Professional development.

Welcome again to the professional development portion of the Armed Forces Comptroller. In addition to the usual information on the variety of professional development opportunities available to the Department of Defense (DoD) financial management community; we are expanding this area to include opportunities for contractors working for the Department and its Components. For the first time, contractor personnel outnumber DoD civilian employees in many areas, so we want to ensure that they too have access to professional development information. If you or your organization has information on such opportunities, please bring it to our attention so that we may include it.

Defense Resources Management Institute Courses Open to Contract Personnel

The Defense Resources Management Institute (DRMI) is an educational institution sponsored and supervised by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Since 1965, the Institute has conducted professional education programs in analytical decision-making and resources management for over 25,000 military officers of all Services, senior civilian officials of the United States, and like personnel from 152 other countries. These programs are presented on a regularly scheduled basis on-campus at DRMI and, by specific arrangement, at other locations in the United States and overseas.

The Defense Resources Management Course (DRMC) is a four-week course designed for U.S. military officers (active or reserve) of grades O-4 through O-6, civilian officials of grades GS-11 through GS-15 or equivalent, individuals participating in accelerated career development programs, foreign officials of similar rank or grade, and contractors who work for the U.S. Government. Tuition is free for DoD personnel. Tuition for contractors is $5,500. Within the specified eligibility, this course is suitable for progressive managers working in any functional field concerned with resource allocation and use, including the broad spectrum of operations, logistics, manpower, procurement, financial management, and related fields. The course is suitable for program managers, planners, engineers, evaluators, and systems analysts.

Fiscal Year 2002 Schedule:

DRMC 02-1: January 7-February 1

DRMC 02-2: April 22-May 16

DRMC 02-3: May 20-June 14

DRMC 02-4: July 22-August 15

DRMC 02-5: August 19-September 13

For more information on DRMI, see the DRMI Web page at http://web.nps.navy.mil/~drmi/, or call its administrative officer, Mary Andrews, at [phone] (com) or 878-2104 (DSN).

Defense Leadership and Management Program (DLAMP) Refocused

The Defense Leadership and Management Program, a training framework for developing future civilian leaders for the Department, has been reviewed and revised by senior DoD management. The purpose of the program has been reaffirmed; however, it will be streamlined to become more flexible and cost-effective. The following are key elements of the revised program: (1) Upon graduation, every DLAMP participant is expected to have a master's degree (or equivalent advanced education) in a technical discipline or management field. (2) All participants will receive a thorough education in national security policy. (3) A rotational assignment of at least 12 months is encouraged but not funded by DLAMP. (4) Backfill will be provided for 25 percent of DLAMP students in longterm training. The changes are effective immediately under a December 21, 2001, OSD memorandum signed by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. For more information on DLAMP, call Ms. Diane Lillianthal at [phone]

Defense Acquisition University Courses Open to Contractors Working in DoD Acquisition Positions

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, has informed us that courses offered under its auspices are open to contractor personnel on a case-by-case basis if those personnel are working in contracted DoD functions that require knowledge of acquisition. The course array is extensive and is best viewed on the DAU Web site at www.dau.mil. Points of contact are also listed.

New Master's Degree Program at Army Finance School

On November 14, 2001, the US Army Soldier Support Institute and Webster University signed a Memorandum of Agreement that allows officers attending the Finance Captains' Career Course (FCCC) to work toward completing a master's degree in finance while attending FCCC. Students seeking admission must have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Past Finance Officer Advanced Course (FOAC) or FCCC graduates who are assigned to Fort Jackson or who are assigned to other military installations or who reside in other locales where Webster University has established the master of arts in finance degree program may participate after meeting admission requirements. Past FCCC or FOAC students and officers completing FCCC will be awarded 15 semester hours credit for professional military education. To complete the master's program, enrollees will have to complete the following Webster University coursework:

