Using multiple sources of information about candidates to select candidates for an executive development program: Now that i have the data what do I do?
The President’s Management Agenda (PMA) is an integrated set of management reforms intended to improve the overall operational efficiency of the United States Government. The PMA established five Government-wide initiatives and set specific performance criteria for each. The strategic management of human capital (including succession planning) is one of these five initiatives. The performance-based nature of the PMA represents a significant challenge for many Federal leaders, and identifying leaders who possess the competencies necessary to meet its requirements is receiving increased attention in many agencies.
This presentation will describe several Federal agencies’ recent efforts to revise the process used to select participants for their Executive Candidate Development Programs. An assessment center specifically designed for use in the Federal Government was used in conjunction with other assessment techniques to select candidates into the programs. The other methods typically included an overall review of candidates’ application materials and a structured interview.
The assessment procedures were administered independently prior to combining scores to select the final pool of candidates. The results of this process will be described and practical issues associated with combining information from multiple sources of information will be addressed. Throughout this presentation, an emphasis will be placed on practical implications and lessons learned. Questions from the audience will be encouraged.
Speaker
Bernard J. Nickels, Ph.D.
US Office of Personnel Management
Dr.
Nickels is a Personnel Research Psychologist in the Competency
Assessment Branch of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in
Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Georgia Institute of
Technology.
Prior
to joining OPM, Dr. Nickels was the Examinations Manager for the State
of Alabama Personnel Department where he directed test development and
validation projects, and served as the State Personnel Department’s
representative in various litigation activities.
Additionally, Dr. Nickels has previous private sector and consulting experience. During these assignments he managed large-scale job analyses and developed and validated a variety of cognitive and non-cognitive selection procedures, including assessment centers.
Speaker
Alix L. Roberts
US Office of Personnel Management
Alix Roberts is a Personnel Research Psychologist in the Competency Assessment Branch of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). She holds a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Sciences from the George Washington University. She has previously worked for the Society for Human Resource Management and the University of Tennessee.