Best Practices: DOD Training Can Do More to Help Weapon System Programs Implement Best Practices

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. DOD issued in October 1999 "The Commercial Business Environment: Accelarating Change Through Enterprise Teaming" which was a general strategy for changing DOD's approach and characteristics of training.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendation and noted that it had already begun restructuring the Defense Acquisition University. The USD (AT&L) approved the recommendations of the Commercial Business Environment Plan by Memorandum dated November 23, 1999. Implementation of Strategic Plan to be issued. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU organizational structure. DAU is to become more customer focused and change from strictly certification training to more performance support. These and other action demonstrate that DOD has developed a strategy to have DAU play a more proactive role and provide more targeted training.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. The "Commercial Business Environment: Accelerating Change Through Enterprise Teaming" report has as one of its purposes to incorporate cross-functional teaming across the Defense business enterprise to accelerate organizational goals and manage change. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU organizational structure. To accomplish its mission, DAU is to establish a teaming environment that identifies key organizations and players. In addition, the Acquisition 2005 Task Force issued its final report "Shaping the Civilian Acquisition Workforce of the Future" which includes strategic career development initiatives. These and associated efforts demonstrate that DOD has addressed identifying key people and organizations in a strategy for training its workforce.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is currently utilizing more web-based training for dissemination of new initiatives. DAU will accelerate its "Targeted Training" concept to be defined in the DAU Strategic Plan. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU organizational structure and become more customer focused. DAU is working to provide updated, business-oriented, core and targeted training.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. The USD (AT&L) recently established a Change Management Center to serve as a tool to more actively inform and assist program offices with new initiatives. It remains for the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to more fully embrace a "change agent" role in assisting program offices in tailoring their training needs. This may be addressed in the new Strategic Plan. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU organizational structure. DAU has established a corporate commitment as one of its key missions, to provide assistance to acquisition users in support of their various missions which includes designing a targeted training program unique to the specific user.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. The USD (AT&L) recently established a Change Management Center to serve as a tool to more actively inform and assist program offices with new initiatives. It remains for the Defense Acquisition University to more fully embrace a "change agent" role in assisting program offices adopt new initiatives. This may be addressed in the new Strategic Plan. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU structure. While DAU is expanding its efforts to expand its consulting and performance support, it still appears to be a passive role dependent upon the program offices to solicit assistance versus DAU being proactive in its assistance.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. The USD (AT&L) recently established a Change Management Center to serve as a tool to more actively inform and assist program offices with new initiatives. The Acquisition Reform Communication Center would be more fully utilized for identifying experts and lessons learned. A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU structure. DAU acknowledged that the key to future performance of the Acquisition Workforce is the availability of knowledge management and performance support tools and as a result has reorganized and adopted a mission approach to make the training more useful and knowledge of acquisition issues more accessible to the acquisition workforce. Knowledge management has resulted in the development of various communities of practices including one on Program Management Community of Practice which provides support to the program manager and the program office team. The communities of practices showcase functional content, best practices, and lessons learned for the Acquisition Workforce. To facilitate access to acquisition management issues, DAU has created a web-based Acquisition Support Center that provides a central access point for valuable acquisition knowledge, resources, contacts and tools. It supports DAU students and faculty in formal education and training requirements, and supports the entire Acquisition, Technology and Logistics workforce (government and industry) in job execution, career progression and continuous learning.

In commenting on a draft of this report, DOD generally concurred with the recommendations. DOD's goal is to build a continuum of integrated training and education experiences that will support the common content needs of the acquisition workforce and the specific needs of the program management offices. The training faculty will continue to develop new and innovative approaches to presenting materials, case studies and practical exercises. DAU's new Strategic Plan is supposed to incorporating the above goals. Update as of September 2001: A special DAU study team completed a reengineering study that focused on improving the DAU organizational structure. The goal is to build a continuum of integrated training and education experiences that will support the common content needs of the acquisition workforce and the specific needs of the program management career field. The training faculty will continue to develop new and innovative approaches to presenting materials and case studies.