News 2021

Watch the 2021 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards Virtual Ceremony

(December 15, 2021) Senior DoD acquisition leadership proudly recognized the winners of DoD's 2021 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards at a virtual recognition ceremony, which streamed on Defense.gov December 15, 2021. This virtual awards ceremony celebrates the imagination and resiliency of the Department’s talent.

The Defense Acquisition Workforce Award recipients represent the best of the best across our acquisition community. Accomplishments of the winners are on display for one year in the Pentagon on the Defense Acquisition Workforce Wall of Recognition display. Visit the awards webpage to watch the virtual ceremony and to learn about the winners.

Winners Announced for the 2021 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards

(October 28, 2021) Mr. Gregory M. Kausner, Performing the Duties of Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, has issued a memo to announce the winners of the 2021 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards. Taking place mid-December, the virtual ceremony will recognize the Defense Acquisition Workforce for their accomplishments in support of the National Defense Strategy. Visit the awards webpage for more information about the awards program.

DoD Civilian Careers Website

(September 29, 2021) - Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Services has launched the DoD Civilian Careers website! Visit the website to see the latest DoD job openings, along with useful resources to help navigate the Federal hiring practice. While on the website, check out the DoD Civilian Careers Job Exploration Tool to explore new career paths. LEARN MORE

Video: DoD Civilian Careers Perks

(September 29, 2021) - DCPAS has released a video that illustrates the perks of DoD civilian career opportunities that directly support the warfighter. Subscribe to “DoD Civilian Careers” on YouTube and check out the video.

Back-to-Basics Implementation for the Defense Acquisition Workforce

(August 31, 2021) - The planned implementation of Back-to-Basics, which modernizes the defense acquisition workforce certification framework, was originally targeted to start on October 1, 2021. The targeted implementation date of October 1, 2021 is revised to February 1, 2022. This change provides additional time to fully implement BtB improvements for the defense acquisition workforce. BACK-TO-BASICS

Article: Defense, State Agree: Diversity, Inclusion Important for Mission Success

(June 21, 2021) - At a town hall meeting at the Pentagon, Ms. Stacy A. Cummings, Performing the Duties of Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, met with Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the State Department, to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in the success of their respective agencies. For more information, please read the complete article on the defense.gov website.

Public Service Recognition Week

(May 7, 2021) - This week marks the 36th anniversary of Public Service Recognition Week, which is celebrated the first week of May to honor the people who serve our nation as federal, state, county, local and tribal government employees.

Learn More:
– WhiteHouse.gov: A Proclamation on Public Service Recognition Week, 2021
– OPM.gov: Public Service Recognition Week
– Partnership for Public Service Website

DoD College Acquisition Internship Program Captures Students’ Attention During Pandemic!

(April 29, 2021) - Students are gearing up for the summer 2021 DoD College Acquisition Internship Program (DCAIP)! We’re spotlighting DCAIP interns Sydney Williams and Sarah Mudd, who shared their perspectives on the program and how they’re benefitting from their participation. Click here to read the article.

DoD Issues a Memo to Reaffirm Values and Ethical Conduct

(March 2, 2021) - On Monday, March 1, 2021, Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, issued a memo to reaffirm the DoD’s values and ethical conduct, with honesty, integrity, character and selflessness ranking high on the list. The memo also includes a reminder for all DoD personnel to complete the required annual ethics training by November 30, 2021. Click here to read the memo.

Back-to-Basics Implementation for the Defense Acquisition Workforce

(February 8, 2021) - Ms. Stacy Cummings, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, issues memo approving initial phase functional area framework updates and planned next steps. Click here to read the memo and to learn more about the Back-to-Basics initiative.

News From the 4th Estate DACM

(February 2, 2021) - The 4th Estate DACM Leadership & Talent Management Portfolio has been released. Read it here or visit the 4th Estate website for more information. Additional updates and opportunities for the 4th Estate community have been published in the Winter 2021 Issue of the 4th Estate DACM Newsletter. Click here to read the newsletter.

DATM Corner - Newsletter for the Acquisition Workforce

(January 28, 2021) - The latest issue of the DATM Corner Navy e-newsletter has been published. READ MORE

Video Message from President Joe Biden

(January 25, 2021) - “We’re a team,” was the opening message in this 3 minute video by President Joe Biden had for all federal employees. Click here to watch the full video message and to read the highlights.

Technical Amendments Related to Family and Medical Leave and Paid Parental Leave

(January 25, 2021) - The United States Office of Personnel Management has summarized the technical amendments related to Family and Medical Leave and Paid Parental Leave under Section 1103 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The technical amendments included provisions addressing the coverage of certain categories of employees under agency-administered FMLA leave (including paid parental leave) programs. Affected executive branch employees include employees of the Federal Aviation Administration, employees of the Transportation Security Administration, employees in the Executive Office of the President, and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs covered by a title 38 leave system. The technical amendments also included some changes to the title 5 FMLA provisions. READ MORE

DAU-South Region Acquisition Update

(January 14, 2021) - Defense Acquisition University (DAU) - South Region will host their virtual annual Acquisition Update on February 17-18, 2021. The theme "Acquisition 2021: Change is Inevitable - Transformation is a Choice" is timely for this year's event as major changes have been enacted within the Department of Defense (DoD). Attendees will hear from senior government and industry leaders on such topics as reimagining how we develop our workforce, changing the way DoD does business, cybersecurity resilience, DevSecOps, sustainment planning in technology development, adaptive contracting in an agile environment, increasing industrial competitiveness, software acquisition, and more.

More information about this event and registration details are available on the DAU website.

NDAA Allows More Federal Leave Carry Over

(January 6, 2021) - The recently passed FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allows for more leave carry over for all federal employees. The 2021 NDAA states that all federal workers may carry over an additional 25% of annual leave over the traditional cap. For most federal workers, the annual cap is usually 240 hours, meaning that in most cases, feds may carry over 300 hours into 2021. None of the additional leave may be carried over into 2022, and employees who leave the federal service this year may not receive last year’s excess leave as part of lump sum payments.

More Info:
Article: OPM Issues Guidance on Law Allowing Feds to Temporarily Carry Over More Annual Leave
OPM Memorandum