Air Force Management of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund: Opportunities for Improvement

Abstract

Abstract : The Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund (DAWDF) was established in 2008 to provide funds for the recruitment, training, and retention of acquisition personnel. The fund, which is financed by a combination of direct appropriations and funds provided by military departments and defense agencies, is meant to pay for initiatives in three major categories: recruit and hire new acquisition personnel, train and develop members of the existing workforce, and retain and recognize highly skilled personnel. Since the funds establishment, the U.S. Air Force has contributed more than $600 million to DAWDF and received more than $451 million for various initiatives. The Air Forces Director of Acquisition Career Management (DACM),who is in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Air Force Acquisition Career Management [SAF/AQH]), is responsible for managing the Air Forces share of the money. In recent years, resources available to the Air Force through DAWDF have been sufficient to pay for all proposals received by the DACM, so there has been little need to develop a formal process to prioritize them. Recognizing that this will not always be the case, the DACM asked the RAND Corporation to help explore ways to ensure that the funds are used effectively. To do this, we examined legislation, regulations, and other documents related to the fund; interviewed acquisition workforce subject-matter experts and users of DAWDF money in headquarters organizations, major commands (MAJCOM), and centers; analyzed acquisition workforce databases; and interviewed managers in 21 companies that have been recognized by Fortune magazine as being among the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Our findings and recommendations can be summarized in four categories: DAWDF management processes, evidence-based justification and metrics, lessons from industry, and a proposed evaluation framework.