FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
A collaboration between the Defense Logistics Agency’s human resources and information technology experts is expanding the agency’s current data acumen modules beyond traditional online training to a podcast.
DLA Human Resources launched the first phase of its data acumen training in September 2024. In January, leaders saw a need to take this a step further, said DLA’s Chief of Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office Strategic Planning Analyst Amy Mcgrath. She serves as one of the lead planners for the podcast and future advanced-level data acumen training.
“We started the podcast to bring in the subject matter experts together across the agency to talk about what they have learned in terms of the depth and breadth of their experiences on topics related to data acumen,” she said.
Mcgrath said the team recently launched seven episodes of the Data Drives podcast on DLA’s Learning Management System (this link requires a DLA common access card).
“Employees can expect to hear episodes on things like ‘How Data Acumen Drives DLA’s Strategic Edge’ to ‘Protecting the Digital Self’ and ‘Debunking Data Myths at DLA,’” she added.
DLA’s Enterprise Integration Office Human Resource Analyst Cory Norman is working with McGrath as the instructional designer for the first and second phases of the initiative. Norman said the team did not want to create phase two as traditional learning, so they decided to take a different approach.
“We wanted to build a podcast that was not only informative, but engaging,” Norman said. “Also, we needed it to be relative and easily accessible to spark the interest of our employees to adapt a data-driven mindset and culture.”
Norman said the podcast is not a lecture but an opportunity for the agency’s leaders to share expertise and “golden nuggets of wisdom” that resonates with the audience.
In addition to the podcast, Mcgrath said the team is expecting to pilot advanced level training program later this year to address the gaps in the agency’s current training programs. The pilot program will include employees from across the agency, and varying career fields can work together in a capstone class to use data to solve real business problems for DLA and its customers.
The new courses will cover in-depth topics such as data literacy, data management, information on data sources, analytic and data visualization tools and some initial artificial intelligence, Mcgrath said.
Benefits of data acumen training
In the contested logistics environment, every decision counts. DLA’s transformation hinges on how well the agency harnesses its data, said DLA Human Resources Director Chuck Barber.
“Data is not just as a tool, but a strategic asset,” Barber said. “Data acumen isn’t just a skill; it’s a mission enabler. We're empowering the workforce to turn that data into action, make faster and smarter decisions, and align decisions where mission is impacted.”
Barber said the data acumen training will help build employee data fluency across their career fields. It will also teach how to interpret trends and connections to data points to drive better outcomes. The training will enable the agency to create shared learning data not just within DLA, but with the warfighters, the services and the agency’s stakeholders.
“We're investing in our people so they can lead with confidence and contribute with some clarity, because the future of logistics is data-driven,” Barber said. “This training ensures our workforce is equipped, not just for the fight ahead, but to win it.”
Previously released data acumen training
DLA Human Resources launched a three-tiered data acumen training curriculum in September 2024 to help employees understand, interpret and use data. The training, the first of its kind for the agency, includes basic, intermediate and advanced courses. Basic courses teach employees how to use data to make informed decisions and achieve better outcomes. Intermediate courses enable employees to increase their analytic skills and uncover insights and trends in the data. Advanced courses help employees uncover impactful insights, make data-informed predictions and develop solutions to solve real-world business problems.
The data acumen training podcasts and previously released training courses are available in in DLA's Learning Management System. DLA's Campaign of Learning webpage also provides more information on how data can be used in the logistics realm. A video portrays how employees can use data to advance DLA's mission. A DLA CAC is required to access all resources.