Jump to content

Defense Acquisition University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Huskers110110 (talk | contribs) at 22:33, 2 October 2015 (Add). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Defense Acquisition University
EstablishedOctober 22, 1991 (October 22, 1991)
Budget$220 Million
PresidentJames P. Woolsey
Vice-presidentJames S. McMichael
Location
Fort Belvoir
,
VA
,
USA
NicknameDAU
AffiliationsUS Federal Government, Department of Defense
WebsiteDAU Website
DOD Logo
Accredited by COE and IAECT

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) of the United States Department of Defense serves as the national focal point for the development and delivery of acquisition, technology, and logistics (AT&L) training to enhance the capabilities of military and Federal civilian personnel. In addition, DAU provides services to Federal contractors as well.[1] DAU is fully accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and the Council on Occupational Education (COE).[2]

DAU's mission is to provide a global learning environment to develop qualified acquisition, requirements, and contingency professionals who deliver and sustain effective and affordable warfighting capabilities—clearly by providing certification training. DAU is the primary training organization for the Defense Acquisition Workforce, and is committed to providing the formal and informal training for students both in the classroom and on the job. This organization provides formal classroom and online certification training and is augmented with face-to-face mission assistance engagements plus a virtual, continuous presence with the workforce through online continuous learning and knowledge sharing Web sites. DAU's products and services work to enhance workplace performance and promote mission effectiveness in order to provide a foundation for the future of acquisitions for the Department of Defense.[3]

DAU provides the following services:

  • Acquisition certification and leadership training
  • Mission assistance to acquisition organizations and teams
  • Online knowledge-sharing resources
  • Continuous learning assets

History

Claude Bolton

DAU was created as a result of critical necessity, identified in high-level studies and legislation, for providing the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics workforce with a professional career path and consistency of training content and opportunity.

The Department of Defense issued DoD Directive 5000.57 October 1991, which served as the University’s charter. Originally a loose consortium of existing training commands, DAU worked to standardize the training courses and establish mechanisms that allowed for centralized equitable management of training funds for the DoD (AT&L) workforce.

During the late 1990s, the consortium arrangement was replaced with a centralized structure that operated more like a corporate university, with a focus on case-based instruction and emphasizing the use of distance learning, mission assistance and knowledge sharing. The new structure also centralizes course development under DAU headquarters.

On February 8, 2006, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics issued DoD Instruction 5000.57, which supersedes DoD Directive 5000.57. This new instruction describes the mission, responsibilities, functions and authorities of DAU.[4]

Leadership

DAU has had many individuals lead it throughout its history[5]:

  • William L. Vincent (1991-1993)
  • Claude M. Bolton (1993–1996)
  • Richard A. Black (1996–1997)
  • Leonard Vincent (1997–1999)
  • Frank J. Anderson (1999-2010)
  • Katrina McFarland (2011-2012)
  • James P. Woolsey (2013-Present)

Locations

DAU, headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, serves members of the Defense Acquisition Workforce who are located around the country and world. DAU is responsible for the training and career development of the more than 150,000 members of the Defense Acquisition Workforce who provide weapon systems supplies and services to warfighters. DAU uses the expertise of Department of Defense personnel and the latest technology to deliver responsive learning assets to students. DAU has locations across the United States and also has an extensive virtual presence online.[6]

DAU's Headquarters Building

The DAU has a number of sites where the different branches are placed. The main ones are:[7]

  • DAU Capital & Northeast - The Capital and Northeast Region campus is located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia near Washington, DC This strategic location allows DAU to provide responsive support to stakeholders in the Pentagon and numerous other Department of Defense agencies. The Capital and Northeast campus serves a DoD AT&L workforce of about 33,000 people.[3]
  • DAU Mid-Atlantic - Located in California, Maryland, near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The faculty and staff members of the campus focus on teaching, research, and mission assistance (targeted training, and partnering with agencies). Their agenda includes working with organizations within the region and staying current on major issues and needs of the Defense Acquisition workforce throughout the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and the private sector.[4]
  • DAU South - The regional campus responsible for supporting the southern half of the country and is located in Huntsville, AL. Located just outside of Redstone Arsenal, South region is in a prime location to support the Army’s largest buying organization. It serves a DoD AT&L workforce of more than 28,000.[5]
  • DAU West - The Headquarters of DAU West Region is strategically located in San Diego, California near large concentrations of Navy space and sustainment communities. Located near the Pacific Rim, and the region serves a Defense Acquisition Workforce of over 25,000.[7]
  • College of Contract Management - Located within Fort Lee in Virginia. the College of Contract Management (CCM) is chartered to ensure well-trained faculty, well-designed curricula, and a cost effective methodology to provide the training necessary to enhance the skills of the workforce. CCM was established in October 2011. The Curricula focuses on contract management functional areas such as: contract administration, pricing, quality assurance, industrial manufacturing, earned value management, software engineering, engineering technical support to pricing and aircraft operations. CCM training will be in addition to and in alignment with other training under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). Portions of the CCM curricula also will be of benefit to non-DCMA functional personnel performing contract management functions.[8]
  • Defense Systems Management College - Located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) is chartered to provide the following to the DoD Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (AT&L) workforce across the globe.[9]

Learning assets

DAU has implemented the AT&L Performance Learning Model (PLM).[8]

Training[9] The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requires Defense Acquisition Workforce members to be certified for the positions they hold. DAU offers training courses for all Defense Acquisition Workforce members in 14 career fields and at three certification levels. Through DAU’s Core Certification and Core Plus training courses, the workforce can fulfill the training requirements needed to achieve the certification required by DAWIA.

