Hist and Proj Operating Receipts FY 2011 2 17 2010 - DC Water

In FY 2009, the Authority offered core training classes and programs to support its mission and the Strategic Plan.
Programs and classes focused on safety, leadership and supervision, customer service, and communication. To ensure
tl1e well-being of the general workforce, the Authority also continued the implementation of its action plan to improve
communication. Effective two-way communication classes continued to be offered at all employee levels to improve
knowledge sharing throughout the organization.
As part of the succession planning program, the Authority identified key components for implementation. The
components included fast tracking current vacant senior management positions, establishing briefing books for executive
and director levels, and piloting the succession planning model in a maximum of two departments. This will ensure that
qualified members of the organization are available to fill critical vacancies on an interim basis. For the executive
development program component of succession management, the Authority identified programs offered at major
universities as a tool to ensure competent skills level for executives.
To ensure a qualified pool of candidates for hard-to-fill jobs, the Authority continued its two-year Wastewater Treatment
Operator Trainee Program. The trainees received their Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) level II operator-intraining
certificates and continued the shift rotations for on-the-job training for the final year of the program. Once the third
year of on-the-job training is completed, the trainees will become fully certified operators who can work independently to
perform the functions of the position.
To ensure that the undocumented knowledge of long-term employees is retained, the Authority continued its knowledge
capture workshops as part of succession management. The workshops identify critical processes and key competences
required to manage the processes. Workshops in FY 2009 focused on water shutdown processes in the Department of
Water Services and the construction development process for the Department of Engineering and Technical Services.
This information will be retained for use in the event the incumbent employee retires and when job descriptions and
standard operating procedures are revised.
Executive staff, directors, managers, and supervisors received training on the H1N1 virus, Homeland Security issues
surrounding the presidential inaugurations and bomb awareness. Directors, managers, and supervisors also attended
classes on media relations, the newly negotiated collective bargaining agreements, National Associations of Sewer
Service Companies (NASSCO) certification, performance management, electronic business communication (risk, rules,