CP26 Competitive Professional Development
Under ACTEDS, Army Civilian Career Programs offer training plans which outline training to develop the professional competencies required to perform and advance in the career program. You can review the CP26 Training Plan on the ACTEDS website (http://cpol.army.mil/library/train/acteds/CP_26/).
In addition to this training plan, ACTEDS provides Career Programs dedicated funding to extend training to their respective communities. This program, known as Competitive Professional Development (CPD), is an excellent means of offering valuable training and education opportunities to careerists who might otherwise not be able to pursue due to limited organizational funds. CP26 careerists can apply for a variety of programs: functional training, college/university courses or degree programs, or developmental assignments. Careerists are encouraged to apply for CP26 CPD support. Requests are reviewed by the CP26 Board of Directors and are prioritized based on relation to current or future assignments, return on investment and cost. The Functional Chief Representative (FCR) approves or endorses funding requests. Consider these options for broadening your competencies.
Functional Training. Training is designed to develop in-depth knowledge of the subject matter or provide broad exposure another facet of manpower and force management functions. The CP26 plan covers basic training provided by organizations and training available under the CPD program. Refer to the Courses section to see a listing of the related Functional Training for Manpower and Force Management.
College/University Courses. Courses may be funded if the subject matter applies directly to current work assignments (e.g. Statistics or Organizational Behavior).
College/University Degree Programs. Degree programs, referred to as Academic Degree Training (ADT) under CPD, are options for enhancing strategic and leadership competencies. Careerists develop their own full-time or part-time course of study with local accredited colleges or universities. CP26 supports both Bachelor Degree programs (for the final 2 years only) and Master Degree programs. Fields of study include: Public Administration, Business Administration, Operations Research and Systems Analysis, and Organizational Development.
Developmental Assignments. Developmental Assignments are an economical and effective way to build professional credentials in fulfilling identified goals of nominees. These non-permanent assignments are typically a four to six month training detail to an organization level or functional are different from the one where the employee is currently assigned. Assignments are normally lateral assignments to positions where the individual can gain skills, knowledge and abilities other than those they currently possess. Developmental assignments may be announced Army-wide by the FCR, can be developed by an Army Command or Activity Career Program Manager, or can be requested by individual careerists. Changes in duty station due to developmental assignments can be funded through the Competitive Professional Development (CPD). Nominees selected will be funded only for travel and per diem as authorized in the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR). CP26 employees in grades GS-11 though GS-15 are eligible to apply.
The CP26 Proponency Office encourages the careerists to seek cross-functional opportunities within their current organization. "Employee Swaps" between local organizations can mitigate the hardships typically imposed when an employee leaves for training. For example, a manpower analyst in G-3 "trades" positions with a manpower analyst in G-8. The experience each employee gains will broaden their perspective and supervisors do not endure any workforce shortfalls.
