Air Force program develops senior civilian leaders Published Jan. 27, 2010 By Daniel Elkins Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Civilian Strategic Leader Program officials are briefing Air Force career field functional leaders this month on details of the program aimed at developing the senior-leader, civilian workforce. "The Air Force has approximately 300 Senior Executive Service civilians today, and we need to ensure we are deliberately identifying, training and educating civilian employees who can compete in the future for senior leader positions," said Angela Kravetz, CSLP office chief. The CSLP Office will move the service toward a process of earlier identification of Air Force employees whose past performance and future potential indicate they will be the most competitive for leading the Air Force at the executive level, said Ms. Kravetz of the program benefits. CSLP was designed to bring civilian senior leader development and career management practices in line with current general officer, senior executive corps and colonel practices. Program officials are in the process of identifying more than 75 command-equivalent positions, and those will be posted to the Air Force Portal in April. A director screening board will be conducted this summer in order to match eligible individuals with those identified positions. Candidates will be placed into one of those identified positions where they will remain for three years. Applicants for the new CSLP program will be identified and invited to participate by their career field leadership; applications must be in by June. Those eligible must be in grades GS-14/15 or equivalent personnel. The Air Force currently has more than 6,500 civilians employed at those grades. Career civilians interested in the program must sign a mobility agreement as part of the program. "Career field functional authorities are in the best position to help identify initial participants in CSLP," Ms. Kravetz said. "We're asking for their best and brightest." The CSLP office chief said some of the qualities sought in potential candidates are high leadership performance, supervisory experiences, depth and breadth of experience, and mobility to any open position during the cycle. She added senior developmental education and/or a graduate-level degree are highly desired in candidates. Eligible employees must have held their current grade for at least 12 months; been in their current position for at least 12 months; and have at least one current Air Force appraisal. They must also possess a minimum 12 months of supervisory experience, hold a bachelor's degree, and not have held a command-equivalent leadership position in the past. Following a CSLP assignment, officials work closely with AFPC and career field functional leaders to determine a suitable follow-on assignment. Employees may return to their career field where they may best apply their leadership experience or compete for senior leader opportunities to include SES positions. A director assignment is the first of four distinct, interrelated but separate areas designed to enhance the overall development and management of the civilian strategic workforce, said Tya Freed-Brewer, a CSLP specialist. Continued participation may also include senior leader education, senior leader experiential management, and senior leader development programs. To learn more about CSLP, contact Ms. Kravetz at (703) 695-8040, DSN 225-8040 or e-mail angela.kravetz@pentagon.af.mil or Ms. Freed-Brewer at (703) 695-8283, DSN 225-8283 or e-mail tya.freed-brewer@pentagon.af.mil.