A Sustainable Enterprise
The DACM is Commited to Providing Targeted Learning to Keep the
Workforce's Skills Sharp
By DACM Ronald R. Richardson Jr.
Article published on:
in the Winter 2025
Edition of the Army AL&T Magazine
Read Time:
< 6 mins
Building and maintaining an efficient and sustainable acquisition
workforce is reliant on our commitment to the fundamental tenants of
lifelong continuous learning. A new continuous learning points cycle
started in October and our acquisition professionals are looking toward
the next two years of professional and personal growth. Our Army
acquisition functional leaders have curated exciting learning paths and
new enterprise opportunities in areas like digital engineering and
artificial intelligence that help the workforce stay current and ready to
tackle any challenges ahead.
Alongside each of the programs, classes and other offerings included in
your individual development plan is the call for personal commitment to
identify and grow the skills necessary to be a successful acquisition
professional. Prioritizing continuous learning in all areas of your career
development leads to an increase in productivity and overall
organizational success, according to Gallup’s 2024 “State of the Global
Workforce” report. As you consider the best path forward to achieve your
professional goals, think about the skills that will best suit your needs
in helping maintain and support an efficient workplace. Leadership,
critical thinking and other soft skills are vital in our workforce’s
ability to evolve into best-in-class professionals.
Over the last few years, the Army Director of Acquisition Career
Management (DACM) Office has addressed the needs of a successful and
efficient acquisition workforce. It has been my mission to encourage and
enable each workforce member to take hold of every opportunity that will
lead them on a path to success.
Opportunities Unfolded
Back-to-Basics, the first major overhaul of the Defense Acquisition
Workforce Improvement Act in almost 30 years, was implemented in 2022 to
address the need for a more agile and adaptive acquisition workforce.
Through an increased emphasis on experiential learning, Back-to-Basics
tailors training opportunities to the ever-evolving individual, team and
organizational needs.
In 2023, we built a foundation for digital transformation with the rollout
of learning pathways through Udemy, data-driven educational opportunities,
enhanced credentials through the Defense Acquisition University and new
partnerships with a digital focus that placed Army civilians in industry
environments to get exposure to digital engineering. (See “Serving the
Digital Soup,” in the Fall 2023 issue of AL&T.)
The MOREin’24 campaign is an exciting highlight from the last year. (See
“Serving the Digital Entrée,” in the Summer 2024 issue of AL&T.) The
campaign allowed us to add three new courses to the digital transformation
offerings in Udemy, including the launch of the first-ever Army-specific
Digital Foundations credential. Fostering the digital-first culture is
vital to our investment in acquisition workforce upskilling, allowing us
to keep an advantage over our adversaries.
Twenty-five warrant officers completed the Talent Acquisition Course on
July 11, 2024, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to become talent acquisition
technicians—the Army’s newest military occupational specialty, 420T.
Soft skills, like leadership and critical thinking, go hand in hand with
the technical requirements of the acquisition workforce and are vital to
becoming an effective acquisition professional. (Photo by Lara Poirrier,
U.S. Army Recruiting Command)
As we move forward in the new year, the Adaptive Acquisition Framework
continues to provide new pathways for accelerating delivery of capability
to the force and requires that every acquisition professional has access
to innovative learning opportunities that keep our workforce current and
ready to support the warfighter. It is our duty to dream big and create
the space to be adaptable and reliable, while maintaining the integrity of
our programs and ensuring longevity for the future of the workforce.
Alongside our training opportunities, from the basics to advanced, it is
also essential that we put a spotlight on the soft skills that can help
push forward our professional and personal growth.
Personal Development Calls for Personal Reflection
I am proud of the advances we’ve made in providing exciting and engaging
learning opportunities for our workforce members. You and your supervisors
can work within our framework to create a learning path that best suits
the requirements of your given priorities and the hard skills necessary to
advance in your career.
While you work with your supervisor to identify areas of advancement, your
career development also demands moments of purposeful reflection to
recognize potential areas for personal growth. Soft skills, such as
leadership and critical thinking, go hand in hand with the technical
requirements of the acquisition workforce and are vital to becoming an
effective acquisition professional.
As a member of the acquisition workforce, it is your responsibility to
develop the skills necessary to benefit the Soldier. Gone are the days
that mandated years of preparation before taking any action. It is our
individual responsibility to evolve, adapt and anticipate the future needs
of service members. I encourage you to consider how you can build these
soft skills through a combination of our formal training offerings and
opportunities for growth throughout your day-to-day work.
Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Army for
acquisition, logistics and technology, discusses the roles and risks of
artificial intelligence at the annual South by Southwest Conference held
on March 12, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Fostering a digital-first culture
is vital to our investment in acquisition workforce upskilling, allowing
us to keep an advantage over our adversaries. (Photo by Austin Thomas,
Army Futures Command)
For example, the DACM Office offers specialized programs, such as
Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders and Leadership
Excellence and Acquisition Development, that give our emerging civilian
leaders the opportunity to take part in programs that are geared towards
enhancing the leadership acumen of the Army’s civilian acquisition
workforce. For acquisition professionals that have not yet held supervisor
roles, these programs are a great way to hone your skills in a formal
setting and prepare you for future leadership opportunities.
Critical thinking skills grow your ability to problem-solve, embrace
changing authorities and adapt to very volatile and complex environments
that may make new demands and require new and novel approaches. As
acquisition professionals, the ability to assess risk and make informed
decisions is essential to sustaining an efficient workforce. Over time,
every challenge we face gives us more tools and key learning to succeed in
the future.
Programs and classes serve the workforce well in offering formal
leadership development opportunities, but much of our growth in leadership
and critical thinking comes from hands-on work and experience over time.
Taking individual responsibility and identifying the soft skills that need
to be nurtured is a skill in and of itself, and pursuing our own personal
growth requires determination and resilience. Perseverance and a bit of an
entrepreneurial spirit are enough to guide each of us to pursue greater
heights. The more we cultivate these skills, the more we can ensure that
our Soldiers have a unique advantage.
Jeffrey Vargas, president and CEO of Generationology LLC, presents
during the Defense Acquisition Leadership Certificate Course on
effective communications on February 21, 2024, at White Sands Missile
Range, New Mexico. Programs and classes serve the workforce well in
offering formal leadership development opportunities. (Photo by Vanessa
Flores, White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs)
Conclusion
Achieving a sustainable enterprise requires a commitment to targeted
learning and self-development that helps accelerate our capabilities to
support the modern-day Soldier. Ensuring that they have the technology and
tools needed to respond to threats and world events is essential. As a
valued acquisition member, our office will continue to provide you with
the necessary opportunities to prosper and cultivate the skills needed in
the workforce.
Take that moment to reflect on the skills you’d most like to nurture and
consider the many avenues that can help you achieve your goals. Use the
programs and tools our office offers to plot your personal path to
success. Together, we can continue to build the current and committed
acquisition workforce that the warfighter deserves.