Facility Manager Leaders Program Receives National Recognition
Washington, DC - The National Park Service (NPS) Park Facility Management Division (PFMD) and Indiana University's Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands were presented with the 2010 W. Edwards Deming Outstanding Training Award for collaborative efforts associated with the Facility Manager Leaders Program (FMLP) on Monday, April19, 2010.
Sponsored by the Graduate School (formerly USDA Graduate School), the Deming Award is presented annually to a federal government program or civilian branch of the military in recognition of significant accomplishments in workforce development or training initiatives that have quantifiably benefited the organization's overall performance. The FMLP received this prestigious award at the annual Government Executive Media Group Excellence in Government public management conference. This year's program was attended by 500 federal managers.
The FMLP was selected as the 2010 recipient of the W. Edward Deming Award from seven total nominees. The program (FMLP) serves as a catalyst for the development and retention of a dedicated and informed workforce, and through the efforts of its graduates has contributed to substantial improvements in asset portfolio management Servicewide. There are currently over 70,000 assets in the NPS portfolio, including buildings, roads, utilities, bridges, trails, campgrounds, monuments and fortifications.
In his keynote address, Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) discussed the importance of the federal workforce and the necessity for investment in this critical group. Presenting the award, the Graduate School acknowledged the uniqueness and successes of this joint program. The FMLP serves as a mechanism for the development and perpetuation of a succession management program. Centered on life-cycle costs and total cost of facility ownership (TCFO), the program instills in the graduates a focus on proactive, rather than reactive, management philosophies and fosters an environment that is supportive of more stable, structured and prepared parks, enhanced leadership, and data-driven decision processes. Nearly 60% of all FMLP graduates have been promoted to positions as facility managers or chiefs of maintenance, with 89% of all FMLP graduates having received promotions after completing the course.
NPS Park Facility Management Chief Tim Harvey is a primary architect of the FMLP strategy. Receiving the award, Harvey said, "The Deming Award is certainly indicative of the agents-of-change role that our facility managers must play within the NPS. The future of our bureau's ability to sustainably manage all resources - cultural, natural and 'built,' - rests on an aggressive, informed and capable facility management workforce. The FMLP provides each of us with this critical foundation. We are proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the NPS and our partner, the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands."
To date, approximately half of all of the national parks in America have, in some way, been affected by the FMLP, either by an FMLP student, graduate, mentor, supervisor or the curriculum developed by the Eppley Institute. NPS Training and Development Chief Kathy Hanson was delighted with the results of the FMLP, made tangible by the W. Edwards Deming Award. She said, "The FMLP is certainly something we are proud of and supports our strategic direction in workforce enrichment, as well as critical goals of the Department of Interior. We believe this award, which is the first ever Deming Award received by the Department, is indicative of the unique collaborations and partnerships we are using to obtain the very best training, education and development for our employees as we approach the NPS Centennial in 2016".
The FMLP is a year-long, assessment and deep learning based, certificate program. It is composed of five units that utilize a blended learning approach. Students first partake in a week-long classroom course titled Principles of Asset Management. Next, the first distributed learning session, a five-month blended-learning course, is composed of multiple e-courses, monthly discussion forums, three analytical paper assignments and monthly webinars. Students then attend a two-week classroom course that includes a week-long simulation, Advanced Facility Management Practices. A second distributed learning session includes a week-long, directed field experience at a National Park. Finally, students attend the Capstone Study in Facility Management, a week-long classroom course in Washington, DC.
Interested NPS employees must apply to the FMLP training experience. Final selections are difficult, and only 15-18 students are selected annually. The program is rigorous, and aspects of the FMLP are currently being evaluated by the Indiana University Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies Department for graduate and undergraduate credit.
Executive Director of the Eppley Institute Stephen A. Wolter serves as the link between Indiana University's educational quality and rigor and the learning environment of the NPS, relying on "...a completely dedicated group of academic, professional and support staff at the Eppley Institute that takes great pride in our role, reputation and success of our partners like the National Park Service. We are proud of the positive improvements and successes we contribute to in the federal government, and, of course, in this specific and strategically important program."
The FMLP began in response to concerns - raised by Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of the Interior Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office - that park facility management in the national parks was in need of improvement.
In 2005, the NPS collaborated with the Eppley Institute at Indiana University to complete The Performance, Training, and Competency Gap Analysis, which studied more than fifty parks and two hundred park account managers and facility managers. The study identified a significant Facility Management Software System (FMSS) - the foundation of facility management in the NPS - performance and training gap. Therefore, in 2006, the NPS expanded the partnership with the Eppley Institute to introduce the first cohort of the FMLP.
For additional information on the Facility Manager Leaders Program, contact Betsy Dodson at 843-856-3531, email Betsy_Dodson@nps.gov, or Stephen A. Wolter at 812-855-3095, email sawolter@indiana.edu