FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITON CAREER MANAGEMENT (DACM)
Ronald R. Richardson Jr., Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and Director, Acquisition Career Management
In our line of business, if it’s not in the user’s hands, it’s of no use to anybody.
Meeting that goal can be quite the process—one that in many cases is necessary, but in others must be improved if we are to ensure our Soldiers are never in a fair fight.
Yes, we need to:
- Rapidly develop prototypes and deliver capabilities to the workforce through alternative acquisitions.
- Constantly research, develop, test and evaluate.
- Streamline the Army Acquisition Workforce.
But it is everyone’s responsibility across the Army acquisition community to instill and grow a culture of innovation and creativity if we are to ensure overmatch.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
As I mentioned in my last column, 2023 is the year of digital transformation, this year will be a key steppingstone toward the Army achieving the Army of 2030 modernization goals, in which the Army Acquisition Workforce plays a critical role. As we become more laser-focused on problem sets and looking at ways to save time in the cost, schedule and performance timeline, we need to also look at how we’re equipping our workforce with skills to help it shift to a related mindset.
When I go out and engage with program executive offices, I always ask what they need, and what I hear most is “critical thinkers.” Being able to analyze facts and observations in a clear and rational way is necessary, but I would argue that above that we need our acquisition professionals to have an entrepreneurial mindset.
An entrepreneurial mindset is one that cultivates innovation, is agile and sees mistakes as opportunities. We must push the envelope of technology and speed up our timeline. Leaders must encourage new ideas—nobody has a monopoly on good ideas. We must take a team approach and know when to rely on our partners, whether its within our organizations, industry or academia. And we must know when to take risks. We too often get wrapped up in the unknowns when there are a lot of knowns we can be planning for.
The Army, including my office, has several professional development programs and training opportunities available for our workforce that can be used to help develop this mindset. As we promote and execute these programs, we must also be purposeful with how we are maximizing their use and impact.
PURPOSEFUL PROGRAMS
Our partnership with industry must continue to be strengthened and maintained, and we must share and learn what we can from one another. Our Training With Industry program embeds acquisition officers into the business sector for 12 months. The list of participating companies is specifically curated to include developers of innovative, cutting-edge technologies.
On the civilian side, the DOD’s Public Private Talent Exchange (PPTE) program gives acquisition civilians nine months of hands-on experience, gaining insight into the business’s priorities, strategies and operations. Civilians may also gain industry experience as part of the Senior Enterprise Talent Management program’s Army Senior Fellowship, which incorporates graduate training with 12 months training with industry.
In addition to sending our acquisition officers and civilians to industry, we can also look at bringing industry to us. The PPTE program is bi-directional and brings the government a unique skill set and expertise—without having to contract for it.
PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP
While the Army has developed and continues to refine these programs, it is our leaders who have the most impact on their success. Organizational leaders must have awareness of the programs, understand their intent and value, and ultimately be supportive of sending workforce members. While it may seem there will be a short-term negative impact on the organization to lose an esteemed teammate for nine or 12 months, the long-term impact of sending quality acquisition professionals is an investment for that person, the organization and the Army—one that we depend on leveraging upon their return and into the future.
Leaders also should consider the needs of the organization and the Army’s goals in the type of experience and expertise gaps we may be able to fill through these programs. As workforce professionals are selected to participate in these programs, leaders should set meaningful expectations and look for creative ways to put that new experience and expertise to use within the organization.
PURPOSEFUL CAREER PLANNING
Each workforce professional is ultimately responsible for their own career path. It is important to properly plan your career development and growth, and map that alongside any personal milestones.
My office has developed career models for officers, noncommissioned officers and civilians in each available functional area. In addition to considering and applying for career development programs, continuous learning and training is another easily accessible path available to you now. As our time is invaluable, acquisition professionals, in conjunction with your supervisor, must be purposeful in determining what skills need refreshing or what new skills might be needed for the job you are doing now or expect to be doing in the near future.
The Defense Acquisition University’s Credential Program provides that timely and job-specific training. Through the Army Civilian Career Management Activity, acquisition civilians also have access to Udemy Business, an online learning platform with a variety of learning paths, such as the Digital Transformation 2023 Masterclass that provides foundational skills from design thinking to creating a digital transformation framework.
CONCLUSION
Our most valuable asset is our people, and we’re fortunate to have been given resources to develop individuals and teams, and to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset. Together, let’s make the most of it through purposeful programs, leadership and career planning.
To learn more, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/news-developing-a-culture-of-innovation-through-purpose.
