ACQUISITION TRAINING, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
IT’S HERE! THE ACQUISITION TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ATAP) IS NOW OPEN
To the delight of many throughout the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW), the ATAP application submission window is now open! This is your opportunity to:
- Get a bachelor’s or master’s degree,
- Get a qualifying second master’s degree, or
- Simply take college courses without pursuing a degree.
ATAP provides tuition assistance to eligible AAW professionals taking individual acquisition/business-related college courses or when pursuing an acquisition/business-related bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited university of your choice. Eligible applicants who already have a master’s degree can now apply for a second master’s degree in a business, technical or acquisition-related discipline. The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is the sponsor of ATAP and will fund tuition costs within specified limits. ATAP is open to eligible AAW civilians and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 51 Contracting (51C) noncommissioned officers. The ATAP application window is open until Feb. 29. For complete details and to apply, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-tuition-assistance-program/.
NEW CREDENTIAL AVAILABLE IN THE BUSINESS-FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (BU-FM) FUNCTIONAL AREA
Good news for those in the BU-FM functional area: There’s a new credential available, “CBFM 004 Military Construction for Financial Managers.” This cross-functional credential is based on the tenets and principles of military construction (MILCON) and financial management. Participants are given the standards, laws and principles for MILCON with respect to appropriations, fiscal law, and other important aspects. For more details and to apply, go to https://www.dau.edu/credentials/cbfm-004.
SAVE THE DATE
COMING SOON: FY26 PROJECT MANAGER / PRODUCT MANAGER AND PRODUCT DIRECTOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OPEN FEB. 19
If you’re thinking about applying to a fiscal year (FY) 26 Army Acquisition Centralized Selection Boards (CSB) and/or FY26 Centralized Selection List (CSL) position, early preparation is highly encouraged. The application window for these opportunities is scheduled to open Feb. 19 and close on April 19.
The Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS) now enables those who are interested and eligible to “opt-in” to CSB/CSL opportunities using a single portal and one application packet. This streamlined process makes applying even easier and streamlined.
The purpose of the centralized selection process is to identify a pool of high performing and high potential civilian acquisition professionals to lead and manage acquisition programs to meet the mission and vision of the Army acquisition enterprise. Best-qualified individuals will be selected for specifically identified acquisition command and acquisition positions.
For additional CSB details, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/prod-dir or contact Ms. Kelly L. Terry at kelly.l.terry2.civ@army.mil.
For additional CSL details, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/centralized-selection-list/ or contact Mr. Adam Polite at adam.b.polite.civ@army.mil.
COMING SOON: DEFENSE CIVILIAN EMERGING LEADER PROGRAM (DCELP) APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS MARCH 1
The application window for DCELP will be open March 1 – April 30. DCELP is one of the premier Department of Defense (DOD) leader development programs for civilians. The program consists of a series of four one-week in-resident sessions, assessment tools, knowledge transfer activities, participant writing and briefing projects, and individual coaching.
In other news, DCELP will be moving under the umbrella of Senior Enterprise Talent Management SETM / Enterprise Talent Management ETM (SETM / ETM). Additionally, SETM / ETM now has a new name; the Enterprise Civilian Talent Development Program (ECTDP); more details below.
OPENING FOR APPLICATIONS ON APRIL 1: THE ACQUISITION LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE PROGRAM
Heads up! On April 1, you’ll have a chance to jump start your acquisition career with the Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP). ALCP harnesses self-awareness as the tool for enhancing leadership, innovation and diversity development by demonstrating how individual preferences and behaviors affect the ways we interact with co-workers and are viewed by others. Program offerings help participants understand how accepting individual differences can produce a stronger group and a leadership corps that’s capable, collaborative and creative. The next round of FY24 ALCP classes are 4th quarter offerings held July-September 2024. For more details, visit
https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-leadership-challenge-program/.
DID YOU KNOW?
