CDT Leadership Academy / Civic Leadership Accelerator

The problem

City government leans on the same small circle of outside consultants and political appointees. The talented career employees who know how the city actually works rarely get developed into leaders.

The plan

The Civic Leadership Accelerator trains city employees to lead delivery teams — practical training in running a chartered team, managing a baseline, and delivering to an exit. CDT leadership becomes a career path, not a political appointment.

Graduates staff the delivery teams across the administration, building lasting civic capacity inside City Hall.

How you’ll know it’s working

• Accelerator cohorts launched with published curriculum
• Graduates placed on delivery teams
• Career path for civic delivery leadership established

From the Blueprint

• Replaces generic leadership seminars with just-in-time training: Leading Without Authority, Delivery Rhythm, and Conflict Resolution.
• HR runs a nomination funnel sorting candidates into Ready-Now (near-term team assignments) and Ready-Soon (targeted upskilling) pools.
• Selection uses clear criteria and demonstrated capability — not politics or favoritism.
• Graduation is based on demonstrated readiness in real-world assignments, not attendance.
• Incentives include performance-linked bonuses, a team salary differential, and a career fast-track.
• Owned end-to-end by the Chief of Staff’s office with HR support, built with Civic Insights and local universities.

Selection with integrity. Training tied to execution. Credentialing through performance.