VA’s Approach to Recapitalizing the Acquisition Workforce

2. VA’s Approach to Recapitalizing the Acquisition Workforce Breakout Session #414 Lisa Doyle Tuesday, July 20, 2010 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 1

3. About the Department of Veterans Affairs Second-largest of the 15 Cabinet Departments Operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits Consists of three major Administrations: Veterans Health Administration (80% of budget) Veterans Benefits Administration National Cemetery Administration Serves 70 million eligible veterans and their families More than $15B worth of products or services were bought under contract last year

4. Government-wide Challenge The acquisition function is in a state of crisis in all Federal agencies: Reductions in 1980s and hiring freezes in 1990s Estimated government-wide retirement eligibility is 29% in FY2011 and 50% in FY2016 Acquisition is a mission critical function; contracting is a single but significant piece Two decades of “downsizing”, increased outsourcing and congressional scrutiny and oversight has strained an over tasked acquisition workforce Workforce has become risk adverse Acquisition training demands exceed supply

5. VA Breaking New Ground • First acquisition academy in a civilian agency to respond to growing acquisition workforce crisis • Acquisition has become more complex with greater oversight • Quality of acquisition function has deteriorated • Acquisition workforce reduced in size • Created to train and certify the entire VA Acquisition Team • Contracting Professionals including entry-level interns • Program/Program Managers • Contracting Officer Technical Representatives • Acquisition Leaders • Competency-Based Program • Experiential Learning Model

6. Open for Business • Opened in September 2008, occupying the first floor of the VAAA building in Frederick, Maryland • When fully built out, will occupy 80,000 square feet, 18 classrooms, and work space for more than 150 employees

7. Making A Meaningful Difference • Program includes stakeholder engagement and value measurement methodologies to ensure alignment with business needs to satisfy VA mission • Develop new and existing personnel into trusted business advisorscapable of executing the FAR’s emphasis on using sound business judgment to deliver best value solutions • To empower catalysts for change, transforming the VA acquisition process from “tactical and reactive” to “strategically-driven and focused on results”

8. Raising the Bar • Academy curricula will: • Satisfy Government-wide professional certification requirements mandated by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy • Federal Acquisition Certifications in: • Contracting (FAC-C) • Program/Project Management (FAC-P/PM) • Contracting Officer Technical Representative (FAC-COTR) • Specialized acquisition tracks in: • Information Technology • Construction • Leasing • Health Care Supplies/Services • Include electives such as leadership, communication, writing, to maintain required professional certifications and currency

9. Four Schools • Acquisition Internship School • FAC-C Certification/Levels 1-2 • Contracting Professional School • FAC-C Certification/Levels 1-3 • Program Management School • FAC-P/PM Certifications • Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) • Acquisition Corps Development School

10. Acquisition Internship School

11. Internship School Facts • Currently56 interns • Two cohorts simultaneously move through program • At full capacity, 90 interns in program at various stages • 3-year program • Hired under the Federal Career Intern Program • Excepted service appointments • Career ladder to GS-12 • Intern demographics • From over 15 states across US • More than 53% are veterans • Many with MBAs or JDs

12. Taking a Holistic Approach • The intern curriculum consists of a holistic approach to developing technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills. • Includes formal technical classroom training complemented by Leadership, Skill Building, and non-classroom activities such as Job Rotations and Mission Service Work

13. Leadership Training • Formal leadership courses at all three FAC-C levels • Critical to VA’s succession planning efforts • Guest leader series • Visiting senior leaders from acquisition, programmatic, finance, policy, private, and public sectors share perspectives about their leadership journey • Situational leadership opportunities • Leadership skills are applied and assessed while on job rotations

14. Skill Building • Allows interns to apply theoretical concepts in a realistic and ‘safe’ simulated environment –our Learning Laboratory • Structured business cases • Hands on real-life scenario-based exercises • Detailed research-based projects • Simulations • Role-play • Learning laboratory where it’s okay to fail in order to learn and improve skills • Practical activities prepare and equip interns to perform successfully in their job rotations and after program graduation

