ACQUISITION TRAINING, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
FY26 PROJECT/PRODUCT MANAGER AND PRODUCT DIRECTOR OPPORTUNITIES
NOW OPEN – Now through April 19, civilian applications are being accepted for consideration to fill opportunities amongst the FY26 Centralized Selection List (CSL) and Centralized Selection Board (CSB) positions. The Army Acquisition Professional Development System (AAPDS), housed within the Career Acquisition Management Portal (CAMP) system, enables civilians who are interested and eligible to “opt-in” to CSL/CSB opportunities using a single portal and one application packet.
Selection for these positions through the centralized selection process are among the most important decisions the Army makes. The purpose of the process is to identify a pool of high performing and high potential civilian acquisition professionals who can lead high-visibility acquisition programs to meet the mission and vision of the Army acquisition enterprise. These leaders also play a crucial role in developing, enabling and retaining our workforce professionals.
Best-qualified individuals will be selected for specifically identified acquisition command and acquisition positions.
For additional CSL details, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/centralized-selection-list/ or contact Mr. Adam Polite at adam.b.polite.civ@army.mil.
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.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS – ENTERPRISE CIVILIAN LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS (ECLDP)
The Enterprise Civilian Talent Development Programs (ECTDP), formerly known as the Senior Enterprise Talent Management and the Enterprise Talent Management (SETM/ETM), are Army talent management programs created to produce senior civilian leaders with an enterprise perspective who could serve in increasing levels of responsibility. Senior level and entry- to mid-level programs consist of multiple modules and leadership development courses. Applicants may apply for one or more modules and/or courses for which they are qualified. ECTDP is administered by the Civilian Human Resources Agency (CHRA) Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA). Eligible applicants are Army civilians GS-07 through GS-15 (and equivalent payband) employees and eligibility varies by module.
Announcement Opening: March 1, 2024
Announcement Closing: April 30, 2024
To apply for these opportunities, go through the ACCMA Talent Development Application Portal at https://secure.civilians.army.mil/TalentDev (CAC enabled).
Additional information about the programs, as well as instructions on how to apply, are 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.
PLEASE NOTE: The DACM Office is only an ECLDP liaison for Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) professionals. Those who are not AAW professionals must coordinate with their commands and the ACCMA talent development portal to apply. Applicants and senior rater or endorser must submit complete applications by April 30.
For details, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/setm-etm/.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT MASTER’S DEGREE – NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Systems and Program Management Non-resident Master’s Degree Program (MSSPM) opens for applications on March 11, 2024.
Get ahead of the game and prepare your application packet early. The NPS-MSSPM is a two-year interdisciplinary program conducted via distance learning that combines systems engineering with program management knowledge and skills. The program is intended to broaden the technical capabilities of the acquisition workforce who may have non-technical backgrounds, so they are able to successfully manage and lead programs/projects in support of the Defense Acquisition System. Students in this program learn the systems engineering process from establishing system requirements through test and evaluation. Simultaneously, students learn how to manage, schedule and budget programs as well as work with Department of Defense (DOD) suppliers through contracts to meet program obligations.
The NPS-MSSPM gives participants the opportunity to obtain a Master of Science degree in systems and program management, a certificate in systems engineering and earn Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act training equivalencies in various acquisition career fields outlined in the current announcement within two years, on a part-time basis. Students take two distance learning courses per quarter for eight consecutive quarters. The Army DACM office sponsors the program and will fund the cost of books and tuition.
For complete details, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/naval-postgraduate-school-master-of-science-in-program-management/.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING MASTER’S DEGREE – NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Systems Engineering Non-resident Master’s Degree Program (MSSE) with a System of Systems Focus opens for applications on March 11, 2024.
Similar to the NPS-MSSPM program, the NPS-MSSE is a two-year program designed for DOD organizations faced with a wide range of systems engineering and integration challenges. NPS educates and trains engineers with tools and technologies relevant to their work, resulting in employees with greater knowledge and expertise to better meet the needs of their customers. The NPS-MSSE gives participants the opportunity to obtain an M.S. in systems engineering within two years, on a part-time basis. Students take two distance learning courses per quarter for eight consecutive quarters. The Army DACM office sponsors the program and will fund the cost of books and tuition.
For complete details, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/naval-postgrad-ms-sys-eng/.
SAVE THE DATE – ALCP OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS ON APRIL 1
The highly sought-after Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program (ALCP) opens for applications on April 1.
