Education and training opportunities
By USAASC Acquistion, Education and Training Branch
Continuous Learning Points (CLP) Glide Path
Each Acquisition Workforce member must obtain 80 continuous learning (CL) points every two-year cycle. To help enforce and track this statutory requirement, the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office has instituted a CLP Glide Path, a reference to assist with benchmarking ideal CLP goals within the two-year cycle. The DACM Memorandum #7 – “Amendment Acquisition Workforce Standards” signed on March 15, 2013 provides updated standards and the FY13 – 14 CLP glide path. Training must be documented on your Individual Development Plan (IDP).
Implementing DACM Mentoring Programs
The Army DACM Office is in the concept development phase of establishing an Army Acquisition Workforce mentoring program. The draft structure consists of three deployment levels using website capabilities to house various “toolkits/resources” to facilitate the relationship. Our Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System (CAPPMIS) will document the partnership and enable knowledge sharing of the acquisition workforce members’ acquisition career record brief, individual development plan, and senior rater potential evaluation, when applicable.
1) Level I, the virtual acquisition career guide, is looking to incorporate virtual mentoring, via Avatar technology. We are working with developers on this application, and hope to have a proof of concept capability within nine months. The current intent of this approach is to reach our newest workforce members with fully vetted career management guidance, i.e., certification standards, application process, etc.
2) Level II is intended to enhance the virtual mentoring environment through “GoTo- like” meetings, flash mentoring sessions and expansion of our current workforce management Inquiry system. The premise is to provide a more personal approach, with a combination of human and virtual interface.
3) Level III will map mentors and protégés based on their unique demographics, and professional goals and needs. For this level, we are proposing a pilot launch, focusing on current key leadership position members as intended mentors.
Following a thorough and coordinated approval process, a roll-out of the mentoring program is anticipated sometime in FY14.
Have suggestions? E-mail us your thoughts, comments and suggestions on what you’d like in a virtual mentoring program.
Opportunities
The FY14 schedule for acquisition, training and education (AET) opportunities is final. All AET opportunities, except for the Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP), will be announced through the Army Acqusition Professional Devlopment System (AAPDS).
To access AAPDS, login at the Career Acquisition Management Portal (CAMP) and click on “Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System” (CAPPMIS). Once in CAPPMIS, select the “AAPDS” tab, and then “Application Module.”. Click on “Apply” and view all available Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) available opportunities. For information on any program, go to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) website and click on “Career.”.
For information on any program, visit the USAASC website.
FY14 AET Schedule:
Here is the FY14 schedule for the Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP):
*NOTE: ALCP will not be announced using AAPDS. Please contact your command or organization acquisition career management advocate or organizational acquisition point of contact.
Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program (ATAP) FY14 Announcement will open April 28 and close May 26, 2014. Anyone approved for funding during this announcement may start courses no earlier than Oct 1.
The Competitive Development Group/Army Acquisition Fellows announcement is on hold for FY14. Because of the current hiring freeze, we have been unable to bring new fellows on board from the FY13 Announcement. If and when the hiring freeze is lifted, we will first work toward finalizing the FY13 board results prior to conducting another announcement.
The Defense Acquisition University-Senior Service College Fellowship announcement will open Jan. 29 and close April 2, 2014. REMINDER: applicants need to complete Civilian Education System Advanced Course prior to the start of the Fellowship.
The Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders Program announcement will open May 5, 2014 and close June 13.. These dates are tentative as this is a DOD-scheduled program and DOD has not provided specific dates.
The Excellence in Government Fellows announcement will open June 12, 2014 and close July 15.
The Naval Post Graduate School-Masters of Science in Program Management: announcement will open Feb. 3, 2014 and close March 18.
School of Choice (SOC): Because of the current fiscal environment, there will not be a SOC announcement in FY14. Should a command have an urgent need to send a high performing workforce member to obtain his/her bachelor’s or master’s during duty-time, please contact the AET Branch Chief, Scott Greene at scott.m.greene14.civ@mail.mil, to discuss options.
Having trouble keeping the dates straight? All of the opening and closing dates noted above are also posted to the USAASC Events Calendar.
