HOT TOPICS
ACQUISITION TRAINING, EDUCATION AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
DOD ACQUISITION INDUSTRY EXCHANGE PROGRAM (IEP)
The 2019 IEP pilot is wrapping up with a capstone event at the Pentagon hosted by Honorable Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment (USD(A&S)), on July 30-31. The Office of the USD (A&S) leads and administers this exciting new program and plans to increase the level of participation from Army, Navy, OSD and private sector companies for the upcoming 2020 session.
Many corporations have already agreed to take part, such as Deloitte, Unisys, CACI, Clark Construction, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Jacobs, GuideHouse, Booz Allen Hamilton and Raytheon. The list of partnering companies will be updated as additional companies join the exchange program.
The six-month IEP targets Army Acquisition Workforce professionals at the GS-13 to GS-15 or equivalent pay-band level who have 10 to 15 years of experience, display strong leadership potential, are high performers, and are in the career fields of program management, engineering, life cycle logistics, science and technology, or contracting. Selections will be made in October, along with a kickoff orientation. Selectees’ exchange assignments run from January to June 2020. To wrap up the season, a capstone event at the Pentagon is scheduled for July 2020.
Interested Army civilians can apply from July 8-31 via the Army Acquisition Personnel and Position Development System (AAPDS) at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/. Candidates should be prepared to complete an application form, submit a biography, an Acquisition Career Record Brief, and a command endorsement memorandum endorsed by the first general officer or Senior Executive Service member in the candidate’s command.
To read more about the program, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/dod-iep/. For any questions, contact Harry Ward at 703-664-5663 or harry.p.ward.civ@mail.mil.
NEW APPLICATION WINDOW DATES FOR THE ACQUISITION LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE PROGRAM (ALCP)
Applications for the ALCP will be accepted from July 1-31. This enriching program targets GS-7 to GS-13 and broadband equivalents who are building and refining their leadership, communication, teamwork and collaboration skills. ALCP harnesses self-awareness as a tool for enhancing leadership, innovation and diversity development by demonstrating how individual preferences and behaviors affect our workplace interactions with others. More information about the ALCP and how to apply can be found at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-leadership-challenge-program/.
INSPIRING AND DEVELOPING EXCELLENCE IN ACQUISITION LEADERS (IDEAL) FY20 ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
IDEAL FY20 will be open for applications July 3 through Aug. 21. For FY20, there will be two cohorts: one at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and one in Huntsville, Alabama. This leadership development program prepares mid-career acquisition professionals (GS-12 to GS-13 or equivalent) for positions where they will lead people, teams and other work groups. Read more about the program and how to apply at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/inspiring-and-developing-excellence-in-acquisition-leaders-ideal/.
DEFENSE CIVILIAN EMERGING LEADER PROGRAM (DCELP) PREREQUISITE
DCELP is a DOD-sponsored leadership development program for civilians grades GS-7 through GS-12 (or equivalent pay band). The program includes residential sessions on team development, effective writing, conflict resolution and other topics. Completion of the appropriate Civilian Education System (CES) course is a prerequisite for DCELP. For GS-7, -8 and -9, the requirement is CES Basic. For GS-10, -11, and -12, it’s CES Intermediate. If you want to apply for DCELP (it opens later this calendar year) and you have not taken the required CES course, contact your organization’s training or workforce development office for information on how to enroll in CES. To learn more about DCELP, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/dcelp/.
IT’S A BIG WIN FOR THE ARMY RESERVE!
For the first time ever, U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) officers can now participate in the Training with Industry (TWI) program and the Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) program. Currently this program will only be available to USAR Active Guard Reserve (AGR) officers. In a signed memo from the Department of the Army dated June 3, 2019, Subject: “Approval for USAR officers Acquisition to Participate in TWI and ACS Programs,” functional area personnel now have assigned slots in training and educational programs at civilian institutions and programs. For more information about TWI and ACS, please visit:
TWI – https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/aac-training-with-industry/
ACS – https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/advanced-civil-schooling/
THE ARMY GHOST PROGRAM IS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
The application window is open for the FY20 U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Ghost Program. This is a unique, broadening opportunity for junior Army acquirers to directly support the mission of delivering Special Operations Forces (SOF) capabilities to downrange warfighters during a 90-day TDY rotation at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Ghosts are immersed in a fast-paced, highly rewarding joint environment. During their assignment, Ghosts will lead a 90-day sprint to meet the demanding needs of SOF operators. The lessons they learn will increase their knowledge of rapid acquisitions and prepare them to assume future responsibilities as program managers or contracting officers in any organization. USSOCOM is primarily looking for high-performing acquisition captains and majors (O-3/O-4) with two to four years of acquisition experience. The program is continuously accepting nominations and has flexible start dates throughout each quarter. The Ghost program is DAWDF-funded and at no cost to the applicant’s command. To apply, or for questions, email ghost-recruiting@socom.mil.