FINC 5000 Finance: 3 semester hours

FINC 5210 Investments: 3 semester hours

FINC 5810 Capital Budgeting & Corporate Investment: 3 semester hours

PING 5830 Institutions & Financial Markets: 3 semester hours

FINC 5840 International Finance: 3 semester hours

FINC 5880 Advanced Corporate Finance: 3 semester hours

FINC 6000 Integrated Studies in Finance: 3 semester hours

Any amount of required Webster University coursework may be completed by students with access to a Webster University campus offering the master of arts in finance prior to arrival for FCCC. The University's military campus tuition rare is $249 per semester hour (that is, $747 for a 3-semester-hour course). All military officers are authorized tuition assistance for 75 percent of their tuition fees unless they already have a degree above the bachelor's level. However, those using tuition assistance are extended on active duty for 2 years following the last term that tuition assistance was used. Officers are involuntarily extended for 1 year upon completion of FCCC. The 2-year extension; for tuition assistance is not added to the FCCC extension; therefore, use of tuition assistance would result only in a one additional year's extension. Students in a permissive temporary duty (TDY) status are not authorized tuition assistance.

Air Force Financial Management Certification Program

The Air Force (AF) has established an AF Financial Management Certification Program. This program includes three segments: The Professional Development Guidelines, Continuing Professional Education (CPE), and Individual Development Plans.

Professional Development Guidelines- Over 600 Air Force positions have been designated under these guidelines. Designated positions are assigned to one of three levels, depending on rank, experience required for the position, or specific fiduciary and policy-making duties of the job. Guidelines for higher levels are more demanding than those for the lower levels. Level I positions typically will be filled at the GS-9/12 or 2Lt/Capt and senior NCOs serving as the Budget Officer, Financial Services Officer, Senior Accountant, Nonappropriated Funds Financial Advisor, Financial Management Superintendent and AIC, Secretariat, MAJCOM, and FOA specific financial management personnel. Level II applies to positions where grade levels typically are at the GS-13/14 or Major/Lt Col level. Level III includes all positions at the GS-15/SES or Col/GO level.

Level I: To achieve a Level I AF Financial Management (FM) Certification, a person must complete the Basic Financial Management Course (or equivalent), the Financial Management Staff Officer Course (FMSOC), and the appropriate Professional Military Education (PME). In addition, a person must have a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours of FM-related course work and 80 hours of continuing professional education every 2 years, including at least 20 hours per year.

There are separate technical schools for enlisted and officer/civilian internists. Attendance at either course will meet this requirement. FMSOC provides training for positions of greater responsibility in FM. Instruction includes principles and concepts of financial analysis, financial services, comptroller plans, and systems. The PME required at this level would be either Squadron Officer School or the Noncommissioned Officer Academy in residence. PME courses are those that focus on Air Force doctrine, policy, strategic planning, and communication and leadership issues. These courses are completed at various stages of a member's career.

Level II: To achieve a Level II AF FM Certification, a person must complete all of the requirements of a Level I and have attained at least 6 years of FM experience with work in two FM disciplines. In addition, they must complete some graduate work including 6 hours of FM-related coursework, the appropriate PME (Air Command and Staff College or the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Course in residence), and the Professional Military Comptroller School. At this level, the Air Force highly encourages the completion of an Appropriation Law Course and relevant certification such as Certified Public Accountant, Certified Government Financial Manager, and Certified Defense Financial Manager.

The Professional Military Comptroller School is a graduate-level course designed to develop the individual's capacity to adapt the comptroller's role to the economic, political, and technical environment of the military organization. It expands the resource manager's knowledge of issues and policies affecting defense resource allocation and military readiness and enhances the individual's comprehension of the academic disciplines essential to effective comptrollership.