KEEP UP WITH THE COMPETITION: Col. Brandi B. Peasley, deputy commanding officer, 75th Innovation Command, competes in a pushup challenge against a DroneDog during the 2022 Fed Supernova Conference Sept. 29 in Austin, Texas. Sponsored by Capital Factory, Fed Supernova connects entrepreneurs, government and industry together to collaborate on dual-use solutions that put commercial technology in the hands of the Department of Defense. (Photo by Staff Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 75th Innovation Command)
CAREER NAVIGATOR
“Abundant Opportunities” by Jacqueline M. Hames
The DACM Office offers robust training and education programs for officers and NCOs.
The Army Acquisition Workforce is comprised of about 32,000 civilian and military professionals—and 90 percent have earned at least a four-year degree and nearly 50 percent an advanced degree. Those higher degrees can help open more opportunities for civilian and military professionals alike and are expanded upon by the development opportunities in the Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office.
The DACM Office offers many training and education programs, several of which are available to officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs), like the Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) program, the Training With Industry (TWI) program and the Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program (ATAP). All of these programs are designed to help military professionals increase their knowledge, skills and abilities to grow their careers.
GET SCHOOLED
The majority of the acquisition workforce is civilian—about 95 percent, in fact—but acquisition officers and NCOs are every bit as essential to the mission. As either Functional Area (FA) 51A (program management) or 51C (contracting) officers and NCOs, they meet the needs of the Soldier by incorporating technical solutions to respond to the evolving threat environment and ensure the delivery of quality capabilities. Military personnel also work with joint and international partners, industry and academia to continually improve Army capabilities and interoperability.
After joining the acquisition workforce and completing the appropriate required training for either officers or NCOs, additional developmental opportunities can begin—through both higher education assistance and experiential programs. Advanced Civil Schooling is available for both officers and NCOs—FA51 officers and 51C NCOs can pursue advanced degrees full time at civilian universities through this program. “I think that ACS is really beneficial,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Brown, acquisition proponent NCO. “We have a lot of folks within our career field [who] have postgraduate degrees. So, you know obtaining that is something that makes you competitive against your peers The Degree Completion Program allows NCOs to earn a bachelor’s degree while continuing to receive full pay and authorized benefits.”
Sgt. 1st Class William Yongue recommends Soldiers synchronize their educational opportunities with their career timelines to get the most out of both. Yongue chose to begin the application process for the ACS program following his permanent change of station. “I realized I needed to focus on my move and new position but am working the application process into my long-term career timeline,” he said.
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is also open to NCOs and officers. NCOs may now apply through the ACS program and select NPS as one of the schools that they would like to attend. Yongue said that two NCOs currently attending NPS are expected to graduate this July, and two more will be enrolled that same month.
“The Naval Postgraduate School is also available to our workforce, where an individual could complete their intermediate-level education for military education, earn a master’s degree and complete required classes for certification in their area of concentration,” said Maj. Timothy Demerath, FA51 proponency officer with the DACM Office. “If you need a master’s degree, then the Advanced Civil School option is great for accomplishing that degree.” Officers can apply to NPS to complete part of their Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act-required certification training, as well as to complete master’s degrees and intermediate-level education requirements, Demerath said.
However, sometimes money is the sticking point in continuing education—that’s where the Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program comes in. The ATAP program is designed to fund individual college courses related to business and acquisition or those required for undergraduate and graduate degrees in a related discipline. It covers tuition as well as laboratory and technology fees, within limits, to acquisition workforce civilians and contracting NCOs. Everyone—civilians and military—can apply for ATAP.
To read the full article, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/news-abundant-opportunities.
TRAIN WITH INDUSTRY: Sgt. 1st Class A.J. “Art” Dominguez receives a tour of Xcelerate Solutions Headquarters while assigned to Defense Logistics Agency as part of the TWI program. (Photos courtesy of the DACM Office)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARMY’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH UDEMY
If you are an Army acquisition workforce professional, you now have access to Udemy.
The Army Modernization Strategy identifies digital transformation as essential to modernizing the Army. Digital transformation represents a shift in operations and culture that fundamentally changes how the Army delivers value through investments. One way the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is supporting this initiative is by offering all Army Acquisition Workforce professionals access to Udemy.
Not sure what to take? To begin your journey of digital transformation, you’re encouraged to take the “Digital Transformation 2023 – Masterclass” foundations course. This masterclass takes you through the basics of digital transformation, including defining digital transformation, exploring the digital transformation framework, and topics centering around various digital technologies and design thinking.
