Skip to page navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

OPM.gov / Agency Services / Training and Development / For Individuals / Skill-Building Courses / Workforce Planning Essentials
Skip to main content

Succession Planning Essentials


Target Grades: HR or business practitioners  |   Tuition: $600   |   Format: Virtual

Register  |  View course schedule below

Overview

Succession planning is essential to ensuring organizations have the right talent ready for the future. As an HR or business practitioner, you need intentional foresight and design to do this successfully. This course explores the fundamentals of effective succession planning, based on OPM’s Leadership Succession Management model and latest policy guidance, equipping you with a common understanding what succession planning is, how it relates to workforce planning, and how to assess your organization’s talent pipeline. You’ll engage with best practical tools, and real-world examples to help you strengthen leadership continuity and support long-term organizational readiness.

Curriculum

Through an interactive four-hour session, OPM facilitators will introduce the OPM Leadership Succession Management model, explain successful approaches, and guide you through hands-on exercises to make concepts tangible and immediately applicable. You will learn:

  • The purpose and value of succession planning.
  • The relationship between succession planning and workforce planning.
  • Common methodologies in assessing the talent pipeline and establishing goals.
  • Ways to identify mission-critical positions and analyze risk.
  • How to apply OPM’s Leadership Succession Management model.
  • Approaches to develop succession goals and strategies aligned with organizational needs.
  • Where to use data to inform succession planning decisions.

Course benefits

By participating in this course, you will:

  • Gain a clear, practical understanding of succession planning principles.
  • Strengthen your ability to anticipate and meet future talent needs.
  • Build confidence in identifying readiness gaps and leadership risks.
  • Enhance your capability to use data to support continuity planning.
  • Contribute to a more proactive and strategic approach to managing organizational talent.

Course schedule

   
Course Date Course Time Instructional Hours Tuition Deadline Tuition
Nov. 17, 2026 Eastern: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Central: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Mountain: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Pacific: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 		 4 Nov. 15, 2026 $600
March 24, 2027 Eastern: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Central: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Mountain: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Pacific: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 		 4 March 22, 2027 $600
July 22, 2027 Eastern: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Central: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Mountain: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Pacific: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 		 4 July 20, 2027 $600


Group courses

This course is available for individual enrollment or can be delivered to groups within agencies with the ease of government-to-government agreements. Contact us today at HRstrategy@opm.gov to discuss the best option for your team. 

Next steps


Note: Submitting the registration form does not complete your enrollment. You will receive payment instructions by email, and your registration will be finalized once payment is processed through Pay.gov.
Control Panel