Defense acquisition executive overview workshop: crash course in acquisition for senior executives.

At the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) the job of course manager is inherently full of complex and demanding challenges in analyzing the needs of students and matching them against available resources. And that job becomes particularly formidable when an element of the unknown is factored into the equation.

Consider this real-time directive: design a "tell me everything I need to know about acquisition" course with only 24-hours' notice, duration unknown, number of participants unknown, and curriculum unknown. Tailor the curriculum to the individual(s), who are flag officers or Senior Executive Service (SES)-level civilians. Find the right resources and faculty to present the course and help them juggle their own schedules and commitments to teach the course. In short, forget about establishing a regular course schedule or budget--the course will be taught and funded as the need arises.

Almost by Accident

Dr. Bob Burnes, Defense Acquisition Executive Overview Workshop (DAEOW) course manager, has managed the impossible for over eight years now with remarkable results. In fact, June 16-18 marked the 100th offering of the DAEOW--a course that started almost by accident.

In January 1995 a certain political appointee was told that he needed to go somewhere and find out about this thing called "defense systems acquisition." The "somewhere" he selected was the Defense Systems Management College (now a campus of the Defense Acquisition University). The school put on a special one-time-only short course--two days--with everything he needed to know about acquisition. DAU West Region Dean Andrew Zaleski, then head of DAU's Academic Programs, put it together and delivered it with his staff and other members of the faculty.

Zaleski was expecting the political appointee and three or four of his lieutenants. Instead, 25-30 of his staff showed up.

Over the years, the course has spanned the gamut from one to 15 people. "I think the best interchange and learning," Burnes notes, "occurs when the boss is there--the general officer or commander along with the chief of staff." He explains that when two are firing questions at the instructors, that interchange provides two perspectives because obviously the chief of staff has a different job from that of the commander.

Starting in September 1995, six months after the political appointee and his staff completed the first DAEOW, folks started calling and coming. The Services have all sent senior executives through DAEOW. Today, over 175 students have completed the course.

Not Necessarily a One-Time Shot

"Because it's so tailored," says Burnes, "you could call it consulting. You could call it continuing education. It's quite possible people could come back several times. In other words, if they go into an assignment in contracting and don't know enough about contracting, they attend; then the next assignment is logistics, and if they don't know enough about logistics, they come back. This is not necessarily a one-time shot."

Naturally the course has evolved over the years to encompass globalization and the many changes in the acquisition process brought about by acquisition reform, but the original intent remains remarkably the same: give busy senior executives a crash course in acquisition, make it relevant, and make it intensive.

Three unique features mark the course: no canned curriculum, no schedule, and no set duration. However, Burnes notes that most courses run from one-half to two days with as few as one or as many as five students. He normally starts out by faxing students a quick survey covering all the acquisition areas. Working with each executive's point of contact, they jointly develop a curriculum, sending it back and forth for further refinement. The final curriculum, he says, determines the length of the course. Once the dates are agreed upon and finalized, Burnes then schedules faculty experts to present the class.

"So far, with only two exceptions, we've been able to address all the requested topics using our own faculty," says Burnes. "We've had the right expertise, and it was available at the right time. But if DAU doesn't have the expertise," Burnes adds, "we'll find it." On two occasions he brought in an expert from DoD. "So that's another pool of expertise," he noted.

"No" Not an Option

Burnes views requests for the workshop as requests that "we [DAU] cannot afford to turn down--no matter what the situation." He notes that there's no tuition involved; the only expense to the organization or participant is TDY expenses.

Demand for the course has never stopped. And Burnes is confident the course will remain a part of the DAU curriculum in years to come. "People need to know that there's something a little different down here," he says. "A little more specialized, one-on-one desk-side discussion, that will bring them up to speed quickly in areas where they are lacking--through no fault of their own--particularly if they've taken on responsibilities they have not had an opportunity to experience."

Burnes calls DAEOW a "fire hose of information, experiences, and lessons learned." It's something he is confident students can grasp quickly in a few days from experts, so that they have some idea of what they're facing and where others have been before them.

To inquire about DAEOW, contact Burnes at [phone], DSN 655-4563, Fax [phone], or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Johnson is editor-in-chief, Defense AT&L.