Effectively planning for the workforce of the future is one of the greatest challenges facing the Defense Logistics Agency, a senior human resources official said in greeting strategic workforce planners at DLA Headquarters Oct. 30.
About 40 representatives from across DLA’s 16 functional communities met in person and via VTC and telephone with DLA Human Resources advisors in the biannual meeting. Functional community managers are senior leaders who guide workforce planning efforts and strategies in their respective communities and ensure they are aligned with mission requirements. FCM points of contact assist in these efforts by executing the human capital strategies and objectives of their respective FCMs, leading assessments of the occupational series, implementing workforce planning processes, and reviewing workforce data.
“Your presence here and over time as you perform your functional community management duties is important.” DLA Human Resources Deputy Director Billie Keeler said. “Strategic workforce planning is a critical activity used to make decisions resulting in the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time.”
The meeting’s theme was “Forecasting the Future of Strategic Workforce Planning,” which Keeler explained is basically setting the direction of the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. He noted this meeting built on previous such events.
“The continuation of transparency and knowledge sharing is exactly what will help us continue to make successful strides in this climate of change,” he said.
Meeting attendees received briefings and updates on:
- Competency modeling and upcoming assessments from Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service representatives.
- Objectives in the DLA People and Culture Plan and DLA strategic imperatives for fiscal year 2019.
- Workforce planning best practices.
- The Integrated Workforce Analysis and Planning Model, known as IWAPM, an automated, web-based application that supports the workforce planning process and facilitates analysis of current trends and future projections.
Angela Curtis, FCM integrator for DLA, said it was particularly beneficial to have the DCPAS representatives speak to meeting attendees and make themselves available for questions.
“It’s helpful to hear from the experts about what’s on the horizon, so we [DLA] can be actively involved,” she said.
These twice-yearly meetings detail specific strategic workforce initiatives, and promote Defense Department workforce forecasting, planning and shaping strategies. The following functional communities within DLA were represented: acquisition, financial management, safety and public safety, leadership, logistics, security, small business, warehousing, property disposal, environmental management, human resources, engineering, information technology, law enforcement, miscellaneous and program management, and legal.