KNOWLEDGE THROUGH INDUSTRY: Through the PPTE program, participants will gain a better understanding how industry and government work together by promoting increased communication and the sharing of best practices. (Photo by Christina Morillo, Pexels)
DOD’s Public-Private Talent Experience participants spend up to six months with an industry partner.
by Stefanie Pidgeon
The Army is successful in meeting its mission in many thanks to its industry partners. The Army relies on industry to be responsive to needs and to mobilize quickly. Industry also relies on its government partners to plan and be agile and open to creativity. This reliance requires a great understanding of how industry and government work.
Enter the Department of Defense’s Public-Private Talent Experience (PPTE), a developmental program for civilian acquisition workforce professionals where selected participants spend up to six months with an industry partner performing an acquisition-related assignment.
“I think it is important for the [Army Acquisition Workforce] to have a greater understanding of the larger defense community and how topics go up to congressional leaders for their awareness,” said Wai Kwan Chung, program manager with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, who participated in the DOD PPTE in 2022. Chung spent three months with the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), one of several companies and organizations that participates in the program.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
DOD PPTE participants are acquisition professionals with high leadership potential. They are considered experts in their respective functional areas because of their knowledge, skills and abilities. Applicants must be in grades GS-13 through GS-15 (or broadband equivalent), and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certified (or within the grace period).
“PPTE promotes increased communication between government and industry, enables participants to gain a better understanding of industry’s business operations and challenges, and facilitates the sharing of innovative best practices,” said Kristine Faria, DOD PPTE program manager for the Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office. “If you’re familiar with the Training With Industry program for our military members, PPTE is similar, but for the civilian population.”
The Defense Acquisition University’s Office of Human Capital Initiatives (HCI) owns and manages the overall PPTE program; the Army DACM Office conducts the program for Army acquisition.
HCI is responsible for executing DOD-wide acquisition workforce governance, strategies, policies and talent management initiatives, supporting the National Defense Strategy and components as they equip a highly qualified workforce of professionals in developing, acquiring and sustaining world-class warfighting capabilities to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Guardians and Marines. They do this through creating a high quality, high-performing, agile defense acquisition workforce, empowered to deliver the best possible acquisition outcomes in support of the warfighter. PPTE is one of the programs HCI leverages to meet this mission.
“HCI identifies and recruits the companies that wish to host DOD employees for a professional work experience,” said Faria. “A wide range of companies have participated in the program, including Accenture, Amazon, Ball Aerospace, Boeing, The Dcode Group, Deloitte, General Atomics, National Defense Industrial Association, National Industries for the Blind, Raytheon, SAP NS2, SAP Public Services and Sterling Foods.”
Brian Raftery, project manager for Army Data and Analytics Platforms with the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), selected to work with Amazon Web Services (AWS). “I became aware of PPTE while I was developing my Enhanced Command Preparation Program prior to assuming responsibilities as project manager for Army Data and Analytics Platforms. PPTE was the industry exposure component of a targeted upskilling program and is the civilian equivalent of the military Training with Industry (TWI) program, which has been in place for some time. Given the Army’s ongoing migration to cloud services, I chose AWS, as they were the originators of cloud computing and remain both a segment leader and largest provider of cloud services,” said Raftery.
Raftery learned more than just how Amazon develops and provides its web and cloud services. He was most impressed with the emphasis the company places on employee development. “AWS is very efficient in onboarding new employees resulting in faster productivity. IT [information technology] resources arrive prior to your start day, and you are able to access all online resources from day one and a formal, individualized onboarding plan is developed for each new employee and is available online with tracking milestones,” he said. “They also place a great deal of emphasis on continuous learning and have multiple online resources to help employees upskill, similar in some ways as the Army Acquisition Workforce.”
While Chung was only with NDIA for a short time, she says she found the time spent invaluable. “[The work] was less program managing and more think tank and research, which was not what I expected. However, it was a pleasant surprise, and I enjoyed the work,” said Chung, who worked with the NDIA’s Emerging Technologies Institute and a research fellow during her time there. “I helped with research and writing white papers on defense-related topics such as supply chain issues, areas of new focus, etc.”
Ronald R. Richardson Jr., the Army DACM, said it’s not just the Army that benefits from an exchange program with industry. The individual benefits, too. “Having the opportunity to embed with an organization outside of government, and learn how they do business, helps our professionals grow their business acumen and leadership mindset,” he said.
This experience has been especially helpful to Raftery in his new position with PEO EIS. “Perhaps the biggest takeaway is a general understanding and awareness of cloud computing concepts and services. Parts of my current portfolio are in or moving to the Army cloud, part of which is in AWS. Familiarity with specific services and pricing principles is very useful,” he said.
What’s unique about the PPTE program is that there is also the opportunity for industry participants to perform an assignment with a DOD host, Faria said. “If an Army organization wishes to host an individual from industry, the organization can contact the DACM Office for further information,” she said.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE TALENT EXPERIENCE The PPTE program offers an opportunity for selected civilian acquisition workforce professionals to spend up to six months with an industry partner performing an acquisition-related assignment. (Graphic by USAASC)
STRENGTH IN SUPPORT
Leadership and supervisor support is key to ensuring future Army acquisition leaders have the opportunity to participate in the program. While six months is a commitment not only for the individual but also for the participant’s organization, the experience provides a long-term benefit to the workforce and the Army.
“We need to strengthen and maintain our relationships with our industry partners,” said Richardson. “Our mission is to never put our Soldiers in a fair fight. While our Army is innovative and is more agile than ever, it’s industry, including small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors, that are very forward-thinking and leveraging the latest and greatest in technological advancements. We need to optimize those relationships.”
Participants like Chung believe strong support from the organization and its leaders is all the more important in order for the participant to get the most out of the experience.
“Programs like [PPTE] expand our knowledge of the defense industry as a whole and reminds me why my work is important within the overall DOD perspective,” said Chung. “It was interesting for me to understand how issues, solutions and topics go to Congress for debates and eventually work itself into policy.”
CONCLUSION
Applications for the DOD PPTE program open once per year, typically early fall. While assignment locations vary, assignments are often made based on the needs of the participant and the requirements of the industry partner. If a participant is not able to perform the assignment at the industry site because of travel or temporary duty requirements, there may be the opportunity to telework and perform a virtual assignment.
“The Army is focused on developing the digital acumen of its Army Acquisition Workforce, and the Army DACM Office is leveraging PPTE to further that goal,” said Faria. “For the next program cycle, we are working with our partners at U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software Office on a pilot program specifically designed for Army Acquisition Workforce digital engineers. We look forward to continuing to grow the program to meet Army priorities and the needs of our workforce.”
For more information on DOD PPTE, including how to apply, go to: https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/dod-ppte.
STEFANIE PIDGEON is the Communications Branch chief in the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s DACM Office. She has worked in strategic communications and public affairs for DOD and the U.S. Army for more than a decade. She holds a Master of Mass Communication in integrated communications from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Winthrop University.
