WHAT’S NEW
NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE ARMY ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE’S EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARDS
The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2023 Army Acquisition Executive’s (AAE) Excellence in Leadership Awards!
The Army Acquisition Workforce is filled with many impressive people—individuals and teams who toil away to develop new systems and products for the warfighters or identify new ways to get those systems funded and fielded. The 2023 AAE’s Excellence in Leadership Awards is the chance to spotlight their work. These awards honor individuals and teams whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.
New for 2023: In alignment with Back-to-Basics, the AAE Awards welcome four new awards that recognize exemplary efforts in the Test and Evaluation, Engineering and Technical Management and Digital Transformation functional areas:
• Test and Evaluation Professional of the Year
• Test Organization of the Year
• Engineering and Technical Manager Professional of the Year (incorporates the previous Science and Technology Professional of the Year and Engineer and System Integrator of the Year categories)
• Digital Transformation Professional of the Year
The 2023 award categories are:
• Acquisition Career Support Professional of the Year Award
• Business Operations Professional of the Year Award
• Defense Export and Cooperation Professional & Journeyman of the Year Award
• Test and Evaluation Professional of the Year Award
• Test Organization of the Year Award
• Engineering and Technical Manager Professional of the Year Award
• Digital Transformation Manager of the Year Award
• Logistician of the Year Award
• Product Management/Product Director Professional of the Year (O-5) Award
• Project Management/Project Director Professional of the Year (O-6) Award
• Product Management/Product Director Team of the Year (O-5) Award
• Project Management/Project Director Team of the Year (O-6) Award
• Contracting Professional of the Year Award
• Contracting Unit/Team of the Year Award
• Barbara C. Heald Deployed Contracting Civilian of the Year Award
• Outstanding Grants or Agreements Professional of the Year Award
• Innovation in Contracting Strategies Individual or Organization Award
• Construction Services Professional of the Year
Please note we have a new submission process for 2023. All submissions must be uploaded to a new virtual board, via the Army Acquisition Awards website, below. Because this new virtual board is not CAC-enabled, each nominating POC will be asked to create an account and password before submitting nominations on behalf of their organization.
Please ensure that completed nominations are sent through the proper command channels and reach the Army DACM Office by Sept. 7, 2023.
For more information, please visit https://asc.army.mil/web/aae-awards/.
NEW MEMO – REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS SELECTED FOR CENTRALIZED SELECTION LIST ACQUISITION KEY BILLETS, CENTRALIZED SELECTION BOARD POSITIONS AND COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR POSITIONS
On March 29, the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) signed a policy outlining the pre-command required and authorized training for individuals who have been selected for Centralized Selection List (CSL) Acquisition Key Billet Project and Product Manager (PM), Acquisition Director, Contracting Commander, Contracting Brigade Command Sergeant Major (CSM), and Centralized Selection Board (CSB) Project and Product Director (PD) positions. The policy also covers Tenure Agreements and the issuance of Charters for the above positions as applicable. For more info, visit the memo’s landing page and press the link titled “Requirements for CSL CSB CSM Policy Memorandum March 2023.”
ACQUISITION EDUCATION, TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
IDEAL APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSES ON AUGUST 2
The FY24 Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program is open for applications. IDEAL is a leader development program targeted to new and emerging civilian supervisors who are seeking to refine their leadership skills or develop them in preparation for a supervisory or leadership position.
Applicants must be a permanent or conditional tenure (with exceptions for certain Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) term employees), full-time civilian member of the Army Acquisition Workforce, GS-12 or GS-13 or equivalent payband. You must meet the DAWIA position certification requirement of your position or be within the certification grace period.
IDEAL FY24 will take place in Huntsville, Alabama. There will be two cohorts. Cohort A will meet between October 2023 and April 2024; Cohort B will meet between March and July 2024. Each cohort will meet for three one-week sessions. Applications are being accepted until Aug. 2.
Visit our website to learn more about program details, the application process, read what past participants have to say about the program and much more at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/inspiring-and-developing-excellence-in-acquisition-leaders-ideal/.
CLOSING SOON – ACQUISITION TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ATAP)
Have you been thinking about taking a college class or two? Perhaps you are currently pursuing a master’s or bachelor’s degree focusing in areas of business or acquisition? Check out what your fellow Army acquisition professionals had to say about their experiences with ATAP on our new ATAP Testimonials page.
If you’re considering taking college classes that start in October or later this year and are seeking tuition assistance, ATAP may be for you!
The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) office funds tuition costs, including laboratory and technology fees, within specified funding limits (see announcement for details) to those accepted into the Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program (ATAP). Applications are being accepted now through July 14.
Applications are now being accepted for the ATAP. Tuition assistance is available for eligible Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) civilians and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 51 Contracting (51C) noncommissioned officers (NCOs). ATAP provides funding to those wanting to take individual acquisition/business-related courses or acquisition/business-related courses in a declared major toward either a bachelor’s or master’s degree at an accredited college or university of your choice during off-duty time. Books, graduation, registration and general fees, course materials and travel expenses are not funded by the ATAP.
More information about the ATAP, as well as a copy of the ATAP announcement, can be obtained from the DACM website at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-tuition-assistance-program/.
It is highly recommended that you print out a copy of the ATAP announcement, read it thoroughly and have it available as you prepare your application. All applications must be submitted online using the Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS) within the Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System (CAPPMIS), which is located at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/.
Detailed instructions for completing the application are contained in the ATAP announcement on the website above. Please submit all questions through Ask an Acquisition Career Manager at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest.
MILITARY
ATTENTION ACQUISITION OFFICERS
APPLY TO THE FY24 TRAINING WITH INDUSTRY (TWI) PROGRAM
Now through Aug. 4, applications will be accepted to the FY24 TWI program. TWI is a one-year work experience training program designed to take selected officers out of the military environment and expose them to the latest commercial business practices, organizational structures and cultures, technology development processes and corporate management techniques.
“That was hands-down the best broadening assignment for an acquisition officer.” —Ltc. Rob Heatherly (who participated in the TWI program earlier in his career).
Read more about TWI participants’ experiences in the article titled “Halfway There.”
This opportunity is open to active component acquisition officers in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Ltc.) or Major (Maj.), who are eligible for rotation in the summer assignment cycle. Majors should be in a key development position, which they have completed before the program begins, and also be competitive for promotion. Discuss with your branch manager to find out if you are a good fit for this program.
See attached flyer for more information. For the application itself, please reach out to Maj. Shawn Jones at shawn.m.jones6.mil@army.mil or Ms. Michelle Houston at michelle.d.houston4.civ@army.mil.
For more details, visit the TWI page at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/aac-training-with-industry/.
