Education and training opportunities
By USAASC Acquistion, Education and Training Branch
Defense Acquisition University-Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF): The DAU-SSCF Announcement will open Jan. 29 and close April 2, 2014. This Military Education Level One (MEL-1) Army-approved Senior Service College (SSC) Fellowship provides SSC equivalency at your local commuting area if you live in either Maryland (APG), Alabama (Huntsville), or Michigan (Warren). The purpose of the SSCF Program is to provide leadership and acquisition training to prepare senior level civilians for senior leadership roles such as product and project managers, program executive officers and other key acquisition leadership positions. Participants not only graduate from an SSC, they will also complete the Army Program Managers Course (PMT 401), and have the option to complete a master’s degree. For additional information on this great GS-14/15 SSC, visit our DAU-SSCF website.
The announcement will be offered through the 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.
REMINDER: Applicants need to complete Civilian Education System (CES) Advanced Course before the start of the fellowship.
School of Choice (SOC): There will not be a SOC Announcement in FY14 because of the current fiscal environment. Should a command have an urgent need to send a high performing workforce member to obtain his/her bachelor or master’s degree during duty-time, please contact the Acquisition, Education and Training Branch Chief Scott Greene, to discuss potential for the director, acquisition career management (DACM) office to fund.
Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP): ALCP began as an Army pilot in FY11. Now in its fourth year, ALCP is quickly becoming the foundation of Army acquisition civilian leadership development. This two-and-a-half day leadership experience challenges students to examine themselves and their environment in order to become stronger leaders within their current and future organizations. The Army DACM Office has split our FY14 offerings into four quarters. The announcement for Q2 will close on December 4. ALCP will not be announced using AAPDS. Please contact your command/organization acquisition career management advocate (ACMA) or organizational acquisition POC (OAP) if interested in order to obtain a command allocation.
FY14 ALCP Offerings
Having trouble keeping the dates straight? All of the opening and closing dates noted above are also posted to the USAASC Events Calendar.
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training
Students should continue to apply to the FY14 schedule using AITAS. Planning and applying early will afford students better opportunity in obtaining a class in the timeframe requested. Encourage your supervisor to approve your training request as soon as you apply. Supervisors must approve the training request in Army Training Requirements (ATRRS) and Resources Internet Training Application System (AITAS) for application processing by USAASC registration office. Students should view the DAU iCatalog to ensure they meet the prerequisite(s), before applying to a DAU course. Workforce members and their supervisors should plan their training and ensure they have adequate time to complete prerequisite training before attend the follow on course. Reservations in follow on courses are cancelled if prerequisite requirements are not met.
It is imperative the student and supervisor email addresses are listed correctly on the AITAS student profile. Please apply through the AITAS. For more information on DAU training to include, systematic instructions, training priority definition or FAQs, please visit USAASC’s DAU Training webpage.
TDY Funding for DAU classes: We received reduced DAU travel funds for FY14, so students should apply to the classes available in their next cost-effective location. At this time, USAASC will only fund Priority 1 and 2 students travel to cost-effective locations.
DAU Training Best Practices: Here are some key points for how students can better prepare for a DAU resident course:
- Reduce lag time between taking part A (online prerequisite) and part B (resident).
- Review prerequisite materiel before attending a follow-on resident portion.
- Review course objectives (available in the DAU iCatalog) before attending class.
- Consult with instructors before class on their recommendations to ensure success.
- Reach out to instructors and fellow peers during class time for further assistance.
- Prepare by reading and having a general overview of the class materials before the beginning of each class.
- Study nightly and review notes in the morning before class.
Program Manager’s & Executive Program Manager’s Course: The two courses, also known as PMT 401 & PMT 402, are statutorily required for program executive officers(PEOs), deputy PEOs (DPEOs), and program managers (PMs) or deputy PMs (DPMs) of ACAT I and II programs. Board-selected ACAT I or II program managers should attend the course before beginning their assignment. PEO, DPEOs, DPMs must complete the mandatory training 36 months from encumbering their position. Please ensure work with your command and supervisor to ensure attendance in the required training. High potential Level III acquisition professionals in O-5 or GS-14 or above with extensive experience in acquisition, including four years in or directly supporting a program may participate on space available slots. More details of the course available on the DAU’s iCatalog. Each FY, the Army only receives scarce allocation of seats in selected offerings. Here is schedule of Army seats available for the remainder of FY14.
Low-fill Classes: A low-fill listing, posted weekly on DAU’s website, allows students the 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. Please remember that even if a class is on the low-fill list, students must choose the designated cost-effective location for their training.
Alternate Delivery Method Courses: In a constrained fiscal environment, DAU is looking at using innovative delivery methods to provide the same level of seat capacity of 57,000, at the same time providing effective learning assets. Alternate delivery methods for student pilots include video teleconferencing (VTC), telepresence using high definition resolution, Defense Connect Online (DCO), flipped classroom). The pilots will continue to run until the end of FY14. DAU hopes to offer alternate delivery courses on the FY15 schedule. DAU is also pursuing more prerequisite requirements and video delivery of preliminary material to reduce actual classroom time.
- 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
