# Presentation: 131819

## AWCS “101”: 

- Washington, D.C.
- October 2008

**AWCS “101”: **
- Introduction to the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey

*This document is confidential and is intended solely for the use and information of the client to whom it is addressed.*

**USER TRAINING**

- Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey

**Notes:**
Welcome everyone to today’s training session: AWCS “101”: Introduction to the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey. My name is _____ and I will be your presenter today. This is the first of three training sessions on the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey. There are two additional training sessions that accompany today’s session, and they are:
AWCS “201”: Survey Data Analysis Using the FCAT-AWF
AWCS “301”: Acquisition Workforce Competency Reporting

## Course Agenda

- Course Objectives
- Acquisition Workforce Competency Survey Overview
- Next Steps & Contact Information

**Notes:**
The agenda we will follow during today’s training session includes:
1. A review of today’s course objectives
2. An overview of the Acquisition Workforce Competency Survey, including information about each step in the assessment process
3. A discussion regarding next steps, as well as contact information should you have any additional questions

## AWCS “101” Course Objectives

- Upon completion of this course you should be able to:
- Describe the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey initiative
- List the four (4) steps in conducting an Acquisition workforce capability assessment
- Identify the steps in formulating an acquisition capability demand model
- Describe the importance of target setting when performing gap analyses
- Convey the role of the Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)
- Access the *Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey Resource Guide*
- Explain the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey and the FCAT-AWF to other members of your organization

## Course Agenda

- Course Objectives
- Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey Overview
- Planning
- Data Collection
- Analysis
- Evaluation
- Next Steps & Contact Information

**Notes:**
We will now discuss the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey.

## The Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey establishes a baseline of acquisition workforce capabilities by comparing supply and demand data

***Acquisition *****Workforce Competencies Survey** ***“Gap and Solutions”***

***Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)***
***“******Supply”***

***Capability Requirement Scenario Development***
***“******Demand”***

- Web-based survey (Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey) and data mining/analysis application
- Highly visible
- Participation by Governmentwide acquisition workforce
- Results in database of survey responses
- Supported by FCAT-AWF tracking site
- Describes the **Supply** of acquisition workforce capabilities

- A process for determining Agency-specific capability requirements and establishing proficiency targets
- Leverages data compiled in the FCAT-AWF
- Limited audience
- Participation by Agency Acquisition Career Managers and their designees
- Describes the **Demand** for acquisition workforce capabilities

**Notes:**
The overarching goals of the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey are to help Federal agencies:
Identify, through a systematic process, mission-critical competencies needed in the current and future acquisition workforce, and develop appropriate and effective Human Capital planning efforts.
Tie mission needs and business forecasting to capability and talent requirements of the Agency’s acquisition workforce.
Determine competencies needed to fulfill mission-critical responsibilities.
Evaluate possible options to mitigate capability and talent gaps.
Develop short and long term strategies to target investments in people to create a quality workplace designed to attract, acquire, and retain quality talent.
Guide human capital decisions with a detailed analysis of survey data and the perspective of long term trend analysis.
Results from the survey will be used to identify capability gaps by comparing capability “supply” with “demand.”  After gaps are identified, solutions to mitigate the gaps will be explored, developed, and recommended. 

## The Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey involves a four-step approach that includes Agency-specific scenario planning and analysis 

**The Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey involves a four-step approach that includes Agency-specific scenario planning and analysis **

**Notes:**
Through our discussions on the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey approach, we will:
Discuss the activities performed in each stage of the approach
Review the components and features of Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce
Discuss supply data and how/where to get it 
Understand what demand models are, how to develop them, and how they are used
Understand how to perform scenario-based planning to identify competencies and acquisition related skills that will be needed for each Agency based on current and future needs

## Step 1: Planning is the process of exploring, discussing, and documenting the key strategic drivers that affect the acquisition mission of the Agency 

**Step 1: Planning is the process of exploring, discussing, and documenting the key strategic drivers that affect the acquisition mission of the Agency **

- Planning is a critical first step that will feed into many subsequent steps (i.e., demand model development) in the capability assessment process
- Generally consists of structured discussions among Agency’s operations leadership, human capital leadership, and relevant subject matter experts
- The key components of the Planning process are:
- Understanding the role of the Agency’s mission
- Identifying internal and external drivers that may affect workforce requirements
- Scenario planning

