WHAT’S NEW
CONGRATULATIONS TO FY23 PRODUCT DIRECTOR SELECTEES
Twelve GS-14 candidates from the Army Acquisition Workforce were selected from the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) product director (PD) centralized selection board held June 6-10, 2022 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Entering its ninth year of execution, the civilian-only centrally selected PD board is the cornerstone talent management initiative for identifying high-performing, high-potential civilians who possess leadership potential to fill civilian PD positions.
Since the initial launch of a pilot in 2015, the PD program has distinguished itself as the Director, Army Acquisition Corps (DAAC) benchmark talent management effort to grow future civilian centrally selected product and project managers.
Congratulations to the following FY23 product director selectees shown slated to the positions they will assume this summer.
LAST CALL FOR ACQUISITION AWARDS NOMINATIONS
The Army Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards and the Army Acquisition Hall of Fame.
The Army Acquisition Hall of Fame recognizes and honors former members of the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) who have made significant and enduring contributions in support of the Army acquisition community. Nominations for the Army Acquisition Hall of Fame are open to all former AAW personnel, both military and civilian, who are now separated or retired after a minimum of 20 years of federal service. The deadline for submissions is June 20, 2023. For more information visit https://asc.army.mil/web/hall-of-fame/.
The 2023 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards recognize acquisition professionals and teams who made significant contributions across the department to build enduring advantages and preserve our competitive edge. Nominations will be accepted in five categories:
- David Packard Excellence in Acquisition
- Individual Achievement
- Workforce Development Innovation
- Flexibility in Contracting
- Software Innovation Team Achievement
Army nominations for the 2023 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards must be submitted to the DACM Office no later than June 30, 2023.
For more information, please visit https://asc.army.mil/web/acquisition-awards/#undersecawards.
GETTING STARTED WITH UDEMY
WALKING THE PATH OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
As an AAW professional, did you know that you have free access to the Udemy online learning platform, where you can begin upskilling through a digital transformation learning pathway?
How do I sign up for learning through Udemy?
If you still need to register, please complete the following steps:
- Go to Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA) on udemy.com and fill in the requested information. The email address or username that you utilize must be your army.mil address.
- Complete the email verification and fill out the required registration information.
- You now have access and can start learning!
Udemy digital foundations training is intended to develop an understanding on the topics of digital transformation, Agile software development, DevSecOps, cloud foundations, data science, machine learning, human-centered design, artificial intelligence and cyber security in order to practically apply those tools as we lead, develop, test, field and sustain Army modernization programs. This training pathway includes three courses to prioritize for foundational digital literacy upskilling: Digital Transformation Masterclass, The Agile Samurai Bootcamp and Product Management for Artificial Intelligence & Data Science.
To locate the digital transformation learning pathway assigned to you:
- Log in to the Udemy portal at armyciv.udemy.com.
- In the upper right-hand corner, select “My Learning.”
- Select the “Learning Paths” tab.
- Select “Digital Foundations.”
- To begin taking the first course, select “Digital Transformation 2023 – Masterclass.”
- Press the Play button.
Step One – Login Screen.
armyciv.udemy.com
Step Two – My Learning.
Navigate to the My Learning portal located in the upper-right hand corner.
Step Three – Navigate to your Learning Paths tab.
Step Four – Select your assigned Digital Foundations packet.
Step Five – Launch the first course!
The three digital transformation courses are:
- Digital Transformation 2023 – Masterclass
- The Agile Samurai Bootcamp
- The Product Management for AI & Data Science Course
HOW DO I GET MY CONTINUOUS LEARNING POINTS (CLP) CREDIT?
Once a Udemy course is completed, your CLPs will automatically be credited to your Individual Development Plan (IDP) and your Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) in CAPPMIS; do not manually submit a CLP request to your supervisor. If you complete a Udemy course that was not assigned to you through your Learning Path, then you will need to submit a manual request through your IDP.
For those who use the Total Employee Development (TED) system, the required Udemy courses are built in as course offerings. Upon course completion, CLPs will also be automatically transferred from your TED profile to your Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System (CAPPMIS) profile. Please note that TED system training completion updates transfer to CAPPMIS on a weekly refresh schedule.
