Next Generation Leadership Improving Acquisition Program Management Development

Abstract

The current Air Force method for developing junior to mid-level acquisition program officers is inadequate to prepare them to manage the complexities of todays large, government acquisition programs. To understand the problem, this paper begins by examining the results from the 2009 Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Study on Program Manager Training and Experience.1 Using a training strategy called learn-do-teach, this paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the current Air Force acquisition leader development process. To improve program manager training, this paper recommends adjusting the current training strategy and proposes a decentralized learning framework that includes expanded experiential education and mentorship within the work environment. Dubbed the Next Generation Leadership program, this framework focuses on leadership development for junior to mid-level program managers.As envisioned, this program would consist of two components, an Undergraduate Program Management (UPM) Apprenticeship and a Mentor/Teach Program. UPM Apprenticeship uses the current acquisition career field education and training plan, adjusts the current evaluation system, and expands workforce awards, creating an improved experiential learning environment for program managers. Similarly, the Mentor/Teach Program leverages the existing Air Force Mentorship Program to ensure young program managers are matched with experienced senior leaders. Mentor/Teach requires junior members to demonstrate their knowledge through teaching. The Next Generation Leadership program I propose is designed to fill the gaps in existing training and ensure junior to mid-level program managers have the experiential training necessary to successfully lead large government acquisition programs.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 14, 2013
Accession Number
AD1018865

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey C. Sobel

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Department Of Defense
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Governments
  • Instructors
  • Lessons Learned
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Acquisition
  • Military Operations
  • Personnel Management
  • Program Management
  • Students
  • Teaching Methods
  • Training
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.