Defense U. targets e-gov

Information Resources Management College

The National Defense University last week began a master's-level certification program designed to mold government managers into e-government leaders.

The eGovernment Leadership Certificate Program is a "broad leadership program" aimed at helping senior executives manage programs that cut across organizational lines, said Linda Massaro, a senior fellow at the university's Information Resources Management College. "It takes a different set of skills" to do that effectively, she said.

The school received 39 applications for the new program, Massaro said. All are expected to be accepted.

The certification program focuses on 13 competencies that senior managers say are necessary to produce successful e-government programs, Massaro said. These include change management, managing financial resources and homeland security, an already popular new course offered at the school.

Ira Hobbs, co-chairman of the CIO Council's Workforce and Human Capital for Information Technology Committee, said the certification program format serves a specific audience and provides targeted coursework. Managers "need to get grounding in functional areas," he said. "I think that's important for the future."

If students choose to, they can take the program via distance learning, Massaro said. Students must finish their class within 12 weeks, will receive a grade on their participation in class and will be monitored by a faculty member. This ensures that the agency is "getting its money's worth," she said.

The program is free for Defense Department employees, but other federal workers must pay $900 per course.

For more information on the program, go to www.ndu.edu/irmc and click on Academic Programs.