Authors
Hanser, Lawrence M., McKernan, Megan, Cillo, Brady M., Keller, Kirsten M., Hill, Devon, Winston, Isabelle, Groeber, Ginger, Rohn, Laurinda L.
- Division
- RAND Project AIR FORCE Workforce, Development, and Health
- Pages
- 106
- Published in
- United States
- RAND Identifier
- RR-A2327-1
- RAND Type
- report
- Rights
- RAND Corporation
- Series
- Research Reports
- Source
- https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2327-1.html
Table of Contents
- Can a DAF-Wide Approach to Talent Management Meet the Needs of the USSF and USAF Acquisition Workforce 1
- About This Report 3
- RAND Project AIR FORCE 3
- Acknowledgments 3
- Summary 5
- Issue 5
- Approach 5
- Key Findings 5
- Recommendations 6
- Contents 7
- Figures and Tables 9
- Figures 9
- Tables 9
- Introduction 11
- Background 11
- Air Force and Space Force Acquisition 13
- The Acquisition Workforce 16
- Study Objective and Approach 17
- Notes on Study Scope 19
- Structure of This Report 19
- The Department of the Air Force Acquisition Workforce 20
- Military Personnel 20
- Educational Attainment of the DAF Military Acquisition Workforce 22
- Civilian Personnel 22
- Educational Attainment of the DAF Civilian Acquisition Workforce 24
- Age of the DAF Civilian Acquisition Workforce 26
- Mix of Military Officers and Civilians in the DAF Acquisition Workforce 26
- Summary 27
- Acquisition Workforce Management and Development 28
- The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act 28
- DoD Implementation 29
- DAF Implementation 30
- Workforce Development Methods 31
- Both Military and Civilian 31
- Military-Only 36
- Civilian-Only 38
- Summary 39
- Needs of the USSF Acquisition Workforce 40
- Foundational Acquisition Skills Are Similar Across the DAF 40
- USSF Stakeholders Identified Additional Characteristics Important for the USSF Acquisition Workforce 41
- Space-Specific Domain Knowledge and Expertise 41
- Technical Expertise and Advanced Degrees 42
- Experience with Space System Spending Profiles 42
- Knowledge and Skills in Risk Assessment and Management 43
- Knowledge and Skills to Acquire Systems More Rapidly 44
- Operational Experience 44
- Industry Experience 45
- Digital Skills 45
- Summary of Characteristics 46
- New USSF Talent Management Approaches May Have Implications for the Management and Development of the Acquisition Workforce 47
- More Deliberate Individual Development and Assignments 47
- Guardian First Approach 48
- Competencies as the Basis for Talent Management 48
- Greater Unification of Military and Civilian Members 49
- Continued Reliance on Outside Technical Talent 49
- More Flexible Tour Lengths 50
- DAF-Wide Approaches Can Meet Fundamental Acquisition Workforce Needs but Stakeholders Expressed Some Areas of Concern 50
- Summary 51
- Programmatic and Structural Options 52
- Programmatic Options 53
- Add Space-Specific DAU Credentials 53
- Add Space-Specific Courses 53
- Add Education in Risk Management and Taking Intelligent Risks 54
- Add Education in Digital Skills 55
- Add Opportunities for Experience with Industry 55
- Add Resources for Advanced Degree Opportunities 56
- Expand or Create New Programs for Operational Experience 57
- Tailor Materiel LeaderSenior Materiel Leader Criteria 58
- Tailor Civilian SelectionPromotion Criteria 58
- Tailor Criteria for Selective Education and Training Opportunities 59
- Increase Influence over DAWDA 59
- Enable More Flexible Tour Lengths 60
- Increase Individualized Guardian Development 60
- Structural Options 61
- Keep the Current SAFAQH Structure 61
- Create an SAFAQH Space Branch 61
- Create a Space Force Equivalent to SAFAQH to Manage the Space Force Military Acquisition Workforce 62
- Create SAFSQH to Manage the Space Force Military and Civilian Acquisition Workforce 63
- Summary 63
- Summary of Key Findings and Recommendations 64
- Summary of Key Findings 64
- Recommendations 68
- Review Implementation Considerations Associated with Each Option 70
- Assess Trade-Offs Associated with Structural Changes 71
- Reassess the Effectiveness of a DAF-Wide Structure in Future Years 71
- USSF Should Continue to Monitor Key Workforce Trends 72
- Improve Communication Across the DAF 72
- Interview Methodology 73
- Participants 73
- Interview and Analysis Approach 73
- Interview Topics 74
- Professional Certification Standards 76
- Additional Workforce Statistics 78
- Acquisition Officers 78
- Acquisition Civilians 80
- Evaluating the Options 87
- Space-Focused Education 90
- USSF Intermediate-Level Education 90
- USSF Senior-Level Education 90
- National Security Space Institute 91
- Air Force Institute of Technology 91
- Air Command and Staff College 92
- Naval Postgraduate School 93
- Abbreviations 94
- Bibliography 97