Marin County supervisors Sept. 30 approved a multi-year expansion of the county's Learning and Organizational Development (L&OD) program and authorized the county executive and Human Resources director to execute vendor contracts, including a recommended three-year contract with the Center for Organizational Effectiveness (COE) for up to $1,000,000.

County Executive Derek Johnson and L&OD manager Robin Briers said the program responds to employee engagement survey results that identified needs for clear career pathways, supervisor and leadership training, practical and inclusive training, and tools for difficult conversations. Briers described a competency model rooted in county values and five planned learning academies for employees at different levels: foundations, start (supervisor readiness), supervisor academy, manager academy and leadership academy. Several academies culminate in a certified public management credential administered by COE.

Briers said the program will add curated "Grow with Us" learning plans on TalentQuest, update new-employee onboarding, expand coaching and broaden vendor access to scale capacity. The county's plan includes a vendor bench and the COE contract to provide credentialing, coaching and organizational-development expertise.

Board action: The board voted to receive the report, authorized the county executive to execute contracts to expand L&OD services (including contracts that may exceed $50,000), and authorized the director of human resources to execute a three-year professional services contract with the Center for Organizational Effectiveness in the amount of $1,000,000.

Why it matters: County leaders framed the initiative as a retention and equity measure designed to reduce turnover and to give staff career-development pathways tied to measurable competencies. Supervisors and staff noted the effort aims to make training more accessible across the county and to build peer and cross-department cohorts.