Current Presidential Management Fellows Offer Feedback on the Program
From the Government Executive news website:
Presidential Management Fellows are happy with their first days on the job but believe agency supervisors and program coordinators could provide better guidance and mentoring, according to a new study.
Overall job satisfaction among the class of 2011 fellows who participated in a study conducted by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service scored 72.7 points out of 100 points. The study, which included the views of 274 new fellows gathered from November 2011 to December 2011, found that PMFs like and respect their bosses, have realistic expectations of the program and are committed to public service. In particular, fellows who thought their first job assignment matched their skill level and took into account their developmental needs tended to rate the overall program more positively. The class of 2011 includes 420 fellows who work on various assignments in different agencies for two years.
PPS found some red flags, however, among those positive first reviews. Forty-three percent of respondents didn’t think their supervisors fully understood how the fellowship program works, while 40 percent said they didn’t receive enough early guidance from agency program coordinators. Fellows also gave the Office of Personnel Management low marks for orientation because they said the agency didn’t provide it early enough in the program.
“Although considerable time and effort goes into recruiting, hiring and training more than 400 fellows a year, the evidence suggests that many federal agencies and managers are not fulfilling some of the important needs of PMF participants during the first months of the two-year program,” the study said. “Unless remedied, these lapses could undermine the purpose of the PMF program and discourage participants from continuing careers in federal service.”