CAREER CORNER


a peek BEHIND the CURTAIN


An analysis of the FY17 project manager and product manager selection board.


by Ms. Tara Clements


managers—the highest number of civilians ever selected in the competitive centralized selection board.


A


Te announcement marked a significant milestone for civilians, whose names increasingly are listed among military counterparts who traditionally dominated these positions. Of the more than 36,000 Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) professionals, civilians represent over 94 percent of the population, while those in the mili- tary (both commissioned and noncommissioned officers) make up just a little over 5 percent.


And while the number of civilians selected may not seem that large, a closer look at the results is telling. Eighty- two civilians applied for FY17 project or product manager positions, and the quality of applications greatly improved from previous years, according to the Army Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office.


Here’s the breakdown: 31 civilians competed to be the best qualified for 14 positions in the GS-15/colonel project


pril turned out to be a record-breaking month for the Army Acquisition Corps. One civilian was selected as primary for project manager and six as primaries for product


manager board. While the board selected one civilian as a primary, 12 were selected as alternates—making up 39 percent of the alternate list. In the case of the GS-14/ lieutenant colonel product manager board, 51 civilians competed for 34 positions, resulting in six primaries and 27 alternates, or 35 percent of the alternate list.


So why now? What’s changed for the civilian workforce?


Te Army DACM Office, an element of the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC), set out to answer those questions, analyzing the data and identifying trends associated with the Army’s newest project and product managers. For those who have ever wondered what tipped the scales to determine why someone was selected, this analysis may lend some insight and help future candidates develop stronger, more competitive applications.


Some of the success can be attributed to several admin- istrative changes that the Army DACM Office made to the application process this year, resulting in noticeable differences for the board from previous years.


“We streamlined several processes this year, really allowing the best applications to shine through,” said Scott Greene,


ASC.ARMY.MIL


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WORKFORCE


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