Continuous Learning[10] DAU’s Continuous Learning Center (CLC) DAU’s Continuous Learning Center (CLC) helps the Defense Acquisition Workforce acquire continuous learning points to remain current in their positions. Continuous learning modules cover specific acquisition topics.

Mission Assistance[11] DAU’s multidisciplinary faculty provides consulting services to variable-sized teams in acquisition organizations.

Knowledge Sharing[12] DAU provides the AT&L community extensive knowledge sharing assets available anytime and anywhere to promote career-long learning and workplace effectiveness. Learning products include knowledge repositories, communities of practice, performance learning tools, best practices, and search capabilities.

DAU's publishing arm, DAU Press, provides a number of online publications, along with its flagship publications, Defense AT&L Magazine[13] and the Acquisition Research Journal.[14]

Certifications

DAU's Main Campus is at Fort Belvoir

DAU offers credentials and training opportunities for its students. DAU provides leadership in developing and delivering training to ensure that individuals and groups having AT&L responsibilities at all levels possess the requisite competencies to perform their jobs effectively.[15] In addition to its resident training program, DAU disseminates centrally developed training materials through a comprehensive national training program in the United States territories, and trusts. Note that students do not have to be employed by DOD or be a federal employee for some of the programs.[16]

Currently Available Certifications:

  • Acquisition Program Management
  • International Acquisitions
  • Business Cost Estimating
  • Business Financial Management
  • Contracting
  • Engineering
  • Facilities Engineering
  • Industrial/Contract Property Management
  • Information Technology
  • Life Cycle Logistics
  • Production, Quality, and Manufacturing
  • Purchasing
  • Science and Technology Management
  • Test and Evaluation
  • Requirements Management

Awards

In 2009, DAU’s Defense AT&L magazine received the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Silver Inkwell Excellence in Communications Award. The magazine was judged by senior communicators in the Washington, D.C. area and won in the category of Government/Military Communications.[17]

On September 29, 2009, DAU was presented with two awards during the Chief Learning Officer Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Global Learning and Technology Center (GLTC) received the Learning Team Award for high performance teams that implemented learning best practices and programs on a global scale. The awards are peer-reviewed and judged by learning executives from the public and private sectors.[18]

On June 6, 2013, DAU received the 2012 regional DC-Metro area International Coach Federation (ICF) Prism Award recognizing excellence and achievement in organizational coaching. As the regional winner, DAU will compete for the ICF Global Prism Award.

See the full list of awards >>

Strategic Partnerships

DAU maintains strategic partnerships with more than 160 colleges and universities that offer credit for DAU courses toward degrees and certificates.[19] While each partnership is unique, the objective of the partnership program is to provide opportunities to maximize academic accomplishments by receiving credit for DAU courses toward an undergraduate, graduate, or certificate program offered by a strategic partner.

See the full list of affiliations >>

Alumni association

The Defense Acquisition University is supported by an active alumni association that partners with the DAU and industry to provide additional learning opportunities for the Acquisition Workforce. Some examples of efforts supported by the DAUAA are the annual research paper competition,[20] an annual symposium,[21] periodic hot topic forums,[22] through partnerships with industry, and more. Each of the DAU regional campus locations have DAUAA chapters.[23]

Controversy

On July 2011 a hacking incident occurred affecting DAU’s Web-based training site. This incident occurred on a vendor’s network that provided the learning management system's underlying source code[24] and inhibited access to online courses for almost two months. While DAU was not hacked, U.S. Cyber Command (U.S. CYBERCOM) evaluated the risk level to DAU’s system based on the incident that occurred on the vendor’s network, and temporarily suspended online training courses to secure the system and protect students' personal information.

Accessibility issues

Students accessing DAU's training website DAU Online must use Microsoft's Internet Explorer versions 6-8. No support is provided for IE9 or for other browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, or Opera though they have higher security protection. This restriction may violate the Competition in Contracting Act ("CICA"), 10 U.S.C. § 2304(a)(1) if goods or services leading to a "Microsoft Only" access requirement resulted from inappropriate procurement practices.

See also

References

  1. ^ DAU Annual Report
  2. ^ DAU Accredited
  3. ^ About DAU's Mission
  4. ^ DAU's History
  5. ^ DAU Historical Leadership
  6. ^ About DAU Locations
  7. ^ "Map of the University of Cambridge". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  8. ^ DAU.mil
  9. ^ DAU Annual Report
  10. ^ DAU Annual Report
  11. ^ DAU Annual Report
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ DAU.mil Defense AT&L Magazine website
  14. ^ [2] Acquisition Research Journal website
  15. ^ About DAU Training
  16. ^ DAU Program Info
  17. ^ DAU Annual Report
  18. ^ DAU Annual Report
  19. ^ DAU website
  20. ^ DAUAA.org
  21. ^ DAUAA.org
  22. ^ DAU.mil
  23. ^ DAUAA.org
  24. ^ Peter Bright (07-12-2011). "'Military Meltdown Monday' — 90K Military Usernames, Hashes Released". www.wired.com. Retrieved 2013-10-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Defense_Acquisition_University&oldid=683850119"