**Notes:**
1. Understanding the Role of the Agency’s Mission
Strategic plans at the Department or Agency level, or any other relevant strategic plans that are available, should be reviewed to identify the Agency’s vision for the future. In essence, the objective is to identify what the organization will look like one, three, and five years from now, as a necessary precursor to defining the Agency’s acquisition workforce and talent requirements.  In particular, changes to the following should be assessed: 
Acquisition/program or mission 
Acquisition organization structure and layers 
Investments that might affect the acquisition mission or programmatic focus
Increasing/decreasing workforce demands (including contractor support)
2. Understanding Drivers
Another key input to the planning process is understanding the key drivers (both internal and external) that affect or are likely to affect the Agency’s mission, and, consequently, the Agency’s needs in terms of acquisition workforce capabilities and talent.
Examples of external drivers to assess might include:
Services Acquisition Reform Act 2003
Citizen, Congressional and Government Accountability Office interest focused on spending and acquisition practices
The Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002
Changes in the acquisition workforce during the 1990s
The allure of private sector employment and growth of acquisition niche consulting companies and organizations
Increasing demands for the acquisition workforce to act as business advisors
Proliferation of regulations and requirements and the increasing complexity of acquisitions functions
Examples of internal drivers to consider might include:
Developing/maintaining an acquisition organization with effective policies and procedures in place
Increased difficulties in recruiting qualified talent to manage an intense, stressful workload
Awareness of the need to motivate, recognize and reward high performance 
Recognition of the need to develop employees’ general, functional, and leadership competencies through formal career ladders, training, development opportunities, and mentor programs
Turnover rates 
Sources of data on internal and external drivers might include: Agency reports and human capital plans, internal staffing data, professional associations and councils, and internal acquisition leadership/management discussions.
3. Scenario Planning
Scenario planning is, in essence, a “projective” exercise to make an informed estimate, or best guess, about the Agency’s future strategic direction and influencing factors, and their impact on acquisition workforce requirements. These estimates, or best guesses, are referred to as “scenarios”. 
To account for potential variability in strategic direction and the corresponding varying affects on acquisition workforce requirements, agencies may wish to create multiple work scenarios to plan against. One scenario could include, for example, the “status quo” scenario of Agency operations (assuming no significant shift in acquisition workforce requirements), while another scenario could reference a substantial acquisition capital planning investment (one that dramatically affects work performed, and therefore affects workforce requirements). The intention is not to create a scenario for each and every potential shift in acquisition mission or functions, but rather, to capture those major shifts or changes in work that would, in turn, greatly affect the needed workforce capabilities.
Further, scenarios can be developed to project acquisition workforce capability needs into the future.  For example, a scenario could look at current capability needs, those needed in three years, five years, and so forth.

## Step 2: Critical data must be collected in order to successfully perform a capability assessment

**Step 2: Critical data must be collected in order to successfully perform a capability assessment**

- The data needed to perform a capability assessment can generally be categorized into two broad categories:
**	****Supply Model**
*Source*: Acquisition workforce
*Description*: Current acquisition workforce capabilities
*Collection Method*: Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey (AWCS) using the Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)
**	****Demand Model**
*Source*: ACMs, SMEs, stakeholders
*Description*: Required/future acquisition workforce capabilities
*Collection Method*: Step 1: Planning activities previously discussed

**Notes:**
The acquisition workforce (Federal civilian employees occupying acquisition-related positions), by voluntarily responding to the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey, plays a role in collecting supply data, while an Agency’s leadership (such as the ACMs and designated stakeholders, and other subject matter experts) help formulate the demand model.

## Supply data is collected from acquisition professionals via the Governmentwide Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey (AWCS)

**Supply data is collected from acquisition professionals via the Governmentwide Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey (AWCS)**

**“****Supply”** or current proficiency ratings are being gathered for general business and technical competencies, as well as acquisition-aligned skills
- The acquisition workforce includes Federal employees (non-DoD) performing duties as:
- Contract Specialists (regardless of series)
- Contracting Officer Technical Representatives
- Program/Project Managers
- The survey is open from August 4th to October 31st, 2008

**Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey **

**ILLUSTRATIVE**

## The AWCS is administered using the Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)

**The AWCS is administered using the Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)**

- The FCAT-AWF is the web-based assessment tool that compiles acquisition survey responses
- Survey responses are kept anonymous
- The FCAT-AWF includes standard reports and a dynamic analysis application that can be used to help identify competency gaps
- The survey is comprised of 5 sections:
- Demographics
- Competencies
- Skills
- Environmental/Managerial
- Certifications

**AWCS Competency Self-Assessment **

**ILLUSTRATIVE**

**Notes:**
Demographic
The Demographic section of the survey includes questions regarding:
- Acquisition position/role (i.e., Contracting, COTR, P/PM)
- Agency/Department & sub-office
- Series/Grade
- Education
- Age/Gender/RNO
- Years of experience
- Retirement eligibility

Competencies
The “Competencies” section of the survey covers both general and technical acquisition workforce competencies. The general business competencies are those competencies that apply broadly to the acquisition workforce and are essential for building a leadership cadre for the future. Examples of general competencies include:
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Oral Communications
- Customer Service
The technical competencies are professional and functional specific competencies that apply to the acquisition workforce and are essential for building a knowledgeable and high performing workforce. Examples of technical competencies include:
- Market Research
- Managing Competition
- Bid Evaluation
- Contract Award
Participants are also asked to select up to 5 competencies on which additional training would be a benefit to them, and up to 5 competencies on which additional training would benefit their organization. These ratings are designed to help your Agency and FAI better target training and development needs for the broader acquisition workforce.

Skills
Skills are different from competencies in that they are much more focused and, for our purposes, specific to the survey respondent’s acquisition position or role. Examples of skills include:
- Handling Protests
- Identifying Fraud
- Responding to Inquiries and FOIA Requests
- Methods of Payment 

Environmental/Managerial
This set of questions relates to the work environment in which the acquisition workforce performs its duties. All survey participants are asked complete the environmental questions. In addition, if the survey participant indicates they are a supervisor in the Demographic section of the survey (meaning they directly supervise or manage other acquisition professionals), they will be asked to complete the managerial questions. This would include employees with job titles of Section Chief, Branch Chief, or Division Chief who are responsible for the hiring, discipline, performance management, and termination of employees under their direct control. Survey respondents are asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with the Environmental/Managerial statements.
Examples of the Environmental statements include:
(ENV) My work duties allow me the opportunity to apply the training I receive.
(ENV) I have the opportunity to work on different assignments or in new areas of acquisition to broaden my expertise.
Examples of the Managerial statements include:
(MGR) I am able to provide adequate on-the-job training and coaching to develop my employees effectively.
(MGR) I provide feedback and information to my employees about their competencies and training needs during their performance reviews.

Certifications
Certification questions relate to the professional certifications or certificates that participants currently hold in contracting or an acquisition related field such as program/project management or COTRs. Additional information on acquisition certifications can be found on the Federal Acquisition Institute website, under the Certification section.

## AWCS participants are asked to assess their current level of proficiency in each of the general and technical competencies, and the acquisition-aligned skills using a proficiency scale

**AWCS participants are asked to assess their current level of proficiency in each of the general and technical competencies, and the acquisition-aligned skills using a proficiency scale**

| PROFICIENCY | DESCRIPTION |
| --- | --- |
| 0 – None | I do not possess proficiency in the competency/skill. |
| 1 – Basic | I am capable of handling the simplest of assignments involving this competency/skill, but need significant assistance beyond the easiest solutions. |
| 2 – Foundational | I am capable of handling some assignments involving this competency/skill, but need assistance beyond routine situations. |
| 3 – Intermediate | I am capable of handling many day-to-day assignments involving this competency/skill, but may seek assistance in difficult or new situations. |
| 4 – Advanced | I am capable of handling most day-to-day assignments involving this competency/skill, though may seek expert assistance with particularly difficult or unique situations. |
| 5 – Expert | I am capable of handling all assignments involving this competency/skill and may serve as a role model and/or coach to others. |

**COMPETENCY/SKILL PROFICIENCY SCALE**

**Notes:**
The competency and skill proficiency scale is a five point scale, which allows survey participants to rate their proficiency from Basic to Expert. Participants may also indicate if they do not possess proficiency in the associated competency or skill.

