News That Impacts Your Career
IT PROGRAM MANAGERS WILL BE SENIOR LEADERS
A cadre of newly codified federal information technology positions known as IT program managers will likely be highly paid and highly ranked, with broad authority to manage major technology development initiatives.
Generally, IT program managers should oversee a single large-scale information technology initiative that involves multiple teams working on different components, Alan Balutis, a former chief information officer at the Commerce Department and now a director at Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group, told Nextgov.com. Balutis was part of a group of former federal chief information officers and other executives who helped outline the scope of the program manager position for White House Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra.
Establishing the IT program manager position is one goal in Kundra’s 25-point plan to reform federal IT management, published in December 2010.
In March, the Office of Personnel Management issued a draft description of the new positions. The comment period for that draft job description closed on April 14, and the office expects to issue a final job description in May, a spokeswoman said.
IT program manager is already a common job title across much of the federal government, the Veteran’s Affairs Department’s Chief Information Officer Roger Baker said, but there isn’t a codified system for who qualifies for program manager status or what the job should entail.
Balutis’ group, the Senior Advisors to Government Executives, described program management as not “institutionalized as an established management discipline” within the government outside of the Defense Department and a few civilian agencies.
The comments on OPM’s draft job description were largely positive, a spokeswoman said. The primary concern was that the program manager position wasn’t distinguished strongly enough from an IT project manager position, created in 2004.
According to the draft description, an IT program manager “coordinates, communicates and integrates IT projects and program activities” and “ensure[s] that the work effort achieves the outcome as specified within the IT business strategies.”
An IT project manager, by contrast, “directly manag[es] information technology projects to provide a unique service or product.”
Balutis said he’d also like to see more specifics in the final job description. Balutis described a project manager’s job as being wholly responsible for one component of a major IT initiative, such as developing a single software program.
Program managers, he said, should be responsible for something much larger, such as organizing work on multiple new operating systems, making sure things come out as scheduled and overseeing communication between different teams of IT developers, the agency staff that will use the new systems, and legal and financial teams.
“All of that would be rolled up under one program manager who would be in charge of the entire array of initiatives,” Balutis said, and who would be “guiding the whole change effort and be the point of interface with the senior leadership.”
DOD SHOULD OVERHAUL ACQUISITION CORPS
The Defense Department should radically overhaul the way it manages large contracts and development programs, a Pentagon advisory board has recommended. The Defense Business Board sharply criticized the placement of military officers with little or no business background in charge of an estimated $400 billion in annual contracts. The Pentagon should either “professionalize” the uniformed acquisition corps or “civilianize” the top program management leadership, the board recommended April 21.
If military officers are to take on that role, the board said, the Pentagon should consider creating a new career field with separate promotion boards for program managers, and expand education programs for service members who want to focus on acquisitions. “Make it a job, not a tour. A career destination,” said Fred Cook, a businessman and board member who led the review.
Richard Sylvester, a former Office of the Secretary of Defense official with decades of acquisition experience, said military program managers lack the experience to make cost, schedule or performance decisions. While all program officials go through training at Defense Acquisition University, there is no substitute for practical experience.
“There’s a difference between learning something and actually having lived it,” said Sylvester, who now works for the Aerospace Industrial Association (AIA) but who spoke on his own behalf. AIA has not taken a position on the recommendations.
The board discussed, but stopped short of recommending, the creation of a new military command for acquisitions. The Air Force already has created an acquisitions force similar to the one the board is recommending for the entire military. The service’s weapon buyers are part of a program management career field.
One major problem with the current system is that many large programs can take 10 or more years to complete, but program managers rarely remain in their position for more than four years. And during that time they often get pulled away for deployments, temporary duties or professional development.
“The challenge is, getting somebody in those positions that has enough experience to be able to manage well,” Sylvester said. “The services have always wanted military people because they think that it’s better to have a guy with a uniform on dealing with the requirements side of the service.” This way when a program manager and requirements official interact, it will be military-to-military. The military thinks this approach gives the program manager a better sense of what operators want because they’ve previously served on the battlefield.
“You certainly have a lot of command authority when you have a uniform on, so having some of each is probably the desirable thing,” said Jacques Gansler, who served as the Pentagon’s acquisition executive in the Clinton administration.
Program managers also make short-term decisions and are risk adverse, board members said. They tend to put off tough issues, delaying big decisions – and problems – so the next program manager has to deal with them, the Defense Business Board said.
“With the length of these acquisition programs, you don’t have to live with the decisions that you make, somebody else has to live with them,” Sylvester said.
In 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified similar concerns. In 2007, Congress ordered the Defense Department to develop a “comprehensive strategy for enhancing the role of DoD program managers.”
“If history is any judge, the overall environment within which program managers perform their work is very difficult to change simply with policy initiatives,” the GAO concluded in a 2007 report. “Unless all of the players involved with acquisitions . . . are unified in implementing these new policies from top to bottom, they will be for naught.”
Position Open for Government Contracting Writer/Analyst at Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer is currently looking for a Writer Analyst-Government Contracts in their Riverwoods, IL office. For detailed information on the position and to request an application click here. Further information is available from Sherry Baker, Recruiting Consultant, Wolters Kluwer Staffing.
AGU Update
TIPS FOR STUDENTS
Here are a few tips for students on final exams, instructor contact, and instructor grading.
Final Examinations — All AGU courses, except Course 601, have a final examination or project. When students finish the last lesson module, they should request the course final examination from Student Services.
Instructor Contact — If students have questions on course content or on examination questions and answers, they should contact the assigned course instructor by e-mail. Instructor contact information was provided in the welcome message the student receives at the beginning of the course. Please copy Student Services on any message sent to an instructor.
