Professional development.

As we travel around the country visiting chapters and teaching institutions and talking with ASMC members, several clear patterns emerge. Personnel in the financial management community are eager to learn and want to participate in professional development activities, but they do not always get the information they need in order to do so. The following items summarize a few of the "well-known" opportunities as well as some new ones in hopes of attracting more takers.

ASMC Member Education Grants

Every year ASMC awards a number of $1,000 professional development grants to members (usually 15, sometimes mote) for whatever professional development activities each individual is pursuing. The deadline each year for applying is February 28; the forms and rules are on the ASMC Web site at www.asmconline.org Applicants for the grants must have been ASMC members for at least 2 years.

There are no strings attached, and ASMC does not stipulate how the money must be used. So if you are involved in a program of professional development, be aware of this resource--and apply for it!

Acquisition Corps Certification and On-Line Courses

When the Acquisition Corps was first established, it was estimated that there were over 4,000 financial managers in the Corps. Corps officials report that this number has now at least doubled. This would indicate that there are significant career opportunities for financial managers in the Business, Cost Estimating, and Financial Management Career Track who are Acquisition Corps Certified.

Certification is accomplished by taking a series of courses, a number of which are on line and are offered to both government and non-government personnel without cost. For level I certification, the basic level, three courses are required: Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management (ACQ 101) and two of the following three: Fundamentals of Cost Analysis (BCE 101), Fundamental of Earned Value Management (BCF102), and Fundamentals of Business Financial Management (BCF 103).

For more information, visit the Defense Acquisition University Web site at http://www.dau.mil, or contact Sharon Richardson at [e-mail].

Naval Postgraduate School and University of Maryland Offer Defense-Focused MBA 

The Naval Postgraduate School's Graduate School of Business and Public Policy and the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business are now accepting applications for the Defense-focused MBA program (weekends, part-time) in Washington, D.C. Applicants must take the GMAT and send a completed application to Becky Jones, do Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, by April 1, 2003, for acceptance into the fall 2003 program.

Students will meet every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington, D.C., with teaching faculty from both NPS and Smith School of Business. All DoD civilians and military officers are qualified to apply. For more information visit the NPG Web site at www. nps.navy.mil/gsbppljmbaljmba.htm.

CDFM Certification Renewals Coming Due

Those now holding the Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM) certification for 24 or more months should by now have received letters indicating that certification renewal is required. This consists of self-certifying that you have accumulated the necessary 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credits during the 24-month period after certification was awarded. The submission of the signed form and a check for $20 (this is in addition to your annual ASMC membership dues) is required to keep your certification active. If you have not received your letter or if you have any questions, please contact John Raines, ASMC Headquarters, at [phone], ext. 232, or through e-mail at [e-mail]

Certification Examinations to Be Revised

Since the CDFM examinations are now about 3 years old, they are scheduled to be revised and updated this fall. Subject matter experts from the Department of Defense, under supervision of psychometric experts, will review the content of the examinations and rewrite questions as necessary. It is anticipated that significant additions will be made in the area of acquisition and contracting processes.

CDFM Study Guide Updated (Useful to All FM Personnel)

The CDFM Web site contains an updated version of the downloadable study guide, which contains (as of this date) accurate and working URL addresses for all major references to be studied by candidates for the CDFM examinations. The guide contains such on-line references as the Government Travel Regulation (with current TDY rates), GAO Red Book (Principles of Federal Appropriation Law), the GAO Yellow Book (Government Auditing Standards), OMB letters and circulars, DoD budget, United States budget, House of Representatives on-line legal reference Web site with access to all legal code cites and codified public laws (Thomas) and several others. Even if you don't wish to study for the CDFM, the references are those that are needed daily by many of us. Copy this from www.asmccertification.com.

Financial Management Community Survey

The Chief Financial Officer Human Capital Committee has developed a survey to capture federal-wide financial management (both civilian and military) demographic information, as well as employee opinions regarding the availability of training and other workforce development-related issues. The survey consists of 39 questions and can be accessed through www.asmconline.org (click on Links). It will be available from November 1 through December 31, 2002. We encourage you to make time to go to the site and complete the survey.

We'd Like to Hear From You!

As always, the Armed Forces Comptroller wants to publish the latest and most informative professional development news of interest to the financial management community in the Department of Defense. Please send items to the Education and Training Corner Tower, American Society of Military Comptrollers, National Headquarters, 2034 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 145, Alexandria, VA 223 14-4650 or e-mail to [e-mail].