We ran the first Executive Cohort in 2023 as an experiment. For several years, senior folks in government had asked us to put together a track focused on their unique challenges, and put them face-to-face with experts and their peers. There are plenty of “executive events” in any government capital, but we wanted to try something different. So we created a cohort.
Cohort-based learning is a class model that emerged from the Pandemic. Somewhere between premium online videos (think, Masterclass) and Zoom calls, but with homework. We met online in the weeks leading up to FWD50, and because we were virtual, had some great guests and workshop-style breakouts. By the time we met in person, many of the participants already knew one another.
But the in-person sessions were where this format really shone. Everyone asked hard questions, and we heard firsthand from those leading some of government transformations’ most challenging and intractable problems.
We’re bringing the Executive Cohort back again for 2024. The Executive Cohort program begins with an online introduction on October 18th, followed by in-depth, in-person sessions on October 24th and 25th. This specialized track sets the stage for the main event, which takes place October 10th online, November 4th to 6th in person. We expect a very full house—we heard from several executives who were reluctant to participate in a first-time event, but now wished they had. While we’ll meet online for introductions, and share some suggested readings, those will only be to make the most of our in-person time together.
What about the content? We’re already certain that Generative AI, and its impact not only in—but on the very nature of—government will be high on that list. Resiliency (which is a broad word for security, reliability, and ability to adapt) is another one. And in keeping with one of the year’s overarching themes, we’ll be looking at accountability.
For each of those topics, we’ll bring experts into the room, letting them share their ideas and answer questions in a candid setting. And we’ll set up time to network and speak one-on-one in structured ways.
Does smart, plainspoken discussion of digital government’s most pressing topics among peers sound like time well spent? The vast majority of last year’s cohort said that not only would they return, but that they would urge their colleagues in technology and beyond to join them.
What do we mean by “executive”?
We consider an "executive" someone in a senior position in a government department. In the Federal government of Canada, this is generally EX-1 or one level below. Titles may include Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Executive, CIO/CDO/CTO, and Director.
For other tiers of government (provincial, state, municipal, etc.) we will evaluate both the size and reach of the government body and the seniority of the applicant's role. For example, the CIO of a small town would not qualify, but a senior director of a large state might.
Executive Cohort attendees are expected to also attend FWD50 online October 10, and in-person November 4-6. You must first purchase an in-person ticket to the FWD50 conference before applying for admission to the Executive Cohort. We cannot pre-approve admission to the cohort prior to ticket purchase. There is room for 70 participants for the Executive Cohort, and they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying applicants who have already purchased an in-person ticket to FWD50 2024.
Departments who have purchased departmental passes are allocated some pre-approved admissions and are in charge of allocating those passes to executives within their departments directly. If you are part of a department that has purchased a department pass, please apply directly through them.