Level III: To achieve a Level III AF FM Certification, candidates must complete the requirements for both Level I and Level II and be awarded a graduate degree that includes 6 semester hours of FM-related course work. In addition, they must have at least 10 years of FM experience, with 2 years of work in each of at least two financial management disciplines. Finally, they must attend the Air War College, which is the final level of PME.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Requirement and Distance Learning - To retain any of the preceding levels, a member must complete at least 80 hours of CPE every 2 years, including a minimum of 20 hours per year. The goal for financial management CPE is to (1) maintain currency in technical and functional specialties, (2) keep abreast of DoD and Air Force policies and programs, and (3) stay current on management principles and practices used in the public and private sectors. The Air Force also strongly recommends that personnel in acquisition positions complete courses with an emphasis on operation and maintenance, and that personnel not in acquisition jobs take courses that will expose them to acquisition.

To assist Air Force members in meeting the CPE requirement, the Air Force offers 18 different courses or tutorials on line. The topics range from Anti-Deficiency Act training to the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System. In addition, the Air Force has just completed a distance-learning Resource Advisor Course and has begun preliminary planning for a Web-based Economic Analysis Course. It also has developed a distance-learning contingency operations course that all personnel must complete prior to deployments. The Web site is at www.saffm.hq.af.mil. Click on the Professional Development link.

Finally, the Air Force is reviewing its current processes to evaluate training and education requirements. This is being accomplished by the completion of an Occupational Survey. A manpower team is surveying a percentage of the workforce and is documenting the tasks currently being performed. This research tool will give management a better idea of what tasks currently are being completed and the amount of time the Service spends on accounting, budgeting, payables, receivables, cost, and other functions in financial management. It can then reevaluate training requirements and make the necessary adjustments to programs.

Web-based Individual Development Plans - The Air Force has developed and released a Web-based Individual Development Plan (IDP) for the enlisted force. An Officer IDP will be released by the end of the year, and the Civilian IDP will debut next year. Each IDP includes a career guide and addresses various tracts of career development. These initiatives are part of the Air Force's effort to ensure that its people have the tools to manage their careers and develop themselves professionally. It is a program that they will be able to access and update from wherever they may be assigned. This program maintains an on-going resume for the individual to print anytime and from anywhere. The office of primary responsibility is SAF/FMPC, and the person to call is Mrs. Lorraine Tanner, DSN 225-0140; [phone]; FAX [phone]; email: [e-mail].

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Reimbursement for Certification Testing

Good news for GI Bill-eligible personnel! The VA now can reimburse you for approved programs of certification testing. For details, see the VA Web site at www.va.gov and click on the Education Benefits link. Details will appear on that screen. The test must have been available for at least 2 years to be approved for benefits. The Certified Defense Financial Manager offered by ASMC has been approved for reimbursement. Unfortunately, payment is NOT retroactive for those who tested before VA approval for benefits was granted.

ASMC Receives College Credit Recommendations for Training

The ASMC joins a select number of organizations that have added value to their courses through college credit recommendations as a result of a review conducted on October 30, 2001, by the American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (formerly ACE/PONSI). A team of content specialists selected from college faculty has reported that the ASMC course is comparable to college-level courses and may be used as transfer credit at many colleges and universities. According to Ms. Jo Ann Robinson, Director of the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service, in over 20 years, the ACE has saved employers millions of dollars in tuition reimbursement and has helped thousands of employees earn a college education.

She adds, "The recent interest to add value to workplace courses through a third-party review comes as no surprise, especially with business and industry concerned about their place in the global market [and] with the need to retain good employees as the population ages. With the knowledge that superior training increases productivity, more and more organizations are turning to the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service to ensure the quality of that training."

Porter Stallings, a manager at AT&T, reports that the "AT&T School of Business embraces ACE'S College Credit Recommendation Service as a true value-added component of our training program. As AT&T has undergone changes, many of our programs have been reevaluated, but our relationship with ACE remains untouched--a true testament to its value and endurance. Had it not provided a way for students to enhance their training profiles, opened the door to college credits, and paved the way for degrees to be earned, it would have been history."

Colleges and universities have also been well served by the ACE, because qualified adults from the workforce are continuing or completing their college education in record numbers. According to a recent U.S. Department of Education Study, more than 40 percent of American adults take part in some type of adult learning activity each year--the vast majority for work-related reasons or because they want to earn an academic credential.