## Capability demand scenarios should be developed by each Agency with collaboration between ACMs and SMEs

**Capability demand scenarios should be developed by each Agency with collaboration between ACMs and SMEs**

**“****Demand”** data refers to Agency-established proficiency targets for each of the three acquisition functional areas surveyed
- Governmentwide Contracting Specialist proficiency targets have already been established using the Contracting Workforce Target Proficiency Poll
- Contracting proficiency targets can be tailored to Agency-specific requirements
- Acquisition Career Managers (ACM) are encouraged to work with Agency subject matter experts (SMEs) to identify the important general and technical competencies and establish proficiency targets
- Proficiency targets will be used along with survey data to perform gap analyses

**Contracting Workforce Target Proficiency Poll **

**ILLUSTRATIVE**

**Notes:**
A demand model is essentially the desired acquisition workforce capabilities and target proficiencies (in the case of competencies and skills) mapped to job functions and mission critical responsibilities. One important assumption is that the demand model is based on the desired capabilities of a “fully performing” workforce. In other words, it should not be based on the capabilities entry-level acquisition workers would need, or those of senior or expert acquisition workers.

## The methodology for Agency-specific scenario planning involves five iterative activities for key Agency stakeholders (typically ACMs and Agency SMEs)

- Key Agency stakeholders participate in “planning” to establish an understanding of future work changes based on mission and business needs for their Agency
- Key Agency stakeholders identify the “most important” competencies, skills and certifications by acquisition job function
- Key Agency stakeholders determine the target proficiency level(s) for each competency per job function
- Key Agency stakeholders identify competencies (approximately five) that are considered most important regardless of job function performed
- Key Agency stakeholders identify competencies (approximately five) they think require additional training to improve the job performance of their workforce

***The above methodology is designed to be easy to use, minimally time consuming, and flexible enough to accommodate agencies that want to set targets at more discrete levels***

**Notes:**
Planning activities performed in Step 1 of the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey should inform the development of numerical competency proficiency targets for the identified critical competencies. These numerical proficiency targets will be compared against the current proficiency supply data when conducting gap analyses as described later.

These steps are based on the planning stage and are performed independently for each scenario created, resulting in a set of target proficiencies for the most important competencies by job function.

Once demand scenarios have been defined, agencies may then compare their current acquisition workforce capabilities (gathered through the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey data collection) to each of the scenarios, and identify relevant workforce capability gaps for each scenario.

## Step 3: Once scenario planning is complete and demand models are set, a broad range of Governmentwide and Agency-specific analyses can be performed

- Three types of analyses can be performed:
- Demographic *(****Supply**** **data)*
- “As-Is” *(****Supply**** data)*
- Gap *(****Supply**** and ****Demand**** **data)*
- All analyses are based on a combination of survey responses (supply) and established proficiency targets (demand), as appropriate

**Notes:**
Analyses are performed to identify and assess potential capability gaps. The demand model lays the framework which allows for capability gap identification, as it provides a standard that the supply models, as obtained through the FCAT-AWF, can be compared against. The FCAT-AWF also provides for a set of supporting queries and reports that document the demographic profile and current (or “as is”) capabilities of survey respondents. The FCAT-AWF reporting capabilities will be discussed in the next training session: AWCA “201” Survey Data Analysis Using the FCAT-AWF. These are useful in helping, where appropriate, to understand some of the underlying factors that impact capability gaps (for example, the number of individuals with a high level of proficiency in a critical competency that may be retiring in the short term).

## Demographic analyses will help with understanding a number of aspects of the acquisition workforce 

- Demographic analyses can help to understand how various acquisition workforce populations (e.g., certain occupational series, grade levels, age groupings, educational background) “behave” in terms of a variety of factors
- Demographic analyses can also help to understand how capabilities may change over time based on the demographic profile of the workforce

| Average Competency Proficiency Rating by Retirement Estimation |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Competency | “How soon do you plan on retiring?” |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | 21+ Yrs | 11-20 Yrs | 7-10 Yrs | 4-6 Yrs | 1–3 Yrs | Less than 1 Yr |
| Requirements Management | 2.31 | 2.76 | 3.03 | 3.16 | 3.25 | 4.20 |

| “How soon do you plan on retiring?” | Survey Count |
| --- | --- |
| Less than 1 Yr | 47 |
| 1–3 Yrs | 53 |
| 4-6 Yrs | 45 |
| 7-10 Yrs | 35 |
| 11-20 Yrs | 21 |
| 21+ Yrs | 12 |

**Tabular**

**Cross-Tabular**

**Notes:**
The Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF) provides a broad set of reports that are used to help understand the demographic profile of Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey respondents. These are available via the FCAT-AWF’s data analysis application and include two types: tabular (showing the number of responses for one dimension) and cross-tabular (showing the number of responses for multiple dimensions compared to each other). An example of a tabular report may be the number of survey respondents who selected each response option to the question, “How soon do you plan on retiring?” An example of a cross-tabular report may be a comparison between respondents indicating their retirement plans on the average reported proficiency level on a competency.

