Continuous Improvement Practitioner (CIP) Training

The Continuous Improvement Practitioner Program is designed to increase the State’s internal capacity to promote, facilitate, and implement continuous improvement efforts by developing skilled practitioners. Participants must be nominated by their agencies and will be expected to use the skills and knowledge gained to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations. The program also fosters relationship building across a diverse community of continuous improvement practitioners that continue to support one another as contributing members of the GEAR Field Team.

The program runs twice per year with cohorts starting in the spring and fall and running for approximately four months each. Through practical exercises and collaborating on an actual State project, the participant will gain valuable skills in three industry-recognized areas of best practice: project management, lean process improvement, and change management.

This program is currently funded through the First State Quality Improvement Fund and provided at no cost to accepted participants.  The program is administered in partnership between GEAR and the Department of Human Resources.

Additional information on the CIP training program, including the application, can be found on the Department of Human Resources’ website.

Operational Excellence (OpEx) and Project/Process Leadership (PPL) Training

The OpEx and PPL training programs were launched as pilot initiatives in 2024 to build the State’s internal capacity to promote, facilitate, and implement continuous improvement efforts by developing the essential skills and strategies practitioners need to effectively lead projects and teams to success. Both training programs are currently offered once per year to graduates of the Continuous Improvement Practitioner (CIP) program.

The OpEx training program provides the opportunity to complete one of four certificate programs in either applied project management, business analysis, lean six sigma, or agile. This advanced coursework results in the opportunity to achieve industry recognized credentials and advance the State’s culture of continuous improvement.

The PPL training program fosters the people-centric skills that will improve the effectiveness of the CIP tools and increase the engagement of team members, sponsors, and customers in the improvement efforts. The key focus areas of PPL training are:

• Continuous Improvement Leadership: Understanding the core principles of effective leadership, including communication, motivation, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
• Facilitation Skills: Cultivating high-performing teams through effective meeting facilitation, presentation skills, managing information, and building stakeholder engagement.
• Strategic Thinking: Developing the ability to align project goals with organizational objectives, anticipate future challenges, and identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.