Civilian Education System (CES)
Per Army Regulation 350-1, many civilians are required to complete the appropriate Civilian Education System course(s) depending on their grade level and supervisory responsibility. This becomes especially important as individuals desire to apply to more senior level programs sponsored by the Army’s Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office, the Army, and/or the Department of Defense. Army DACM Office-sponsored programs such as the Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders Program (DCELP) and the Defense Acquisition University – Senior Service College Fellowship Program are coordinated through the Army G-3/5/7 Office, and the Army DACM Office is now required to enforce completion of the applicable CES courses (basic, intermediate, or advanced) as a prerequisite to be eligible to apply to these programs. However, there have been quota availability issues this year and the Army DACM office was able to successfully lobby the Army G-3/5/7 office to suspend the CES pre-requisite for DCELP this year. That being said, it will be strictly enforced next year.
Why do you need to know about CES? Individual acquisition workforce members need to work with their supervisors and CES quota managers to try to get into the appropriate level course if they, their supervisor, or their command desire them to seek advanced leadership opportunities that require CES as a prerequisite.
To find out if your position requires CES, please review page 80 of AR 350-1. Additional information about the CES courses are provided on the CPOL website.
To determine which level of CES you are required to complete, please log-on on to the Army Career Tracker (ACT). To view your status, login to CHRTAS. On the top right of the page, click on “CES Course Education System Eligibility and Completion Status.” It will tell you whether you have completed it or not. If not completed, it will list which level of program is appropriate/required for you.
There are three ways to complete the CES requirement:
1. Take the course through the Army Management Staff College
2. Submit for equivalency: You have already completed an Army approved equivalent course
3. Submit for constructive credit: You feel you have already met the course learning objectives through your past training, education, and experience
To enroll into a CES course, log into Civilian Human Resources Training Application System (CHRTAS). If you need assistance or have any question, please contact your local training coordinator or CES Quota Manger.
To see how the CES training opportunities fit into the Acquisition Civilian Leadership Development Plan (ACLDP), please see the chart below or go to https://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ACLDP-v8-new.pdf.
[raw][image align=”right” caption=”” linkto=”https://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ACLDP-w1.jpg” linktype=”image”]”https://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ACLDP-w1.jpg” height=”424″ width=”600″[/image][/raw]Excellence in Government Fellowship (EIGF)
The Announcement will be open from June 13 – July 15, 2013 to all eligible personnel in GS-13 – GS-15 or broadband/pay band equivalent positions who have met their current position certification requirement. EIGF offers our 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. More information.
Applicants interested in applying for EIGF must submit their application in Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS). To access AAPDS, login at the Career Acquisition Management Portal (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
The FY14 DAU course schedule is now available. 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 better opportunities to obtain a class in the timeframe requested. Encourage your supervisor to approve your training request as soon as you apply. Applications cannot be processed until your supervisor approves your training request in ATRRS AITAS. Students should view the DAU I-catalog to ensure they meet the prerequisite(s) prior to applying to a DAU course. A low-fill listing is posted weekly to allow students opportunity to attend classes coming up in the next 60 days. Low-fill classes within 60 days from the start date of the class are available on a first-come, first-served basis for students priority 2, and 40 days for priority 3-5 students.
For FY13: DAU central funds are entirely separate from budgetary actions within a service or agency to mitigate budget execution issues in FY13. DAU travel for required DAWIA certification courses is centrally funded by DAU through the USAASC so long as the traveler selects a cost-effective location. For details, see “Status of Travel Funding for the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training in FY13, Jan. 29, 2013.
FOR FY14, we anticipate a 30 percent cut in DAU travel funds. At this time, USAASC will only fund Priority 1 (required training) travel to cost effective locations. Depending on funding received, we may also elect to centrally fund Priority 2 applying to cost effective locations.
DAU recently released a new schedule for the duration of FY13 in the DAU Furlough Memo on Training Impacts in FY13. Key points from the memo are as follows:
- Once DAU implements the furlough schedule, it will apply for the remainder of the fiscal year 2013 regardless if the furlough days are decreased or even eliminated.
- Modifies the DAU training schedule to account for DAU staff furlough.
- Stresses that the Terminal Learning Objectives and Enabling Learning Objectives will not be compromised despite shortened course length.
- Requests that students align their homeport furlough schedule with DAU’s furlough schedule during their training period.
- DAU course welcome letters will be revised to include new dates and instructions regarding the furlough course schedule.
- DAU will keep up-to-date furlough information on their website.
DAU Travel Options During the Furlough Period:
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance does not prohibit travel on a furlough day but states, “employee cannot engage in official travel during furlough hours,” therefore, when using approved DAU central funds, employees have the following OPTIONS for travel:
1. Employees adjust their furlough day to fall outside the span of the DAU course offering days and into an adjacent pay period. Therefore, the days before and after class would be the employee’s regular work days and their travel days.
2. Employees travel to/from the DAU course on their non-furlough hours (assuming employee regular schedule furlough day is the day before and/or after class). For example, if an employee furlough hours falls on Monday, from 0800 to 1600, the employee may travel on Monday, starting at 1601 since OPM guidance only prohibits travel during furlough hours and does not specifically prohibit travel on that same day after furlough hours end.
3. Employees travel the day before or after their scheduled furlough day.
- The information listed above provides suggested DAU travel options. Employees should work in concert with their supervisor on an agreed upon option.
- Once travel is approved, the employee is eligible to be appropriately compensated per CPOL Administrative Furloughs guidance.
- Civilian employees already at the TDY location during a furlough day are entitled to all travel allowances.
- Civilian employees may receive comp time for travel required for training. Employees should seek approval from their authorized agency official.
- Students attending a course locally will not be affected other than following DAU’s new furlough schedule.
- If attendance at DAU training requires an airline flight, the flight on the last training day must be no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
- The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) budget and quota management support is also subject to furlough. All requests, including submission of the travel worksheet (for students approved for DAU funding), should be completed as soon as possible. A 20 percent reduction in the workforce may create a backlog.
DAU course management has a new process to allow higher priority, specifically priority 1 student’s first preference in the DAU resident courses. As result, students in priority 2 through 5 will be waitlisted for classes showing available seats. When a student is placed in a wait status, priority 2 will roll into a reservation 65 days prior to class start date if a priority 1 does not encumber a seat. Priority 3 to 5 waits will roll in 40 days prior to the start date of the class. Lower priority students could still be bumped up to five business days prior to class reservation cut-off date or start date, whichever is earlier. 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. To view training priority definition, click here.
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). For more information on DAU training including systematic instructions, training priority definition, or FAQs, please click here. Once you receive a confirmed reservation in the requested class, ensure you attend the class as scheduled. Cancellation requests 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 the AETE Branch Chief Scott Greene @ scott.greene4@us.army.mil