These kinds of cross-tabular reports can be very useful. For example, if a certain segment of the population projects that they will retire in the near term, and that population has a higher level of proficiency in a certain critical competency, then there may be an issue with that competency that must be addressed sooner rather than later. Demographic analysis, in essence, are important when used in conjunction with the “As Is” and/or gap analyses to gain a better understanding of current capabilities or the significance of gaps.

## “As-Is” analyses are available via the FCAT-AWF’s data analysis application and reports to help users understand current capabilities 

- Like demographic analyses, “As-is” analyses include a set of tabular (showing the number of responses for one dimension) reports. For example:
- Competencies: proficiencies (tabular)
- Skills: proficiencies and time spent (tabular)
- Managerial & Environmental: agreement (tabular)
- Certifications: frequencies (tabular)
- In addition, the tabular “As Is” reports can be combined with selected demographic elements to develop cross-tabular (showing the number of responses for multiple dimensions compared to each other) reports. For example:
- Competency proficiency by acquisition function (cross tabular)
- Competency proficiency by grade (cross tabular)
- Skill proficiency by retirement estimation (cross tabular)
- Skill proficiency by age (cross tabular)
- Skill time spent by acquisition function (cross tabular)

**Notes:**
As seen in the previous slide, “As-Is” analyses are even more useful when combined with certain demographic variables.

It should be noted that while the “As Is” analyses give a sense of the relative capability in competencies and skills, they do not necessarily provide data points that are actionable. In other words, if a certain competency has a low average proficiency, this does not in itself mean there is a problem that must be addressed, as that rating must be compared to what is needed (via the demand model) to determine if a gap exists.

## Gap analyses are performed when you compare the supply model with the demand model for each specialized job activity 

- Gap analyses focus on comparing, for example, current versus desired proficiency for a competency or skill (**Supply** versus **Demand** models)
- Gap analysis will indicate where you might have gaps in a specific capability (e.g., a competency that has been associated with a job function), and will also indicate the relative degree of a gap (small or large)

| Competency | Average Proficiency | Target Proficiency | Gap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Requirements Management | 2.01 | 4.00 | -1.99 |
| Strategic Planning | 2.18 | 3.50 | -1.32 |
| Market Research | 3.24 | 4.00 | -0.76 |
| Negotiation | 2.88 | 3.00 | -0.22 |
| Contract Award | 3.80 | 3.75 | 0.05 |
| Financial Management | 4.47 | 4.00 | 0.47 |
| Managing Competition | 4.01 | 3.50 | 0.51 |

**Notes:**
The competency proficiency targets based on scenario planning activities are compared to current proficiency ratings from the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey to identify competency gaps. Gaps occur when the actual workforce proficiency level (per the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey results) is less than the required or target competency level established in the scenario planning/demand modeling exercises.

## Additionally, once gaps have been identified, an analysis can be performed to develop mitigation and solution strategies

- A comparison between supply and demand models will provide quantitative data on gaps, but it is up to the individuals analyzing the data to determine the significance of each gap, and devise the appropriate mitigation and solution strategy
- Gaps are relative; a small gap (e.g., 0.5) may be very significant if an Agency requires everyone performing an activity related to the competency or skill to be proficient; conversely, a larger gap (e.g., 2.5) may be less significant if an Agency expects its workforce to be building competence over time
- Gaps may be explained by any number of reasons, such as a capability being supported by a military or contractor workforce; this should be taken into account

## Agencies should consider various factors when devising acquisition workforce capability gap mitigation strategies 

- There are several human capital areas that ACMs could focus on to develop short- and long-term strategies to address and mitigate acquisition workforce competency gaps that include:
- Organizational training/knowledge sharing
- Career development programs
- Workforce planning
- Leadership development
- Retention programs
- Recruitment plans
- Succession planning
- Quantitative data and the subsequent analysis and mitigation/solution strategies should be used as critical input to Agency Human Capital Plans

**Notes:**
Depending on the size of the gaps identified, and the scale of interventions required (e.g., cost, time to implement), this information could be used by the Agency’s leadership for decision-making and planning, or by human capital professionals. 

