Even in the face of significant fiscal constraints, our acquisition workforce still has statutory requirements to meet. Therefore, we will still be offering many of our Acquisition Education, Training and Experience (AETE) opportunities. In addition, the Hon. Frank Kendall, under secretary of defense, published a memorandum (“Continuation of Centrally Funded Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund Initiatives”) on March 13, 2013. In that memorandum, he states we “must continue acquisition workforce initiatives centrally funded by…the DAWDF [Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund]. These initiatives include…DAWDF initiatives to bolster and sustain the quality of the acquisition workforce. Quality initiatives include training, development, recruitment, and retention initiatives.”
Below are three of our programs that will continue to be offered.
Excellence in Government Fellowship (EIGF)
The announcement will be open from June 13 to July 15 for all eligible personnel in GS-13 to GS-15 or broadband/pay band equivalent positions who have met their current position certification requirement. EIGF offers senior acquisition workforce members the opportunity to network and team with fellow senior leaders from across the government. This program focuses on benchmarking best practices and then returning to your organization to implement. For more information, go to: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/excellence-in-government-fellows-program/.
Defense Civilian Emerging Leader Program (DCELP)
The announcement will be open from May 13 to June 18 to all eligible personnel in GS-7 to GS-11 or broadband/pay band equivalent positions who have met their current position certification requirement. DCELP is designed to develop the next generation of innovative leaders with the technical competence to meet the future leadership needs of DOD. All acquisition Army submissions will be collected by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC). For more information, go to: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/dcelp/.
Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP)
The Announcement is open until May 30 to all eligible personnel in GS-12 or GS-13 for ALCP level I and GS-14 or GS-15 for ALCP level II or broadband/pay band equivalent positions who have met their current position certification requirement. ALCP offers our acquisition workforce members a hard-hitting leadership development seminar with teambuilding and practical guide to assist overall Leadership and Diversity development in organizations. The foundation of the ALCP is self-awareness as the key to both leadership and diversity development to create an innovative culture by helping to understand each individual’s personal preferences and behaviors and how each not only interact with their co-workers, but how they are viewed by others. For more information, visit
https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-leadership-challenge-program/.
How to Apply for EIGF, DCELP or ALCP
Applicants interested in applying for any of these three programs must submit their application in Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS). To access AAPDS, login at the Career Acquisition Management Portal: https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/. Next click on Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System (CAPPMIS). Once in CAPPMIS, select the “AAPDS” tab, and then select the “Application Module” link. Click on “Apply” and view all Army DACM available opportunities.
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training
On Thursday, May 16, the FY14 schedule will be available for students to apply for classes (https://atrrs.army.mil/channels/aitas/). If students are unable to attend an FY13 course, they need to review and complete the required course prerequisite(s) now for a course they intend to take in the future. Students should continue to apply for FY13 courses available on the schedule. Planning and applying early will afford students a better opportunity to obtain a class in the timeframe requested. Encourage your supervisor to approve your training request as soon as you apply. Students should view the DAU I-catalog at http://icatalog.dau.mil to ensure they meet the prerequisite(s), prior to applying to a DAU course. A weekly low-fill listing is posted weekly at http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/tabnav.aspx to allow students opportunity to attend classes coming up in the next 60 days. Low-fill classes within 60 days of the start date of the class are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Training required for Army acquisition workforce members is a mission critical activity and is exempt from recent cuts, as stated in the Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Ashton Carter memo dated Jan. 10, 2013. DAU travel for required Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification courses is centrally funded by DAU through the USAASC. Some acquisition workforce members’ travel for DAU acquisition certification training is being cancelled by organizations due to their current interpretation of their budget execution mitigation efforts. The memo (link below) outlines that DAU central funds is entirely separate from budgetary actions within a service or agency to mitigate budget execution issues in FY13. Army acquisition students approved to use DAU central funds to attend training shall not cancel training due to budget constraints. Cancellation requests (from students approved for central travel funds) less than 30 days from class start or reservation cut-off date (with funding constraint as a reason), will be denied. Students shall be deemed a “no-show” if they do not attend the scheduled training.
For FY13, USAASC will continue to centrally fund cost-effective locations selected by the student. Commands and supervisors should continue to support and send their employees to required DAWIA training. To view the DAU travel status memo, go to: https://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DAU-Travel-Status-Memo-2013.pdf.
For FY14, travel funds will be cut significantly. At this point, USAASC will only fund priority 1 (required training) travel to cost effective locations. Depending on funding, we may elect to also centrally fund priority 2 training.
DAU plans to support the teaching schedule under furlough conditions. Students can view the tentative schedule at https://atrrs.army.mil/channels/aitas/. The plan is not final. Once the plan is formalized, DAU will provide communication to the DACM offices, post to the DAU website and send notices to the students. Students attending a DAU course will assume the furlough schedule of DAU and not their home organization for the duration of their DAU training.
DAU course management has a new process to allow higher priority, specifically priority 1 student’s first preference in the DAU resident courses. As a result, students in priority 2 through 5 will be waitlisted for classes showing available seats. When a student is placed in a wait status, they will roll into a reservation 65 days prior to class start date if a priority 1 does not encumber a seat. They could still be bumped up to five business days prior to class reservation cut-off date or start date, whichever is higher, if a higher priority student applied within the 65 days. The new process minimizes bumping and allows priority 1s to see which courses actually have seats available for them to obtain their required position certification.
| PRIORITY | DEFINITION |
| P1 | Position Requirement (Training required to meet position certification or program requirements) |
| P2 | Career Development (Training to become eligible for the next higher certification level above the certification level required for their position/career development (Individual has met their position certification requirement)) |
| P3 | Cross Functional Training (Personnel who occupy an acquisition position in one acquisition career field, but desire training in a different acquisition career field. Individuals should complete all mandatory training required for their position before attending any cross functional training.) Career Development (Individual has not met their position certification requirement) |
| P4 | Previously Taken Training or Already Certified (Individuals who previously completed the DAU course or individuals who have received equivalency or individuals who are already certified at the career level and have not previously taken the course) |
| P5 | Non-Acquisition Workforce (Individuals who are not in a designated acquisition workforce position. Individuals will be on a space available basis. If selected, individual’s command will be required to fund the travel and per diem. The instructional training (classroom/web) will be at no cost to the student.) |
Applications cannot be processed by the Army registrar office until the training has been approved by the supervisor. It is also imperative the student and supervisor email address is provided correctly on the AITAS student profile. Please apply through the Army Training Requirements (ATRRS) and Resources Internet Training Application System (AITAS) at https://www.atrrs.army.mil/channels/aitas.
For more information on DAU training, including systematic instructions, training priority definition or FAQs, please see link at: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/civilian/faqs/. Once you receive a confirmed reservation in the requested class, ensure you attend the class as scheduled. A cancellation request for a confirmed reservation must submitted at least 30 calendar days before the class starts or by the reservation cutoff date, whichever is earlier, to avoid a no-show.
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- If you have questions on any Acquisition Education, Training, and Experience (AETE) programs or DAU Training, please contact the AETE Branch at usarmy.belvoir.usaasc.mbx.usaasc-acq-training-opportunities@mail.mil
