Essential Skills for the Defense Acquisition Workforce
Secretary Hegseth recently highlighted the critical traits necessary for military personnel—competence, agility, professionalism, and a willingness to innovate. Interestingly, these attributes are equally applicable to the civilian workforce within the Department of Defense (DoD). This civilian acquisition workforce plays a pivotal role in bolstering the United States’ strategic advantage over adversaries.
Early Skill Development
The cultivation of these essential skills must commence well before new personnel join the DoD. This imperative led to the establishment of the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC), a scholarship-for-service initiative designed to equip undergraduate students with the competencies necessary for successful careers in acquisition. Launched in 2023, DCTC serves as a pilot program for developing talent on college campuses, currently operating at institutions including the University of Arizona, North Carolina A&T State University, Purdue University, and Virginia Tech. Plans are underway to expand to six additional universities for the cohort poised to graduate in 2027.
The Urgent Need for Skillful Acquisition Professionals
Despite uncertainties surrounding the program’s future, the necessity for a well-prepared civilian workforce remains undisputed. Leadership must prioritize investing in the continuous development of these professionals.
In the realm of defense acquisition, the concept of mission command stands as a key competitive advantage. This paradigm instills trust and enables disciplined initiative, aligning understanding with the commander’s intent. The acquisition sector is crucial for ensuring that warfighters receive timely access to necessary capabilities. Here, the workforce’s knowledge of best practices and its capability to critically assess and address multifaceted problems rapidly become essential.
Facing Complex Challenges
Acquisition professionals routinely confront difficult judgments, weighing various approaches while balancing the trade-offs of risk, cost, capability, and schedule. Every decision they make directly impacts the acceleration of capabilities delivered to the warfighter, making the warrior ethos just as vital in civilian contexts as on the battlefield.
Each reform initiative in acquisition policy has emphasized that people are the DoD’s greatest asset. However, overreliance on traditional on-the-job training has limited the optimization of this asset. The focus should shift toward how we empower these individuals.
A Pathway Forward
To remain competitive, the acquisition workforce must adopt a mindset that values data-driven decision-making, leverages digital tools for rapid prototyping, and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration to devise innovative solutions. The university environment serves as an ideal incubator for these critical thinking abilities, allowing multidisciplinary teams to tackle real-world challenges drawing upon systems engineering, lean startup methodologies, and design thinking frameworks.
DCTC has diligently studied the skills most needed by DoD entities and developed a program that marries project-based classroom instruction with practical summer internships within DoD teams. This education is crucial for positioning the civilian workforce to adapt to the swift cycles of technological advancement and policy reform, thereby maintaining the competitive edge of the defense acquisition ecosystem.
Scaling the Talent Factory
DCTC represents a promising model, but there is a pressing need to scale this initiative. The financial implications are manageable, with the inaugural cohort of 80 scholars graduating at a cost of approximately $120,000 per student to taxpayers. As plans for expansion are underway, efforts are being made to reduce this per-student cost by over 50%.
The Urgency for Training Reform
This call for a revamped training approach is not only timely due to global developments but also prompted by ongoing changes within federal acquisition regulations and the dismantlement of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS). These adjustments signal a generational shift from a success metric based on procedural compliance toward one that champions risk-taking and innovation. However, historical patterns suggest resistance to these cultural transformations unless accompanied by substantial reform in workforce development strategies. As noted by William Bailey, the Air Force’s acting acquisition executive, meaningful progress will emerge not merely through policy revisions but through collaborative efforts among personnel.
Bridging the Gap in Cultural Ethos
The pivotal link to fostering a warrior ethos within our civilian workforce lies in cultivating an environment where critical thinking and effective communication thrive. This foundation will be essential in ensuring that the United States retains its strategic competitive advantage in defense. Enhancing investments in the DCTC is crucial for equipping the civilian acquisition workforce to meet both current and future challenges.
The perspectives articulated here reflect the insights of defense policy experts who are committed to advancing the acquisition mission and support the vital role of education and strategic thinking within the civilian workforce.
