Developmental assignments help grow workforce skills

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Aug. 4, 2016)--Employees looking for ways to improve their skills and potentially enhance their promotion potential should consider a developmental assignment, according to Army Contracting Command's human resource specialist who oversees the program.

Developmental assignments enable employees to engage in tasks outside their current job assignment but within their functional area, said Denita Walters, Talent Management/Workforce Development team, ACC Deputy Chief of Staff G1, Human Capital. Walters said the goal is to develop a highly qualified workforce capable of performing both current and future career functions. Research on leadership development indicates that leaders learn a great deal from challenging assignments, she added.

Developmental assignments allow participants to tackle something new and complex, she explained, such as assuming unfamiliar responsibilities, initiating a new program, developing metrics or solutions to complex, multi-variable problems. While a developmental assignment doesn't come with a promotion, Walters said the increased skills, knowledge and experience are good for career advancement.

According to Walters, both the employee and the organization benefit from the developmental assignment program. Employees gain new skills and experiences and organizations benefit because employees return with increased knowledge and capabilities. Developmental assignments last between 90 to 179 days, after which the employee returns to the home organization.

Tony Erskine, on a developmental assignment with the ACC Contracting Operations Directorate here, said this is an opportunity "for me to step outside my comfort zone (and) gain more knowledge on the Government Purchase Card Program by seeing how the GPC Program is run at the ACC headquarters level."

Erskine is a contract specialist for the 410th Contracting Support Brigade, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where she manages the unit's GPC Program.

"So far, it's been great," she said about her assignment in the CONOPS Management Assessment Division. "I've only been here a month and I'm already assisting with revising policies and standard operating procedures. The taskings assigned to me are helping me to learn more about other areas of the GPC at the management level and forcing me to conduct extensive research."

Terry Gotter, a contracting officer from ACC-Orlando, Florida, completed his developmental assignment to ACC headquarters July 22. He was also assigned to the CONOPS Management Assessment Division where he led a program management review.

"Every part of this experience has been exceptional," Gotter said. "I was given challenging work and plenty of it. I was never smothered with supervision but always knew that world-class help was there for the asking. My opinion was valued and sought after."

Gotter said the experience was a "great opportunity to see contracting from a vastly different perspective."

"I expected to gain some appreciation for why the Army does some of the things it does, and I expected to gain some understanding of what ACC is all about," he added. "Expectations were met on both accounts."

Walters said most of ACC's developmental assignments are for the acquisition workforce, but noted other career programs offer developmental assignments.

Venelda Edwards and Misty Turner are two non-acquisition workforce employees currently on developmental assignments. Edwards, a program analyst in the ACC Deputy Chief of Staff G8, Resource Management, is currently working at Army Materiel Command headquarters G8 as a budget analyst. Turner is a supply management specialist from the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan. She's currently serving as a logistics management specialist in the ACC Deputy Chief of Staff G4, Installations and Logistics here.

Turner highly recommends developmental assignments.

"Having the chance to learn what happens in other areas or other organizations allows you to get a better idea of the big picture," she said. "My previous experience with ACC was working with contract specialists. I came into this developmental with no knowledge of how ACC was structured or even what the G4 here did. I have been able to share my experiences and actually apply my logistics background while learning new information and developing a better understanding of goes on in different commands."

In fact, she's decided she would like to stay here so she's looking for a position in the Huntsville area.

Edwards only had to travel across the street, literally, for her assignment. She wishes the assignment were longer.

"On a scale of one to 10, I would rate my experience an 8.8, only because of the length of the tour," she explained. "There are still other financial competencies and activities that I would like to take advantage of earlier in the fiscal year. My current assignment will conclude at the end of the fiscal year."

All of the developmental assignment employees said they would recommend the program to colleagues.

"I would definitely recommend that others volunteer for a developmental assignment, especially if you will have a good mentor," Edwards said. "It is also helpful that I am on a team that ensures my work experience is relevant to their mission."

Walters said managers need to encourage and allow employees to take advantage of developmental assignments so they can broaden their careers and gain other skills that can help them "grow in their current position and future endeavors."

Employees interested in developmental assignments should contact their local human capital office or their career program manager.