Illinois Certified Public Manager® Program

The Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program is a comprehensive and nationally accredited professional development program designed to prepare individuals for management-level careers in federal, state, local, and tribal governments and other organizations with a public purpose. The CPM Program’s primary goal is to improve the performance of public sector managers and the organizational performance of governments and other public-serving organizations. The Government Finance Research Center delivers the only accredited CPM Program for Illinois.

The National Certified Public Manager® Consortium (NCPMC) established the CPM designation in 1979 and continues to preserve its high standards by accrediting only one program per state. The CPM credential is awarded to public sector employees who have completed 300 hours of study through an accredited CPM program.

Based upon seven core competencies, the program is a comprehensive course of study by which public managers receive the education and training needed to meet the unique demands and challenges of their profession. The curriculum uses theory as the foundation and applies it to practical problems facing managers in public serving agencies.

The mission of the Illinois Certified Public Manager® Program is to promote good governance in public institutions through education, training, and development that adheres to a collaborative, transparent, reflective, and results-oriented approach. Delivered in mixed-mode format with online asynchronous content and learning activities plus in-person instruction, participants earn their CPM credential in just 12 months! Eligibility is open to all employees of government and nonprofit agencies in Illinois.

Earn your CPM in Illinois in less than one hour per day for only $15 per credit hour!

• Program Hours: 300 Total
• Program Duration: 12 Months Total
• Program Cost: $4,500 Total

If you are interested in learning more, please fill the interest form below.

For questions, please email cpmillinois@uic.edu.

State and local government job openings have been on an upward trend since 2010. However, hires have lagged behind openings, exacerbating the public sector talent gap. The CPM program offers public sector and nonprofit employees the opportunity to:

• Enhance personal leadership strengths
• Broaden intergovernmental networks and communication
• Increase personal awareness and effectiveness
• Evaluate and implement innovative solutions
• Become a leader in promoting quality in public services
• Take advantage of competency based learning geared toward immediate applicability

The curriculum includes the following competencies:

Personal and Organizational Integrity
Today, managers must acknowledge their role in shaping organizational ethics and the role they play in creating an organizational climate that strengthens the relationships and reputations on which their organizations success depends. Leaders achieve this by modeling ethical awareness and maintaining a sense of trust through critical and courageous conversations and consistent words and actions.

Managing Work
Work management is a continuous process, where work is strategically aligned to the organizational goals to effectively get things done. By working together leaders empower others through personal responsibility and empowerment allowing an organization to grow and thrive.

Leading People
Exemplary leadership is a way of being, whether one is leading others or leading one’s own life. Leadership can be developed; it is a choice to embrace one’s authenticity and empower others to act. Leaders provide the vision to accomplish, even the simplest, of tasks of what the organization is trying to accomplish and how they fit into it. Leadership is not managing the demands of each day; it is taking people in a direction.

Developing Self
Personal-development is a lifelong process and can be described as many things, but at its core, is the expansion of self-awareness. Ultimately, personal-development and its results can enhance our quality of life and increase our satisfaction. Personal-development is the process of creating and living one’s most authentic life’ – one that’s unique to the individual, their dreams, passions, and needs.

Systemic Integration
Boosting productivity and improving the workflow of an organization is essential if it is to succeed. Systems integration is a great way to achieve these goals; however, it cannot be achieved without meaningful advocacy and creative innovations, both internally and externally.

Public Service Focus
Public service is a service through collaboration both internally and externally, resulting in a quality stakeholder experience. It exudes trust and stewardship for the common good by contributing to the common good through accountability and transparency.

Change Leadership
Change agents promote and support a new way of doing something within the organization by inspiring others through advocacy. Change agents embrace the agility to navigate the rapidly increasing change and the growing complexity of today’s rapidly changing world.

August 22, 2025

Program Introduction and Expectations

September 19, 2025

Leadership Self-Assessment with NERIS Type Explorer®
Leadership for Public Managers

October 17, 2025

Development Fundamentals for Public Managers
Leading with Emotional Intelligence
Effective Communication and Performance Evaluation

November 21, 2025

Ethical Values, Leadership, and Decision Making
Creating a Motivational Culture of Civility and Respect
Courage, Consistency, and Trust in Communication and Action

January 16, 2026

Aligning Work and Organizational Goals Through Strategic Planning
Developing Organizational Policies and Procedures
Collaboration and Project Management

February 20, 2026

Developing a Capstone Project
Executing a Capstone Work Plan
Receiving and Providing Feedback

March 20, 2026

Trust and Stewardship for the Common Good
Customer-Focused and Collaborative Public Service
ROMA: Results Oriented Management and Accountability

April 17, 2026

Creating Innovative Workflow to Boost Productivity
Evidence-Based Decision Making
Evaluation for Continuous Improvement

May 15, 2026

Establishing a Shared Vision for Organizational Commitment
Promoting a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce
Managing Human Resources and Conflict

June 12, 2026

Navigating a Complex and Changing World
A Systematic Approach for Organizational Change
Inspiring Others Through Transformational Leadership

July 17, 2026

Capstone Project Presentations & Graduation