Monday, February 21, 2005
Draft
McCausland
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was designed to be a systematic effort to prepare civilians for key leadership positions at
GS14-15 and Senior Executive Service levels. It had three components:
•
A one-year rotational assignment outside one’s occupation or
component.
•
A minimum three-month course in professional military
education at the senior level that was established at the
National Defense University.
•
At least ten advanced graduate courses in subjects important
for Defense leaders (in essence a DOD-focused MBA
program).
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At one time DLAMP had 1100 participants with 83 enrolled at ten-month professional
military education courses (such as the War Colleges).
While this program was endorsed by the Defense Science Board, it suffered from
several difficulties over time.
First, DLAMP was designed for all DOD civilian
employees regardless of background. There was no distinction between those in technical
fields versus those in policy positions. Those assigned to policy positions rarely were
afforded the opportunity to attend, and many with a technical background found
experiences such as the senior service college interesting but somewhat irrelevant to their
career patterns. Second, DOD was unable to create a personnel overage that would fill
positions left vacant when individuals were attending schooling. Consequently, managers
were reluctant to send their best to schooling, and as a result GS12s and 13s began being
assigned to meet schooling requirements. Third, selection for attendance was based on
performance and not potential.
Administrators claimed that existing personnel
regulations precluded them for making development assignments based on future
potential and argued they were forced to focus on solely improving a person’s
Convention