Small and disadvantaged business certification process workshop "performance support of the DoD AT & L workforce in action".

On Feb. 24 and 25, the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) hosted a successful Performance Support workshop in support of the DoD Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (DoD SADBU) office and the Small Business Administration (SBA). The workshop, held in the DAU Management Deliberation Center and facilitated by Bill McGovern, Curricula Development and Support Center (CDSC), was conducted to assist the Small Business Administration (SBA) in its first steps to re-engineer the small and disadvantaged business certification process.

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The SBA currently provides the SDB certification service for 28 federal agencies of which DoD is its largest paying customer. DAU President Frank Anderson Jr., participated for several hours on both days of the workshop and shared many of the challenges and success stories that DAU has experienced as it progressed through its transformation over the past 3 1/2 years. Many of the DAU experiences were similar in nature to what the SBA is currently experiencing, and representative of issues that organizations are forced to deal with as they transform.

Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Miller from the DAU Midwest Region participated in the workshop and briefed the LEAN concept (eliminating waste from process/procedures) to the group. Army Col. Gus Mancuso from the Army's SADBU office was a very active participant in the workshop bringing with him the added insight of the warfigher's perspective. Also participating in the workshop was Linda Oliver, deputy director, DoD SADBU office, and Sharon Drago, assistant director DoD SADBU and a member of Oliver's staff. Attending from the SBA was Eugene Cornelius, deputy administrator, Office of Business Development and 16 of his staff who are directly involved with the SDB certification process. Marcia Richard, CDSC and project manager for the effort was also a participant.

DAU has agreed to assist the SBA in a follow-on session, phase two of the SDB certification re-engineering effort: Implementation. For more information on the certification process, contact Marcia Richard at [e-mail].

Richard is the associate director for performance support, DAU Curricula Development and Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.