Digital Transformation for Defense Acquisition: Digital Engineering Competency Framework (DECF)

Abstract

Digital transformation is fundamentally changing the way acquisition and engineering are performed across a wide range of government agencies, industries, and academia and is characterized by the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, changing fundamental operations and how results are delivered in terms of new value to customers. It includes cultural change centered on alignment across leadership, strategy, customers, operations, and workforce evolution. Digital engineering (DE) is ‘‘an integrated digital approach that uses authoritative sources of systems’ data and models as a continuum across disciplines to support life-cycle activities from concept through disposal. A DE ecosystem is an interconnected infrastructure, environment, and methodology that enables the exchange of digital artifacts from an authoritative source of truth.” (ODASD [SE], 2017) The purpose of the Digital Engineering Competency Framework (DECF) is to provide clear guidance for the DoD acquisition workforce, in particular the engineering (ENG) acquisition workforce, through clearly defined competencies that illuminate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (KSABs) required for DE professionals. Though the DECF includes considerations specific to the Defense acquisition workforce, data was also gathered from outside the defense community.