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News, announcements, training, search functions, Ask-a-Professor, and similar services with direct links supporting DoD acquisition.
Acquisition Process
Three processes cooperate to deliver capabilities needed by warfighters: the requirements process (JCIDS); the acquisition process (DAS); and the program and budget development process (PPBE). Includes links to DoD and Service policies, guidance, tools, and resources:
Workforce
Information on career management, the DoD Human Capital Initiative, career planning, leadership training, overarching planning and guidance documents, and relevant professional organizations.
Policy
Encyclopedic source of acquisition policy that follows a hierarchy of policy issuance (i.e., executive, legislative, federal, etc.) and filtered according to organization, career field, and special topics.
Communitiesof Practice
Links to communities of practice and special interest areas, the latest contribution and discussion posts for open ACC communities, community highlights, and links to related communities.
Training andContinuous Learning
Information on training and continuous learning that supports DoD acquisition, information that helps manage professional training portfolios, and information on training available from DAU and DoD and Services activities.
Industry
Information on DoD industry partners that helps the participation and execution of DoD processes; including industry support pages, news, information, and links to private sector acquisition contractors.
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Better Buying Power
News, policy, and media that support greater value and efficiency in defense acquisition.
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OUSD(AT&L)PARCA is providing a unique career-development experience for high-caliber individuals in acquisition and acquisition-related career fields with the Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses (PARCA) Acquisition Exchange Program (AEP). The PARCA AEP provides experience in the Department’s executive-level MDAP decision process and implementation of DoD-wide acquisition policies. The assigned projects offer successful candidates an opportunity to enhance their acquisition and senior-level policymaking skills, develop their managerial and leadership skills, and prepare for future positions within the acquisition community. To apply for acceptance into the AEP, candidates must review the PARCA project descriptions, select areas of interest, and submit a completed application package along with a current resume. Applicants must be government civilian employees.
On May 1, 2012, 9 am - 2 pm, Mrs. Katrina McFarland, President of Defense Acquisition University, will host a forum with industry to discuss Affordability, Efficiency, and the Industrial Base. Presenters will include: Mr. Charlie Williams, Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency; Mr. Elliott Branch, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Acquisition and Procurement; Mr. Brett Lambert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy; and Dr. Nayantara Hensel, Professor of Industry and Business, Industrial College of the Armed Forces. To wrap up the plenary session, Mr. Frank Kendall, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, will lead a panel to discuss with industry how we will achieve affordable, efficient programs in this time of fiscal austerity, while maintaining a healthy industrial base.
Following the plenary session, each company representative will have the opportunity to sign up for an individual, non-attribution, 20-minute session with a DAU faculty member. During that session, the faculty member will collect your feedback. DAU plans to incorporate feedback into changes to the Business Acumen curriculum. The event will be held at DAU, Howell Auditorium (Building 226), 9820 Belvoir Road, Fort Belvoir VA. The website with registration information for the event is: https://crs.dau.mil/industry
Recently, Defense Acquisition University transferred curriculum management of the Earned Value Management (EVM) courses from the Business center to the Acquisition center. This move recognizes the importance of EVM as a critical, multi-disciplinary tool for efficiently executing programs. The change supports facilitating EVM training across the entire university curricula. While EVM training will expand in other career fields, the EVM courses will remain core training for the financial management and cost estimating career fields.
Historically, earned value analysts assigned to the business career fields have been the primary practitioners of EVM in program offices. The effective use of EVM requires the involvement of the entire program office team. The main DAU EVM courses are:
BCF 102, Fundamentals of Earned Value Management;
BCF 203, Intermediate Earned Value Management;
BCF 262, EVMS Validation and Surveillance; and
BCF 263, Principles of Schedule Management.
Beginning in the DAU 2013 course catalog, the short title of these courses will change as follows:
BCF 102 to EVM 101,
BCF 203 to EVM 201,
BCF 262 to EVM 262, and
BCF 263 to EVM 263.
This change coincides with a significant update to course content in EVM 101 and EVM 201. The upgrade of the online EVM 101 content is ongoing, and the EVM 201 content update is in the early planning phase. DAWIA career field core training requirements will remain unchanged – those career fields that currently require core EVM BCF courses will require the renamed EVM course.
For program managers in need of continuous learning points, I highly recommend BCF 263 (EVM 263), Principles of Schedule Management.
