The VA Acquisition Academy (VAAA) was created to address the growing acquisition workforce challenge facing the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Government overall. With the downsizing from the last decade and the loss of institutional knowledge resulting from baby-boomer retirements, the acquisition workforce has been strained to keep pace with the increased amount of and complexities associated with outsourced work in support of the VA mission. In addition, oversight of the acquisition function across the entire Federal Government has grown dramatically in recent years. All of this, combined with recent mandates by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Institute to meet required certification standards for the acquisition workforce, prompted the VA to take action to build the VAAA.
Through our professional schools — Acquisition Internship, Contracting Professional, Program Management, Facilities Management, and Supply Chain Management — we are committed toward not only meeting OFPP certification mandates, but also toward ensuring that our training curriculum takes a holistic and synergistic approach to:
- Create a workforce that is regarded as “best in class” where acquisition professionals are referred to as “trusted business advisors” who are sought out by their peers and customers for their expertise in crafting the most effective and efficient acquisition strategies to meet mission needs.
- Incorporate electives in each school that addresses the entire suite of competencies needed for success: innovation, leadership, team building, communication, interpersonal skills, and others.
- Align course content to achieve greater consistency and standardization in performing the acquisition function that is grounded by the Federal Acquisition Regulation’s (FAR) Guiding Principles for exercising sound business judgment.
- Leverage institutional knowledge and wisdom of the VA’s existing acquisition workforce by creating knowledge sharing activities and opportunities for all employees coming through our programs.
- Bridge the gap that often exists between program and contracting offices to create “acquisition teams” that are committed to collectively achieving results.
