Career Corner
The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) Army Director for Acquisition Career Management (DACM) Office is a one-stop shop for everything acquisition career-related. Your Army DACM Office is responsible for ensuring acquisition career development, talent management initiatives, and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification (training, education and experience) of the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW). The AAW consists of approximately 37,000 Army acquisition civilian and military leaders and professionals residing in Army staff offices, Army commands, Army service component commands, program executive offices, and direct reporting units.
The Army DACM Office works directly with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition), the Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) (USD AT&L), and the USD AT&L Human Capital Initiatives (HCI) Office to enable acquisition workforce initiatives and to serve as advocates for the AAW.
Fill In Those Blanks
By Sue Follett FORT BELVOIR, Va.—Setting up your calendar for 2017? Take a few minutes to read the latest issue of the DACM Newsletter and find out the most effective ways to fill in all that white space: courses and developmental opportunities designed to help you do your job more effectively. Posted today, the newsletter outlines IDEAL, a pilot program for leader development for GS-12s and GS-13s. It also provides dates and information on upcoming sessions of the DACM’s most popular programs, including AALPC and DAU-SSCF. Maybe you don’t see a training program that fits exactly what your organization needs? Consider DAWDF—a program that provides funding for programs that improve certification rates, develop functional skills, and increase acquisition core competencies. Information on the next funding call is on p.1. Designed to provide maximum information for a small investment of your time, the newsletter also includes tips on making sure you’re putting your best foot forward at upcoming PD/PM boards, a rundown of improvements to the IDP dashboard and the latest appointees to Training With Industry and the CDG/AAF program. The last page features links to a handful of important websites and social media platforms—one more way to access vital information for keeping your career development on schedule. Go to to http://asc.army.mil/web/dacm-newsletter/ read the current issue. Related posts: “A Unified Team”: The newest Army Acquisition Fellowship graduates September Army DACM Office Hot Topics Hot Topics 2.0 Investing in People
December 2016 Hot Topics
FROM THE ARMY DACM OFFICE ANNUAL ETHICS TRAINING As of Nov. 30, only 35.9 percent of the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) had completed the annual ethics training requirement. CAPPMIS will only capture ethics completion if an AAW professional has either CLM 003, ETH003, MAN-ETH16, 2016 Acquisition Ethics, or the word “Ethics” in the course title from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2016. Less than 30 days remain to ensure the AAW meets this Office of the Secretary of Defense mandate. CENTRALIZED CIVILIAN SELECTION BOARDS On Dec. 1, the product director centralized selection board convened at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to review 46 NH-04/GS-14 equivalent broadband/pay-band AAW applicants to select the best qualified to serve in the 11 FY17 product director positions within the program executive offices during the June-August 2017 timeframe. On Dec. 14, the FY17 Project Director Centralized Selection Board is scheduled to convene at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command to select the best qualified applicants to serve as an NH-04/GS-15 equivalent broadband project director for the summer of 2017. INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND ANNUAL PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES It’s that time of the year to develop your Individual Development Plans and Annual Performance Objectives with your supervisor. We invite you to take a look at your Acquisition Career Field Career Models and our Career Planning Steps page on our website to facilitate that discussion and requirement: http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/civilian/career-planning-steps/ CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Closing soon: The Acquisition Leadership Challenge Program nomination window opened on November 12 for second-quarter classes. This announcement closes December 14. Related posts: September Army DACM Office Hot Topics December Army DACM Hot Topics May 2016 Hot Topics September 2016 Hot Topics
DAU Senior Service College Fellows complete Program Manager’s Course
By Kristine Faria The Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship (DAU-SSCF) program marked a high point in November as the current class graduated from the Program Manager’s Course, also known as PMT 401. Designed to strengthen the analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills of senior acquisition leaders, PMT 401 uses a case study approach, asking students to analyze cases that represent contemporary acquisition program challenges and dilemmas. DAU-SSCF Executive Director Mark Lumb delivers the keynote address at the PMT 401 graduation ceremony, stressing the importance of a trained, ready, professional acquisition workforce. During the course, required by law for Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) program managers (PMs), participants applied their knowledge of the acquisition environment and deepened their understanding of acquisition principles and practices. Speakers, team projects, media training and leadership simulations enriched the learning experience. PMT 401 is part of the broader DAU-SSCF program, an intensive 10-month course of study that prepares senior-level civilians for key acquisition leadership roles. DAU-SSCF is offered at three sites: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Huntsville, Alabama; and Warren, Michigan. On Nov. 18, students from the three DAU-SSCF sites convened at the DAU South Region campus in Huntsville for the combined PMT 401 graduation ceremony. Before the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, Army director for acquisition career management, met with the program fellows to share thoughts and guidance of particular relevance to the acquisition leaders. Williamson stressed several key points, including the importance of networking. “Building your own network is valuable to you and to the enterprise,” said Williamson. He emphasized the importance of sharing lessons learned, and noted that PMs can save time when a problem arises by calling a buddy rather than trying to solve the problem on their own. Williamson also noted that his job is to create the opportunity to grow people, and he encouraged program fellows to join him in this mission by telling them that they have a responsibility to grow talent and mentor upcoming leaders. He advised them to think about the people who will be in the DAU-SSCF seats next year. Williamson also answered questions from participants and shared his thoughts about how they can apply the skills and talents they have developed throughout the program. Lt. Gen. Michael E. Williamson, Army director of acquisition career management, speaks to DAU-SSCF fellows before the ceremony marking their completion of the Program Manager’s Course. DAU-SSCF Executive Director Mark Lumb provided the graduation ceremony’s keynote remarks. He stressed the importance of a trained, ready, professional acquisition workforce, and said that PMT 401 had prepared them well by honing their critical thinking skills. Lumb inspired the graduates with a quote attributed to Anglican minister John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” After graduation, the fellows returned to their DAU-SSCF studies. During the remaining six months of the program, they’ll continue work on their major research projects, attend leadership seminars and workshops and participate in installation and industry site visits that will enhance their understanding of Army acquisition within the greater defense framework. DAU-SSCF graduation will take place in May, and the application period for next year’s class opens January 23. For more information about DAU-SSCF, go to http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/defense-acquisition-university-senior-service-college/. The current class of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Senior Service College Fellowship gathers in Huntsville for a ceremony marking their completion of the Program Manager’s Course, also known as PMT 401. (photos by Tonia Beavers, DAU) Subscribe to Army AL&T News, the premier online news source for the Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (AL&T) Workforce. Related posts: Acquisition Education and Training Corner DACM Corner: AcqDemo: Rewarding Excellence Acquisition Education and Training Corner October Army DACM Office Hot Topics