In addition to the ASMC, AT&T, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., Learning Tree International, McDonalds Corporation, Pacific Bell, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Union Pacific Railroad, and UAW-GM, among others, many organizations offer ACE college credit recommended courses. Ms. A. Vaughan Limbrick, past Director of Education at the Society for Human Resource Management says, "Customer service, status, and image enhancement--that's what ACE'S College Credit Recommendation Service means to us. We need to show our members that we produce the highest-quality coursework, and our ACE alliance is proof positive that we do this."

For further information on how you can add value to your quality courses, contact Ms. Jo Ann Robinson, Director of ACE College Credit Recommendation Service, The Center for Adult Learning, American Council on Education, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20036-1193. Contact her office at [phone], or contact the Council at the following address: American Council on Education, College Credit Recommendation Service, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20036-1193. The phone number is 202/939-9475; the Web site is http://www.ACENET.edu.

Army Training Corner

Army Comptroller Proponency Office

Comptrollers make up less then 5 percent of the Army civilian and military workforce, yet they generally get more and better training and career-growth opportunities than those in the other professions. Still, more can be done--not through creating new classes or training opportunities but by communicating needed essential information to members about existing professional development opportunities.

The Army Comptroller Proponency Office acts as a clearinghouse for financial management professional development, education, training, and information. The office offers and manages centrally funded career enhancement programs. It also communicates, in a variety of forums, career information on training and education events sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal entities for the Army financial community.

The enabling charter is the Army's 21st century strategic plan for development of its comptroller career workforce. The plan describes Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) advocacy of a strong, multi-skilled, and fully competent financial management workforce through the Proponency Office, which keeps the professional community informed in a number of ways:

* Distributes information about its mission, functions, projects, and services through a coordinated program of printed pamphlets and brochures, on-line documents, training workshops, computer-based training products, instructional presentations, and marketing exhibits in professional forums such as the American Society of Military Comptrollers' annual national Professional Development Institute. (When in Denver this spring, be sure to look for the Army's Comptroller Proponency booth.)

* Maintains http://www.asafm.army.mil/proponency/acpo.asp as the on-line repository of information on the complete range of professionalismenhancing Army financial management programs and activities

* Publishes Resource Management, an official quarterly professional bulletin. Readers can access recent issues on line at our Web site

* Provides individual professional development counseling

* Chairs a networking group of representatives from most Army commands and agencies called the Comptroller Junior Executive Council (CJEC), which assists the office in its communication role, among other missions and activities

* Maintains an electronic mailing list using ListServe technology for pinpoint communication of specific programs to interested or affected community members

* Uses forums such as the Professional Development department in the Armed Forces Comptroller to publicize new programs and initiatives

New ListServe to Stand Up in Time for PDI 2002

This electronic mailing list will serve both the civilian CP 11 and the military FA 45 Army Comptroller contingents. The arrangement is similar to Army Knowledge Online (AKO) or The New York Times or GAO online--an e-mail address list of people associated by certain specific interests. Any readers who have visited eBay, made travel arrangements on Expedia.com or Travelocity.com, or bought something from amazon.com, for example, have already added themselves to one or more other ListServes or their equivalents.

The ListServe will be easy to register in and should take less than a couple minutes. Registrants need to provide the following information:

* Name

* Series or FA

* Rank or Grade

* Title

* MACOM 

* Installation

* E-mail address

* Second e-mail address (optional)

* Current Accreditation Level

Once military and civilian careerists register, the Comptroller Proponency Office will send information about everything from short-term training courses to long-term training opportunities such as developmental assignments and fellowships. By signing up for the ListServe, Army financial management careerists can stay abreast of new training opportunities and changes in the comptroller field. The ListServe gives needed advance notice for members to prepare and effectively compete for training opportunities.

