• On Campus
    Session Date
    -
    Application Deadline
    Program Fee
    $18,400
    Faculty Chair
    Linda Bilmes
    Program Director
    Daniel Abar
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    We are still accepting applications for this session. Please contact the program director for additional information.

    Program Fee: The program fee includes tuition, housing, curricular materials and most meals.
    Executive Certificate: This program is a core program in the Public Leadership and Public Policy concentrations. This program can also be used as a third program for any concentration in the Executive Certificate series.
    Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): This program aligns with one or more Executive Core Qualifications.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Senior Managers in Government executive program at Harvard Kennedy School provides a unique opportunity for senior officials to enhance their leadership skills. This comprehensive two-week program, led by renowned faculty, focuses on the critical skills needed to navigate the complex challenges of leading large organizations in the public sector. The curriculum is designed to address the needs of the U.S. Senior Executive Service (SES) in the federal government and their military, corporate sector, and international counterparts.

Faculty Chair Linda Bilmes will be joined by Harvard faculty and expert practitioners in government, law, education, and business for a robust two-week program to refresh and expand the core executive leadership skills you need to address the challenges of a large organization. You'll deepen your ability to think broadly, sharpen critical skill sets, and gain the new tools necessary to address today’s complex global challenges.

The Senior Managers in Government executive program will enhance your skills in:

  • Political management
  • Building organizational capacity
  • Policy development
  • Organizational performance
  • Negotiation
  • Planning for the future

Program Curriculum

Over two intensive weeks on campus, the Senior Managers in Government executive program immerses you in cutting-edge research, lectures, and group work. The curriculum includes case studies, experiential learning, and networking opportunities to build your capacity to lead effectively in the public sector. Topics covered include political management, organizational capacity building, policy development, and negotiation. The materials include cutting-edge research and new ideas that will propel us into the next generation, drawing from across the spectrum of Harvard’s global expertise.

This curriculum makes extensive use of the case study method pioneered at Harvard. Each case describes an actual situation in public management that you and your classmates use to think through possible approaches and solutions to real-world problems. You'll reflect upon your professional experiences and meet daily in small groups and in class to discuss cases and exchange ideas.

Additional components of Senior Managers in Government include networking opportunities, experiential learning, and group outings, all of which allow you to build lasting relationships with the other participants.

Learning Objectives

Senior Managers in Government targets the multifaceted challenges faced by senior managers. Key learning objectives include:

  • Policy Development: Creating and implementing effective policies
  • Political Strategy: Mobilizing support and building coalitions.
  • Performance Management: Enhancing organizational performance.
  • Negotiation: Achieving win-win outcomes and resolving conflicts.
  • Leadership: Improving leadership styles, especially in crisis situations.

Application Information

Senior Managers in Government is designed for senior-level public leaders who wish to expand their professional and personal capabilities.

Recommended applicants include:

  • Elected, appointed, and senior career officials in the U.S. Senior Executive Service (SES)
  • Senior-level military officials (General Officer level)
  • International counterparts looking to learn about management systems and methods relevant across national borders
  • Congressional staffers pursuing strengthened leadership skills and managerial insights
  • Corporate executives seeking perspectives on government decision making and leadership
  • Nonprofit leaders aiming to examine public sector management best practices and share insights with executives in other sectors

View a sample program schedule. Note that module titles, speakers, and sequence may change.

What Participants are Saying

“Senior Managers in Government opens the aperture of not only knowledge, but also allows you to understand partner Government Agencies, Foreign Governments, and Foreign Trade organizations as they relate to national and economic global security.”
LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO), Director of Field Operations (DFO) for the Chicago Field Office
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Hear from the Faculty Chair

Linda Bilmes discusses the Senior Managers in Government  program.

Faculty & Research

Linda Bilmes Photo

Linda Bilmes

Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy

Cornell William Brooks Photo

Cornell William Brooks

Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations; Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice

Juliette Kayyem Photo

Juliette Kayyem

Belfer Senior Lecturer in International Security

Herman B. (Dutch) Leonard Photo

Herman B. (Dutch) Leonard

George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Management, HKS; Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration, HBS
617-495-1117
Elizabeth Linos Photo

Elizabeth Linos

Emma Bloomberg Associate Professor of Public Policy and Management

Pippa Norris Photo

Pippa Norris

Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics

Roger Porter Photo

Roger Porter

IBM Professor of Business and Government
617-496-4036
Hong Qu Photo

Hong Qu

Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

Eric Rosenbach Photo

Eric Rosenbach

Senior Lecturer in Public Policy

Malcolm Sparrow Photo

Malcolm Sparrow

Professor of the Practice of Public Management

Guhan Subramanian

Guhan Subramanian

Joseph Flom Professor of Law and Business, Harvard Law School
Douglas Weaver Professor of Business Law, Harvard Business School

Lawrence H. Summers Photo

Lawrence H. Summers

Frank and Denie Weil Director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
Charles W. Eliot University Professor
617-495-9322

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