About PLI

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Project Leadership Institute (PLI) is a program designed to cultivate a diverse network of successful DOE project delivery practitioners—those capable of delivering major high-risk projects. Designed and delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Center for Professional Development, the PLI program prepares participants to contribute to building a culture of project management excellence across DOE.

The Department of Energy has a long history of executing highly technical one-of-a-kind projects to accomplish its mission.  Continuous improvement of project management practices and the cultivation of the next generation of project leaders are critical to our future success.  In this light, the Secretary of Energy called for the creation of the PLI in his December 2014 memorandum, “Improving the Department’s Management of Projects.”  Over the course of 2015 and 2016, the Office of Science led a planning effort to craft the PLI program and engaged the Stanford Center for Professional Development as its academic partner.

For whom is the PLI intended?

• The PLI is a DOE program to support the development of the future leaders of major DOE projects. The PLI is primarily aimed at DOE contractor employees at DOE laboratories or sites who are program managers, project directors, project managers, control account managers and project controls analyst, and DOE federal employees engaged with major projects. 
• The PLI is intended for experienced contractor project directors and/or project managers looking to advance their careers and expand their leadership competence and capabilities as it applies to projects, programs, and portfolios
• Mid-Senior level federal program managers, federal project directors and federal executives looking to leverage their organization's technical and managerial expertise through a strong project management capability
• Mid-Senior level professionals in a Project Management Office (PMO) seeking enhancements for their organization's projects management practices

When and Where is the PLI?

• The PLI program operates on a calendar year basis starting in January. Each cohort meets during five in-person instructional sessions in different locations across the U.S. See the Program Sessions page for the cadence and locations of the program throughout the year.
• The PLI Office, which administers the program under direction from the Department, is located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California.  The PLI Director at SLAC is supported by an Advisory Board.