Through various, custom-targeted iterations, ALCP is available to top-performing civilian and military Army Acquisition Workforce professionals at multiple personnel levels:
- Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program Beginnings (ALCP B) – For civilian Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) members at the GS-7 through GS-11 (and payband equivalent) levels, ALCP B is a 2-day virtual course targeted to assist newly-hired civil service professionals in the federal and acquisition workforce. The focus is on building a solid foundation for effective and efficient acclimation into the workforce.
- Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program I (ALCP I) – For civilian AAW members at the GS-12 through GS-13 (and payband equivalent) levels, military AAW Captains and Majors, Staff Sergeants and Sergeants First Class, ALCP I focuses on the individual with emphasis on who they are and their behavioral preferences and leadership tendencies. Other course topics include conflict resolution, change and decision making.
- Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program II (ALCP II) – For civilian AAW members at the GS-14 through GS-15 (and payband equivalent) levels, military AAW Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels, Master Sergeants and First Sergeants, this 2.5-day virtual course focuses on the major challenge for new organizational leaders and incorporating individual talents into a cohesive workforce. This course also covers vision, self-awareness, lifelong learning, coherent strategies, organizational transformation and cross-cultural environments.
- Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program III (ALCP III) – For civilian AAW members at the GS-14 through GS-15 (and payband equivalent) levels, Senior Executive Service (SES) members, military AAW Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels, General Officers, Master Sergeants, First Sergeants, Sergeants Major and Command Sergeants Major, this 2.5-day virtual course focuses on further development of leadership skills in areas such as mentoring, coaching, feedback, influence styles, work engagement profiles and leadership goals.
ALCP is also open to term employees within the Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories. ALCP ensures communication through common language and helps develop leaders who value individual styles and behaviors by creating a leadership corps more capable of critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork management, collaboration and creative innovation.
The Army DACM Office ALCP Program Manager (PM) will coordinate directly with each designated command Lead Organizational Acquisition Point of Contact (OAP) to fill quotas via a 1-N list of interested AAW members. Each command will be provided quotas to ALCP offerings based on command size. Please provide your nominations to your designated Lead OAP no later than COB April 30, 2024.
For more information, visit the ALCP webpage at https://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/acquisition-leadership-challenge-program.
ACQUISITION FUNCTIONAL AREAS
UPDATED FY24 CONTINUOUS LEARNING POINTS AND CREDENTIALING GUIDANCE FOR THE CONTRACTING FUNCTIONAL AREA
On Jan. 30, the Army Acquisition Functional Leader (AAFL) for the Contracting (CON) functional area, Megan R. Dake, updated the “FY24 Recommended Continuous Learning Points and Credentials for the Contracting Functional Area” memorandum. This document supersedes the previous version that Ms. Dake signed on Oct. 4, 2022, and identifies six new courses on data analytics/literacy and agile acquisition, to increase the CON workforce’s technical expertise in these important areas. The recommended course links are hyperlinked in the referenced memorandum and may also be found in your Individual Development Plan (IDP) within your CAPPMIS profile at https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/.
Newly added recommended courses include:
- Udemy*: Digital Transformation Masterclass, 11.5 CLPs.
- Udemy*: Product Management for AI & Data Science, 5 CLPs.
- Udemy*: The Agile Samurai Bootcamp, 3 CLPs.
- DAU CLE 076 – Introduction to Agile Software Acquisition, 5 CLPs.
- DAU CON 0120 – Contracting for Modern Software, 2 CLPs.
- DAU CENG 004 – Agile DOD Team Member Credential, 21 CLPs.
*Note: To activate your ‘Udemy Business’ license, go to https://armyciv.udemy.com/ and enter your @army.mil, @mail.mil, or @usace.army.mil email address.
LATEST LIST OF DAU CREDENTIALS NOW AVAILABLE
DAU credentials provide the knowledge and associated skills to perform job-centric, niche and emerging functions in the Department of Defense acquisition environment. They are intended to enhance specific skills and improve performance in your workplace. Whether you manage capability requirements, acquire services and systems, or sustain capabilities, earning credentials can build your competence, confidence and value to your organization and the DOD. A credential builds your skills for a new job or adds skills as your career evolves. Credentials provide acquisition-related skills. They complement acquisition courses and supplement functional area certification requirements. Completion of credential courses can also, with supervisor approval, earn you valuable continuous learning points. There are an abundance of DAU credentials to select from; check them out at https://www.dau.edu/training/credentials.
