TALENT MANAGEMENT IN LEAN TIMES
Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, when necessary.
Tis initial supplementation of staff allowed the program office to grow over time as JNN-N increased in scale and moved toward becoming a program of record, Warfighter Informa- tion Network – Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 1. By late 2009, the WIN-T Increment 1 product office employed over 200 staff members directly and about 125 contractors and “fielders” sup- porting the product office’s work.
Recommendation Program managers (PMs) planning for a rapid acquisition can and should anticipate possible staffing challenges. To prepare for likely staff shortages in particular areas of expertise, the PMs can identify affiliated organizations that could fill the gaps and explore ways to “borrow” staff for the rapid acquisition. By out- sourcing, the PM can prevent problems that otherwise would halt a program schedule.
LL_415: International acquisition teams should be trained and equipped with the cultural skills relevant to their program. DOD resources are available to help develop cross-cultural acumen. (SOURCE: “Are You Ready for an International Program?” Defense AT&L, July-August 2013)
Background Cross-cultural acumen—the ability to understand and engage effectively with people from cultures different than our own—is vital to most international programs. Without accounting for cultural differences, it is difficult to establish the trust and cred- ibility necessary to build international relationships.
International partners might not understand U.S. Army pro- cesses, regulations, policies and laws and how they often constrain the choices that acquisition professionals make. Like- wise, Americans often don’t understand some of the national constraints on our overseas partners. Te different lens through which each of the partners views the acquisition program has significant implications for the content of acquisition products.
A good example is the design of an operator training program for a Middle Eastern country’s air force. Te American model for training U.S. Air Force operators typically would involve a highly structured course with a linear sequence of instruction that allots little or no time to building personal relationships. On the other hand, a Middle Eastern country’s preferred
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approach to cross-cultural learning might focus more on how its culture interacts and learns in a group setting. In fact, rela- tionship building should come before conducting any serious business. In one case, cultural ignorance of the importance of these relationships caused such an erosion of trust that it essen- tially halted a relatively large program for a few years. Regaining this trust and credibility is not easy.
Te U.S. Air Force Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field, Florida, teaches cross-cultural communication courses and has proved to be a valuable tool in helping prepare for international interactions. Training like this would be a useful part of the orientation for new hires.
Recommendation Like the operational community, international acquisition teams should be trained and equipped to appreciate and respect cultural differences that they might encounter in their programs. Many resources are available within DOD that teams can use, including courses, research papers, briefings and subject mat- ter experts. Air University devotes a website (
http://www.au.af. mil/culture/
usgov.htm) to cross-cultural understanding that includes links to sociocultural and language resources main- tained by other services, DOD and other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of State and the Peace Corps.
Another helpful tool, at the beginning of an international acquisition program, is a formal stakeholder analysis to provide insights into what interests the key partners in the program and what drives them. Te tool can capture the plans and priori- ties of each participating nation and highlight areas where there is potential alignment to pursue a cooperative or collaborative effort. Don’t assume that newcomers to the international part- ners program will have the same interests and motivations as their predecessors.
Te country desk officer at DOD’s in- country Security Coop- eration Office, which typically works closely with host nation officials and their staffs, can help acquisition professionals get to know the foreign partner and understand its processes, needs and priorities. Another valuable resource is each service’s inter- national program office.
PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE LL_879: PMs who need more Level III-certified personnel with practical experience working the entire acquisition pro- cess would benefit from a structured development program.
Army AL&T Magazine
July-September 2017
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