PROGRAM OUTLINE Strategic Plan: Provide well-educated, professional local government managers to all areas of the State of Georgia. Goal: Establish a system for feeding local government management interns into full-time service to Georgia cities and counties, by supporting internships and MPA study. Part A – FULL-TIME INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The purpose of this internship program is to make it easier for Georgia cities and counties to hire recent MPA graduates who have expressed an interest in a career in city/county management and to better enable them to make the transition directly into a position that will provide the greatest exposure to best practices and mentored exposure to the practical side of the profession. Who is eligible: Georgia city and county governments meeting the criteria below The chief administrative officer of the host jurisdiction shall be a member in good standing of GCCMA. The intern shall work out of the offices of, and be directly supervised by, the chief administrative officer of the host jurisdiction. The host jurisdiction operates under a council-manager or commission-manager form of government, or substantial equivalent, and can demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles of the council-manager and commission-manager forms of local government. The intern recruited shall have completed all the requirements for the masters of public administration degree, granted by a Georgia public or private institution of higher education (or, if the degree requires the completion of an internship, then all degree requirements with the exception of an internship) within six months of the commencement of the internship. The intern shall have indicated, through an interview or other screening process, a desire to pursue a full-time career as a local government chief administrative officer. The GCCMA Internship funding will not cover all the compensation and benefit expenses, so the host jurisdiction agrees to employ the intern for a minimum of 1000 work hours, and to pay all salary and benefits beyond those funded by the GCCMA. However, it is expected that the internship will last for 10 to 12 months. The host jurisdiction is at liberty to retain the intern after twelve months, but funding under the Holtz Internship program will end after 12 months. The GCCMA will pay half of the salary and benefit costs up to a maximum of $15,000 during the twelve months following the commencement of the internship. The host jurisdiction will bill the GCCMA for fifty percent (50%) of intern salary and benefit costs on a quarterly basis, so long as the intern is employed by the host jurisdiction. The host jurisdiction will have complete control over the employment relationship except as provided by the above Internship rules, and may terminate the intern for cause in accordance with the jurisdictions rules. City and county governments will make application for the internship using this form. The person who will serve as intern does not have to be identified at the time of the application. If the jurisdiction is selected to receive internship funding, the GCCMA will provide a list of recent MPA graduates who have expressed a desire to apply for the internship. The GCCMA may participate in the interview process, but the host jurisdiction shall make the selection of the successful intern, and the host jurisdiction shall not be required to select from among the candidates provided by the GCCMA, but the selected intern must meet the above requirements. The GCCMA will waive the registration fees at the two GCCMA conferences held during the 12-month period following the initial commencement of internship employment for the Holtz Intern. PART B – PART-TIME MPA STUDY Must be enrolled as a part-time student in a certified MPA program at a Georgia public or private university Eligible to receive up to $600 per semester plus $350 for summer session not to exceed a total of $1,550 for the total scholarship award Application process in summer for upcoming year of study Funding for program from donations/membership fees, and other income set up in a dedicated, restricted account Maximum of two (2) scholarships in each fiscal year PART C – PART-TIME INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Must be enrolled as a full-time part-time student in a certified MPA program at a Georgia public or private university Eligible to receive $1,500 for a semester internship Internship is provided to a Georgia city or county whose manager/administration is a current member of GCCMA. Internships will be funded from applications received from members outlining a proposed schedule of activities which will provide the skills necessary to becoming a local government manager. Funding for program from donations/membership fees, and other income set up in a dedicated, restricted account Maximum of two (2) scholarships in each fiscal year Scholarships that cannot be fully funded by the GCCMA shall not be awarded, and in no event shall scholarships total more than $4500 in the aggregate for all scholarships in any one fiscal year (May 1 to April 30). The Scholarship Committee shall be at liberty to recommend as many scholarship recipients as it considers appropriate, and in equal or differing amounts, i.e., more than three, so long as the total amount awarded from GCCMA funds does not exceed $4500 per year. All awards shall be based on a combination of merit, preparation, interest in a local government career, and the applicants’ ability to secure outside funding to pursue a graduate degree in public administration and/or an internship in local government. Although the Association supports local government internship programs and the part-time employment of MPA students in local government, it will provide scholarship funding for internships and part-time MPA program support only where such financial assistance is not likely to be fully forthcoming from an employing local government and where the absence of some financial assistance is a key factor in allowing the internship program to proceed. The GCCMA is at liberty to secure outside and corporate sponsorships of financial support for local government management interns, so long as these sponsors meet the same criteria as is in place to govern GCCMA event sponsorship. For a scholarship application, contact: GCCMA Business Manager Carl Vinson Institute of Government 1240 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30602-3553