For 35 years, the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program has been the government’s premier initiative for recruiting and developing top talent from graduate schools across the country. How is the PMF program meeting the expectations of its participants? What changes need to be made to ensure the program remains a critical pathway to federal service for future government managers and leaders?

In the Partnership’s new issue brief, we surveyed, with assistance from the Office of Personnel Management, members of the PMF class of 2011 during their first two to five months on the job to better gauge their expectations for the program and how those met the fellows’ first impressions. The findings reveal some positive aspects of the program and some warning signals that deserve attention.