Public Policy Fellows

Overview

The Public Policy Fellows (PF) program is a yearlong professional development opportunity for outstanding new graduates with master's degrees who want to contribute to LMI’s public-service mission. We provide the PF a broad-based, structured program that emphasizes development of analytic and consulting skills. Tasks focus on enhancing presentation, project management, and program development skills in support of critical federal government projects. The PF program combines varied project work, internal and external professional training, and mentoring.

EligibilIty

The program seeks graduate students with exceptional technical and research skills combined with strong leadership potential. Our selection process emphasizes strong quantitative skills and excellent written and oral communication ability. In addition, the PF program looks for broad educational and professional experience that indicates strong, flexible intellectual capability. LMI currently works with seven graduate programs in public policy: the University of Chicago's Harris School, The George Washington University, Harvard University's Kennedy School, University of Maryland, University of Michigan's Ford School, Syracuse University's Maxwell School, Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, and University of California at Berkeley.

Structure

PFs are full-time LMI employees, who participate in this program for 1 year, beginning the summer following award of their graduate degrees. Upon successful completion of the program, PFs will continue as regular LMI research fellows. LMI also has a PF summer internship program for public policy graduate students after their first year of graduate study.

Project Work and Consulting

LMI's PF program emphasizes diverse job experience—including work on at least three different consulting projects, in at least two different program directorates, and interaction with at least two federal government clients. Meeting and interacting with government staff members enhances the PFs’ ability to understand government organization and functions, the constraints under which government managers and policymakers perform, and specific government needs for analytic, technical, and consulting support, as well as allowing them to gain program development skills.

Every effort is made to look for opportunities for PFs to act as project leaders.

Professional Development

In addition to the standard employee benefits package, PFs receive 3 weeks of professional development training to augment their work experience. The LMI staff and outside experts supply this training—a mix of project management, professional skills, leadership, and technical instruction—the focus of which depends on the needs of LMI and the interests of the PF.

Mentoring

Each PF is teamed with a senior LMI professional, who acts as a mentor. The mentors help the PFs prepare professional development and training plans and identify potential projects. The mentors are also available to tutor on consulting skills and techniques and to offer insight and advice on working with the federal government and public sector.

Download a PDF version of LMI's Public Policy Fellows brochure.  (310 KB)