Reform of the acquisition process requires a skilled workforce. In fact, our ability to provide our warfighters with the equipment they need – at an affordable price – rests with the quality of the acquisition workforce.

The Department of Defense is targeting the training and education of the acquisition workforce in several areas, including: enhancing basic skill training; institutionalizing continuous learning; teaching the concepts of the commercial business environment; recruiting, developing and retaining technology leaders; and managing the acquisition workforce.

Under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, DoD provides acquisition personnel with the skills and knowledge they need to function in a rapidly changing environment, and to understand commercial practices necessary for increasing system performance and lowering costs.

As a result of that Act, the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) now educates approximately 35,000 acquisition personnel each year.

DAU has 81 courses, all of which incorporate DoD’s acquisition reform initiatives. The University is taking advantage of new distributed learning technologies to modernize the DAU curriculum.

The Performance Scorecard for Courses Enhanced by Technology shows that in 1997 10% of the DAU curriculum was modernized and delivered by distributed learning technologies, like the Internet and CD-ROM.

The goal is to have 25% of the courses modernized by the end of fiscal year 1999.

And by 2003, DAU plans to complete the modernization of all its courses through technology enhancements.

Using new technologies we can reduce training time, train across functions, and significantly reduce costs.

It's not enough to train our workers in basic job skills…we must be sure they maintain the high level skills and knowledge they need in today's changing acquisition environment. Consequently, the Department is committed to institutionalizing continuous high-quality education and training for the acquisition community.

To meet this need, the Department is deploying training for our acquisition workforce through a continuous learning program. As the Performance Scorecard for Continuing Education shows, in 1997 20,000 acquisition personnel participated in an average of 40 hours of continuing education.

In 1999, we expect that number to increase to 80,000.

Our policy is to provide all acquisition professionals with an average of 40 hours per year of continuing education by the year 2000. This will raise the performance levels of our workforce to meet the challenges of the future, implement acquisition reform, and protect the public trust.

In addition to enhancing the educational and training offerings within DoD, future efforts will include access to appropriate courses at top business and other academic institutions, as well as innovative training and educational partnerships with the private sector. For instance, in December 1998, an on-line pilot course was initiated by a partnership with two associations.

The Department has also launched a commercial business environment training program for senior managers with the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.

And, an integrated implementation plan for commercial business training will be published this spring.

Also, as the Department adopts the commercial practice of purchasing services instead of supplies, we are training our workforce to structure acquisitions more effectively and acquire performance-based service.

In the future, essential acquisition expertise may well reside in industry or academia. This is particularly true in fields where technology changes rapidly.

Unfortunately, the rules and regulations that make it difficult for senior DoD managers to pursue employment in the private sector when they leave the government, …

. . . also make it extremely difficult for DOD to bring individuals from the private sector into the Department.

As a result, we are evaluating policies that would permit a more mobile government-industry workforce …

. . . one that would continually refresh technology and management skills and provide incentives to maintain those skills in a smaller workforce.

One way to retain the best personnel is to implement human resources policies that benefit both DoD and our employees.

With this in mind, the Department is preparing to implement an Acquisition Workforce Demonstration Project designed to enhance the quality, professionalism and management of the workforce.

Specifically, the Demonstration Project will evaluate new systems of payment and reward…

…more streamlined hiring systems…

…delegation of classification authority to managers…

…avenues for employee education and training…

…and the need for sabbaticals. This demonstration project will help DoD identify critical personnel and work to meet their needs.

Through measures like these, we continue to give our acquisition workforce the skills necessary to face the challenges of the 21^st century.