individuals enrolled in the Managing Officer Program must complete a Capstone Project 

for program completion. The project proposal form should be submitted shortly after 

completion of the second-year courses. Students have up to 6 months after the secondyear course completion to submit their final, evaluated capstone project. The specific 

guidelines for the completion of this project are contained in the following section 

“Capstone Project Guide.”

New: The final project must be submitted upon completion with the course completion 

package for review and assessment.
8 | Managing Officer Program
Capstone Project Guide | 9

Capstone Project Guide

This guide is designed to assist students enrolled in the NFA’s Managing Officer Program 

in fulfilling the Capstone Project requirement. The objective of the guide is to describe 

what is expected of students as they engage in the Capstone Project.

Included is the criteria used in the evaluation of their Capstone Project. These criteria are 

used by those people responsible for reviewing and evaluating students’ proficiency in 

completing the Capstone Project for the Managing Officer Program.

Students must complete a single Capstone Project (paper) for the Managing Officer 

Program. Completion and final evaluation of their Capstone Project must be sent by email 

to the NFA Managing Officer Program Administrator.

Capstone Project guidance

What is a Capstone Project?

The scope of the Capstone Project should be appropriate to the Managing Officer Program 

and the candidate’s duties/responsibilities in his or her organization. These projects may 

be based on, but not limited to, one of the following:

ĵ Lessons learned from one of the four courses in the program.

ĵ Taken from the listed experiences of the managing officer as identified in the IAFC 

Officer Development Handbook, second edition, August 2010 (https://www.iafc.org/

topics-and-tools/resources/resource/officer-development-handbook).

ĵ Equivalent issue/problem identified by the student’s emergency services agency 

director or head (chief of department, etc.) or in the agency’s served area/jurisdiction.

The Capstone Project in the Managing Officer Program is designed to allow students 

to investigate a key issue or problem that has been identified as important to their 

emergency services organization. Upon completing the investigation, students will be 

able to reach conclusions and offer recommendations that contribute to the improvement 

of their organization.

Through this process, students have an opportunity to translate what they have learned 

in the Managing Officer Program courses into real-world applications.

Selection of Capstone Project topics

Capstone Project topics should be selected on the basis of four factors:

1. The significance or value of the topic and/or issue to the student’s organization.

2. The relationship of the topic and/or issue to the Managing Officer Program course content.
10 | Managing Officer Program

3. Approval from the emergency services agency director or head (chief of department, etc.).

The following questions should assist participants in selecting their project topic:

ĵ Does the topic relate to the Managing Officer Program course material?

ĵ Is the problem that is being addressed an issue within your organization and/or 

jurisdiction? Is the topic worth addressing? (Will it contribute to solving a problem 

within the organization and/or jurisdiction?)

ĵ Will it be possible to implement the conclusions and possible solution?

ĵ Do you have sufficient time (within the six-month time frame) to complete the project?

Capstone Project Proposal

The Managing Officer Program candidate must submit the completed Capstone Project 

Proposal form (https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/programs/mo_program.html) to 

the NFA program administrator for review. This should be accomplished before significant 

effort is put into the project. The purpose of this review is to develop a database of project 

samples to support other Managing Officer Program candidates who may need project ideas.
Capstone Project Guide | 11

Capstone Project evaluation criteria

Projects will be evaluated by the emergency services agency director or head (chief of 

department, etc.) on five separate components. Each component has specific criteria by 

which it will be measured. See the sample Managing Officer Program Capstone Project 

Evaluation Form (see appendix).

Suggested Project elements

ĵ Managing Officer Program Capstone Certification Statement (see appendix).

ĵ Main body of project, including the following sections:

Ý Introduction.

Ý Background and significance.

Ý Recommendations.

Introduction

This section sets the stage for the Capstone Project by the student. After reading the 

Introduction, the reader should clearly understand the nature of the problem, the purpose 

of the project, and any research used during the project.

Introduction evaluation criteria for the emergency services agency director or head (chief 

of department, etc.):

ĵ Problem statement precisely and clearly defined.

ĵ Purpose of the Capstone Project precisely and clearly stated.

ĵ Any research used in the project.

Background and significance

This section is an extension of the Introduction, wherein the student explains the 

background of the problem being examined; the past, present and probable future 

impact of the problem on the organization; and how the project is related to the specific 

Managing Officer Program course being completed.

Remember, the Capstone Project must investigate a specific problem presently affecting 

the student’s own organization. It is not acceptable to complete a project on some general 

fire service issue. Thus, this section must explain (1) the seriousness of the problem; (2) 

the significance of the project to the organization; and (3) which specific Managing Officer 

Program course content area(s) relates to the problem and/or its hopeful resolution.

Background and significance evaluation criteria:

ĵ Clear and complete background breakdown of the problem provided.

ĵ Sufficient evidence provided to justify the project from an organizational perspective 

based on the past, present and probable future impact on organizational effectiveness.

