New supervisors and managers who have not taken the required Supervisor/Manager Training Program Policy (DOP-P18) courses are eligible to apply for the Organization and Human Resource Development (OHRD) Cohort Program. Successful applicants move through the courses as one group over the course of one calendar year. Learn more below or check out the Cohort FAQ.
If you have already began taking classes and are looking for support, consider enrolling in H.E.L.P.
Here's how to apply:
- Complete a Cohort Application Form (Cohort 2026 Application Deadline: November 30, 2025).
As you complete your application in Google Forms, be sure to put your direct supervisor/manager’s correct email address. This will ensure that your application successfully makes it to the next step (i.e., your supervisor’s approval).
- Ensure your direct supervisor receives and submits his/her approval of your application WITH comments of support in order for your application to be considered complete.
This approval form will be submitted to your supervisor via email after you submit your application, and will include instructions on how to correctly complete this step. Applications that do not have both supervisor approval AND comments of support will be returned to you to resubmit.
If you have any questions regarding Cohort or the application process, please contact OHRD at DOP.Registrar@wv.gov.
Attendance
The cohort program was created to provide an opportunity for new state government managers/supervisors to quickly enhance their management practices in an environment that fosters relationship building and facilitates completion of all DOP-P18 requirements within one (1) year. In order to achieve these goals it is imperative that each participant attend all sessions. OHRD staff will be supporting attendance as they check in with participants and provide reminders for upcoming courses. However, if a participant is unable to attend/complete required courses within the specified time frames, that participant may be asked to leave the cohort and would be responsible for completing DOP-P18 requirements by registering in OHRD's regular program schedule.
2026 Cohort Schedule:
Please note: All face-to-face classes will be held at the Capitol Complex, Building 7, in Charleston.
| Date | Class |
|---|---|
| January 23 | Orientation Webinar |
| January 27-29 | Supervising for Success I: Critical Skills for Supervisors |
| February | Employee Performance Appraisal — ONLINE |
| March 18-19 | Conflict Management |
| April | Managing and the Law — ONLINE |
| May 5 | Discipline and Documentation |
| June 9 | Attendance Management |
| July | The Drug-Free Workplace AND Preventing Harassment: A Shared Responsibility — ONLINE |
| August | Workplace Safety: Your Responsibility — ONLINE |
| September 15 | Navigating Difficult Conversations |
| October 15 | Leading Change in Turbulent Times |
| November 18-19 | Supervising for Success II: Leadership Essentials |
Cohort FAQ:
Yes, the Cohort classes count. The Cohort program provides you with all the DOP Policy 18 Component I–III classes you need to be in compliance with the policy plus several additional courses.
No, you will have to repeat all classes unless it is an online class that you have taken within the last 2 years. The only exception to this is the new Employee Performance Appraisal Online class that was released in September 2022. This class will need to be retaken even if you have completed it within 2 years.
Nothing happens to your already earned class credits. They will still count towards your DOP Policy 18 compliance efforts. You just won’t receive credit for the classes you haven’t taken, and you will need to complete the remaining P18 courses on your own.
No, whatever you have already taken will count toward your DOP Policy 18 compliance efforts. You will need to complete any remaining P18 classes on your own.
We will provide you with the appropriate contact person for your Cohort in the Orientation Webinar and during the first day of class. Please call, email, or instant message this person throughout the year if you have an emergency and cannot attend class.
We understand life happens, and we will work with you. However, we would like to keep the number of classes you need to reschedule to a minimum (1 is preferable), so that you can reap the benefits from the cohesiveness of the Cohort program. If missing class becomes habitual, we will ask you to leave Cohort and discuss what other options are available for you.
Yes, there are a few extra classes in the Cohort program. However, you will be able to complete all of them within one year.
While the webinars are not mandatory (unless they are part of a virtual class), you may miss out on valuable information if you don’t attend, so we highly recommend you participate in them.
It depends on the class and the amount of time you will be gone. Short absences can be made up for with alternative assignments; however, longer absences may require you to reschedule. If you think you may miss part of a class, please contact your instructor to discuss the situation so a decision can be made. As with missing classes, habitual missing of parts of classes may result in your being asked to leave Cohort.
Classes are monthly. Some classes are online (self-paced), some are virtual (online with live sessions and pre- and post work), and others are held face-to-face in Charleston. You will receive one scheduled month off during the year you are in the Cohort program (usually at the Program’s midpoint). For example, if your Cohort program begins in January, you will have a month off in July and be graduating in November if you have completed all class requirements.
In face-to-face classes, we typically do not assign homework. In the Supervising for Success I: Critical Skills for Supervisors class, we will ask you to read two articles as homework, but we will give you some class time for this assignment. Our virtual classes include pre- and post work to accommodate for the instructional time you would normally spend in the face-to-face version.
There are plenty of hotels in Charleston where you could stay. You may want to check your hotel for shuttle service to the Capitol so that you won’t need to worry about parking
You can view the class schedule on our website until the next Cohort application period begins, and when you are accepted you will receive calendar Invitations that you can accept onto your calendar. You will also receive a binder that has the schedule for your Cohort inserted. And finally, you will be sent optional REMIND app text messages before each class. Please note, checking our website for your class schedule can be confusing because we have several Cohort programs running concurrently and the website might reflect the schedule for an upcoming Cohort instead of yours.
No, you will have completed all the DOP-P18 Component I–III requirements, which is a big accomplishment, but there are 12 contact hours of continuing education per year that you still need to take throughout your career in State Government. You can get these by taking any OHRD courses or finding leadership or management training and submitting it to OHRD for Component IV credit. Click here to learn more about DOP-P18 Component IV substitution credits.