We have a training change for Program Management Level II certification. CON 115, Contracting Fundamentals, will replace CON 110, Mission Support Planning, as a core training requirement for PM Level II DAWIA certification. On 17 November 2011, Mr. David Ahern, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Strategic and Tactical Systems, signed the Training Course Change for Level II DAWIA Program Management Certification memorandum directing the change. After December 2011, Defense Acquisition University (DAU) will no longer offer CON 110. As of this morning, approximately 25 seats remain open in the final offering of CON 110, which will have rolling enrollment through December. With rolling admissions, once the section fills, new students can be added as enrolled students complete the course. So if you don’t get in right away, continue to check through December. To help the transition, the first section of CON 115 will be available to the program management career field starting today. Program managers are not required to take the CON 090 prerequisite for CON 115. Either CON 110 or CON 115 will fulfill the PM Level II certification contracting course requirement. CON 115 is a significant upgrade covering not just the solicitation planning from CON 110, but also source selection execution and contractor performance assessment. I encourage program managers already certified at level II and III to take CON 115 as continuous learning. Click on these links for more information on required for PM certification training for level I, II, and III.
The Honorable Ashton B. Carter ends his time as USD(AT&L) with a thank you to acquisition professionals and moves to the position of Deputy Secretary of Defense. Mr. Frank Kendall begins a period of service as Acting USD (AT&L). Mr. Kendall began his tenure by outlining his priorities to the acquisition workforce. In summary, Mr. Kendall’s priorities are:
1. Supporting forces who are engaged in Overseas Contingency Operations
2. Achieving affordable programs
3. Improving efficiency
4. Strengthening the industrial base
5. Strengthening our acquisition workforce
6. Protecting the future
In my next Blog, look for information on a change to a functional training course for PM Level II DAWIA certification…
Before heading out this weekend when we will observe the tenth anniversary of 911, I wanted to take a moment to recognize an American hero,
In my last blog, I discussed the program management training
I’ve been the Center Director for the Acquisition and Program Management curriculum for almost a year. I’m starting this Blog as a way to focus on items of interest to our program management community, particularly in training.
On 29 June 2011, Mr. Ahern, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategic and Tactical Systems (DASD(S&TS) signed a Memorandum for the Service Acquisition Executives revising the requirements for Level III Program Management certification. The memo adds the following distance learning (on-line) courses to the DAWIA PM Level III certification beginning in Fiscal Year 2012:
1. BCF 102 – Earned Value Management Fundamentals
2. BCF 103 – Business Financial Management Fundamentals
3. LOG 103 – Reliability, Availability and Maintainability
Members of the PM career field already Level III certified are encouraged to complete these courses.
I’ve received several phone calls and e-mails asking how we will handle implementation of this requirement for FY-12. During the latest Program Management Functional Integrated Process Team (PM FIPT) meeting, led by Mr. Ahern, members agreed to the following implementation guidance.
The courses will be prerequisites for the PMT 352B Program Management Office Course, Part B. Currently, PMT 352B classes are booked through January 2012. If you are currently registered for PMT 352B, you will be permitted to take the course without completing the prerequisite courses. For those who have not yet registered for PMT 352B, you will need to complete the three courses prior to taking PMT 352B. We understand that students’ time to complete the prerequisite courses has been reduced by the DAU ATLAS system being blocked. We anticipate the ATLAS system coming back on line by mid September. You can get Current ATLAS System Status from the DAU website.
While the prerequisites have been waived for those already enrolled in PMT 352B, the new courses must be completed for Level III Program Management certification.
In my Blog next week, I will address Program Management Core Plus training…
Dr. Ashton Carter's blueprint for eliminating inefficiencies in the $400 billion that DOD spends annually on contracts for weapons, products and services is in a three-page directive, with three accompanying briefing slides. The memo gives acquisition professionals an initial look at his plan to use incentives to industry and new government practices to achieve efficiencies, part of a broader effort by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to find savings.
Affordability will be mandated as a requirement for new programs such as the Navy's SSBN(X) nuclear ballistic missile submarine, the VXX presidential helicopter, the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle program and Air Force and Navy long-range strike systems.
The memorandum is in the DAP policy repository:
Dr. Carter's Briefing:https://dap.dau.mil/policy/Documents/Policy/Carter%20Briefing.pdf
Dr. Carter's Memo on Defense Spending:https://dap.dau.mil/policy/Documents/Policy/Carter%20Memo%20on%20Defense%20Spending%2028%20Jun%202010.pdf