The Program
The Pre-Management Development Program (PMDP) offers an in-depth, practical, and educational curriculum pathway for city employees who are pursuing a distinguished career as public service managers. The goal of the PMDP is to shape our future leadership/management to meet the demands of the public service system.
The program offers employees that have completed their probationary period the opportunity to earn 7 CNM college credits, 2 years' service credit as a supervisor when applying for entry-level supervisory positions within the city, and Toastmasters public speaking credentials.
Eligibility
Eligible City employees must have completed their probationary period at the time the program begins, have no prior supervisory experience, and must not be on any type of performance improvement plan or write up.
Participants must also pass the Accuplacer exam with the minimum required scores (see below), as well as complete and submit a formal application, resume, writing sample, and three (3) letters of recommendation, to include one from your supervisor, one from your division manager, and one from a professional contact of your choice.
How To Get Started
All of the required documents must be submitted in person to the PSU office prior to the annual deadline, which occurs sometime in October. This is a competitive process. Your application will be submitted to your department director. City directors will choose up to three (3) applications to submit to the Learning Council for consideration. Once approved, the Learning Council will make recommendations to the CAO, who will appoint candidates to the program. If you are selected, you will be required to sign a letter of agreement to participate. Participation in the program is voluntary.
The first step in applying to the program is registering for a CNM Student ID unless you already have one. This can be done online and free of charge at http://www.cnm.edu/registration/apply-and-register.
Once you have a student ID, the next step is taking the Accuplacer exam, unless you have a current Accuplacer score (Accuplacer scores are good for five years). To register to take the Accuplacer, go to http://www.cnm.edu/depts/assessment-center/accuplacer and choose the campus at which you would like to take the exam. Then, follow the instructions for registering for the Accuplacer. The exam can be taken Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 .p.m, at any CNM campus. The Accuplacer scores must be submitted to the PSU office prior to the November deadline.
It is required that applicants to the PMDP pass the Accuplacer with a minimum score of 80 in reading and 85 in sentence skills. If you have previously passed the Accuplacer in the last five years with the required scores, you must submit your scores to the PSU office by the October deadline, along with your other required documents. If it has been more than five years since taking the Accuplacer, or if you took the Accuplacer but did not achieve the minimum scores, then you must retake the test and submit your scores to PSU prior to the PMDP application deadline. If you are not eligible to apply for the PMDP during the upcoming application period due to a lower than required Accuplacer score, check the online LMS at https://cabq.globalclassroom.us for information on alternate pathways to eligibility.
If you are eligible to attend classes at CNM either because you are already a CNM student or you already hold a degree, you must submit your transcripts to PSU as proof. If you already have a Bachelor's degree or higher in a non-Business/Management discipline, you must contact CNM to request course substitution in lieu of the Accuplacer. It is your responsibility to submit all required documentation to CNM for course substitution prior to the PMDP deadline date.
Commitment
Participants and their department directors and supervisors must make an absolute commitment to the entire 12-month program, which also includes field trips and special events. Those employees that are selected for the program will be enrolled at the City's Public Service University (PSU) and CNM. Participants will take academic classes at CNM every Thursday morning from January through August and will attend classes at PSU every other Thursday afternoon throughout the year. In August, participants will attend PSU every other Thursday, all day. Directors will receive quarterly status updates on participant progress.
In addition to attending class, participants must:
- Complete all homework assignments (this is a homework-intensive course)
- Pass all quizzes and exams
- Write and present assignments in the classroom setting
- Successfully complete 5 Toastmasters speeches in the classroom/public setting
- Successfully complete and present course projects related to the betterments of public service
- Successfully complete and deliver a team project plan as assigned by the Mayor/CAO
- Successfully create and deliver a complete business plan as assigned by the department director
This is a once per year application process. If you were ineligible due to Accuplacer requirements or if you were not selected this year, feel free to apply for the program next year.