Another advantage of the new e-mail network is that it allows for two-way dialogue. Anyone on the list can use it to communicate with and network with anyone else also registered--including the Proponency staff running it. ListServe can become an effective means of creating a dialogue within a team or the entire comptroller community. And there won't be any spam or junk mail to contend with, either. The registration information helps Proponency staffers to focus on registrants' specific needs and to aim information most pertinent to any individual at the most opportune times. Haystacks of irrelevant information should be just about gone in this system.

The ListServe will have reminders of deadlines for various programs and will keep members informed of changes in systems like ACCES and OPMS XXI. Through regular communication with all Army careerists, we will routinely provide timely and valuable information essential to Army financial management professional development. The ListServe affords the Army an effective means of communicating with its large financial management community by providing timely and vital information at a low cost.

FA 45 Officers Strengthen Community

The Comptroller Proponency staff has done several things in the last year to reach the FA 45 (Comptroller) audience. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Budget, Major General Jerry L. Sinn, has hosted a number of bimonthly brown-bag sessions for officers in the D.C. area. The well-attended sessions have been a great opportunity to discuss items of professional interest. Senior leaders in other areas with densities of FA 45s may wish to initiate similar programs. The military Proponency Officer conducts briefings and work-group sessions with any organization having significant numbers of FA 45s.

In the third-quarter 2000 edition of the Army's Resource Management publication, we began a new section tided "FA 45 Focus." The section--similar to this one--provides to our military audience information and items of interest from both the Proponency Office and the Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM) career manager. It is also a place for officers to place items for discussion and debate in the professional community. Back issues are available electronically at the Proponency Web site.

As this issue went to press, MG Sinn was planning to hold an FA 45 conference at the Adams Mark Hotel in Columbia, South Carolina, in mid-May. The conference will be held in conjunction with the U.S. Army Finance Corps' annual financial managers and leaders meeting (FMLM). Conference details are being sent to all Army commands. Details should also appear on the Proponency Web site and in the e-mail inboxes of military ListServe registrants.

In addition to the Proponency Office Web site, officers should also periodically view the PERSCOM FA 45 Assignment Officer Web site at http://www.persom.army.millopfamis/fa45.htm, which shows available assignments, board schedules, application procedures, and other critical information.

Army Comptroller Proponency Office Staff Contact Numbers

Terry Placek, [phone]

Major Sean Hannah, [phone]

Tony Polzak, [phone]

Wilett Bunton, [phone]

Tricia Campbell, [phone]

Jim Auchter, (*) [phone]

Captain Joey Hamilton, [phone]

(*) Army information prepared by Mr. Jomes Auchter

A Reminder...

As always, send information on certification, training and education opportunities that you would like to appear in the Armed Forces Comptroller to ASMC National Headquarters, Attn: Certification and Training Corner, 2034 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 145, Alexandria, VA 22314. Points of contact are John Raines ([e-mail]) and Frank Arcari ([e-mail]). The ASMC's toll-free number is [phone]

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Remember the ASMC Web Site Address

Mary Zinc of the Green Tree Chapter has written an ASMC "Fight Song" to be sung to the tune of the Notre Dame fight song, which will forever implant the ASMC Web site address in your mind. The lyrics are as follows:

ASMC "Fight Song"

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.,

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.

Get resources you will need; CDFM helps you succeed.

Schedules and news from near and from far. PDI info keeps you on par.

Enhance your knowledge, set new goals with ASMC Online.

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.,

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.

Click the cursor, surf our site.

Save all that data byte by byte.

Check out our training. Send us some mail.

With all this info, chapters can't fail.

Expand your limits, seek new skills at ASMC Online.

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.,

A-S-M-C Online Dot Org.

Training that will help you win.

Check out the leader that's within.

Network with masters, champs in their field.

With all that knowledge, you'll never yield.

Become a great professional with ASMC Online.

Frequently Asked Questions on ASMC Training Courses and College Credit

1. Can I earn college credit for the ASMC training course?

Yes. Many colleges and universities have developed policies and procedures for awarding credit for learning acquired outside the college classroom. This includes learning acquired from work and life experience, independent reading and study, and participation in formal courses sponsored by associations, business and industry, the military, and government. The American Council on Education (ACE) has established through an intensive review process that a number of the <<Org>> training courses are college-level instruction and has recommended credit for them.

