Domestic Training
Executive Development Program

DEA Training is also responsible for a wide variety of leadership, management, executive, advanced, and specialized training programs in support of the agency mission.

Courses Offered

Group Supervisor Institute

The Group Supervisor Institute (GSI) is a mandatory school for all newly-promoted, first-line supervisors. GS-14, 1811s are required to complete a four-week GSI, and non-agents are required to participate in a two-week GSI.

The four-week GSI for GS-14, 1811s provides 160 hours of instruction encompassing a variety of subjects including leadership, administrative issues, and enforcement. The GSI includes 40 hours of specific leadership development training, provided by the University of Virginia, and incorporates this training into many of the blocks of instruction. DEA has adopted the Situational Leadership Development Theory as the foundation of our "cradle to grave" leadership training. The Situational Leadership Development Theory is based upon a "leader" determining the readiness level of their followers/subordinates and adjusting their leadership style to that readiness level in order to maximize the performance and self-motivation of followers.

The four-week GSI also includes 36 hours of enforcement-related instruction that focuses on the leader's ability to plan, coordinate, and manage enforcement operations and critical incidents. The enforcement week concludes with a four-hour "desk top" exercise requiring the students to put their leadership/management skills to practical use.

The two-week GSI is conducted for all non-agent first-line supervisors and provides 80 hours of classroom instruction. Since students do not require enforcement-related instruction, the length of the course is significantly shorter.

Supervisor In-Service Program

The Supervisor In-Service (SIS) Program is a one-week school for first-line supervisors who have completed the GSI. The SIS provides 36 hours of instruction, including a block on leadership development. The goal of the SIS is to provide relevant refresher training to all supervisors every 24 to 36 months. Supervisors are only required to attend one SIS at the DEA Academy. Subsequent in-service training will be provided utilizing distance learning and video tele-training technology. The application of distance learning technology and video tele-training technology is currently in the developmental stages.

DEA Leadership Forum

The DEA Leadership Forum was first convened in CY 2000 to fulfill an identified need for interagency discussion regarding leadership development and training. The Leadership Forum provides an environment in which the participants freely exchange ideas regarding their leadership development training, current training initiatives, the focus of their future leadership and management training, and best practices in implementing an agency-wide leadership training program. The Leadership Forum is an excellent learning and networking experience for all of those tasked with the training and development of leaders in the law enforcement community.

The DEA Leadership Forum began with seven state police agencies, one large sheriff's department and several DEA Special Agents in Charge. The 2003 Leadership Forum will have 15 state and local police agency heads and training directors, 7 DEA Special Agent's in Charge, the DEA Chief of Domestic Operations, and representatives from the FBI Academy.

Each prior Leadership Forum has had a prevalent theme in order to elicit discussion on challenges currently faced by law enforcement, how each agency is confronting the challenges, and brainstorming/strategizing on possible solutions. The 2002 Leadership Forum focused on leadership challenges associated with managing a younger workforce (Generation X) and team building at the executive level. The 2003 Leadership Forum will be held at the DEA Academy and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and will focus on supervisory accountability and terrorism-related issues.

Executive Seminar Programs

High-performing supervisors, managers, and executives are selected to attend Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Programs to enhance their leadership and management skills. These programs are for GS-13 to SES-level personnel. The Office of Training schedules numerous courses each year at either Shepherdstown, West Virginia, or Denver, Colorado. DEA has spent approximately $160,000 a year for the past four years to provide state-of-the-art training to our supervisors and managers through OPM. The Office of Training also provides funding for other executive-level training through the Federal Executive Institute, the Brookings Institute, and Duke University, as well as other institutions of learning.

The Office of Training provides other supplemental training through off-the-shelf vendors. In FY 2001, DEA spent a total of $160,000 toward this endeavor to provide training to supervisors and managers. DEA's goal is to continue to meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities of each employee as well as to enhance management training opportunities. Additionally, $45,000 of funding was provided for DEA supervisors to attend accredited colleges and universities in Law Enforcement Management, Public Administration, or other job-related fields.

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