April 2025 Hot Topics

AWARDS


IT’S ACQUISITION AWARDS SEASON!

In preparation for the forthcoming 2025 Army Acquisition Awards season, the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office would like to extend a courtesy Call for Nominations WARNO for the following:

• The Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards* – nominations will open mid-to-late April 2025, with a submission deadline of May 30, 2025.

• The Army Acquisition Hall of Fame – nominations will open the week of April 21, 2025, with a submission deadline of June 6, 2025.

*PLEASE NOTE: The DACM Office is the official collection point for Army nominations, and has the responsibility to compile, board and staff all Army nominations for Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) endorsement prior to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) submission deadline.

Submission instructions and forms will be available starting mid-to-late April for the Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards, and the week of April 21 for the Army Acquisition Hall of Fame, on the Army acquisition awards webpage. The awards website will also be updated with submission links and the Call for Nomination memos. For questions, contact Ms. Rachel Longarzo at rachel.m.longarzo.civ@army.mil.

WHAT’S NEW

POWER UP YOUR POINTS – UPDATED MEMO

On March 11, the Army DACM signed an updated memo titled “Continuous Learning Policy and Implementation Guidelines for the Army Acquisition Workforce.” The policy outlines requirements and implementation guidelines for Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) professionals to attain at least 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years. Continuous Learning is necessary to ensure that both civilian and military AAW professionals remain current in their primary Acquisition Functional Area (AFA), cross-functional proficiencies, and leadership and management skills. The start and end dates of the two-year Continuous Learning cycle are the same for every AAW professional: the cycle begins October 1 of each even year and runs through September 30 of the following even year.

OPPORTUNITIES

TOMORROW! DAU EVENT: LIFE AS A CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER

Join DAU for a web panel discussion with former Defense Subcommittee congressional staffers: Mr. Eric Mellinger (HASC), Ms. Jennifer Santos (SAC-D), and Dr. Arun Seraphin (SASC) who will discuss their “life as a staffer.” This is an opportunity to understand the role of a staffer relative to the annual president’s budget request, congressional budget review process, and the importance of congressional engagement for positive program outcomes. The event is scheduled for April 2 at 11 a.m. EDT. For more information and to register visit https://www.dau.edu/events/life-congressional-staffer.

FY 26 DAU COURSE SCHEDULE RELEASE – WHAT’S YOUR TRAINING PLAN?

Mark your calendar for May 20 as this is when the entire FY26 DAU course schedule is released. If you need to take DAU courses for achieving your acquisition functional area position’s DAWIA certification requirements, consider building out your training plan to prepare for when the schedule is released. Classes fill up quickly so apply early. Knowing what courses are being offered and when is a vital part of scheduling your online enrollments and securing limited training reservations. Think about which certification you must achieve, which courses are needed, when the courses are offered, and how long the courses take to complete, while and factoring in your own readiness to attend.

ARE YOU IN THE MOOD FOR A MASTER’S DEGREE?

Now through May 13, AAW civilians can apply to your choice of these Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) education opportunities:
• NPS Systems and Program Management Non-Resident Master’s Degree Program (Cohort 722-261G), or
•NPS Systems Engineering Non-Resident Master’s Degree Program (Cohort 311-261G).

The NPS Systems and Program Management master’s degree program is offered to AAW civilians in any of the six acquisition functional areas at the GS-11 through GS-15 (or payband equivalent) levels who have satisfied their current position’s DAWIA certification requirements (or are within the grace period). This master’s degree program combines systems engineering with program management knowledge and skills. The program is intended to broaden the technical capabilities of AAW professionals who may have non-technical backgrounds. Students in this program learn the systems engineering process from establishing system requirements through test and evaluation.

The NPS Systems Engineering master’s degree program is offered to AAW civilians who are in the Engineering and Technical Management (ETM) functional area or the Test and Evaluation (T&E) functional area at the GS-11 through GS-15 (or payband equivalent) levels who have satisfied their current position’s DAWIA certification requirements (or are within the grace period). This program educates and trains engineers with tools and technologies relevant to their work, resulting in greater knowledge and expertise to better meet the systems engineering and integration requirements and challenges of customers.