## Further strategies are outlined in the Acquisition Workforce Strategic Human Capital Plan Model available from FAI

| Short-Term Talent Development Strategies | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Training/ Development | Use of internal face-to-face, online or external training in competency areas suitable to meet the particular skill deficiency. Training may be provided by peers, superiors or both internal or external coaches in formal or informal, synchronous or asynchronous settings as necessary.   |
| Cross-Functional Development | The use of peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing strategies serving to cross-pollinate specific competencies or skills and critical areas. Additionally, the matrixing of technologists into related job roles through rotations or temporary assignments to develop additional cross-functional skills and awareness of job functions beyond their own. |
| Coaching/Mentoring | Personalized attention to specific persons requiring more advanced focus on particular competency areas, particularly those focused on position/job-role specific competency development.  Mentors and coaches are chosen for and in close collaboration with the person in question such that a valuable and mutually acceptable relationship may be established.  |
| Self-Directed Development | Use of targeted learning program outlining personal development milestones and objectives for the person or persons requiring attention in specific competency areas. Personal Development Plans may be developed in close collaboration with managers and/or mentors. |
| Targeted Recruitment | Use of staffing strategies that target selected technical disciplines and demographic groups that are underrepresented across an organization, and filling open positions due to departures and retirement, or to address emerging mission requirements. Recruitment can also engage in tactical communications serving to present a more consistent, attractive and positive image of the Department as a workplace of choice. Recruiting a diverse and talented contracting workforce will also require the alignment of recruitment efforts to workforce planning data. |

**Initial Strategies to Resolve Potential Gaps **

**Notes:**
This table displays some short-term human capital gap mitigation strategies that can be undertaken in the areas of training and development, cross-functional development, coaching and mentoring, self-directed development, and targeted recruitment.

## Step 4: Regular evaluation of the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey is recommended to assist ACMs in identifying and addressing acquisition workforce competency gaps

- ACMs should partner with other internal stakeholders to establish and document measurement mechanisms and best practices in human capital implementation for the Department/Agency and potential factors that could hinder meeting acquisition workforce capability goals
- Key strategic questions that ACMs should consider when evaluating competency gap mitigation efforts include:
- How are human capital strategies currently being implemented across the Department/Agency?
- What level of resources (e.g., funding, training) is the Agency allocating for achieving acquisition workforce capability goals?
- How is the Department/Agency progressing toward desired targets and goals?
- What is the effectiveness of acquisition workforce related recruiting, retention, training and development programs?

## Metrics and measures should be established to demonstrate progress toward mitigating acquisition workforce competency gaps and accomplishing strategic human capital goals 

- The Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey will provide the workforce analysis data necessary to systematically identify mission critical job responsibilities and capabilities needed in the current and future acquisition workforce
- There are several questions ACMs should consider before determining what measures and metrics to implement in managing their acquisition workforce:
- What are current assumptions about acquisition workforce dynamics and trends?
- What models are used to understand trends in attrition and other workforce dynamics (e.g., promotion rates, internal progression patterns, and development lead times) that are predictive over time?
- What are the standard criteria used for evaluating the utilization of the acquisition workforce?
- What are the anticipated workforce gaps and surpluses for each acquisition occupational series?

**Notes:**
Depending on the FAI and Agency human capital goals, there are several types of measures and associated metrics that could be leveraged from the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey data:
Demographic measures (e.g., size and distribution of workforce by grade/series/job functions, type of positions occupied, average age, grade level distributions, retirement (both eligibility and expected), attrition, etc.)
Supply or “As-Is” measures (e.g., acquisition workforce: job function, competency, skill, certification, and training needs data)
Demand measures (e.g., acquisition workforce: job function, competency, skill, certification, and training needs data)
Gap measures (e.g., acquisition workforce: competency gaps, skill gaps, gaps in training that address critical competencies) 
Trend measures (e.g., data on how proficiency in competencies change over time, data on how skill in competencies change over time, data on how top training needs change over time)