If you need help on how to get started in Udemy, watch the Udemy for Everyone Tutorial in the Army Acquisition Workforce Resources section on milSuite.
The courses in Udemy can be counted as Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) via CAPPMIS. They also can be used in tandem with other virtual or live training to achieve individual development goals. Need more convenience? There’s an app for Udemy! You’ll have 24/7 access to on-demand learning on your tablet or smartphone. You can watch courses when and where you want by downloading the app for iOS or Android.
You will find information about digital transformation, the role of the Army Acquisition Workforce within the Army’s digital transformation, Udemy and digital transformational FAQs to help you understand how the acquisition workforce will become the digital workforce of the future in the Army Acquisition Workforce Resources section on milSuite.
As an Army acquisition professional, you should have received an email from Udemy by now containing a Udemy registration/activation link. If you haven’t received an email invitation from Udemy, please submit a WMI ticket for assistance. If you are having other issues, use the Udemy Help Desk or contact Udemy Support. Once your Udemy account is active, with the press of a purple “Enroll Now” button, self-enrollment makes it easy to add courses to your learning lineup.
DAU – SENIOR SERVICE COLLEGE FELLOWSHIP PARTICIPATE IN MEDIA TRAINING
MEDIA TRAINING: Fellows with the U.S. Army’s DAU-Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) program spent the week of Feb. 13 participating in media training offered through DAU as part of “The Program Managers Course” (PMT 4010). (Photos courtesy of the DACM Office)
Media training is one of the many experiential exercises in PMT 4010 where the students role-play as interviewees. The objectives include: 1) Learning concepts and tools for engaging effectively with the media and 2) Enabling the students to plan, practice, apply media interview tools, avoid common missteps, and focus on delivering a compelling message. Delivery of compelling messages is an important leadership communication skill when dealing with one’s organization, internal and external stakeholders, and the media.
The DAU-SSCF program is a 10-month educational senior leadership development opportunity sponsored by the Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) designed to provide leadership, acquisition and national strategy training to prepare senior level civilians for leadership roles such as Product and Project Manager, Program Executive Officer and other key acquisition leadership positions to include contracting.
For more information on the DAU-SSCF program, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/defense-acquisition-university-senior-service-college.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FY23 IDEAL PROGRAM GRADUATES
Congratulations to the graduates of the fiscal year 2023 Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program. IDEAL is a leader development program for GS-12 and -13 (or broadband equivalent) Army Acquisition Workforce new and emerging supervisors. IDEAL participants attend three one-week resident sessions over a period of approximately five months. In between sessions, they work at their regular jobs and practice the leadership skills they learned during the resident sessions. IDEAL is facilitated by instructors from the Army Acquisition Center of Excellence (AACoE).
For fiscal year 2023, the program was offered at the AACoE facility on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Participants met in November 2022, and January and March 2023. Highlights of the residential weeks included Crucial Conversations and Influencer classes, visits from senior leaders in guest speaker roles, and field trips to local defense industries.
To learn more about the IDEAL program, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/inspiring-and-developing-excellence-in-acquisition-leaders-ideal. The application period for the fiscal year 2024 program is tentatively expected to open in May.
IDEAL FY23 graduates:
Thomas Brown, U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC)
Aleesha Butler, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Melanie Caines, USACE
Robert Connors, USACE
Tyler Cook, Program Executive Office (PEO) Command, Control, Communications -Tactical (C3T)
Kristin Van Emden, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC)
Stephen Elison, PEO Missiles and Space (M&S)
Eric Hecht, Army Futures Command (AFC)
Kristen Hinton-Willis, PEO Aviation
Jennifer Hirn, U.S. Army Communications – Electronics Command
Karla James, ATEC
Shelby Johnson, AFC
Shaun Lamb, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM)
Lionel Lewis, ATEC
Christopher Mohr, U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command
William Morgan, AMCOM
Christopher Morris, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support (CS&CSS)
Rogelio Nevarez, 408th Contracting Center
Tyson Ornelas, PEO CS&CSS
Justin Parker, PEO C3T
Laurie Rivera Rivera, AFC
Trisha Scott, ACC
Cameron Showell, ATEC
Gerald Simmons, ACC
Patrick Thielemann, U.S. Army Medical Command
Christina Weikert, ATEC
Michael Winslow, ACC
Annie Workman, AMCOM
Myla Wyatt, PEO Enterprise Information Systems
INDUSTRY VISIT: Fiscal year 2023 IDEAL participants visited SCI Technology, Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama. The company hosted the group in March for an IDEAL field trip.
