Leadership development programs are frequently cited as one of the main drivers in building a community’s capacity (Chaskin et al., 2001; Emery et al., 2007; Kirk and Shutte, 2004; Lamm et al., 2017). From late 2021 through early 2022, Washoe County reinitiated a leadership development program, titled the Washoe County Leadership Academy (WCLA). This program targeted Washoe County residents who are not currently in leadership positions.
The academy’s goals are both educational and motivational. More specifically, these include:
- to educate residents on the services provided by Washoe County services and departments;
- to develop residents’ skills and capacity to improve their potential to take on leadership roles within the county or the larger community.
The academy’s pilot year (2021-2022) was evaluated to assess program effectiveness, program value to attendees, skills gained by participants, participant recommendations for program improvement, participants’ willingness to be more involved in the community and demographic data. A detailed review of information regarding participant recruitment, program need and assessment methodology is available in Rebori, 2023 (SP-23-05).
After completion of the academy’s second full year, another program evaluation was conducted. This evaluation occurred on April 19, 2024, the last session of the Washoe County Leadership Academy. This report provides program evaluation results, as well as suggestions for improvement for future programs. These results are important for the Washoe County Manager’s Office, Washoe County commissioners, and other Nevada counties that may be interested in launching a leadership program and subsequent evaluation of their program.
For methods and results, use the link below to download the PDF version.
Conclusion
The Washoe County Leadership Academy (WCLA) concluded its second year (2023-2024), and for the s econd time, empirically demonstrated a strong impact on its participants. T-tests examining the skills training topics (i.e., leadership styles and goal setting, public issues, civility, managing conflict, and collaboration) from before the program (Table 1) to after the program (Table 2) found significant (p<.001) gains on all skills topics (Table 3). Again, these selected training topics are considered foundational skills for community leaders (Pigg et al., 2015). Providing an opportunity to put recently acquired skills into practice is an important and critical step in building skilled and confident local leaders.
Ninety-six percent of program participants indicated the program exceeded or greatly exceeded their expectations (Figure 3). All participants perceived the program to be both highly effective and highly valuable (Figure 4). Lastly, all program participants (100%) (N=22) state they would increase their community involvement due to their participation in the program (Figure 5). Assessing participants’ perception about the program effectiveness and value addresses three important issues: 1) ensuring the education objectives are met from the perspective of participants; 2) ensuring that the program is a valuable use of their time; and 3) highly satisfied participants are an invaluable recruitment tool for future participants.
After last year’s pilot year and subsequent program evaluation, some changes were made to the program. Some of the more notable changes to the program in 2023 to 2024 were the increased assistance and support for participants on the class project, and the inclusion of teaching about public issues, as most of the class project involves addressing a public issue. The program continues to strive for excellence and to implement changes and minor adjustments to further enhance program improvement. A few potential changes to the 2024 to 2025 program, based on participant recommendations from 2023 to 2024 may include the following:
- Include an introductory review of local government structure and organization, perhaps even providing an organization chart to be included in the leadership binders for reference throughout the program and visits with various departments.
- Provide more facilitated assistance and mentorship on selecting and carrying out the class project.
- Enhance more networking with previous WCLA cohorts.
Other improvements may be incorporated but will depend upon feedback from Washoe County staff and their associated county departments. When comparing last year’s evaluation and demographic data to this year’s, there were some improvements regarding a more diverse group of participants for income, length of residency and education level. Overall, it appears Washoe County Leadership Academy has a template for success, and will continue to improve and have a lasting impact for both participants and the Washoe County community.
For methods and results, use the link below to download the PDF version.
