Individual Development Plans help employees map their career path.
by Jacqueline M. Hames
“W
hat do you want to be when you grow up?” People are asked that question as children countless times. Engineer. Actor. Race car driver. Firefighter. Te list is endless and ever changing. For adults who don’t become firefighters or actors, the question evolves into “Where do you see yourself in a year? In five?”
An individual development plan (IDP) can help to answer that question. An IDP is a career and personal development tool for employees that will help them reach short- and long-term career goals and improve current job performance, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Several agencies within DOD and elsewhere in the government have implemented IDPs to assist employees in their development, and the Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is no exception—all Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) members are required to maintain a five-year IDP.
