Case Study: Defense Acquisition University (DAU)
Defense Acquisition University Manages Workforce Performance with Metrics that Matter® Learning Analytics
Company Overview: Defense Acquisition University (DAU) provides practitioner training, career management, and services to enable the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) community to make smart business decisions and deliver timely and affordable capabilities to the warfighter. Nearly 135,000 personnel comprise the workforce DAU is responsible to train.
Description of Learning Programs: DAU offers multiple programs. Programs include: certification and assignment specific courses for formal training, Continuous Learning Center for career-long learning, performance support via consulting, targeted training and Rapid Deployment Training, and knowledge sharing through on-line resources and communities of practice.
Measurement Approach: DAU has a very sophisticated process for measurement. It begins with a strategic vision and plan and a business model with integrated systems to support the plan. Through sophisticated data warehouses that merge learning measurement data, financial data and HR data DAU spends 80% of the time on analysis for quality control, planning and forecasting and 20% of the time on data collection.
Measurement Obstacles:Multiple systems need to talk to each other and pass accurate data to each other in a timely manner. DAU drives this via very clear processes and strict management discipline to adhere to the process. All vendors contributing to the process must be responsive and collaborative in the execution of their part in the process.
Measurement Successes: KnowledgeAdvisors learning analytics technology, Metrics that Matter® (MTM) is fully integrated into the DAU measurement process. MTM receives data feeds nightly from the DAU learning management system. This automated process enables the participants to have a survey ready for them 24 hours before the learning intervention concludes. On a weekly basis MTM passes back to DAU an extract of data for DAU to import into their in-house data mart for further analysis.
Within two days of course completion DAU analyzes results in a consolidated manner. Specifically, DAU focuses on quality, learning effectiveness, and job impact. DAU uses drill down capabilities of MTM to view the data by region, career field and course.
The metrics from MTM are visible and used to manage the operation. Monthly rotational curriculum reviews and quarterly leadership meetings are two forums where the numbers are scrutinized. DAU uses a color coded set of reports to identify job impact ratings by curricula to identify where improvement has occurred and corrective action is needed. Report cards are used to identify where there needs to be tighter linkage to business results or where instructor performance was at relative to a benchmark. DAU uses a ranking approach to sort data by graduation rates per initiative and link that to customer satisfaction scores to statistically correlate volume with value.
As a result of DAU’s measurement discipline, they have been the recipient of numerous awards such as the Training Top 100 and the Corporate University Best in Class Award.
