DAU launches new online modules: Continuous Learning opportunities for the DoD AT&L workforce - Acquisition Education, Training and Career Development

Program Manager, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Sylwia Gasiorek-Nelson

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Continuous Learning Center (CLC) has recently launched two new Continuous Learning Online Modules: DoD Government Purchase Card Tutorial and Introduction to Lean Enterprise Concepts. Both modules represent the CLC's latest efforts to provide continuous learning opportunities to the DoD AT&L workforce. The CLC's basic mission is to provide a single portal for easy access to a multitude of continuous learning opportunities, performance support, and information.

DoD Government Purchase Card Tutorial

DoD designed this module for the entire workforce, including DoD AT&L workforce members, program managers, acquisition logisticians, sustainment logisticians, contracting personnel, financial managers, and Defense contractors.

The DoD Government Purchase Card (GPC) Tutorial was developed to train government purchase cardholders, approving officials, and certifying official nominees. According to a Sept. 27, 2002, memorandum signed by Deidre Lee, Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, this training is mandatory.

The DoD GPC Tutorial contains 10 lessons that present mandatory requirements and other guidelines to consider and apply when using the GPC.

* Lesson 1: Introduction to the DoD GPC Tutorial

* Lesson 2: GPS Responsibilities

* Lesson 3: Unauthorized Use of the GPC

* Lesson 4: GPC Controls and Procedures

* Lesson 5: GPC Billing Cycle

* Lesson 6: GPC Disputes

* Lesson 7: GPC Efficiencies.

* Lesson 8: Documenting GPC Purchases

* Lesson 9: GPC Ethics

* Lesson 10: DoD GPC Tutorial Summary

By completing this course, learners will be able to recognize, identify, or define the following requisite knowledge and actions required to serve as government purchase cardholders, approving officials, or certifiying officials.

* Recognize the various rules of increasing Cardholder monthly or office purchase limits.

* Define the requirements when changing Approving Officials.

* Recognize circumstances of account termination.

* Identify the key roles and responsibilities of various players involved with GPC.

* Recognize the various rules involved with account suspension.

* Recognize the rights and responsibilities of Certifying Officials across agencies.

* Recognize restrictions on GPC use.

* Define split purchases.

* Identify types of Cardholder and Non-Cardholder fraud.

* Recognize how to report GPC fraud.

* Recognize the importance of separating GPC roles and responsibilities.

* Identify GPC purchase flow

* Recognize guidelines to consider when making micro-purchases.

* Define limits to making purchases with the GPC.

* Recognize the walk-through procedures in contracting of emergency purchases.

* Recognize the suppliers and recognize the priority for each source.

* Recognize procedures for the closing of the billing cycle.

* Identify the structure behind the GPC account numbers, and define certification information.

* Define disputes and identify possible dispute causes and procedures to follow when using the GPC.

* Recognize forms used for disputing charges to the GPC.

* Identify procedures to follow during form completion.

* Recognize appropriate feedback from disputes.

* Recognize the Cardholder's responsibilities in dispute procedures.

* Define sustainment items.

* Identify accommodation/convenience checks.

* Recognize procedures for accommodation/convenience checks.

* Define procedures for ordering against indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts, federal supply schedule contracts, basic ordering agreements, and blanket purchase agreements.

* Recognize benefits of making payments with the GPC for printing services.

* Identify differences between using the GPC and the DD Form 1556 for payments in training.

* Recognize the Cardholder's responsibility to maintain purchase documentation and its importance.

* Identify ethical standards of conduct and their regulatory/legal foundation.

Commenting on the new DAU CLC module, Bob Faulk, Director, DAU Continuous Learning, said, "Among its many benefits, the tutorial provides an alternative to off-site training and costly TDY expenses. It is accessible as an online reference tool and provides a source for the mandatory two-year refresher training."

He also emphasized that more than 1,000 students successfully completed the four-hour module, within the first 60 days of going "live" on the CLC site. "The GPC tutorial is the hottest module currently on the CLC site. We have added 3,500 new registered users since the Aug. 28, 2002, release of the DoD GPC Tutorial," Faulk said.

The average cumulative time for module completion is four hours, and four Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) are earned upon completion. Students can take this self-paced module over time, returning to the last accessed page when convenient. The module includes periodic review questions and a post-test. The post-test requires a minimum score of 70 percent and may be retaken as many times as necessary. A certificate of completion is awarded at the successful completion of the post-test. Upon earning the certificate, it may be accessed electronically anytime from the student's personal transcript file within the CLC.