Instructor Grading — When a lesson requires grading by the instructor, students should receive the graded lesson within 24 to 72 hours. If a grade notice is not received in that time frame, please contact Student Services at studentservices@patten.edu.
NCMA WORLD CONGRESS IN JULY
The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) will hold its annual World Congress in Denver, Colorado on July 10-13, 2011. The Congress will be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The host hotel is the Hyatt Regency Denver. More than 1,600 attendees can participate in up to 14 education sessions, post-conference seminars, and a career fair. There will be over 50 exhibitors. Be sure to stop by AGU’s booth, #306. Additional information may be found at www.ncmahq.org.
IMPORTANCE OF READING AGU COMMUNICATIONS
It is apparent from the kinds of questions we are receiving at AGU that many AGU students are not carefully reading the information sent by the University including the acceptance packages, course material packages, and instructor welcome messages, as well as direct messages from the AGU Student Services Department. Communications sent from the University are designed to keep you informed of important requirements and processes. Careful review of all AGU communications should save you unnecessary steps and time. It is also a good idea to periodically check the Student Center on the AGU website for announcements.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
AGU Graduate Receives Recognition at DETC Annual Conference
 John McGuire, a graduate of the Master of Project Management degree program, was presented American Graduate University’s 2011 Outstanding Graduate Award by President Paul McDonald at the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) Annual Conference on April 5, 2011. Outstanding graduates of the DETC member schools were presented their Outstanding Graduate plaques at a special luncheon in their honor at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. John’s wife, Lisa, joined him for the celebration.
Prior to the luncheon, John participated on a panel of eleven graduates from other DETC schools in which he described his experiences with American Graduate University.
John is an Engineering and Manufacturing Specialist with the Defense Contract Management Agency providing technical assistance related to policy guidance and direction on acquisition quality assurance and manufacturing production delivery issues.
Each year one AGU graduate is chosen for the award based on their grade point average and score on their comprehensive examination or project. John had a 4.0 GPA and the highest score on the comprehensive examination.
Keeping AGU All In The Family
 You’ve heard of mother-daughter teas, dresses, songs, or even tattoos. Now AGU is delighted to have its first mother-daughter graduates. Rita Carter, Master of Acquisition Management graduate in 2005, paved the way for her daughter Gwen Meadows who received her MBA in 2010. Rita and Gwen were kind enough to let us interview them for this issue of the Master’s Report.
Rita recently retired after 23 years of service in the contracting field. At the time of her retirement she held the position of Supervisory Contracting Officer for the MD Army National Guard. She started working in the contracting office as a secretary, but she saw the opportunities and potential for those in the contracting field. She submitted her resume for purchasing agent and was selected.
Gwen is currently a Contracting Officer and Team Lead for the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command. While both Rita and Gwen have found their careers as acquisition professionals to be rewarding, Rita has seen a distinct improvement in the number of opportunities for people wanting to enter the contracting field, such as internships and stay-in-school programs. She encouraged Gwen to move into this field so that she could take advantage of the promotion potential.
During her career, Rita realized that to remain competitive she needed an advanced degree. AGU’s approach appealed to her because she didn’t have to travel and she could work at her own pace. As Gwen’s career advanced to the point where she knew she needed to pursue a graduate degree, her mom recommended AGU. The self-paced method was a good fit for Gwen since she had a busy family and work life. She found that she was able to study on her own time and didn’t need to short change either her family or her work.
Rita and Gwen were satisfied with their experience at AGU. Rita is considering contacting her local college that has introduced a 2-year program to help new contracting professionals. She believes that her master’s degree as well as her many years of experience could be of benefit in this pursuit. So far Gwen’s MBA has been more of a personal motivational goal but she is confident that in the future when she pursues the next level in her career, her degree will be a benefit.
In Rita’s final position, she received several coins for Integrity and Excellence in Service as well as performance cash awards. At her retirement, her supervisor said “you left this place better than you found it.” The experiences and training she gained throughout her 23 years in the contracting field has served her well. She has the added satisfaction of raising a wonderful daughter who is following in her footsteps. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll feature an article on mother-daughter-grandchild graduates!
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Advance Your Career With AGU
AGU COURSE 603 EQUIVALENT TO DAU’S CON 216
AGU’s Course 603 “Government Contract Law” has received
equivalency to
the Defense Acquisition University course CON 216 “Legal Considerations
in Contracting”. AGU students completing Course 603 can now
receive
credit from DAU for their course CON 216.
AGU COURSE 601 EQUIVALENT TO THREE DAU COURSES
American Graduate University has achieved equivalency for
its Course 601, “Federal Government Contracting,” for several Defense Acquisition University courses. The DAU courses are CON 110, “Mission Support Planning,” CON 111, “Mission Planning Execution,” and CON 112, “Mission Performance Assessment.”
AGU students completing the 30 module distance education course will receive
credit for the three DAU courses. AGU Course 601 includes coverage on:
- Contract Procedures
- Laws and Regulations Governing Procurement
- Government Contract Law
- Methods of Procurement
- Types of Contracts
- Developing the Requirement
- Developing the Solicitation
- Statements of Objectives/ Statements of Work
- Source Selection Procedures
- Government Marketing/Business Development
- Proposal Preparation
- Pricing
- Estimating
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- Profit and Fee
- Cost or Pricing Data
- Price and Cost Analysis
- Cost Principles and Cost Accounting
Standards
- Negotiation Techniques
- Contract Terms and Conditions
- Contract Financing
- Contract Management and Administration
- Contract Changes
and Modifications
- Remedies, Disputes and Claims
- Terminations for Default
- Terminations for Convenience
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In addition, AGU faculty and staff will be working on developing several new distance courses to apply for equivalency to other DAU courses.
AGU
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