ENTERPRISE CIVILIAN TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS (ECTDP)
The ECTDP are Army talent management programs created to produce senior civilian leaders with an enterprise perspective who could serve in increasing levels of responsibility. Senior level and entry- to mid-level programs consist of multiple modules and leadership development courses. Applicants may apply for one or more modules and/or courses for which they are qualified. ECTDP are administered by the Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA). Eligible applicants are Army civilians GS-07 through GS-15 (and equivalent paybands) employees and eligibility varies by module. The application window is open now and closes April 30. For more information go here: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/ectdp/.

FY27 PRODUCT DIRECTOR CENTRALIZED SELECTION BOARD (CSB)
Now through April 18, applications are being accepted for the FY27 Product Director Centralized Selection Board (CSB). The AAW is charged with a critical mission to cultivate innovation, design the impossible, deliver decisive-edge capabilities, and provide Soldiers with what they need to be successful.
Eligible applicants must be permanent, AAW civilians in a career/career conditional appointment in the grades of GS-13 and GS-14 (or payband equivalent). Applicants must be DAWIA Practitioner certified in functional area Program Management at the time of application, which must be reflected on the Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB).
Complete announcement details, eligibility criteria, and how to apply can be found on the CSB webpage. You can apply in the Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS) which is accessible through CAPPMIS. For questions, please contact Ms. Christina Lindh at christina.n.lindh.civ@army.mil or via MS Teams.

FY25 ACQUISITION LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE PROGRAM (ALCP)
Now through April 30, Army acquisition civilian professionals can begin applying to the FY25 fourth quarter ALCP. ALCP is a series of four separate leader development offerings tailored to fit GS-07 through GS-15 (or equivalent payband) participants. ALCP harnesses self-awareness as the tool for enhancing leadership, innovation and professional development by demonstrating how individual preferences and behaviors affect the ways we interact with coworkers and are viewed by others. Program offerings help participants understand how accepting individual differences can produce a stronger group and a capable, collaborative, and creative leadership corps. Nominations should be submitted through your lead Organizational Acquisition Point of Contact (OAP). All ALCP program details, including application and nomination processes and policies, can be found on the ALCP webpage

COMING SOON – IDEAL OPENS ON MAY 21
Save the date for May 21 when the Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program will begin accepting applications. IDEAL is a leader development program for GS-12 and -13 (or broadband equivalent) AAW, new and emerging supervisors. IDEAL utilizes a competency-based approach focused on Army leadership principles identified in Army Regulation 600-100, Army Profession and Leadership Policy. The competencies are standard across all acquisition functional areas.

  • Prepares self
  • Builds trust
  • Stewards the profession
  • Communicates
  • Develops others
  • Leads by example
  • Gets results
  • Creates a positive environment
  • Leads others
  • Extends influence

Participants should possess clearly documented potential for supervisory or leadership positions. There will be one fiscal year 2026 cohort. The cohort will meet in Huntsville, Alabama for three separate, one-week long resident sessions held over a period of approximately four months. Between sessions, participants will return to their workplaces to apply newly acquired skills and the concepts and competencies explored during the sessions. The IDEAL curriculum includes classroom instruction, engagement with senior leaders, a site visit and group activities.
For more information visit the Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program webpage.

REMINDER

NEW HIRES – WELCOME TO THE AAW!
If you were recently hired into the AAW, sign up for the “Welcome to the Army Acquisition Workforce” course. This course should be completed within the first few months of joining the acquisition workforce as it offers a dynamic overview of:

  • The Army Acquisition Workforce
  • Training and certification standards
  • Tools and resources
  • Career models
  • Development and leadership opportunities
  • Staying connected

To access and begin taking the course, navigate to the Army Training Information System (ATIS) Learning home page at https://learn.atis.army.mil/moodle (Chrome or Edge browsers are recommended).

Login to EAMS-A-Single Sign-On (CAC login).

Click the CATALOG tab.

Locate the Welcome to the Army Acquisition Workforce course in the list of published courses, or enter the course name in the search field, and click the search icon.

Select the Register & Launch button, which will take you directly where you can launch the learning assignment(s) required for the course.

There is a downloadable resources guide included with the course. You are highly encouraged to download and save a copy of this resources guide for your records. Once you have closed the course topic, your completion will show up on your ATIS LEARNING MY CERTIFICATES page. Click the certificate file icon to view and download the course certificate of completion.