15. Job Rotation Component • “Learning by doing” - critical for intern learning at all levels • Represents a significant investment from operational/hosting job rotation organizations for enhancing our future acquisition capability/capacity • Added bench strength to help VA process real requirements • Dedicated reach-back support to the interns during job rotations

16. Mission Service Projects Interns plan and participate in Mission Service activities to gain a better understanding of VA’s mission, vision, and core values. • Veterans Career Boost • Medical Center Visits • Homeless Veterans Welcome Home Program • Veterans History Project with Library of Congress • Many Others “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan” ~Abraham Lincoln~

17. Reduced Time to Performance • Accelerated Learning • Why it Works… • Designed to accelerate learning curve to be more productive more quickly • Builds competence and confidence • Emphasize translating theory, fundamentals, and concepts to practical application • Program evolves from basic to more complex acquisition strategies Trusted Business Advisor FAC-C Level III Certified Contracting Professional Competency Proficiency Time VA Acquisition Intern Program Traditional Intern Program

18. Inaugural Intern Team Stand

19. On the Horizon • Next intern cohort to starts in August 2010 • Launching a non-resident program using blended learning approaches to reduce travel expenses • Develop “feeder” program for severely wounded veterans • Open program up to other civilian agencies • In learning you will teach… • and in teaching, you will learn!

20. Contracting Professional School

21. Contracting Professional School • Addresses all FAI mandated courses in the FAC-C curriculum • Reduced costs • Centralized contracts yields quantity discounts and • facility overhead less than individual location rentals • Implementing elective tracks to meet VA specific contracting needs • Health Care Supplies/Services, • IT • Construction • Leasing

22. Contracting Professional School • Number of Courses Conducted: 193 • Number of Students Trained: 3,316 • Number of Courses Planned FY10: 137 • Positive Feedback from Satisfied Customers: • Average Instructor Rating: 4.6 (out of 5) • Average Course Rating: 4.2 (out of 5)

23. FAC-C Required Courses

24. Program Management School

25. Why is it important? • Mandated by OMB • Deputy Secretary priority • Primary objective to improve the quality of service we deliver to our veterans. • Key to this initiative is innovative and improved Program and Project Management (P/PM). • Create a consistent P/PM knowledge base across VA. • Funding committed for all the required P/PM training in 2010 to cover tuition and travel.

26. The Plan for Change • Change will require a three cornered approach to Acquisition • The Process defines how we oversee and align accountabilities and authorities of Acquisition • The Structure defines the reporting matrix we use to manage the Process • Competency Development defines the tools and guidelines we provide and enrich in each individual in the Acquisition Structure

27. The Plan for Change

28. Who Needs to be Trained/Certified?

29. Program Management Curriculum • FAC-P/PM Boot Camps (Entry, Mid, or Senior P/PM level) for entire inventory • Training is application-based COTS training – • Courses include: • Program/Project Management – 4 days • EVM and Cost Estimating – 4 days • Leadership – 3 days • Acquisition – 4 days • Each participant will create an action plan to implement back on the job

30. Program Management Curriculum • Capstone (5 days at level that corresponds to level of Boot Camp training, 3 to 4 months post training) • Simulates VA and commercial/Government best and worst practice scenarios presented for individual and group work • Provides practical application of learning and competencies in lower risk setting • Impact Monitoring • Track implementation of action plans generated in Boot Camp • Track specific program improvement plan implementations • Stakeholder engagement to obtain feedback on program impacts

31. Acquisition Corps Development School

32. Purpose of Acquisition Corps • Develop and implement a professional development program for VA acquisition executives • Ensure a holistic and integrate approach to developing leadership competencies • To increase bench strength to support succession planning for critical and senior level positions • To reinforce a learning environment across the enterprise • To enhance retention of high performers by feeding their desire to excel

33. Contact Information • Lisa Doyle, Chancellor, VA Acquisition Academy • lisa.doyle@va.gov • (202) 461-0646 Visit us at: http://www.acquisitionacademy.va.gov/index.asp

34. QUESTIONS??