ENTERPRISE CIVILIAN LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS (ECLDP)
Enterprise Civilian Leader Development Programs (ECLDP) Senior and Entry/Mid-Level programs, formerly known as SETM and ETM, are civilian leader talent management programs for GS-07 through GS-15 and equivalent employees. Administered by the Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA), ECLDP prepares participants for positions of greater responsibility in the Department of Army through advanced senior-level educational and experiential learning opportunities. ECLDP consists of multiple modules and a leadership development course. Applicants may apply for one or more modules/courses for which they are qualified. New this year is the Defense Civilian Emerging Leaders Program (DCELP), which will fall under ECLDP and utilize the ACCMA Talent Development Application Portal and timeline.
Selection for Senior and Entry/Mid-level modules is linked to an applicant’s past and present duty performance, potential for leadership, career progression and the needs of the Army. Commanders, supervisors, general officers and Senior Executive Service (SES) members and human resource directors at all levels should support the ECLDP application of candidates who represent the “best of the best”—high-performing senior civilian leaders with outstanding potential for assignment to positions of greater responsibility and impact across the Army.
To apply for these opportunities, Army civilians can log into the ACCMA Talent Development Application Portal at https://civilians.army.mil/TalentDev (CAC enabled). The ECLDP application cycle opens March 1 and closes April 30. Applicants for both Senior Level/Entry-Mid Level programs will apply through the ACCMA Talent Development Application Portal at https://civilians.army.mil/TalentDev (CAC enabled). Applicants are encouraged to log in to the Application Portal to build their profiles prior to the March 1 application cycle.
Additional information about the programs, as well as instructions on how to apply, will be available on the portal through April 30. Applications submitted in the portal will generate an email to the first-line supervisor and first General/Flag Officer or SES in the chain of command for endorsements. The DACM Office is only a ECLDP liaison for the AAW and must coordinate with their commands and the ACCMA talent development portal to apply to Senior or Entry/Mid-level programs. Applicants and senior rater or endorser must submit completed applications by April 30.
Command boards will review all applications and provide their order-of-merit list by May 30. Army commands, Army service component commands, direct reporting units and separate organizations, functional chief representatives (FCR) and career program managers (CPM) will be able to access applications and conduct boards using the portal. FCR and CPM are responsible for reviewing and endorsing their respective career program applications in the Application Portal by June 30.
For more information, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/setm-etm.
MILITARY
FA51 ACQUISITION OFFICERS – FY25 ADVANCED CIVIL SCHOOLING (ACS) OPPORTUNITY
The Army DACM Office is pleased to announce the Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) application window for the (ACS 25-01 Panel) winter moving cycle of FY25 is open through the month of March 2024 (exact date TBD). ACS program dates are Oct. 1, 2024 – March 30, 2025. The ACS program allows active-duty Army acquisition officers a chance to pursue advanced degrees in STEM, acquisition or business-related disciplines at civilian universities on a full-time, fully funded basis. ACS also unlocks enhanced skills and acquisition experience through top-tier university programs. Reach out to your AMB career manager to see if you are a good fit for this opportunity. Visit the ACS webpage to learn more about the application process and eligibility at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/advanced-civil-schooling/.
DAU NEWS
TWO-DAY EVENT: 2024 DAU ACQUISITION UPDATE
Learn from senior leaders from The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), military services and defense agencies as they share critical insights on acquisition practices and requirements that support warfighter supremacy. Each session in this two-day virtual event will include success stories, updates and best practices you can implement immediately.
Registration is free and open to the Defense Acquisition Workforce, military servicemembers, government civilians, contractors and industry partners.
Attend one or all sessions. Registration will close on Friday, Feb. 16. For more information and to register visit: 2024 DAU Acquisition Update (2-Day Event) | www.dau.edu. (NOTE: Details on sessions are in the “attachments” tab on the link provided.)
ENG 201 COURSE REPLACED BY TST 2100
Are you pursuing a DAWIA certification in Test and Evaluation at the Practitioner level? If so, please note that DAU recently deployed TST 2100 “Applied Systems Engineering for Testers,” which replaced its predecessor course ENG 201 “Applied Systems Engineering in Defense Acquisition, Part I.” TST 2100 is an online training course containing three modules that provide test professionals with an in-depth look at the engineering principles and application decisions they will need to effectively and competently navigate the DOD’s Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) pathway.