ARMY DACM OFFICE UPDATES:
Army Acquisition Workforce Competency Assessment – Wave II
The Army Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office will initiate a competency assessment with a portion of the Army Acquisition Workforce as a follow-on to the 2017 baseline assessment. The assessment will validate leadership and acquisition functional competency gaps from the initial assessment as well as identify new Army-specific competency gaps from feedback from Army Acquisition Functional Leaders (AAFL) and the Army Acquisition Human Capital Strategic Plan (HCSP) Council. The assessments will begin in the summer of 2019 and results will be shared with commands and Army DACM Office stakeholders in the fall.
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Navigating through a major acquisition program can, at times, be challenging. However Defense Acquisition University’s (DAU) user-friendly interactive toolkits make the navigation a lot easier. With over 300 tools in the DAU Tool Catalog, your acquisition strategies can be stronger than ever. Some examples of these tools are: the Appropriation Life Cycle tracking tool, the Defense Acquisition Life Cycle Wall Chart, the Other Transactions Guide, the Live Fire Test and Evaluation Waiver, the Product Support Toolkit and the Funds Management Platinum Reference Card. Fill up your acquisition toolbox from the DAU Tool Catalog at https://www.dau.mil/tools/Pages/AllTools.aspx. Read more in “At Your Fingertips” by Michael Bold at https://asc.army.mil/web/news-alt-amj19-at-your-fingertips/.
ATTENTION ARMY CIVILIAN TRAINING, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM (ACTEDS) INTERNS
Due to lack of ACTEDS intern funding, all incoming Defense Acquisition University (DAU) training applications received from ACTEDS interns for classes being conducted during the 4th quarter of FY19 will be disapproved. If the student’s command is willing to fund the travel and per diem, the student must state that on their application and include contact information for their travel budget point of contact. Although the Army DACM Office will process ACTEDS intern applications for October 2019, it is recommended that ACTEDS interns apply for FY20 DAU training with start dates no earlier than Nov. 1, 2019. Questions may be submitted via the Army DACM Office Help portal at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest.
NOW OPEN – THE SIXTH ANNUAL 2019 MAJ. GEN. HAROLD J. “HARRY” GREENE AWARDS FOR ACQUISITION WRITING COMPETITION!
Share your articles, essays and opinion pieces with the acquisition community in one of four categories: acquisition reform, future operations, innovation or lessons learned. The submission deadline is Sept. 24. More details can be found in the original, full-length article at https://asc.army.mil/web/news-acquisition-writing-competition-showcases-workforce-talent-and-creativity/.
DOD EARLY CAREER WORKSHOP FOR THE DEFENSE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE
On June 4 – 6, the Honorable Ellen M. Lord, USD(A&S), hosted a DOD Acquisition Early Career Workshop. A major focus was to gain an operational perspective and awareness of what is working well and what can be improved from individuals early in their acquisition careers. The intent of the workshop was to serve as a change initiative platform for the early career acquisition workforce (GS-11 through GS-13, 5-10 years in service). The USD(A&S) Human Capital Initiatives (HCI) Office is employing a continuous strategy to keep these quality early acquisition professionals engaged after the workshop to help shape the future of acquisition.
Workshop participants were selected on a nomination basis by their service acquisition executives and 4th Estate leadership. We have heard repeatedly from this critical subset of the acquisition workforce that they want to be heard and they want to play a role in shaping the future of defense acquisition.
There were five Army Acquisition Workforce members early in their career selected this year:
- Jennifer Weiger, Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation, Program Management
- Breanna Meierdiercks, PEO Soldier, Lifecycle Logistics
- Elizabeth (Liz) Furlong, Army Contracting Command, Contracting
- Daniel Zaloga, Army Futures Command, Engineering
- Nicole Wilson, PEO Enterprise Information Systems, Program Management
To read more about this innovative program, go to the HCI webpage: http://www.hci.mil/what-we-do/ecw.html.
