Hot Topic #1: FY 15/16 Announcement – The Army Acquisition Pilot Product Director Board closes Nov. 14
The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office and U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) are pleased to announce the initial FY15/16 Pilot Product Director (PD) Selection Board. This is a pilot opportunity to compete for centrally selected PD positions within one of the Army’s program executive offices (PEOs). USAASC direct reporting unit Army Acquisition Workforce members and GS-14 or broadband equivalents are eligible to apply.
A PD is defined as a leader for an Army acquisition system or program management office that has been designated by the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and the Army acquisition executive (AE). This position is based upon the management level of intensity (i.e., acquisition category, funding profile, complexity, responsibility, span of control and life cycle phase of the program) that the Army assigns to a particular weapon system or information system. Generally, the position will be in an acquisition program of record that has yet to transition to sustainment and still has cost, schedule and performance responsibilities.
All PD positions will be filled through this annual centralized selection board process. The PD selection board will be conducted in the same manner as the Program Management Centralized Selection List board and will use the same procedures and board members. The results of the selection board will be forwarded to the DACM for ranking by a board of directors consisting of the DACM, the deputy DACM, PEOs and deputy PEOs.
For additional information, visit the full PD announcement.
Hot Topic #2: DACM Workforce Minute Videos
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, the principal military deputy to the Army AE and the Army’s director, acquisition career management The DACM is dedicated to keeping the Army Acquisition Workforce apprised of all efforts pertaining to professional development and the Army acquisition mission. To this end, Williamson will begin releasing a series of DACM Workforce Minute videos to communicate emerging efforts and information critical to the success of the acquisition workforce and all Army acquisition programs.
The first in the series will be dedicated to entering the workforce, including workforce demographics, the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) and career management.
The second video will focus on Williamson’s talent management concept, and will address efforts related to the Army Acquisition Corps’ efforts to identify, develop and sustain workforce talent.
Look for an email about the video in your inbox soon. For a repository of workforce videos, go to USAASC Website.
Hot Topic #3: Do you aspire to be one of the Army’s senior acquisition leaders?
If so, then perhaps the Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellows (CDG/AAF) program is for you. CDG/AAF is a premier leadership developmental program initiated by the Army DACM and USAASC for GS-12/13s and broadband equivalents. The three-year program focuses primarily on developing our next project and product managers, but we also have a path for those desiring other senior acquisition positions.
CDG/AAF offers developmental assignments in program executive offices, the office of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, U.S. Army Materiel Command headquarters and functional organizations. It also offers expanded training, leadership, experiential and other career development opportunities.
The Army DACM Office and USAASC are pleased to release the 2014 announcement for year group 2015 of the CDG/AAF program. The application period is now open and ends Nov. 13.
For information on eligibility and future announcements, see the CDG/AAF program page.
Hot Topic #4: FY 2015 Certification changes
FY 2015 certification changes — effective Oct. 1— are outlined in the table below. Please access the Certification and Core Plus Development Guides to view the most current career field certification standards for your current acquisition position.