Civilian Education System (CES)
These DACM-sponsored programs—the Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders Program (DCELP) and the Defense Acquisition University – Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF)—are coordinated through the Army G-3/5/7 Office. The Army DACM office is now required to enforce completion of the applicable CES course (basic, intermediate, or advanced) as a pre-requisite to be eligible to apply to these programs. That said, there have been issues this year with quota availability 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; however, it will be strictly enforced in FY14.
“Have suggestions? E-mail us your thoughts, comments and suggestions on what you’d like in a virtual mentoring program.”
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 wants them to seek advanced leadership opportunities that require CES as a prerequisite.
Per Army Regulation 350-1, “Army Training and Leader Development,” many civilians are required to complete the appropriate CES course(s) depending on their grade level and supervisory responsibility.
Three ways to complete the CES requirement
1. Take the course through the Army Management Staff College
2. Submit for equivalency if you have already completed an Army-approved equivalent course
3. Submit for constructive credit if you feel you have already met the course learning objectives through your past training, education, and experience.
To find out which level of CES you are required to complete, please log-on on to the Army Career Tracker.
To enroll into a CES course, log into Civilian Human Resources Training Application System. If you need assistance or have any question, please contact your local training coordinator or CES quota manager.
Please look at the Acquisition Civilian Leadership Development Plan (ACLDP) to see how the CES training opportunities fit into the civilian career path.
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Training
Encourage your supervisor to approve your training request as soon as you apply. Applications cannot be processed until the supervisor approves the training request in AITAS. Students should view the DAU iCatalog to ensure that they meet the prerequisite(s) before applying to a DAU course. 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 are available on a first-come, first-served basis within 60 days from the start date of the class for students in Priority 2, and within 40 days for Priority 3-5 students. Please remember that even if a class is on the low-fill list, students must choose a cost-effective location for their training.
The Army registrar’s office cannot process applications until the supervisor has approved the employee’s request for training. It is also imperative that the student’s and supervisor’s email addresses are correct on the AITAS student profile. For more information on DAU training, including systematic instructions, training priority definitions and frequently asked questions, please visit USAASC’s DAU web page. Once you have received a confirmed reservation in the requested class, ensure that you attend the class as scheduled. Cancellation requests for a confirmed reservation must be submitted at least 30 calendar days before the class starts or by the reservation cutoff date, whichever is earlier, to avoid a no-show.
For classes starting September 23, DAU will revert to the original pre-furlough schedule. Please view course training schedule at ATRRS AITAS.
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 elect to centrally fund priority 2 applying to cost effective locations.
FY14 certification changes: DOD Acquisition, Technology & Logistics career field certification standards are implemented on Oct. 1 of each fiscal year. FY14 changes are outlined in the following table. The changes in these 11 certification requirements become effective for the respective career fields on Oct. 1. For career fields not listed in the table, there are no approved changes to date. For certification considerations under the FY13 standards, workforce members must submit their certification application by midnight Sept., 30, 2013. To view the most current career field certification standards required for your current acquisition position, please access DAU’s iCatalog.
Program Manager’s and Executive Program Manager’s Course, also known as PMT 401 and PMT 402, are statutorily required for program executive officers (PEOs), deputy program executive officers (DPEOs), and program managers (PMs) or deputy program managers (DPMs) of ACAT I and II programs. Board-selected ACAT I or II program managers should have attended the course prior to beginning their assignment. PEO, DPEOs, DPMs must have completed the mandatory training within 36 months of encumbering their position. Please ensure work with your command and supervisor to ensure attendance in the required training. High potential Level 3 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. Each fiscal year, the Army receives scarce allocation of seats in selected offerings. More details of the course available on the DAU’s iCatalog.
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.
All requests, including submission of the travel worksheet (for students approved for DAU funding), should be completed no later than 15 days prior to the start date of the course. Students who do not submit a travel worksheet earlier than 15 days prior to class start date may not be guaranteed central funding for their travel expenses. Students may start their travel order as early as 60 days prior to the start date of the course.
- 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