ĵ Definitive linkage established between the Capstone Project problem and specific 

content area(s) of the relevant Managing Officer Program course.
12 | Managing Officer Program

Recommendations

This section must include recommendations for the future. What needs to happen 

next within the organization based on research results? Recommendations may focus 

on additional research requirements, suggested program implementation methods, 

follow-up/evaluation proposals, etc.

Recommendations evaluation criteria:

ĵ Support recommendations clearly by data presented in the report.

ĵ Relate recommendations specifically to the original problem and purpose statements.

ĵ Explain how each recommendation represents positive change and/or potential 

improvement within the organization.

Content

Accurate information must be presented in terms of theories, principles and procedures 

used in the project. The Managing Officer Program curriculum will be used as the basis 

for judging content.

Content evaluation criteria:

ĵ Theories, principles and procedures presented and used properly.

ĵ Information and data accurate and up-to-date. 

Writing evaluation criteria:

ĵ Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure and typing/editorial style.

ĵ All required sections of paper included and clearly addressed.

ĵ Certification statement signed and included.

Certification statement

A signed Managing Officer Program Capstone Certification Statement is required for every 

Capstone Project. Only projects that are reviewed with an original, signed certification 

statement or scanned original will be processed. Projects that are received unsigned will 

be returned for signature and resubmission.

Managing Officer Capstone submission

The Managing Officer Program student’s completed Capstone Project must be submitted 

electronically to the Managing Officer Program Administrator at tina.crevier@fema.dhs.

gov when all elements of the program have been completed.

The completed submission must include the following items:

ĵ Capstone Project Proposal (signed by NFA).

ĵ Capstone Project Evaluation Form (signed by department).

ĵ Capstone Certification Statement Form.

ĵ Course Completion Checklist.

ĵ Copies of certificates from the courses on the checklist.

ĵ Capstone Paper.
Capstone Project Guide | 13

Capstone Project integrity standards

The NFA is committed to maintaining and preserving the highest standards of integrity 

regarding the Managing Officer Program. Participants and alumni are consequently 

affected in a most negative way when the Managing Officer Program is associated with 

any unethical behavior committed by one of its participants.

The NFA enforces the appropriate standards of conduct for completion of research and 

the potential penalties for engaging in any unethical behavior. Plagiarism, falsification 

and misrepresentation in Capstone Projects will not be tolerated. Please refer to NFA 

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 700.1 — Code of Conduct, and National Emergency 

Training Center (NETC) SOP 119-22 — Conduct on the NETC Campus, for more information. 

The SOPs can be found at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/nfa/nfa_policies.pdf.

Individuals who engage in such behavior will be disciplined with one or more of the 

following actions:

ĵ A return of all money expended or reimbursed by the U.S. government associated 

with the course, to include all travel expenses, room accommodations and books, as 

well as an apportionment of the instructor’s salary.

ĵ A return of the course certificate and (if applicable) the Managing Officer Program 

completion certificate.

ĵ A letter to the current employer with an accompanying explanation of the violation 

that caused the certificate to be revoked.

ĵ A 10-year prohibition on attendance at any residential NFA course.

The Managing Officer Program participants, graduates and others who discover suspicious 

work are strongly encouraged to report their findings to the Managing Officer Program 

Administrator or a curriculum training specialist.
14 | Managing Officer Program
Appendix | 15

Appendix

Forms can be found at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/programs/mo_program.

html. Appendix pages are not to be used or submitted.
16 | Managing Officer Program
Appendix | 17

Managing Officer Program Course Completion Checklist and 

Certificate Information Sheet

Managing Officer Program 

Course Completion Checklist and 

Certificate Information Sheet

Name/rank: ___________________________________________________________________

Mailing address:

 

City State ZIP

Email address: ___________________________________________________________________

Phone number: ___________________________________________________________________

Chief of department: ___________________________________________________________________

Department: ___________________________________________________________________

Department address: 

City State ZIP 

You must complete and attach certificates for the following items:

Course type Course title Date 

completed

Core course 

requirements

“Applications of Community Risk Reduction” (R0385)

“Applications of Leadership in the Culture of Safety” (R0388)

“Training and Professional Development Challenges for Fire and Emergency 

Services Leaders” (R0389)

“Analytical Tools for Decision-Making” (R0387)

Corequisite 

courses 

Must add up 

to at least 

6 days of 

coursework

“Leadership in Supervision” (R/N0645) (6-Day)

“Leadership in Supervision: Creating Environments for Professional Growth” 

(F/W0646) (dated May 2016 or later) (2-Day)

“Leadership in Supervision: Perspectives in Thinking” (F/W0647) (2-Day)

“Leadership in Supervision: Frameworks to Success” (F/W0648) (2-Day)

“Leadership I for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Company Success” 

(F/W/D/H/O0803) (2-Day)

“Leadership II for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Personal Success” 

(F/W/D/H/O0804) (2-Day)

“Leadership III for Fire and EMS: Strategies for Supervisory Success” 

