Acquisition Education and Training Corner

Education and training opportunities

Congratulations to Newly Selected Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellows:
Congratulations to the Year Group 14 (YG 14) CDG/AAF inductees. The YG 14 inductees are:

• Kyle Bruner, Program Executive Office (PEO) Combat Support & Combat Service Support
• Monica Clemons, Army Contracting Command
• Kelly Courtney, Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM)
• Walter Hamm, Army Contracting Command
• Lauren McNew, PEO Command, Control, Communications-Tactical
• David Oatley, RDECOM
• Maurice Stephens, Communications-Electronics Command

The CDG/AAF Program is a three-year leadership program that offers competitively selected GS-12/13s (or broad/pay band equivalent) expanded leadership training and experience opportunities.

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 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 a SSC, but 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 Senior Service College, go to the 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 must to complete Civilian Education System (CES) Advanced Course prior to the start of the fellowship.

School of Choice (SOC): There will not be a SOC Announcement in FY14 due to 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.

Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP):
Now in its 4th FY, 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 environments in order to become stronger leaders within their current and future organizations.

The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office has split our FY14 offerings into four quarters. The announcement for Q3 will be open Feb. 10 – March 10, 2014.

NOTE: ALCP will not be announced using AAPDS. If interested, please contact your command/organization Acquisition Career Management Advocate (ACMA) or Organizational Acquisition POC (OAP) to obtain a command allocation.

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. Reservations in follow on courses are cancelled if prerequisite requirements are not met.
• It is imperative the student and supervisor email address is 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: Students should apply to the classes available in the next cost-effective location. We received reduced DAU travel funds for FY14. USAASC will only fund Priority 1 and 2 students travel to cost effective locations.
• 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 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), and flipped classroom. The pilots will continue to run until the end of FY14. DAU hopes to offer alternate delivery courses on the FY15 schedule. Upcoming pilots include Telepresence for three FE 301 offerings (Fort 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 will deploy two new resident courses offered under 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 nonaircraft-operations discipline who is interested in this subject matter, please pursue the Continuous Learning Module, CLX 110, “Fundamentals of GRF and GGR.”
• FY15 Schedule Build: The Army DACM is responsible for submitting the Army’s DAU training demand. Commands and PEOs are solicited to host DAU onsites in FY15. Army DAU onsites are classes hosted by a command or organization. The intent of the onsites is to bring localized required DAU Training to the students to save on travel cost. Onsites are ideal locations where DAU main or satellite campus is not available locally. Army onsites will be included in the Army’s consolidated seat demand to DAU. Once finalized, the FY15 schedule will be available for student registration on Thursday, 15 May 2014.

• 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