The newly published special “Empowering the Workforce” edition of Defense Acquisition Magazine has is now available online! Strongly encourage defense acquisition workforce members from all functional areas to take the time to read this entire issue to get a sense of what senior leaders are saying about the “Back-to-Basics” (BtB) workforce transformation initiative that launched today.

Authors include the (performing the duties of) Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), the President of Defense Acquisition University, all six Functional Area Leaders (including the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support, our Life Cycle Logistics Functional Area Leader). It also includes Component articles from the Department of the Army, Air Force, and 4th Estate Directors of Acquisition Management (DACMs), as well as the Department of Navy Director of Talent Management (DATM). The breadth and depth of articles in this special edition of the magazine clearly articulates the significance of this once-in-a-generation transformation initiative. Those articles include:

• Section I: DoD and DAU Leadership
  • Securing the Future Through Back-to-Basics
  • The New DAU Model—Learning Tools and Credentials When Needed
  • DAU Has Listened and Pivoted!
  • Taking Control Through Elective Learning
  • Defense Acquisition Credentials
• Section II: Functional Areas
  • Contracting: Where We Are, How We Got Here, and a Look to Our Future
  • Life Cycle Logistics—Key Tenets of Back-to-Basics
  • Engineering and Technical Management For Our Future
  • Test and Evaluation—The Change Is Here Today
  • Business Financial Management and Business Cost Estimating— Foundational Tenets
  • Program Management— Foundational Tenets
• Section III Armed Services and 4th Estate
  • Army— Our People Are Our Most Valuable Asset
  • Army—Army Implementation Marches Forward
  • Navy—Launched on a New Course for Future Careers
  • Air Force —New Acquisition Certification Framework Takes Off
  • 4th Estate - Back-to-Basics—Training Faster and Better, When and Where Needed

As a reminder in case you might be wondering what exactly “Back-to-Basics” is all about, according to the BtB website, “the Department of Defense (DoD) is modernizing its implementation of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) to a 21st Century talent management framework. The initiative significantly streamlines the certification construct and re-focuses training resources for the Defense Acquisition Workforce…. now DoD is rethinking training to foster a culture of lifelong learning for current and future acquisition professionals.”

Finally, for those who may not be familiar with this important publication, Defense Acquisition is a bimonthly magazine published by DAU Press for senior military personnel, civilians, defense contractors, and defense industry professionals in the defense acquisition and sustainment workforce.