Certified Public Official Program
Professional development certificate for elected and appointed officials
Created by Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno in partnership with the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities, Nevada Association of Counties and Nevada Association of School Boards, the Certified Public Official (CPO) Program is an in-depth series that provides diverse resources for educational and professional development responsive to the changing needs of elected and appointed officials in public office throughout Nevada.
The CPO program is designed for:
- Elected and appointed city, state and county officials
- Transportation, fire, police and planning commissioners
- Improvement district and public utility district trustees
- School board members and school district superintendents
The CPO Program offers a comprehensive set of courses including the introductory Public Officials Workshops: Education and Resources (P.O.W.E.R.) Orientation Program. To earn the CPO designation, participants must complete the P.O.W.E.R. Orientation in addition to 52 hours of courses and conferences, adding to a combined total of approximately 70 contact hours.
Upcoming Extended Studies Courses available for CPO Units
These and more courses that may be applied toward the requirements of the CPO Certificate. For information, call Shera Alberti-Annunzio at Extended Studies, (775) 784-4046 or 1-800-233-8928, or email shera@unr.edu.
- Introduction to Governmental Accounting
3.0 CPO units in Public Finance
- Business Writing for Results
3.0 CPO units in Public Information/Media Relations
- Lobbying and the Legislature
3.0 CPO units in Leadership and Governance
- Strategies for Understanding Financial Statements
3.0 CPO units in Public Finance
P.O.W.E.R. Orientation Program
The P.O.W.E.R. Orientation Program provides an overview of the skills and knowledge required of the public official. Program sessions are held throughout Nevada in conjunction with the state conferences of the Nevada Association of Counties, Nevada Association of School Boards, and Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities.
To earn the CPO designation, program participants must complete the following P.O.W.E.R. Orientation modules offered through Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, and meet additional program requirements. While CPO units may be earned in any order, participants are encouraged to complete the P.O.W.E.R. Orientation training first.P.O.W.E.R. Modules
- Module 1: Realities of Public Life: Roles and Relationships of Public Office (1 hour)
- Module 2: Budgets: Revenue Sources, Projections and Forecasts (2.5 hours)
- Module 3: Ethics in Nevada (1.5 hours)
- Module 4: Nevada’s Open Meeting Law (2 hours)
- Module 5: Citizen Participation and Public Information (1.5 hours)
- Module 6: Interviewing and Media Relations (1.5 hours)
- Module 7: Employment Law: Keeping your Agency out of Court (4 hours)
Courses and Conferences
In addition to the P.O.W.E.R. Orientation, CPO program participants are required to complete 52 hours of training in the topics listed below and to submit attendance sheets to the appropriate association. Generally, two contact hours are equivalent to one CPO unit. Program participants may earn CPO units by attending training offered by the Nevada Association of Counties, Nevada Association of School Boards, Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities (or other nationally affiliated associations), Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, or the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Division of Educational Outreach.
Participants may attend courses, seminars or conferences presented by organizations not listed above; however, attendance sheets for alternative programs are subject to review by the advisory board or related association prior to approval of applicability toward the CPO Certificate.
Program Topics
The examples listed below each topic do not comprise an exclusive list, but are designed to assist in course selection. See below for information about required attendance sheets.
Two contact hours are equivalent to one CPO unit.
- Public Finance (6 CPO units) Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), grant funding, accounting, auditing, government financing, asset management, taxation, school funding issues
- Leadership and Governance (6 CPO units) Time management, team building, communication skills, personal growth, diversity and cultural awareness issues, ethics in government, board development
- Public Information and Media Relations (2 CPO units) Minutes, agendas, sharing government information, marketing, presentation skills, media interviewing skills
- Community Development and Infrastructure (4 CPO units) Federal and state public land issues, property rights, tourism, community partnerships, business and workforce development, water issues, school planning, challenges to smaller learning communities, school programs
- Employee Relations (4 CPO units)
Performance appraisals, labor issues, conflict resolution, employment law, ethics, staff development, board/staff relations - Electives (4 CPO units) May include any of the topics above or courses more broadly applicable to community needs.
Course Requirements
Contact hours earned prior to completing the P.O.W.E.R. modules may be applied toward CPO requirements if they meet the following criteria as determined by the CPO advisory board:
- The course must have been taken while the participant was serving as an elected or appointed public official.
- Course content must reflect current issues and topics within the CPO Program areas.
- The course must be relevant to the needs of today’s public official.
Those who have completed or are in the process of completing a University of Nevada, Reno professional development certificate may submit their transcripts for approval of credit hours toward the CPO designation. Formal admission to the University is not required.
Certificate of Completion
To fulfill the requirements necessary to earn the Certified Public Official designation, full attendance is mandatory.
Attendance Sheets
Attendance sheets verifying participation in courses and sessions applicable to the CPO Program may be submitted as each course is completed, or after all courses are completed, as part of the Application for Final Certificate. Submissions should include the attendance sheet with a copy of the enrollment, certificate or conference agenda and a description of program content. Click here to download an attendance sheet.
University of Nevada, Reno