Mentoring of the Acquisition Workforce at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

摘要

The value of employee mentoring is well known within business, academia, and government. It provides a valuable element to the development of employees for leadership and other senior positions. There is significant literature that addresses the benefits of mentorship and the best way to administer mentoring as part of a career developmental program. This project analyzes existing research and applies that research to a specific situation and place within the Army Acquisition Workforce: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG, has a diverse group of organizational tenants that employ acquisition workforce personnel. Additionally, acquisition organizations currently located in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, are in the process of moving to Aberdeen Proving Ground as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. Aberdeen Proving Ground will be a key Army acquisition installation when the BRAC moves are completed. Two principal questions are investigated in this study: (1) Is there a basis of support for a career mentoring program at Aberdeen Proving Ground among senior leadership; and (2) What scope, mentor training, and key characteristics are needed in an Aberdeen Proving Ground career mentoring program for improving acquisition and leadership training, education, experience, and succession planning. Adding to the body of knowledge concerning career mentoring, this report provides an analysis of interviews and surveys of professionals and executives in the field of Army acquisition regarding the mentoring program needs of Aberdeen Proving Ground. The recommendations in this report also could apply to other similar installations with large acquisition workforce populations.