## Annual progress reviews of Agency’s acquisition workforce strategic human capital plans are equally important in determining the success of the Acquisition function 

- Annual progress review helps determine how well the Acquisition function is achieving its outcomes and the efficiency and effectiveness of its human capital programs
- ACM may revise the OPM “Proud to Be” Goals and action plans to reflect improvements to the strategies and processes to achieve better human capital results
- Annual progress reviews may suggest the need for modifications to human capital strategies, including adjusting timelines for achieving human capital goals, recalibrating performance measures, or refining the data collection approach and tools
- Benchmarking reviews of the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey with other similar public sector organizations and Federal agencies will help identify best practices in acquisition workforce performance measurement and human capital planning

**Notes:**
Some key questions for consideration during the larger human capital progress review include:
What significant human capital improvements were noted as a result of human capital planning? 
How effective or successful has the acquisition function been in implementing its human capital strategies according to its human capital plan (i.e., “Proud to Be” Goals)? 
How effective has the acquisition function been in monitoring the outcomes of its human capital plan and strategies? 
How does the acquisition function ensure that it has efficient and cost-effective processes for measuring progress or achievement of human capital strategic goals? 
What is the acquisition function’s standing in human capital planning relative to stakeholder (e.g., Agency, OFPP, OPM, OMB) requirements?

The data collected and synthesized during the annual review will provide the basis for ongoing trend analysis of the strategic management of the acquisition workforce. In addition, the annual analysis may reveal potential roadblocks to implementation, performance measurement, and achievement of human capital strategic goals. 

## The Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey Resource Guide will assist Federal agencies in planning, analysis and execution of acquisition human capital planning activities

**The *****Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey***** *****Resource Guide***** will assist Federal agencies in planning, analysis and execution of acquisition human capital planning activities**

- The *Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey* *Resource Guide* provides the following:
- An understanding of the need and drivers for human capital planning, both overall and specific to the acquisition workforce
- A high-level overview and details concerning the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey
- The step-by-step approach for performing the capability assessment. Steps include:
- Planning
- Data Collection
- Analysis
- Evaluation
- Resources that support each step of the process
- Further discussion on linking mitigation strategies to human capital plans, organizational outcomes, and benchmarking

**ILLUSTRATIVE**

## Course Agenda

- Course Objectives
- Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey Overview
- Next Steps & Contact Information

**Notes:**
We have now completed our overview of the Federal Acquisition Competencies Survey initiative, and will look at some of the next steps.

## Next Steps

- A follow-on training courses  **(AWCS “201”:  Survey Data Analysis Using the FCAT-AWF **and **AWCS “301”: Acquisition Workforce Competency Reporting)** will be conducted to teach participants how to:
- Generate various types of reports (e.g., demographic, “as-is”, and gap) and work with report data
- Export data to Excel and work with various types of pre-formatted templates
- Conduct a gap analysis using proficiency targets
- Interpret gaps and formulate mitigation strategies
- Use the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey data in completing the OPM Competency Chart for the Acquisition Workforce
- The *Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey* *Guide* and an *FCAT-AWF User’s Guide* will be made available via the Federal Acquisition Institute and FCAT-AWF sites
- The FCAT-AWF is being updated to include additional report formats and functionality

## AWCS “101” Course Objectives

- Upon completion of this course you should be able to:
- Describe the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey initiative
- List the four (4) steps in conducting an Acquisition workforce capability assessment
- Identify the steps in formulating an acquisition capability demand model
- Describe the importance of target setting when performing gap analyses
- Convey the role of the Federal Competency Assessment Tool – Acquisition Workforce (FCAT-AWF)
- Access the *Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey* *Resource Guide*
- Explain the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey and the FCAT-AWF to other members of your organization

**Notes:**
In today’s session, we discussed...

## Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey POCs

| PROJECT COORDINATORS |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  Linda Ott | linda.ott@fai.gov | 703.805.9416 |
|  Mark Jones | mark.jones@bearingpoint.com | 703.747.6320 |
|  David Ascione | ascione_david@bah.com | 703.200.1783 |

**Notes:**
This concludes today’s training session on the Introduction to the Acquisition Workforce Competencies Survey. If you have any additional questions regarding these training materials, please contact one of the following individuals. Thank you for your participation and enjoy the rest of your day.