More information on the recipient
Excellence in Acquisition Workforce Management Award 2006
Recipient: Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
Office of Acquisition
Acquisition and Program Management Support Division
And the Office of the Chief of Staff
Innovative Support of TSA's Acquisition Mission
The Office of Acquisition (OA) in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has two organizations that focus on enhancing the acquisition workforce; the Acquisition and Program Management Support Division (APMSD) and the OA's Chief of Staff (COS). These two organizations work together closely to provide specific services to TSA with a clear understanding that the acquisition workforce is vital to the overall success of the TSA mission. This award is presented to the two organizations together.
The APMSD identified two important objectives for meeting their goal of developing a strong acquisition workforce: 1) building a well-defined program management structure, and 2) prioritizing training for TSA's acquisition community. The APMSD collaborates within the OA and TSA to promote effective program management throughout the acquisition process. The APMSD works with TSA management to support and emphasize the importance of Program Managers and other key program personnel to overall program success. Each APMSD staff member is assigned as an outreach resource to various TSA Program Managers to provide support in preparing required acquisition documentation to include Acquisition Plans, Mission Needs Statements, and Acquisition Program Baselines, as well as contract documentation such as Statements of Work, Work Breakdown Structures, and Independent Government Cost Estimates. They serve as resource personnel in guiding Program Managers through the Investment Review Process at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), dealing with implementation of Earned Value Management when needed and structuring Integrated Product Teams for program success.
The APMSD has built a framework of certification and training and has implemented and maintains program management tools such as the TSA Acquisition Program Status Report (TAPSR) system. TAPSR is an executive-level tool to monitor key program metrics such as acquisition documentation, Program Manager certification, program cost, and schedule and performance parameters. The APMSD has also developed a series of workshops focused on the needs of the Program Managers, contract specialists, and acquisition support team members. Currently 10 workshops on a variety of acquisition topics are being offered. Approximately 2,400 students have attended APMSD workshops since 2004. APMSD has taken the initiative to raise the emphasis on sound program management within TSA through monthly town hall meetings for Program Managers and recognition of outstanding Program Managers with an acquisition excellence coin. They have worked to elevate the importance of program management to senior leadership, and now program management is one of the top five priorities at TSA.
The COS team focuses on the development of the procurement workforce and recognizes the value of creating a workforce with the right skills and capabilities. The COS team has worked to maximize resources by collaborating with other TSA organizations, other DHS components, and external contractors to provide mandatory training opportunities and supplemental workshops beyond traditional contracting to develop the skills of the procurement workforce.
Best Practices That Support an Efficient and Effective TSA Workforce
Through a specially designed tool kit and workshops, this team provides resources to enhance the skills and abilities of the TSA acquisition workforce. APMSD in coordination with the Chief Information Officer at TSA has undertaken the development of a Program Management tool kit for the agency. The tool kit is an integrated and comprehensive tool for Program Managers to effectively and efficiently manage all aspects of its investments through its entire lifecycle (e.g., guides, templates, samples, collaboration). The tool kit includes document management, dashboard, collaboration, and reporting and work management.
In addition, APMSD continues to introduce new workshops tailored to the needs of the TSA acquisition community to improve workforce performance. New workshops this year include the Development of Mission Needs Statements, an Introduction to Earned Value Management, and Independent Government Cost Estimates.
TSA's Human Capital Strategic Plans
In Fiscal Year 2005, the Office of Acquisition developed a Human Capital Plan (HCP) to assess the current issues affecting the acquisition workforce at TSA. The HCP made it clear that, with the shrinking pool of senior contract specialist in the Washington, DC, metro area, the organization would have to &grow its own& staff to meet future needs of the organization. In 2005, DHS started a program known as &Fellows - Next Generation& to recruit entry-level contract specialists. This program was established to rebuild the contracting workforce.
OA made a commitment to pilot a unique approach to its entry-level contract specialists. Through a simulated contract division environment, a boot camp, fellows receive training in the basics of contracting prior to transitioning them into one of the five operational divisions. The boot camp consists of eight months of extensive learning, which includes all mandatory training requirements for Level I contracting certification; an overview of the entire acquisition process; and hands-on experience in developing solicitations, evaluating proposals, negotiations, contract award for each tool in the contracting tool kit, contract administration, soft skills training, and other training specific to the TSA environment. The fellows are paired with experienced contracting professionals to provide training and day-to-day supervision. In 2005, 19 fellows were hired, and OA has leveraged this program to increase its staffing levels by approximately 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2006.
The concept of the next generation program demonstrates insight and an innovative approach to the multidimensional challenge affecting the acquisition workforce today. In June 2006, as a result of this commitment, OA placed an announcement in USAJOBS for a contract specialist trainee, received hundreds of applications, interviewed approximately 50 applicants, and selected 22 future fellows. Milestones were coordinated by the COS with TSA's Human Capital and Security to ensure all applicants entered the OA on October 1, 2006. An information session was conducted for interviewees to answer all questions and introduce the federal hiring process and boot camp concept. This was all done in an effort to streamline the hiring process. OA was able to advertise, rank, interview, and select 22 fellows in less than 60 days.