
GOVERNMENT SECTOR
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The Office of Professional Studies (OPS) developed a relationship between the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the University of Maryland departments of geography and government and politics. Through this program, NGA employees work toward a professional graduate degree without ever leaving the building; they simply walk down the hall of their Bethesda offices. The program leads to a master of arts in geography, with a political geography track custom-designed for NGA. In December 2004, the first 16 NGA College students graduated with a M.A. in geography from the University of Maryland.
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
OPS developed a series of short courses to encourage teamwork and face-to-face interaction of DIA employees. We developed a series of four one-day seminars offered onsite addressing both staff and management levels of the organization. These programs included a Senior Leadership Seminar, a Staff Seminar on Effective Communication, a New Hire Seminar and one on Communicating Data Effectively.
Federal Highway Administation (FHA)
Working with the University of Maryland's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS), OPS was awarded the opportunity to design curriculum and deliver courses to support training of FHA employees in transportation and environmental planning.
U.S. Office Of Personnel Management (OPM)
We made a connection between the University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM) and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer customized, onsite training in conflict management, ethics and crisis management to OPM employees in the eastern half of the country. OPS provides fiscal management services for these multiyear contracts. Courses incorporate the popular computer-simulated ICONS technology from BSOS. Fifteen to 20 sessions are offered annually, each during a period of three to four days.
The National Institutes Of Health
OPS provided a number of programs to various centers and institutes at the NIH. Among them are the following: 1.) Leading Transitions, 2.) Clinical Center Leadership Certification and 3.) Employee facilitator/career counseling training program.
More than two dozen senior managers from the National Institutes of Health participated in Leading Transitions, a specially developed leadership program for managers leading change in their units. Coursework combined case studies, interactive discussions, experiential learning, self-assessment data and development planning.
Additionally, the NIH's
Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center offered an 18-hour leadership certificate for mid-level managers, lab and nurse managers. We designed the program to focus on leadership competencies that strengthen individuals, operating units and the organization.
OPS, in partnership with the
Office of Resource Services Center for Career Resources at NIH, offered a 36-hour course to teach employees skills to become group facilitators/career-transition counselors for their peers. The program, offered onsite at NIH's Rockville office, focused on listening skill development, positive confrontation in dealing with sensitive situations and difficult people as well as active problem solving.