Professional development.

CDFMs Top 2,000

As of the end of fiscal year 2004 (September 30, 2004), 2,190 persons had successfully completed all three Certified Defense Finance Managers test modules and were awarded the CDFM designation. Congratulations to all!

New ASMC Monetary Incentives for Professional Development

The mission of ASMC is to promote the continuing professional development of its membership. To further this mission, the ASMC Executive Committee has authorized new monetary incentives for the professional development of ASMC members in the Department of Defense and the United States Coast Guard financial management workforce, as follows:

The Neil R. Ginnetti Chapter Professional Development Awards. Initial grants of $2,500 will be given to one chapter in each standard ASMC-size category judged to have the best professional development program during the ASMC competition year concluding on March 31, 2005. The elements of achievement include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Achieving Five Star status

* Establishing and maintaining an outstanding certification program

* Conducting outstanding local training activities

* Contributing to the command mission

Nomination forms and rules will be published in ASMC publications. Chapters will be judged by the Awards Committee of the National Headquarters, and the awards will be presented at the National Professional Development Institute (PDI), beginning with the PDI in Salt Lake City, Utah. The winning chapters must use the awards for the professional development of their membership.

A strong supporter of the Society throughout his professional career, the late Mr. Neil R. Ginnetti served two terms as the national president of ASMC. Mrs. Sue Ginnetti has authorized use of the family name for the awards.

The Enhanced Continuing Education Grant Program. ASMC will replace the existing continuing education grant program with an enhanced program that will provide additional grants and grants of greater monetary value. The following continuing education grants will be available under the enhanced program:

* One Gold $5,000 (Dick Vincent) Scholarship Award

* Four $2,500 Silver Scholarship Awards

* Fifteen $1,000 Bronze Scholarship Awards

Continuing education grants are available only for ASMC members. The grants are usually applied in pursuit of bachelor's, master's, and professional degrees, relevant certifications, and professional growth courses. Applicants are required to state the planned use of the grants during the application process.

The enhanced program will be administered according to the rules, regulations, and deadlines of the existing continuing education grant program. The number of awards will be based on merit. The maximum number of awards may not be given in any fiscal year if, in the opinion of the Awards Committee, a standard of excellence is not met. ASMC will annually disburse up to $25,000 above the amounts awarded in previous years.

Award recipients will be notified prior to the 2005 National PDI in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will receive the awards at the PDI. (It is not necessary to be present to receive an award.) The awards schedule for ASMC competition year 2005 is posted on the ASMC Web site. These new awards replace the original information as it pertains to Chapter Professional Development and Continuing Education Grants.

The Awards Committee will publish additional specific instructions as required. Among the instructions will be feedback procedures to ensure that the awards are used for the purposes intended. Additional rules and information will be available on the ASMC Web site, in the Chapter News, at the Mid-Year National Council Meeting, and in the Armed Forces Comptroller.

Military service vice presidents of ASMC are encouraged to promote these awards within the service chains of command to the extent possible within existing rules and guidelines. For additional information, contact the ASMC Awards Committee.

Defense Resources Management Institute Update

The Defense Resources Management Institute (DRMI) is an educational institution sponsored and supervised by the Secretary of Defense. It is 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 28,000 military officers of all services and senior civilian officials of the United States and 160 other countries. These programs are presented on a regularly scheduled basis at DRMI in Monterey and by specific arrangement at other locations in the United States and overseas.

The major offering for U.S. students is the Defense Resources Management Course (DRMC). The 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 flee for DoD employees. Tuition for non-DoD employees is $6,000. Sponsoring agencies are responsible for travel, per diem, and lodging. 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 2005 Offerings:

DRMC 05-1--January 10-February 4

DRMC 05-2--April 25-May 19

DRMC 05-3--May 23-June 17

DRMC 05-4--July 25-August 18

DRMC 05-5--August 22-Sep 16

For more information on DRMI, see the DRMI Web page at http://web.nps.navy.mil/~drmi/.

Or you can call our Administrative Office at [phone] or 756-2104 (DSN), or e-mail the Institute at [e-mail].

Navy Practical Comptrollership Course Update

in an attempt to reduce training and travel costs and increase customer responsiveness, the Navy Practical Comptrollership Course (PCC) will evaluate a five-day version of their typical nine-day course. The demographics of the student population have evolved such that nearly one of five students is now a GS-14 or military O-5 or above. Many of these students are seeking more exposure to and less in-depth coverage of the financial management material the PCC has traditionally offered. Other students and commands cannot afford the time or expense of a two-week class. An analysis of the total cost of the course to the Navy further suggested that a shorter version might be viable.

Four pilot courses and four traditional courses will be offered in fiscal year 2005 with the goal of assessing the viability of the shorter version. If you are planning to take the PCC this year, here are some things to keep in mind when deciding which course to take. The course content is very similar for both the nine-day and the five-day versions of the class, but the shorter class moves at a Faster pace, includes less time for in-depth discussion, and has limited participation by outside guest speakers. The longer class covers material in more depth, uses more guest speakers, and permits some flexibility to explore particular areas of interest to the class.

The five-day class is designed for those who need less in-depth coverage or who cannot afford the time or expense of two weeks from the office. The nine-day class is designed for those who need to spend more time in the material and who would benefit from a more robust educational experience.

For more information, visit the PCC Web site at http://pcc.nps.navy.mil or e-mail [e-mail].

We'd Like to Hear from You

As always, ASMC welcomes your input and professional development news. Send items (and other goodies) to ASMC National Headquarters, Attn: Professional Development Department, 415 North Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, or e-mail [e-mail], or call at [phone], ext. 106.