WORKFORCE
he helped support around 20 other transactions supporting pre- award and post-award actions.
Integrated into DIU’s daily work model, ICAP fellows gain experience with the CSO, combined with virtual classes on other- transaction agreements through DAU’s credentials program. Working alongside a unit contracting officer and project team, as well as commercial solution providers on a variety of projects, DOD acquisition personnel learn firsthand how to leverage the other-transaction authority, acquire novel commercial technol- ogies, and be change agents through use of flexible acquisition methods within their organizations.
April Davison, a U.S. Air Force veteran and contracting officer for the Air Force Sustainment Center Contracting Directorate— and an ICAP fellow from the program’s first cohort—said what attracted her to the program was curiosity about DIU’s stream- lined acquisitions process. She said she was “really excited to see how DIU utilized the CSO process for commercial OTs.”
“Before the ICAP program, I had only used the CSO process for FAR-based acquisitions. Whereas it was a more efficient acquisi- tion process, the FAR still added several hurdles that extended the acquisition lead time,” she said. “Now I have another tool in my toolbox that I will be able to use and share with my organization.”
Davison currently serves as the CSO lead in support of the Department of the Air Force’s COVID-19 Task Force, so what she’s learned will be of great benefit to her role and career.
“Te ICAP program gives a very immersive, hands-on opportu- nity for contracting professionals to see how CSOs can be done with maximum efficiency. It also provides targeted ‘classroom’ training in the form of DAU’s OT credential,” she said. “Tere is no scenario where an individual doesn’t come out on the other side a stronger, more capable contracting professional.”
CONCLUSION “Our fellows not only learned the ins and outs of DIU’s CSO and the OT authority, but they also stepped outside their comfort zones and opted to speak publicly about their experiences along the way,” said Tamayori. “Te learning curve, feedback and lessons learned we have gleaned from our fellows have demon- strated to us that this program is not only a value-add to DIU, but also to the institutions where they will be returning.”
Gerbasi said participating in ICAP has helped him gain insight into the dynamics of government procurement. “I have seen
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firsthand how CSOs and the OT authority can be leveraged to simplify the acquisition process, cut regulatory burdens and promote participation by nontraditional defense contractors, and I am thrilled that the program will continue for others.” (For more information, read the Army Acquisition Executive’s column on Page 4.)
After ICAP graduation and upon his return to Army Contract- ing Command – Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, Gerbasi said he’s excited to continue to champion other transactions and to share DIU’s source-selection model to accelerate commercial technol- ogy adoption.
Tamayori agrees that speed in acquisition is essential to keep pace with near-peer adversaries. “Having knowledgeable contract- ing professionals who are comfortable using flexible acquisition tools, like the CSO and the OT authority, will enable DOD to move at the speed necessary to equip warfighters—from all of the services—with the goods and services they need to keep us safe,” she said.
“Te fellows from the inaugural cohort have demonstrated that this program can be a successful tool for scaling flexible acqui- sition methods. Tanks to their hard work and dedication, I am eager to continue this program into its second year and I am confident we will see positive ripple effects in the future.”
For more information about DIU and the ICAP program, go to
https://www.diu.mil. To learn more about continuous learning points policy and guidance, go to
https://www.dau.edu.
CHERYL MARINO provides contract support to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a writer and editor for Army AL&T magazine and Network Runners Inc. Previoustly, she served as a technical reports editor at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Center (formerly ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, communications
for five years. She holds a B.A. in from Seton Hall University and has more
than 20 years of writing and editing experience in both the government and private sectors.
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