2. What is the ACE, and what is its role in the review process?

The American Council on Education is the major national coordinating body for post-secondary education. The ACE reviews and makes credit recommendations for formal educational programs and courses offered by organizations such as the American Institute of Banking, an element of the American Bankers Association. Its credit recommendations are intended to guide colleges and universities as they consider awarding such credit. The ACE reviews all courses according to standardized policies and procedures and therefore has a consistent review process that is accepted by colleges and universities as non-partial and credible.

3. Which ASMC courses carry ACE college credit recommendations?

To date, one course has been documented and reviewed by ACE and awarded college-level credit recommendations. As ACE reviews additional courses and awards college credit recommendations, it will publish descriptions of those courses in its annual edition of The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs. The National Guide is a reference book listing course descriptions and credit recommendations for ACE-reviewed training.

4. How does the ACE determine the number of credits to be awarded?

The ACE bases the number of credits recommended for each course on factors such as length of course, level of difficulty, reviews of student achievement or knowledge gained by satisfactory completion of the course, required readings and reports, and writings or performance demonstrations.

The National Guide lists the recommended number and level of credits for each course at the end of each course exhibit. A team of subject-matter experts makes this recommendation when it has determined that a course is at the college level.

5. Is college credit automatically earned when someone successfully completes a course listed in The National Guide?

No. Successful completion of such a course results in actual course credit only when a post-secondary institution accepts the course toward a degree or certificate. Students who have already taken one of the courses listed in The National Guide, or who plan to take one, should contact the admissions office or their faculty advisers to determine the acceptability of the course for credit. The extent to which the content of the course is relevant to a student's academic program of study forms the basis for determining the number of credits that will be accepted.

6. Are policies for granting credit the same in all colleges?

No. Each college sets its own policies, and these vary from college to college. While most colleges grant credit for a course conducted by a noncollegiate organization, some may not Sometimes, a college does not grant credit, but it may instead waive a prerequisite course.

Each institution and, in many cases, each academic department within an institution sets its own policies for granting credit. The college admissions office should be able to guide students to the appropriate official responsible for deciding credit recommendations.

7. How much credit may be earned from courses taken from ACE participating organizations?

Colleges and universities have different policies regarding the amount of off-campus credit that may be earned. The student should check with the college to determine the amount of credit that will be granted for such courses and the subject area in which the college will grant credit for these courses. A college may grant credit only provisionally at enrollment time and may withhold full credit until the student successfully completes one or more courses at the college.

8. What are the steps for requesting college credit for completing the ASMC course?

Verify that your training record reflects completion of the course(s) for which you are requesting a certificate by checking that the exact course title(s), code(s), and course completion date(s) are recorded.

You also may enroll in the ACE Transcript Service, a computerized transcript service, which provides a lifelong educational record. See your training department for details.

Inform your college or university adviser that you have completed the course(s) and would like to have the ACE-recommended credits applied to your degree program. Fill out a request for the transcript and send it to the ACE Transcript Service office. The Transcript Service office will send the academic institution an official transcript confirming that you have successfully completed the course(s). Call or write the college registrar and ask if the course transcript has been received and is in your file. Talk with your college or university adviser to find out whether the ACE-recommended credits will be transferred to your program of study.

If your adviser is not familiar with the ACE credit recommendations for training, he or she may call the American Council on Education directly at [phone] or refer to The National Guide.

9. What should be done if the credit recommendations are not accepted by my college?

Promptly advise the appropriate ACE program office. Lack of familiarity with the American Council on Education or College Credit Recommendation Service may be the reason for a college's refusal to accept records or credit recommendations. A phone call or a letter from the appropriate ACE program office to the college may alleviate that problem. The phone number for the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Office in the Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials is [phone].

These are credit recommendations. A college is not required to grant as much credit as recommended by the reviewers, nor is a college limited to granting only that amount of credit.