(F/W/D/H/O0805) (2-Day)

“Shaping the Future” (F/W/O0602) (2-Day)

Please email this form to the National Fire Academy (NFA) 

Managing Officer Program Administrator at tina.crevier@fema.dhs.gov. Email Form Save

Managing Officer Program Capstone Project Proposal

National Fire Academy

Managing Officer Program 

Capstone Project Proposal

Capstone Project Proposal

Managing Officer Program 

Participant’s Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Department: __________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: Street

City State 5-Digit ZIP Code

Managing Officer Program Course Title that the Capstone Project Supports

Dates Attended: ____________________________ to _____________________________

Email Address: __________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: __________________________________________________________________________

Evaluator’s information

Name (emergency services 

agency director or head 

(chief of department, etc.)): __________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: Street

City State 5-Digit ZIP Code

Email Address: __________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: __________________________________________________________________________

Fax Number: __________________________________________________________________________

Title of Capstone Project: __________________________________________________________________________

The problem I want to solve is:

 __________________________________________________________________________

My supervisory role in it is: __________________________________________________________________________

Your proposal has been  accepted/ rejected. (If rejected, see additional comments.)

National Fire Academy Branch Chief Date

Comments

Email Form Save
18 | Managing Officer Program

Managing Officer Program Capstone Project Evaluation Form

National Fire Academy

Managing Officer Program

Capstone Project Evaluation Form

Capstone Project Section Checklist of Criteria 

for Section Grading/Evaluation Rubric

Introduction

Grade for the Introduction 

Section:

(Whole number only)

© Problem statement clearly 

and precisely defined

© Purpose statement clearly 

and precisely defined

© Specific research method 

identified

4.0 rating — All criteria present

3.0 rating — Some deficiency in 

criteria present

2.0 rating — Moderate deficiencies in 

criteria present, but acceptable

1.0 rating — A number of 

deficiencies to the extent where the 

Introduction section is unacceptable

0.0 — Not present

Background and 

Significance

Grade for the Background 

and Significance Section:

(Whole number only)

© Clear and complete 

background analysis of 

problem provided

© Sufficient evidence provided 

to justify study from an 

organizational perspective, 

based on past, present and 

probable future impact on 

organizational effectiveness

© Definite linkage established 

between the research 

problem and specific content 

area(s) of the relevant 

Managing Officer Program 

course

4.0 rating — All criteria present

3.0 rating — Some deficiency in 

criteria present

2.0 rating — Moderate deficiencies in 

criteria present, but acceptable

1.0 rating — A number of 

deficiencies to the extent where the 

Background and Significance section 

is unacceptable

0.0 — Not present

Recommendations

Grade for the 

Recommendations 

Section:

(Whole number only)

© Recommendations logically 

flowed from the results

© Recommendations were 

supported by the data 

collected

© Recommendations provided 

for the organization

4.0 rating — All criteria present

3.0 rating — Some deficiency in 

criteria present

2.0 rating — Moderate deficiencies in 

criteria present, but acceptable

1.0 rating — A number of 

deficiencies to the extent where 

the Recommendations section is 

unacceptable

0.0 — Not present

Capstone Project Section Checklist of Criteria 

for Section Grading/Evaluation Rubric

Content

Grade for Content: 

(Whole number only)

(Note: This is not a section 

of the project; it refers to the 

technical content of the entire 

capstone project.)

© Any theories, principles and 

procedures were presented 

and used properly

© Information and data are 

accurate and up-to-date

4.0 rating — All criteria present

3.0 rating — Some deficiency in 

criteria present

2.0 rating — Moderate deficiencies in 

criteria present, but acceptable

1.0 rating — A number of 

deficiencies to the extent where the 

content is unacceptable

Writing

Grade for Writing:

(Whole number only)

© Correct grammar, 

punctuation, spelling, 

sentence structure and 

typing/editorial style

© All required sections of the 

capstone project included

© Certification Statement 

signed and included

4.0 rating — All criteria present

3.0 rating — Some deficiency in 

criteria present

2.0 rating — Moderate deficiencies in 

criteria present, but acceptable

1.0 rating — A number of 

deficiencies to the extent where the 

writing is unacceptable

I have performed the above evaluation of the Capstone Project commensurate with the requirements 

outlined in the Managing Officer Program Handbook.

Department representative, name and title Signature

Email Form Save

Managing Officer Program Capstone Certification Statement

National Fire Academy

Managing Officer Program

Capstone Certification Statement

Certification Statement

I hereby certify that my capstone project constitutes my own product, that where the language of 

others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used 

the language, ideas, expressions or writings of another.

Signed: __________________________________________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the capstone project has been completed within six months of its start date and 

that the project meets my approval.

Signed: __________________________________________________________________________

(Fire Chief or Agency Director)

Date: __________________________________________________________________________

Upon completion, please submit the signed original via email to:

tina.crevier@fema.dhs.gov 

Managing Officer Program Administrator Email Form Save