Center for Leadership and Transformation

The County of Santa Clara is committed to becoming a national leader in employee learning, development, and advancement and to promote and foster a Just Culture within the County organization.

The idea of the County of Santa Clara becoming a Learning Organization was first introduced by County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith, M.D., J.D. in 2009. Since then, the County has been refining its approach to learning by multiple means including the use of process improvements, lean thinking, and cross-boundary teams.

The County as a Learning Organization has advanced to provide a wide variety of formal instructor-led training, as well as a variety of e-learning options and offerings, complemented by customized training in the Center for Leadership and Transformation (CLT) and Unit-Based Team (UBT) frameworks.

Launched in 2010, the Center for Leadership and Transformation provides employees with training in the areas of leadership, innovation, and transformation. It empowers teams to transform how the County operates and provides services by applying course concepts to real, pressing issues in departments Countywide. Some of the most successful projects have been integrated into departments’ ongoing operations. The focus of the Learning Organization is the continuation of team-based work, facilitated largely through the CLT and UBTs.

Over time, the Learning Organization will endeavor to measure the impact on the County and its clients which results from the facilitated opportunities for employees to learn; how employees perceive having a say in work improvement processes; to what extent performance and competencies are optimized; and whether opportunities are available to ensure that the mental, physical and emotional needs of employees are addressed.​