If you require troubleshooting during registration or have questions about navigating the site, please refer to the “Udemy for Everyone Tutorial” available on MilSuite.
A reminder for acquisition-coded employees within ASA(ALT), the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center and the program executive offices, the Digital Foundations learning pathway is a mandatory fiscal year 2023 objective.
ACQUISITION EDUCATION, TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS TO IDEAL
The fiscal year 2024 (FY24) Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program is now open for applications. IDEAL is a leader development program targeted to new and emerging supervisors who are seeking to refine their leadership skills or develop them in preparation for a supervisory or leadership position.
Recent IDEAL participant Erika Curry had this to say about the program: “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.”
Applicants must be permanent or conditional tenure (with exceptions for certain term employees), full-time civilian members of the Army Acquisition Workforce, GS-12 or GS-13 or equivalent payband. You must meet the DAWIA position certification requirements 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. Visit our website for program details, the application process, to 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/.
DIGITAL DATA LEADERS AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
The Army DACM Office has coordinated an in-person, weeklong, Digital Data Leaders (DDL) course at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh for general officers (GO), members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), colonels, lieutenant colonels, GS-14 and GS-15 leaders of leaders. The course assists Army leadership in developing a robust enterprise data management capability to improve decision-making to better support the mission of the U.S Army. The course includes topics such as data management, data science, decision making, emerging technology, change management, data privacy and security. Attendees will earn a certificate in data driven leadership and 40 CLPs.
Allen Waldran, associate director of the Prototype Integration Facility at the DEVCOM Aviation and Missile Center’s Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration Directorate, said the course helped him understand how that data is stored, accessed and used. “Data has become so ingrained in what we do each and every day that we often take it for granted. This training reinvigorates the subject and highlights how far the science has come and describes in great detail how far, and how quickly, it will advance in the future.”
As of May 25, there are still seats remaining in the following classes:
Class 014: 11-15 September
Class 015: 25-29 September
Registration for CMU DDL is managed via the Army Internet Training Application System (AITAS) at https://www.atrrs.army.mil/Aitas/. AITAS is a CAC-only system. You must use a CAC-enabled computer to access the application. If you do not have an existing AITAS user profile, you will be prompted to create one.
After your AITAS user profile has been created or updated, you will register for the class by navigating to My Career > Search for Training. In the search box, type “CMU,” click on “CMU DDL – Digital Data Leader” and then click on “Find Available Classes.” You will then click on “Show Classes” and click on the “Apply” button for the class you want to attend. You will receive automated emails from AITAS as your application moves through the registration process.
Applications will be prioritized by rank/grade as follows:
GO/SES = Priority 1
COL/GS-15 = Priority 2
LTC/GS-14 = Priority 3
Applicants may see a lower priority on their application when they apply; however, priority levels will be reviewed and updated when the application is processed.
Each class has a maximum capacity of 35 students. It is possible that a lower priority student could be bumped, up to one week before the class start date if the seat is needed for a higher priority student. Classes showing available seats is not a guarantee that you will receive a reservation. Seats are allocated by rank/grade and some seats are reserved for a specific group of students.
Applicants who receive a confirmed reservation will receive course information from Carnegie Mellon University instructors approximately one week before the class start date.
Please contact Susan Clark at susan.e.clark.civ@army.mil if you have questions about the registration process.
APPLY TODAY TO THE 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 on business or acquisition?
If you’re considering taking college classes that start in October or later of this year and are seeking tuition assistance, ATAP may be for you!
The Army DACM Office funds tuition costs, including laboratory and technology fees, within specified funding limits (see announcement for details) to those accepted into ATAP. Applications are being accepted now through July 14.
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- or business-related courses or such courses in a declared major toward either a bachelor’s or master’s degree at an accredited college or university during off-duty time. Book, 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
COMING SOON – APPLICATION WINDOW OPENING FOR THE FY24 TRAINING WITH INDUSTRY (TWI) PROGRAM
Starting on June 14, applications will be accepted to the fiscal year 2024 (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.
This opportunity is open to active component acquisition officers in the rank of LTC or 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.
To apply, reach out to Maj. Ronnie Bush at ronnie.l.bush2.mil@army.mil or 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/.