| Career Field | Level | Added | Deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracting (C) | 3 | CON 252 (R) – Fundamentals of Cost Accounting Standards Note: CON 250 (without CON 251) can be used to satisfy the elective requirement through FY15. |
None |
| Engineering (S) | 3 | ENG 301 (R) – Technical Leadership in Systems Engineering | SYS 302 – Technical Leadership in Systems Engineering |
| Life Cycle Logistics (L) | 2 | LOG 215 (DL) – Technical Data Management | None |
| Program Management (A) | 1 | Experience: One year of acquisition experience with cost, schedule and performance responsibilities. |
One year of acquisition experience |
| Program Management (A) | 2 | EVM 101 (R) – Fundamentals of Earned Value Management Two years in program management with cost, schedule and performance responsibilities. |
Two years of acquisition experience; at least one year of this experience must be in program management. |
| Program Management (A) | 3 | Experience: Four years in program management with cost, schedule and performance responsibilities At least two years in a program office or similar organization (dedicated matrix support to a PM, PEO, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) program integrator or supervisor of shipbuilding). These two years may run concurrent with the preceding four-year requirement. OR Level III DAWIA certification in a another acquisition functional area. – Two years in program management with cost, schedule and performance responsibilities. – Two years in a program office or similar organization (dedicated matrix support to a PM, PEO, DCMA program integrator or supervisor of shipbuilding). These two years may run concurrent with the preceding Level III or two-year requirements. |
EVM 101 -Fundamentals of Earned Value Management Four years of acquisition experience with at least: Two years in a program office/similar organization (dedicated matrix support to a PM, PEO, DCMA program integrator or supervisor of ship-building). One year in a program management position with cost, schedule and performance responsibilities. |
| Purchasing (E) | 1 | CLC 025 – Small Business Program for Contracting Officers | None |
| Science & Technology Manager (I) | 3 | CLE 069 (DL) – Technology Transfer | None |
| Test & Evaluation (T) | 1 | CLE 074 (DL) – Cybersecurity | CLE 025 (DL) – Information Assurance |
Hot Topic #5: FY 2015 Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course changes
There are several changes and new DAU courses in FY15, some of which are summarized in the chart below. For more information on target audiences and course objectives, please visit the DAU interactive catalog.
| New Course | Replaced | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACQ 120 (DL) – Fundamentals of International Acquisition (FIAC) and ACQ 130 (DL) – Fundamentals of Technology Security/Transfer (FTS/T) |
PMT 202 (R) – Multinational Program Management and PMT 203 (R) – International Security and Technology Transfer/Control |
PMT 202 and PMT 203 were retired and replaced by ACQ 120 and ACQ 130, respectively. Come off PM, level 2 and 3 guides and add to PM level 1 core plus. |
| ACQ 202 (DL) – Intermediate Systems Acquisition, Part A | ACQ 201A (DL) – Intermediate Systems Acquisition, Part A | Name changed to remove Part A in the former course and reflect updated course content. ACQ 201A is a valid predecessor until Oct. 1, 2016. |
| ACQ 203 (R) – Intermediate Systems Acquisition, Part B | ACQ 201B (R) – Intermediate Systems Acquisition, Part B | Name changed to remove Part B in the former course and reflect updated course content. ACQ 201B is a valid predecessor until Oct. 1, 2016. |
| ACQ 230 (R) – International Acquisition Integration | None | New PM Level 2 unique position training standard, required for personnel designated on the International Acquisition Career Path. Defense acquisition personnel involved in international acquisition activities should attend. |
| ENG 102 (DL) – Fundamentals of Systems Engineering | SYS 101 (DL) – Fundamentals of Systems Engineering | ENG 102 deploys second quarter of FY15. SYS 202 will continue to be offered in the second quarter. |
| ENG 204 (DL) – Intermediate Systems Engineering Part I | SYS 202 (DL) – Intermediate Systems Engineering Part I | ENG 204 deploys second quarter of FY15. SYS 202 will continue to be offered in the second quarter. |
| ENG 205 (R) – Intermediate Systems Engineering Part II | SYS 203 (R) – Intermediate Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Part II | ENG 205 deploys second quarter of FY15. SYS 203 will continue to be offered in the second quarter. |
| ENG 301 (R) – Leadership in the Engineering of Defense Systems | SYS 302 (R) – Technical Leadership in Systems Engineering | ENG 301 deploys second quarter of FY15. SYS 302 will continue to be offered in the second quarter. |
| LOG 365 (R) – Executive Product Support Manager’s Course | None | New mandatory course for product support managers for ACAT I/II. See Life Cycle Logistics, Functional Leader memo dated Feb. 27, 2014. |
| PQM 203 (F/O) – Preparation of Commercial Item Description for Engineering and Technical Personnel | None | Designed for personnel involved in generating product descriptions for commercial items. |
‘Army DACM Office Hot Topics’ is brought to you by the USAASC Acquisition, Education and Training Branch to help Army acquisition professionals stay on top of career information with timely updates including training opportunities, current program offerings and what’s on the horizon.
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