ARE YOU AN ORGANIZATIONAL ACQUISITION POINT OF CONTACT (OAP)?
If you are an OAP, you may at one point need to create what is known as a “position waiver” for someone in your organization. A position waiver refers to a Position Requirement Extension Waiver, also known as either a Certification Position waiver or a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP)/Key Leadership (KLP) waiver. These position waivers are temporary timeline extension tools for when someone occupying an acquisition position needs extra time to satisfy their acquisition position’s mandatory DAWIA certification requirements or Army Acquisition Corps membership requirements. More details about waivers can be found at https://asc.army.mil/web/faqs-waiv-01/. The Army DACM Office has posted its position waiver process documents on the Army DACM Office website—bookmark and refer to these documents when assembling position waiver packages. For more details on waiver guidance, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/dd2905/.
POLICY UPDATE
The Army acquisition community is continuously evolving, and the Army DACM supports this evolution by ensuring acquisition professionals are educated, trained and relevant to support the current and future force. The Army DACM Office is responsible for all Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) policies. Recently, the Army DACM Office conducted a review of these policies to ensure current applicability. Those policies and memoranda no longer applicable, or those that have been superseded, are documented in the following guidance: May 23, 2019 Army DACM Memo, Subject: Archival of Outdated Army Acquisition Workforce Policies at
https://asc.army.mil/web/archival-of-outdated-aaw-policies-signed-cas-20190523/.
CONTRACTING CERTIFICATION CHANGES
Appointed by the USD(A&S), the Functional Leader for Contracting, Purchasing and Industrial and Contract Property Management acquisition career fields released a June 6, 2019, memorandum, subject: FY2020 Annual Certification – Contracting, Purchasing, and Industrial and Contract Property Management Acquisition Career Fields. The memorandum identifies changes to training standards for Level II and Level III contracting certification that are deemed as reasonable, appropriate and applicable to DOD acquisition workforce personnel desiring certification after Sept. 30, 2019. A copy of this memorandum is posted to the Army DACM Office Policy Library at https://asc.army.mil/web/signed-contracting-fl-fy20-certification-06-06-2019/.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION CHANGES
Appointed by the USD(A&S), the Functional Leader for the Information Technology (IT) acquisition career field (ACF) released the memorandum, subject: Fiscal Year (FY) 20 Annual Certification – Information Technology (IT) Acquisition Career Field. The memorandum validates that the FY20 certification standards for this ACF are reasonable, appropriate, and applicable to DOD acquisition workforce personnel desiring certification after Sept. 30, 2019. A copy of this memorandum is posted to the Army DACM Office Policy Library at https://asc.army.mil/web/it-fl-fy-20-certification-letter-22may/.
TEST AND EVALUATION CERTIFICATION CHANGES
The Functional Leader for the Test and Evaluation (T&E) Acquisition Career Field (ACF) within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering released a memorandum on June 12, 2019, subject: FY20 Annual Certification – Test and Evaluation Acquisition Career Field. This memorandum states that the T&E Workforce Competency Model and Functional specific requirements for the Chief Developmental Tester will remain unchanged for FY20. However, the T&E Functional Leader approved changes to the T&E Position Category Description and T&E Certification Level II and III standards. These changes will take effect Oct. 1, 2019. A copy of this memorandum is posted to the Army DACM Office Policy Library at https://asc.army.mil/web/signed-contractingfl-fy20-certification06-06-2019/.
SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS
This month, we are spotlighting the work of the Army Acquisition Workforce—your chance to highlight the interesting work you or your teammates are doing in support of the warfighter. Don’t be shy; tell us what you’re working on. Fill out a Faces of the Force nomination form and we’ll help get the word out. Details are at https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-submissions/.
ARMY AL&T MAGAZINE IS A TOOL FOR YOU
The Summer 2019 edition of Army AL&T Magazine is now available online at https://asc.army.mil/armyalt/Summer2019/html/index.html.
This journal provides the AAW community with in-depth, analytically focused articles on a range of topics including AL&T processes, procedures, techniques and management philosophies. Subscribe today: https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-magazine/.
