Along with FAI, NAPM (National Association of Purchasing Management) and ASU (Arizona State University's College of Business and Information Technology Departments) will develop and maintain an internet-based 21st Century Distributed Learning Environment, incorporating both current and leading-edge technologies, to benefit both the public and private sector acquisition communities. A digital infrastructure will be developed to distribute training, education, and mentoring programs, as well as online performance support tools.
Concurrent with development and deployment of asynchronous digital training utilizing existing ubiquitous technologies, significant research and development will be undertaken to discover those synchronous and asynchronous teaching methodologies to best deliver training in the 21st century. Over the next five years, various educational, instructional, mentoring, and performance support products and programs will be designed, developed, tested, adjusted, and rolled out. As new technologies are discovered through the R&D; effort throughout the five-year period, they will be incorporated into the Distributed Learning Environment.
Additionally, feasibility studies will be conducted to ascertain whether a fifth module of the NAPM Certification Examination (C.P.M.), or a different version of the current exam, should be developed and deployed to enable federal procurement personnel to become C.P.M.s with a concentration in federal procurement.
In summary, a number of initiatives will transpire concurrently throughout the lifetime of this grant:
- Develop digital infrastructure for, and begin deploying, acquisition and business college credit courses
- Research and test leading-edge online learning applications; continually incorporate into courses
- Research feasibility of professional certification for federal acquisition workforce
Process
- Review current instructional programs developed / delivered by FAI
- Incorporate instructional design elements and adult learning principles for computer-based education
- Consult with academic and practitioner subject matter experts to write current case studies
- Convert programs to internet deliverable courses for college credit
- Incorporate existing, and expand upon, online mentoring program
- Continually conduct research and development on leading-edge online applications; begin including into, and upgrading, courses and mentoring programs
- Concurrently, investigate feasibility of revising and/or adding on to existing Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) exam to enable professional certification for federal acquisition personnel