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Career Development for the Department of Defense Security Cooperation Workforce

Core Content

This document provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in reforming the Department of Defense (DoD) security cooperation workforce. It outlines the need for professionalizing this workforce to better align with the strategic importance of security cooperation in U.S. national strategy. The study was commissioned by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to support the development of career models and certification processes for the security cooperation community.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of the study is to:

• Identify the key competencies required for the security cooperation workforce.
• Develop job families based on these competencies.
• Assess the level of professional experience needed at various stages of career development.

Key Findings

The Security Cooperation Community Is Complex

• The security cooperation community is composed of a wide range of DoD, joint, and service organizations.
• It includes both entities focused primarily on security cooperation and those where it is embedded as a secondary function.
• The workforce spans over 11,000 personnel, with the majority working in organizations that have other primary functions.
• The community involves multiple stakeholders, including partner nations, U.S. government agencies, and implementing organizations.

Available Data on the Security Cooperation Workforce Are Inadequate

• There is no single comprehensive database that captures all aspects of the security cooperation workforce.
• The Security Cooperation Workforce Database (SCWD) provides information on workforce size, distribution, and training requirements but lacks data on job duties and responsibilities.
• The Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS) offers insights into personnel grades and occupations but does not include detailed position descriptions or competencies.
• Military personnel and pay files provide more granular assignment data, but still do not allow for a full understanding of the competencies associated with specific roles.

Security Cooperation Experience Levels in the Workforce Vary Substantially

• Civilian workforce members generally have more depth in security cooperation experience, averaging around six years.
• However, the experience levels vary significantly, with some individuals having less than a year and others over a decade.
• Military personnel, on the other hand, tend to have broader experience across the DoD enterprise but less depth in security cooperation-specific roles.
• O-6 military personnel (senior officers) have an average of nearly three years of security cooperation experience.

Key Competencies and Job Families

Competencies

• The study identifies a set of key competencies required for the security cooperation workforce, including:
  • Strategic thinking
  • Interagency coordination
  • International relations
  • Financial management
  • Training and capacity building
  • Acquisition and logistics
  • Diplomatic engagement

Job Families

• The report proposes several job families, including:
  • International Affairs
  • Security Assistance Implementation Management
  • International Training Management
  • Financial Management
• These job families are based on the analysis of position descriptions and competency requirements.

Recommendations

• A more comprehensive and integrated approach to data collection is needed to better understand the security cooperation workforce.
• Competency models and career pathways should be developed to guide workforce development and certification.
• The study recommends further refinement of the competency model and job families through additional analysis and stakeholder input.
• The development of a standardized experience requirement framework for promotion and career progression is essential.

Conclusion

The security cooperation workforce is a critical component of U.S. national strategy, yet it remains underdeveloped and poorly managed. The lack of comprehensive data, inconsistent experience levels, and complex organizational structures pose significant challenges. A strategic and coordinated approach to workforce development, supported by robust data and clear competency models, is necessary to ensure the workforce is effective and aligned with national security objectives.

Key Information

• DSCA's Role: DSCA is responsible for coordinating security cooperation efforts across the DoD and managing the workforce development program.
• Workforce Size: The security cooperation workforce is estimated to be around 12,000 personnel, including military and civilian members.
• Challenges:
  • Data limitations hinder comprehensive workforce analysis.
  • The workforce is dispersed across multiple organizations with varying primary functions.
  • Experience levels vary significantly among personnel.
• Strategic Importance: Security cooperation has grown in importance as part of U.S. national strategy, requiring a more professional and skilled workforce.

Supporting Materials

• Appendices include detailed data sources, competency models, interview protocols, and simulation methodologies.
• Tables and Figures provide insights into workforce distribution, experience levels, and competency prevalence across different job families.

This study serves as an initial and exploratory effort to understand and reform the security cooperation workforce, with the aim of improving its effectiveness and alignment with national security goals.