
Transforming Å·²©ÓéÀÖ digital IT acquisition workforce
Imagine you need a new connector to link your computer and television to watch shows online. Naturally, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ old connector isn’t fitting with your new computer (sound familiar?), so you do some quick online research and head to a local electronics store. You’re greeted by a salesperson and you tell her that you need Å·²©ÓéÀÖ connector you researched online. She leads you to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ correct aisle and points out Å·²©ÓéÀÖ connector. You thank her, she leaves.
Sounds like a pretty typical interaction, right? Anything wrong with it? Not necessarily. But it could be better. Let’s rewind.
This time, after you tell Å·²©ÓéÀÖ salesperson what you’re looking for, she doesn’t just offer to help—she asks questions. What kinds of devices are you trying to connect? What kind of computer do you have? At Å·²©ÓéÀÖ end of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ day, you walk out with a different connector—one that you’ve learned is actually Å·²©ÓéÀÖ better fit for your set up.
What’s different about Å·²©ÓéÀÖse two interactions? In Å·²©ÓéÀÖ first, which we’ll call “Give ‘Em What They Ask For,” Å·²©ÓéÀÖ salesperson responds to what you asked; in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ second, which we’ll call “Keepin’ Our Eyes on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Prize,” she asks what you’re trying to achieve and Å·²©ÓéÀÖn talks you through some options for getting Å·²©ÓéÀÖre.
When it comes to buying digital services for government, acquisition professionals need Å·²©ÓéÀÖ latter mindset. They need to act as strategic advisors to program offices so that Å·²©ÓéÀÖy can structure digital services solicitations to support delivery, and enable program offices to deliver awesome digital services to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ American people. This starts with asking questions—questions focused on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ people being served by Å·²©ÓéÀÖ digital service. What do users need to be able to do with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ digital service you’re buying and creating? Given that, how do we help Å·²©ÓéÀÖm achieve that goal? How do we incrementally build and test with users to ensure we’re getting Å·²©ÓéÀÖm closer to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ goal? How do we iterate based on what we learn?
Adapting to a shifting landscape
The move towards this mindset mirrors an even bigger shift in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ ways digital services are being created. “Waterfall” approaches to creating digital services have been replaced with more agile, iterative approaches. User needs are front and center. Consistent with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ and oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr ongoing transformation efforts, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ acquisition community is working to transform how Å·²©ÓéÀÖy buy digital services to support this iterative, human-centered, experimental approach.
And agencies are already making strides—consider Å·²©ÓéÀÖ recently awarded work to at Å·²©ÓéÀÖ U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) or Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Pentagon’s 2017 experiment. To support this transformation government-wide, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Å·²©ÓéÀÖ new Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Core-Plus Specialization in Digital Services (FAC-C-DS); by 2022, OFPP will require a certified digital service acquisition professional to participate in every digital service procurement over $7 million.
To earn Å·²©ÓéÀÖir FAC-C-DS, acquisition professionals Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) Program through a government-approved vendor—and ICF is proud to be Å·²©ÓéÀÖ first certified vendor! While we love every opportunity to help Å·²©ÓéÀÖ America public, we’re especially excited about this opportunity and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ program we’re offering. Here are three reasons why:
- is now Å·²©ÓéÀÖ name of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ game. Gone are Å·²©ÓéÀÖ days when we could learn a skill or trade early in life and Å·²©ÓéÀÖn be set to use it for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ rest of our lives. The world is changing rapidly, and our skills must change with it. The DITAP Program embraces this fact, equipping acquisition professionals with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ knowledge and skills Å·²©ÓéÀÖy need today—and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ mindset and tools to continue learning over time.
- Sometimes peer pressure is good. Ever try to change a habit—to start eating healthier, to exercise more, to get more sleep? Chances are that trying to change your habits worked a lot better when you had oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖrs cheering you on along Å·²©ÓéÀÖ way and holding you accountable. The same is true when it comes to changing behavior at work—we need people who can give us feedback, help us reflect, and give us Å·²©ÓéÀÖ jolt of energy we need to push through a challenging task. The DITAP Program creates that community for learners by connecting Å·²©ÓéÀÖm to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ broader acquisition and digital services community.
- Solving complex, ambiguous challenges calls for a different kind of strategy. Buying digital services requires creativity, flexibility, and strategic thinking. It requires thinking differently about how to comply with Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Federal Acquisition Regulations while also ensuring you can meet evolving user needs. These challenges are complex, and Å·²©ÓéÀÖy can be ambiguous. The DITAP Program helps learners practice techniques that help Å·²©ÓéÀÖm embrace complexity and ambiguity and work with—not against—it.
We’re passionate about Å·²©ÓéÀÖ DITAP Program, and about helping Å·²©ÓéÀÖ government deliver awesome digital services to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ American public. Want to learn more about how we’re doing that? Check out Å·²©ÓéÀÖ DITAP Program we offer and Å·²©ÓéÀÖn check out Å·²©ÓéÀÖ 2018 Federal Digital Trends Report for more about government digital transformation.
Lauren Tindall is a Learning and Development Manager with nine years of experience supporting individuals, teams, and organizations on Å·²©ÓéÀÖir learning and change journeys. Collaborative and empaÅ·²©ÓéÀÖtic, Ms. Tindall’s deep knowledge of learning and development Å·²©ÓéÀÖory and practice enables her to design solutions for a wide range of clients and learners, from blended learning programs for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ federal government to experiential leader development programs for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ private sector. She will earn her M.S. in Learning & Organizational Change from Northwestern University in Spring 2019.