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The Kansas Association of Counties offers a professional development certificate program focused on the enhancement of supervisory skills in a county government setting.  The 35-hour certificate program consists of seven required workshops that are offered over a two-year period. Scroll down for a detailed program description. ESS Certificate Calendar for 2002  Description of Current ESS workshop Application Form for Certificate Participation Request for Certificate Credit Form

Certificate Objectives

Successfully accomplishing the policy goals of county government is directly related to the job performance of county employees. High quality employee performance does not happen by accident, but rather as a result of skilled front-line supervisors who are able to plan, direct, reward and evaluate performance. The Certificate in Effective Supervisory Skills program is intended to assist county supervisors to develop concepts and skills that can lead to greater productivity and job satisfaction within their work group.

The program has the following objectives:

• examine the roles, responsibilities and tasks of an effective supervisor in a county government setting;
• enable participants to assess their leadership style in comparison to the required roles, responsibilities and tasks of supervision;
• enhance performance management skills including goal setting, delegation, communication, recognition, discipline and evaluation;
• expand knowledge of relevant legal and ethical issues associated with county government supervision and their application to day-to-day decision making;
• define the core values associated with professionalism and public service, and their application to the day-to-day job of supervisor;
• expand the problem-solving skills and network of participants by encouraging the exchange of experiences and ideas with counterparts from other counties.

Certificate workshops are open to anyone employed by or in service to a county government in Kansas. The workshops are especially targeted to:

• supervisors recently promoted to the position
• experienced supervisors who wish to refresh and update their skills
• non-supervisory employees who are preparing for a supervisory position
• technical or administrative staff who are seeking promotion to a supervisory position

Each required workshop will be offered at multiple regional locations in a five-contact-hour format, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Participants will be asked to purchase a copy of Effective Supervisory Practices, 3rd edition, published by ICMA. Relevant chapters of the book will be assigned as reading in advance of each workshop. In order to maximize interactive learning, enrollment will be limited to 30 participants per workshop on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligibility for Participation Certificate participation is open to any person who works for a Kansas county and who holds a position that has responsibility for directing the work of others. Participants may opt to register for individual workshops on an as-needed basis or may choose to work toward certification.

Required Workshops The seven required workshops will be offered over a two-year cycle and are described below. The curriculum is non-sequential, so participants may initiate participation in the certificate program at any point in the program cycle.

• The Fundamentals of Supervision
• Communication Skills for Effective Supervision
• The Supervisor's Role in Managing Employee Performance
• Coaching and Positive Discipline Skills for Effective Supervision
• Legal Aspects of Supervision
• The Supervisor's Role in Enhancing Cooperative Work Relationships
• Supervisory Techniques for Solving Problems and Making Decisions

Instructional responsibilities will be shared between the KAC staff, and practitioners and academicians with the requisite subject expertise and instructional skills.

Workshop Fees

The registration charge for each workshop is recommended at $99.   In addition, participants will be asked to purchase the textbook which will be an additional one-time charge of $26.

Recognition

Each participant who completes the seven required workshops will receive a certificate of achievement from the Kansas Association of Counties, honorable mention in the County Comment and recognition at the KAC annual conference.