Publication

This report describes the research findings, discussions, and recommendations of SERC Research Task RT-121 that expands on the components of the Army Improved Systems Engineering (SE) Career Development System (CDS) previously developed under SERC RT-104i . The report begins with a description of the evolution of the baseline CDS, composed of: a) an assumed input of Army Engineering Career Field individuals whose careers are then developed through the five major elements of education, experience, tenure, currency, and cross-functional competencies integrated by career management and mentorship; and b) an objective output of a future pool of engineering Key Leadership Position (KLP) candidates. RT-121 research objectives, categorized in four subtasks focused on expanding the CDS elements of Education and Experience, Tenure and Cross-Functional Competencies, Mentorship, and Continuing Learning Modules (CLM), are then described. RT-121 discovery activities, including collaborative meetings with the Army and Army-provided source data, are then illustrated and followed by research findings described in terms of strengths, limitations, observations and recommendations for each subtask. The report concludes with summary observations resulting from a holistic perspective of the four subtasks and three major career development recommendations to be used as points of departure for further consideration. Specifically those recommendations focus on:

• Improving the transition from Engineering Level III-to-KLP,
• A shift to the use of value propositions as career development objectives as an explicit way of assessing and documenting individual capability demonstrations, and,
• Development of an Integrated Professional Development Planning and Measurement tool in the form of a Professional Development Decision Support System.