This guest episode features the Defense Acquisition University’s (DAU) Contracting Conversations podcast hosted by DAU Department Chairs, Jim Valley and Scott Williams. Contracting Conversations aims to provide listeners with updated information on the credentialing contracting curriculum and answer questions on the training structure at Defense Acquisition University.

This featured episode from Contracting Conversations talks about the Back-to-Basics certification structure, one year after implementation. Search for the podcast in your favorite podcasting app or go to dau.edu and search for Contracting Conversations to hear more topics that can help you on your acquisition journey.

“Contracting Conversations” at dau.mil:

https://media.dau.edu/media/1_vi98l1at

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

In this episode, we sit down with Air Force Materiel Command Commander, Gen. Duke Z. Richardson. Richardson talks about visiting many AFMC centers and installations in his first six months in his current role and what surprised him most about what he saw. He also shares how his 2023 Air Force Materiel Command Strategic Plan was developed and how the workforce can utilize it in executing their missions.

Acronyms:

OI - Operational Imperatives

DMM - Digital Materiel Management

AFMC - Air Force Materiel Command

Air Force Materiel Command 2023 Strategic Plan:

https://www.afmc.af.mil/Portals/13/AFMC%20Strat%20Plan%202023%20%28digital%20copy%29.pdf

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

In this episode, we sit down with two Air Force Contracting professionals leading the adoption and transition to CON-IT. Jay Olson comes to us from SAF/AQCI--Air Force Contracting Business Systems, and Dan Parish is from the contracting directorate at Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command. The guests outline the top three things teams should be doing to prepare for the transition to CON-IT. They also talk about recent successes on the program and opportunities for e-business at the strategic level.

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

This episode of the podcast is with Head of Air Force Contracting, Maj Gen

Alice Trevino and podcast guest interviewer and future Contracting Squadron

Commander, Maj Delaney Kiernan. Gen Trevino talks about looking at the

challenges and opportunities in Air Force Contracting through a lens of

alignment, prioritization, and simplification. She also addresses how Lines of

Effort are being reviewed and addressed within the Air Force Contracting

Flight Plan. Gen Trevino encourages Contracting professionals to think about

their growth and how setting goals can help them stay focused on their

personal and professional development.

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via

[email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

AFMC/PK Podcast Episode 41: Follow-up: Collaborating with Industry -

Chelsea Fulham & Abby Doorn

In this episode, we follow-up with our guests from episode 36, Chelsea

Fulham and Abby Doorn, who are Air Force Contracting professionals that

completed Education with Industry (EWI) fellowships. Chelsea's work with

Amazon and Abby's work with Anduril really got them thinking about how

collaborative industry is with its partners and how Government Acquisition

may better take advantage of opportunities to collaborate with industry to

meet its goals.

As part of their EWI capstone project, Chelsea and Abby worked with Data

Analytics students from UC Berkeley to develop a tool that would allow

companies doing business with the Government a vehicle to provide feedback

on the acquisition process. Chelsea and Abby share the data they received

from industry partners and identify which indicators show the biggest

opportunities for improving the acquisition timeline. They also give advice

to future EWI fellows as they collaborate with industry to learn and improve

the way we do business.

Acronyms:

EWI - Education with Industry

Amazon SCOT - Supply Chain Optimization Technologies

NSIN - National Security Innovation Network

MVP - Minimum Viable Product

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via

[email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

This episode of "The Contracting Experience" (TCE) podcast features a conversation between F-16 Systems Program Office (SPO) Director Col Timothy Bailey and TCE host Amber Pecoraro during the F-16 SPO workforce development discussion "Sharpen the Claw".

Amber talks about two initiatives she's been leading in Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command Contracting Directorate - Creating and hosting "The Contracting Experience" podcast and creating the first-ever one-on-one coaching program for Air Force Contracting

supervisors.

Amber talks about how the podcast started, what different perspectives

listeners can gain from her favorite episodes, and the importance of the

program management and contracting relationship in executing acquisitions.

She also gets specific about what coaching is, the benefits of working with

a coach, and its effectiveness as a development and resiliency tool for the

workforce.

Acronyms:

FMS - Foreign Military Sales

PM - Program Manager

PCO - Procurement Contracting Officer

AFMC - Air Force Materiel Command

EAP - Employee Assistance Program

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via

[email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

In this episode we sit down with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Program Manager, Maj. Paul Weisgarber, and Procurement Contracting Officer, Noel Burke, to talk about their experience working on the Special Operations

Command Ghost Program. Weisgarber and Burke give insights into what the

Ghost program is and the culture they experienced there. They also share

their advice to anyone thinking of applying for the program and what they

learned that has shaped their perspective for future assignments in the Air

Force.

Acronyms:

SOCOM - Special Operations Command

SOF - Special Operations Forces

KPP - Key Performance Parameters

KSA - Key System Attributes

HCA - Head of the Contracting Activity

FAR - Federal Acquisition Regulation

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via

[email protected].

What can you learn from establishing a new contracting squadron? For the first time in Department of Defense history, there was a transfer of a military base from one Service to another. It was Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB), which transferred from the Navy to the Air Force in October 2020.

Maj. Ruben Arredondo was tagged to assist in the effort. Then he was selected as Commander of the 11th Wing Contracting Squadron, a unit that he would need to build and lead for the first time.

In this episode, Arredondo shares what his biggest challenges were and what he learned from the experience that he will take with him to future assignments.

Acronyms:

JBAB – Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

MOA – Memorandum of Agreement

CDC – Childcare Development Center

JDOC – Joint Defense Operations Center

NCIS – Naval Criminal Investigative Service

LRS – Logistics Readiness Squadron

IOC – Initially Operation Capable

FOC – Fully Operation Capable

NAVFAC – Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

In this episode, Certified Professional Coach and host, Amber Pecoraro, talks about a topic that she has worked on with Contracting Supervisors:

taming task lists/to-do lists.

Is your task list/to-do list making you feel guilty and like you are constantly behind, rather than helping you be effective and efficient in your job? If so, this episode is for you. Amber gives you strategies to help your task list work for you, instead of you working for your task list.

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

In this episode, we sit down with Chelsea Fuhlam and Abby Doorn who are Air Force Contracting professionals doing Education with Industry (EWI) fellowships. Chelsea’s work with Amazon and Abby’s work with Anduril really got them thinking about how collaborative industry is with its partners and how government acquisition can take better advantage of opportunities to collaborate with industry to meet its goals.

As part of their EWI capstone project, Chelsea and Abby are working with Data Analytics students from UC Berkeley to develop a tool that will allow companies doing business with the government a vehicle to provide feedback on the process and identify key areas where improvements could enhance the process of meeting Air Force missions. Chelsea and Abby share why this collaboration is so important to what we do and the place our country holds in the world.

If you’re a current vendor or potential vendor doing business with the government, go to the show notes for this podcast episode and click the link to Chelsea and Abby’s survey in order to share your feedback.

Acronyms:

EWI – Education with Industry

SME – Subject Matter Expert

NSIN – National Security Innovation Network

Link to Vendor Feedback Form:

https://forms.gle/d9qDA7ubdSzMncin8

If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via [email protected].

Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.