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS
Jacob Sisko
Meet Jacob Sisko, a team lead within Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center at U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM). Jacob took advantage of the DACM Office’s career development opportunities participating in Emerging Enterprise Leader (EEL) and Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) programs.
What was your primary motivation for taking these DACM programs?
My motivation for taking the programs was to build upon my leadership skills and build more relationships across the army. I believe in continued learning, and I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself.
What were your expectations of the programs before you started, and how did they change as the programs proceeded?
My expectations for the course were to learn and interact with other leaders within the Army and be able to take home new skills and knowledge and apply them to my work environment. My expectations changed was when I realized that there were no assessments or grading for the program, I enjoyed the course more by interacting with others and the material to get as much as I could out of the course.
What were your top three takeaways from the programs?
- You need to create a shared pool of meaning in order to successfully have a crucial conversation.
- Keep a to-do list in two-to-three places at most and try to get to zero emails in my inbox by filing emails away into folders and acting the first time an email is read.
- I took home a good list of professional development and leadership books to read to advance my learning and skills.
What skills, knowledge or experiences from the programs do you apply most, in your job or outside of work?
Two things that I apply the most in my job are working to get my inbox to zero and keeping a to-do list, which helps me be more productive. Also, from learning about crucial conversations, I can start to see where others and I tell ourselves a story as opposed to relying on the facts, so I try to identify when that starts to occur and prevent that from happening.
How have these programs affected your career?
The programs have made me a more self-aware and competent leader, which has had an impact on my productivity and influence at work. I enjoyed the program and walked away with newly established relationships across the acquisition community.
Would you recommend this program to your peers, and why?
I would recommend these programs to any early or mid-level employee who takes initiative and has the drive to be a leader and seeks professional development opportunities to improve upon their leadership skills. If you are openminded and enjoy self-reflection, this is a great opportunity for you.
Read more about his career journey on Faces of the Force, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/news-the-golden-rule.
Learn more about the programs Jacob participated in:
Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) – IDEAL is a leader development program for GS-12 and -13 (or broadband equivalent) Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) new and emerging supervisors. IDEAL provides training and equips supervisors to lead across the workforce, which also increases retention and higher productivity. This course focuses on self-development, interpersonal relationships, and strategic management to enhance existing skills and abilities to meet our multidomain operations-capable force objectives.
Emerging Enterprise Leader (EEL) – The intent of EEL is to broaden participants’ perspectives and build leadership competencies early in their Army careers. The objective of the program is to identify and develop a community of prospective future enterprise leaders who will have a full understanding of the Army’s vision and mission. The EEL program goals are to inspire, motivate and enlighten the Army’s next generation of enterprise leaders.
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS
Erika Curry
Meet Erika Curry, a logistics management specialist with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2022, Erika completed the Army DACM Office’s leadership development program called Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL). Erika recently shared her story on how IDEAL benefitted her. She delves into how she implements what she learned in IDEAL to her daily work, why she recommends her fellow acquisition professionals participate in IDEAL, and how IDEAL changed her mindset and perspectives inside her workplace environment.
What were your expectations of the program before you started, and how did they change as the course proceeded?
Most recently, I completed the Inspiring and Developing Excellence in the Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) Course. This is an excerpt of my submission for IDEAL: “As a federal employee of 14 years, I have witnessed the retirement tsunami. A clear indication of the generation gap within the workforce. Although, there have been many attempts to bridge the gap, the fact remains that knowledge has left and there must be a way to replace it. The solution is to provide the tools that will allow the upcoming generations to thrive, as those in the past and those currently. One of those essential tools is training, which will allow those that lack the experience to become exposed to elements that would otherwise not be available.”
What were your take-aways from the course?
All these experiences and exposure allowed me to see the Army from a different lens. I have gained knowledge that I immediately applied to my current position. Bonds that have been built with individuals cannot be broken.
What skills, knowledge or experiences from the program do you apply most, in your job or outside of work?
This resident course infused leadership doctrine and principles with real work situations, touring production plants, knowledge shared by a plethora of distinguished guests, principles and techniques to work with the various temperaments of the workforce and allowed me to work closely with others from different commands, organizations and positions.
How has this program/course affected your career?
It has changed my mindset, which will allow me to handle things better in the future.
Who would you recommend this course to, and why?
It is seldom that a course supersedes the statement of interest. Prepares self, builds trust, stewards the profession, communicates, develops others, leads by example, gets results, creates a positive environment, leads others and extends influence. I highly recommend IDEAL as a leadership course.
Read more about her career journey on Faces of the Force, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/news-control-your-destiny.