Education and training opportunities
By USAASC Acquisition, Education and Training Branch
Defense Acquisition University-Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF): The DAU-SSCF Announcement opened Jan. 29 and closes April 2, 2014. This Military Education Level One (MEL-1) Army approved Senior Service College Fellowship provides SSC equivalency at your local commuting area if you live in Maryland (Aberdeen Proving Ground), 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 a SSC, they will also complete the Army Program Managers Course (PMT 401), and have the option to complete a Masters Degree. For additional information on this great GS-14/15 Senior Service College, 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 the Civilian Education System (CES) Advanced Course prior to the start of the fellowship. If interested applicants have not yet completed the resident portion of the Advanced Course due to lack of seat availability, a waiver may be requested.
Naval Post Graduate School – Masters of Science in Program Management (NPS-MSPM): The NPS-MSPM Announcement opened Feb. 3 and closes March 18, 2014. This degree program at NPS is the premier Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) funded master’s degree program. This program offers an opportunity to complete a Master’s of Science Degree in program management on a part-time basis within a two-year timeframe. The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) Army DACM Office is the sponsor of the NPS-MSPM program and will fund the tuition and book costs.
This eight-quarter part-time degree opportunity is open to permanent civilian members of the Army acquisition workforce who are GS-11 through GS-15 or broadband/pay band equivalent and have met their current position Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certification requirement. The target audience for the NPS-MSPM program is high performing workforce members who have been identified by their organization as demonstrating the potential for positions of increased responsibility. Due to limited funding, this program is primarily intended for our Army acquisition applicants who do not currently have a master’s degree in an acquisition or business related discipline. Eligible Army acquisition workforce members must first obtain a letter of acceptance from the NPS prior to submitting an application through the USAASC Army DACM Office for consideration of funding. Selection of applicants will depend on funding availability.
For additional details and application instructions, visit our NPS-MSPM website.
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 Masters Degree during duty-time, please contact the AET Branch Chief, Scott Greene, to discuss potential for the DACM office to fund.
Army DACM Mentoring Efforts: In response to attrition rates within the Army’s Acquisition Workforce (AAWF), new and innovative opportunities are being developed to ensure that the workforce of tomorrow is prepared to assume the roles and responsibilities of today’s senior acquisition leaders. In addition to the recruitment campaign enabled by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund, USAASC is developing an AAWF Mentoring Program, in three levels:
Mentoring Level 1: Meet Your Virtual Acquisition Career Guide (VACG), “Ellie”
USAASC recently completed pilot testing on an exciting capability based upon virtual human technology. While “Ellie” will never be able to, nor is she intended to replace the face-to-face/personal relationship of mentors and protégés, “Ellie” has demonstrated the ability to provide a consistent message at any time, at any location to a member of the workforce, as it pertains to the Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) and the offerings of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Additionally, “Ellie” is able to ascertain the AAWF member’s current certification status, currency of the IDP and compliance under the Army’s continuous learning policy (CLP). Future efforts under consideration include personalized certification guidance, general business skills, leadership competencies and career roadmap guidance.
Note: USAASC would like to acknowledge and thank the contracting workforce at Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their participation and feedback during beta and pilot testing.
Related story: “Meet Ellie, your new virtual human acquisition career guide.”
Mentoring Level 2: Meet Your USAASC Virtual Mentor
USAASC intends to capitalize on existing virtual technology to foster a robust exchange of information between protégés and mentors, to include expanding the Career Acquisition Personnel Position Management Information System (CAPPMIS) Workforce Management Inquiry system, an online FAQ function supported by dedicated career management staff; USAASC-sponsored Go To Meetings/ Defense Connect Online (DCO) meetings; and flash mentoring, a one-time meeting that enables an individual to learn and seek guidance from a more experienced person who can pass on relevant knowledge and experience.
Mentoring Level 3: Meet Your Mentor
USAASC is piloting this phase, with the assistance of current Army key leadership position members and members of the Army’s competitive development groups, graduates of the senior service college programs, and prior centralized selection list applicants, resulting in pilot mapping arrangements of approximately 60 AAWF members. USAASC presented program participants with a two-day training program enabling live interaction via a professional, to kick start the pilot program. Formalized mentoring agreements were executed identifying rules of engagement, goals and future interactions. Following this session, USAASC gathered feedback from program participants on their experiences and perceptions, and although only months old, this information is being used to improve the mentor-protégé experience through the pilot program. According to one participant, “[The pilot program] addresses a weakness that the Army has had for a long time, which is putting an emphasis on mentoring our employees to assist them in reaching their potential.”
As each phase is developed and vetted, USAASC will keep you informed on how you or your organization may capitalize on our lessons learned and the program elements suited for your individual and programmatic needs.
DAU Research Award – One of last year’s DAU-SSC Fellows, Eileen Whaley, completed a research paper co-authored by DAU Professor Dana Stewart entitled, “Path from Urgent Operational Need to Program of Record,” and recently won the 2014 DAU Alumni Association Edward Hirsch Acquisition Writing Award. The award will be presented at Fort Belvoir, Va. in April during the Acquisition Symposium. The article will appear in an upcoming edition of the Defense Acquisition Research Journal, a peer reviewed DAU publication.
Having trouble keeping the dates straight? All of the opening and closing dates are also posted to the USAASC Events Calendar.
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training
FY14 DAU Course Registration: 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), prior to applying to a DAU course. Workforce members and their supervisors should plan their training and ensure they have adequate time to complete prerequisite training prior to attend the follow on course.
FY15 DAU Schedule Build: Army DACM Office, in conjunction with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is in the early phase of developing the FY15. The anticipated ‘go live’ date for the FY15 schedule is May 15. Student plan their training schedule not to meet prerequisites requirements prior to registration for a FY15 course. Doing so will ensure timely completion of certification requirements and afford student obtain a reservation in their desired timeframe.
Student Application Profile: It is imperative the student and supervisor email address is correctly listed on the AITAS student profile. For students with a disability, please ensure you select “Yes” on your student profile. This selection prompts a DAU Student Services representative to contact the student directly with additional questions and provide reasonable accommodations for student during the training period. For more information on DAU training to include, systematic instructions, training priority definition or FAQs, please visit USAASC’s DAU Training webpage .
Low fill Classes: A weekly 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 priority 2 students 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 to minimize travel cost.
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 Telepresence using high definition resolution, Defense Connect Online, flipped classroom. The pilots will continue to run until the end of FY14. Upcoming pilots include Telepresence for three FE 301 offerings (Ft. Belvoir, Huntsville, Ala. and California, Md.) and PMT 401 (Kettering, Ohio). ACQ 370 will be conducted in April 2014 at Chester Va. using flipped classroom format.
College of Contract Management (CCM): CCM is now a new business unit under DAU with the primary goal to support tailored training for Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) employees. DAU deployed two new resident courses offered under the CCM: CMA 211 – Joint Government Flight Representative (GFR) and CMA 221 – Joint Government Ground Representative (GGR). This is a certification course, which is intended for those who will serve as an appointed GFR, or GGRs. If you are a supervisor/commander, contracting officer, contractor employee, or of another non-aircraft operations discipline who is interested in this subject matter, please pursue the Continuous Learning Module, CLX 110, “Fundamentals of GRF and GGR”. Commands must fund travel for both courses. DCMA employees, please seek funding from your unit.
- 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
