Defense Acquisition University(DAU)
The DoD corporate university providing training and credentialing for the acquisition workforce in contracting, program management, and engineering.
Overview
The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is the DoD institution responsible for training and developing the defense acquisition workforce. DAU provides courses, certifications, and continuous learning resources across acquisition career fields including contracting, program management, systems engineering, logistics, test and evaluation, and financial management. Its curriculum directly shapes how government acquisition professionals plan, award, and manage defense contracts.
Why It Matters in GovCon
Understanding DAU training and frameworks helps contractors speak the government's language. DAU courses define the processes, terminology, and decision frameworks that government program managers and contracting officers use daily. Contractors who understand these frameworks can write more responsive proposals and communicate more effectively with government counterparts.
Key Details
- Career Fields: DAU supports certification in contracting, program management, systems engineering, logistics, T&E, business-financial management, and others.
- DAWIA: The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act established the certification framework that DAU supports.
- Free Resources: Many DAU courses, guides, and tools (like the Adaptive Acquisition Framework) are publicly available online.
- Continuous Learning: Acquisition professionals must earn continuous learning points to maintain their certifications.
- AAF: DAU maintains guidance on the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, which replaced the traditional linear acquisition model.
Related Terms
- Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA)
- Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF)
- Contracting Officer (CO)
- Program Manager (PM)
More Agencies Terms
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The federal database (now part of CPARS) where agencies record and retrieve contractor performance evaluations for use in source selection.
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