Civilian leadership program accepting nominations through May 1

  • Published
  • By Angelina Casarez
  • The Air Force's Personnel Center Public Affairs

Eligible Air Force civilians may apply for fiscal 2020 Civilian Strategic Leader Program experiential assignment opportunities through May 1 using MyVector.

The Air Force’s senior civilian career broadening program, CSLP is for General Schedule 13 to 15 (and equivalent) employees and is designed to enhance competencies and characteristics required to grow executive leadership that drives results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions.

“The Civilian Strategic Leader Program allows Air Force senior leaders to place employees into experiential assignments to sharpen and expand various competencies outside of their functional areas of expertise,” said Julian Glover, the Air Force’s Personnel Center chief of central programs.   

By placing participants in experiential assignments outside of their primary functional area for up to three years, CSLP develops cross-functional, multi-skilled Air Force leaders. The program offers employees the opportunity to further develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities through challenging assignments that have Air Force or DoD-wide impact.

The CSLP portfolio includes 65 assignments across four diverse developmental assignment levels: installation, major command, Headquarters Air Force, and Joint or combatant command. An enterprise selection board evaluates candidates based on criteria such as:

-Sustained high performance, awards, and other recognition.
-Breadth and depth in a functional area.
-Previous cross-functional or broadening opportunities.
-Appropriate level of professional military education.
-Appropriate level of education/training.
-Strong endorsement statements from the applicant’s functional development team with stratification, stated leadership potential and potential follow-on position.

Although CSLP is a management reassignment program, eligible GS-13 (and equivalent) candidates will only be considered for installation-level assignments, which also result in a permanent promotion to GS-14.

Examples of these assignments at various locations include Division Chief, Security Cooperation Strategy Division; International Security Political-Military Strategic Planner; Special Assistant for Foreign Policy; Vice Wing Director; Senior Advisor for Deterrence Activities; Program Analyst; Headquarters Portfolio Manager; Deputy Director for Installation Support; and Executive Director.

This year, employees will submit applications for CSLP through MyVector. Registration is required for applicants, supervisors and endorsing officials. Applicants must submit their nomination packages by April 17, with chain of command concurrence by May 1. The system uses prompts to guide applicants through the process.

For more information about CSLP, visit the Civilian Force Development page on myPers from a CAC-enabled computer, or select “Civilian Employee” from the myPers dropdown menu and search “developmental education.” CSLP opportunities, to include vacancies and videos, may be viewed there.