Council seeks 32 e-gov fellows to learn about leadership

The Council for Excellence in Government will choose 32 e-government fellows from among federal IT managers, up from 25 last year. The chosen fellows will get together for two to three days every four weeks for a year beginning in September. They will debate topics such as information assurance, e-commerce, multimedia and information presentation, e-government, data integration, portals and accessibility technology. Chosen vendors and representatives of the National Science Foundation participate in the discussions. NSF assists the fellows in using learning modules and online services.“We review applications with an eye to finding people who understand that learning about leadership isn’t done in a classroom as much as it is by experience,” said Martha Johnson, vice president of leadership and performance for the council, headquartered in Washington. The nominations come from senior agency managers, who sponsor one or two names. The council accepts 90 percent of those sponsored, but “we turn down people who are clearly looking for a more structured, traditional program that allows them to check off a box next to a list of things they need to do to get promoted,” Johnson said. Applicants usually rank at the GS/GM-14 or -15 level or the equivalent in military, state or other systems. Selected fellows will have worked in various IT capacities, Johnson said. A fellow’s agency pays $9,750 tuition and $3,000 in travel costs for the year. The council has awarded general fellowships for many years, but the e-government fellows program is only in its second year.