Signed, sealed, delivered – AQ Keystone rotational assignment complete

FORT LEE, VA, UNITED STATES

10.01.2015

Story by Matthew Montgomery 

Defense Contract Management Agency

FORT LEE, Va. — “An informed and knowledgeable intern is a powerful resource.” Kerri-Anne Roberts speaks from experience and used this mantra to develop a recent headquarters Keystone rotational opportunity for Deanna Olson, a third-year Keystone from Defense Contract Management Agency Twin Cities.

“As a previous contract administrator Keystone intern myself, who transitioned as a journeyman and warranted administrative contracting officer, I was purely engrossed in my contract management office workload and activities,” said Roberts, now a contract specialist with the Cost and Pricing Policy Division. “I was not aware of the roles, responsibilities and efforts of senior leadership until much later in my career. Having that knowledge earlier would have been a powerful tool.”

So when the opportunity to develop a Keystone rotational assignment emerged, Roberts eagerly accepted the challenging opportunity to provide Olson with experiences she felt would build a strong foundation.

“A Keystone’s Master Developmental Plan is the framework of planning a rotational assignment; ensuring the intern’s training and developmental requirements are met is imperative,” Roberts said. “However, also having an open and honest dialogue with an intern about their current office environment, professional goals and aspirations within and outside DCMA are also important considerations in the construct of facilitating a rotational assignment.

“Career development is what you make of it,” Roberts continued. “But affording interns with a rewarding opportunity will show we are vested and care about harnessing talent and ingenuity within this agency.”

This open and honest dialogue between Roberts and Olson led to a couple of goals. The first was for Olson to see how policy is created, implemented and eventually updated using feedback from the field. The second goal was for Olson to interact with employees currently working in areas she was interested in learning more about. The end result was an intense four-week experience that not only met those goals, but left Olson feeling a bit overwhelmed, yet inspired by the opportunity.

“Kerri is fantastic,” said Olson, who worked in the financial services sector before coming to DCMA. “She created opportunities based on my interests, Keystone program requirements and desire to eventually work for the Cost and Pricing Center. I’ve done so many things since I’ve been here that a person at my contract management office would not have the opportunity to do — it’s really amazing.”

Roberts established numerous job-shadowing opportunities and meetings with senior leadership where Olson was able to ask pointed questions and see the process in action. She also put together an opportunity for Olson to visit the DCMA Cost and Pricing Center in Chantilly, Virginia, where Olson met with key leaders, as well as a cost monitor and a corporate administrative contracting officer.

Olson felt that the opportunity to spend time with the cost monitor and the CACO was incredibly valuable, and plans to seek out opportunities for shadowing their counterparts in her CMO. “My plan is to look for more opportunities to job shadow so I can get an idea of what the nitty-gritty work looks like and make sure it is a good fit for me, and that I’m a good fit for the work.”

While the site visit and meetings with leadership were valuable, “the thing I’m the most in awe of was going to the (Contracts Directorate) performance review where the Executive Director, Mr. Callahan, presented to the agency director,” said Olson, who sat across from the Air Force Lt. Gen. Wendy Masiello, DCMA director. “Who gets that kind of opportunity?”

Many Keystones in the future would be the answer if Roberts has her way. The plan moving forward is to tie more Keystone rotational assignments into Strategic Initiative 3.2.4, “develop and implement the agency’s leadership development program.”

The Cost and Pricing Policy Division is planning to host additional rotational assignments for interested GS-1102 Keystones. According to Roberts, the division hopes to coordinate with Gretchen Smith, the Keystone Internship Program Manager, and Chris Zubof, the agency’s advocate for Strategic Initiative 3.2.4, to develop a collaborative effort to establish reoccurring rotational and informal leadership development opportunities.

“Working with Deanna was a benchmark,” Roberts said. “She provided insightful feedback throughout her rotational assignment, which will be used to better the experience for future GS-1102 Keystone interns.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/422336/deanna-olson-keystone-interview#.Vg1_X6rouUk

• Date Taken: 10.01.2015
• Date Posted: 10.01.2015 14:58
• Story ID: 177765
• Location: FORT LEE, VA, US