Receive an informational presentation on NACo (National Association of Counties) High Performance Leadership Academy; and receive recommendations for future candidate selection process. (No general fund impact) (Bryan/Perez) (Est. Time: 10 min)

The National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy is a modern, online education program meant to prepare County government professionals to exercise practical leadership skills that yield high-impact results for counties and communities. The curriculum was developed by the Professional Development Academy in partnership with public sector leaders, Fortune 1000 executives, and world-renowned academics. This program was chosen as an accessible and innovative professional development avenue for Yolo County employees.

Yolo County has participated in this program as well as comparable leadership training offerings over the past several years. For the past many years, the County’s participation has neither been on a consistent schedule nor has the County selected program participants through the use of any consistently specified criteria. Therefore, major objectives of the County Administrator’s Office in bringing forth this staff report with the accompanying recommendations are to: A) Identify this program for regular County participation (subject to funding availability); B) Create a set of guidelines and criteria by which County staff will be nominated, reviewed, and selected for participation; and C) Identify this program as a high quality and cost-effective alternative to more costly individually attended training courses which county departments may have previously sought.

Several Yolo County staff graduates from the NACo High Performance Leadership Academy (HPLA) have engaged in this webinar-based distance learning program that provides the convenience of asynchronous, self-paced learning to accommodate busy work schedules. Additionally, two additional Yolo County staff are currently enrolled in the program. Staff graduates have completed weekly module content over the twelve-week program and met in small-group cohort sessions to participate in content discussions on a weekly basis with other county leadership cohort participants from across the nation. This format allows for staff to build their professional network and receive support from peers. Each module includes a one-hour live webinar and one-hour breakout discussion, plus daily assignments ranging from 3-35 minutes. Live webinars were also recorded for ease of completion.

The course curriculum focuses on five practical skills:

The videos, reading, writing, and reflection activities provided challenging opportunities for individual development and opportunities to celebrate success. Finally, managers received regular dashboard reports to outline the progress of their staff enrollees. Managers are encouraged to meet with participants and review the program content as it relates to their individual development plans.

Yolo County HPLA graduates expressly endorse this professional development opportunity for the valuable and efficient learning benefits that address the specific leadership needs of county government employees. The content was delivered in a thoughtful, multi-modal manner that provided staff with the flexibility to incorporate this learning into their workday schedule with ease. This program also allowed for managers to bring leadership and mentorship into their weekly check-ins with staff enrollees. This raised the content’s relevance by applying learned skills with immediacy to current county projects. County staff enrollment in the NACo HPLA can be an effective, cost-saving alternative that provides staff with a positive professional development experience. Staff report higher confidence with public-speaking communication skills, an improved ability to recognize current strengths, and improved capabilities to make decisions for the County. Currently, NACo is able to offer discounted pricing when either 5 or 15 program slots are procured as a bundle. Generally, a substantially larger discounted price is attained with the higher number of slots. In order to bring increased order, equity, and continuity to the distribution of these slots, the County Administrator’s Office proposes to adopt the following criteria:

The NACo Member County associated cost per enrollee begins at $1,000 per student if we procure 15 slots. As funds allow, the County can support 5 to 15 employees participating in the experience. Staff believes this to be a more cost-effective alternative as it compares to other professional development avenues, which often require high transportation costs and a non-flexible schedule for staff.

Each year, when funding has been secured and the program becomes available through NACo, an application process shall be opened by the Department of Human Resources. The County Administrator shall appoint a minimum of 5 county department heads, or designees, to serve on the application review and selection committee which shall apply the established criteria. The program shall be administered by the Department of Human Resources.