The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017
enacted 10 U.S.C. Section 384, “Department of Defense Security Cooperation
Workforce Development.” Section 384 requires the establishment of the
Department of Defense (DoD) Security Cooperation Workforce Development Program
(SCWDP), identifies professional certification as a mandatory element of the
program.
The Certification Program will help ensure that DoD
personnel assigned to positions in the Security Cooperation Workforce (SCW)
have the training and experience necessary to carry out those responsibilities
more effectively.
The information provided in this knowledgebase is derived
from the Implementation
Guidelines for the DoD SCW Certification Program and provide additional
detail and instructions for members of the SCW. The guidelines are the official
guidance for the program until a subsequent DoD Instructions is issued.
When does the Certification Program begin?
The DoD Implemented the Certification Program on January 1,
2020. The first year is a transition
period intended to provide the
(as
well as individual SC Workforce members with time to familiarize themselves
with the program and extend the training completion timelines to avoid
over-subscription of required courses in the first year.
The transition period ends on January 1, 2021, following the
issuance of a DoD Instruction for the Certification Program. At that time, mandatory
participation for SCW members and
course completion timelines
will go into effect.
Reference: Implementation Guidelines for the DoD Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program (p.1, Introduction).
Who is the Program Manager?
Section 384 designates the Director of the Defense Security
Cooperation Agency (DSCA) as the program manager.