The ACTEDS Training Catalog
Chapter 3 (cont.) SECTION II
Opportunities Open to All Career Programs
Army Congressional Fellowship Program (ACFP) | |||||||||
| Modern DCPDS Course Code | 15LEG | ||||||||
| Length of Program | 18 months consecutive. | ||||||||
| Location | Washington, DC (Capitol Hill) | ||||||||
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Suspense Dates Dates of Program |
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| Eligibility Requirements |
Army Civilian employees at the GS-11 through GS-14 level who have career status and are serving in permanent competitive appointments;
Schedule A, Excepted appointments without time limitation; or, are serving under an Excepted Service appointment in the
Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (Title 10 USC 1610) and have a minimum of three years of consecutive service
under one or more permanent Department of the Army civilian positions.
Pre-requisites:
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| Other Requirements | Applicants should be identified by their organization as being on the track for executive-level service. | ||||||||
| Purpose | The purpose of the Army Congressional Fellowship Program (ACFP) is to educate and train selected Army officers and Civilians in all aspects of congressional activities, emphasizing those matters regarding the Department of Defense (DOD). The program provides an understanding of the dimensions and complexities of congressional responsibilities and their relationship to the total process of government that is of future value to the Army. (Army Regulation 1-202) | ||||||||
| Description | The Army Congressional Fellowship Program is designed to provide congressional training to top Army officers and civilians. It provides outstanding Civilians an opportunity to work in a legislative liaison duty position in their parent organization. The selected Fellow will begin his/her Fellowship in May 2013 by participating in a HQDA orientation program (May-December 2013) - He/she will remain permanently assigned to his/her command but will be temporarily attached to OCLL. The orientation program educates Fellows on HQDA operations and the Army's position on a wide range of issues. It also includes a variety of meetings, seminars, educational readings, and attendance at a one-week Force Integration course. Masters' Degree in Legislative Affairs: The academic portion of the Fellowship begins simultaneously with orientation in May 2013 with an intensive summer program of study. The George Washington University (GWU) Masters' in Legislative Affairs is a rigorous eleven-course, one-of-a-kind in the nation, curriculum that exposes students to all aspects of the Congressional experience. Two-thirds of the program's current students are Congressional staff which offers Fellows a unique opportunity to network with staffers they will be working with on Capitol Hill. Fellows pursue core course study, as well as, take National Security and Policy courses in the summer and fall sessions with the goal of earning the Masters' Degree in Legislative Affairs by the end of summer 2014. Most courses are only offered at night. NOTE: The academic portion of this program begins simultaneously with program orientation in May 2013 and consists of an intensive summer program of study. Also, while serving in Congressional offices, Fellows continue their studies by taking evening classes. Comprehensive exams are completed during the summer 2013. Capitol Hill Experience: Fellows begin their Capitol Hill experience in January 2014 by serving on the staff of a member of Congress or on a Congressional Committee. Fellows are typically given responsibility for drafting legislation, arranging congressional hearings, writing speeches and floor statements, and briefing members of Congress for committee deliberations and floor debate. The Capitol Hill experience ends at the conclusion of the 1st Session, 113th Congress (approximately December 2014).
The ideal Army Congressional Fellowship Program Civilian nominee ...
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| Application Process |
Application packages (original plus a copy) will be forwarded through command channels
-- respective Army Command (ACOM), Army Service Component Command (ASCC), Direct Reporting Unit (DRU),
or the Civilian Personnel Director for the Office of the Administrative Assistant Secretary to the Army (OAASA) to:
Department of the Army Endorsements/letters of recommendation (maximum of five) are required from the various echelons through which the nomination is forwarded, i.e., installation commander, major subordinate commander, and ACOM commander. Applications will not be accepted directly from the candidate. All candidates must submit a memorandum from their current command, signed by a second level supervisor or higher, which identifies the paragraph/line number, title, and brief description of the position to which the nominee will be assigned upon completion of the program. This position must be related to congressional affairs. The Army Command (ACOM)/Army Service Component Command (ASCC)/Direct Reporting Unit (DRU)/Civilian Personnel Director for the Office of the Administrative Assistant Secretary to the Army (OAASA) POC must ensure that any cross servicing applications are routed through the appropriate command channels. | ||||||||
| Selection and Notification | Applicant packages are evaluated at each level of the submission process - supervisor, commander, functional official, and DA Secretariat Board. Applicants should indicate qualifications to include: demonstrated flexibility in work habits; ability to work in an unstructured environment; ability to work independently with minimum supervision, direction or assistance; and, an interest in legislative procedures, practices and techniques. Civilians selected to participate in this program will incur a service obligation of not less than three times the length of the training. DAMO-TRV will notify ACOMs/ASSC/DRU/OAASA of selection results. | ||||||||
| Deferment Procedures | Office of Chief Liason (OCLL) does not grant deferments. | ||||||||
| Funding | Tuition cost of approximately $25,000 is centrally funded; however, travel, per diem, and any other "Authorized Expenses" must be borne by the nominating command/organization. Limited TDY at the request of the Congressman/Senator or Committee/ organization to which the Fellow is assigned may also be required. This does not usually exceed two short trips during the Fellowship. These trips must also be funded by the nominating command. If selected, the Fellow must advise the command of the specific need and projected costs as far in advance of the travel as possible to ensure availability of funds. Command funded nominations/ endorsements must state that local resources are available; nomination packets received that do not contain this statement will not be processed. Applicants requesting career program funding support must contact his/her respective FCR prior to applying. | ||||||||
| Evaluation of Long-Term Training After Return to Duty | Paragraph 3-20, Chapter 3, AR 350-1, addresses the requirement for evaluating long-term training within certain time frames after the trainee returns to duty.
Within six weeks following the trainee's return to duty, the trainee's supervisor will complete an evaluation to assess post-utilization.
To complete this evaluation online, click the link marked
"Sample LTT Evaluation Plan (8 months)".
Supervisors should retain one copy of each evaluation and forward one copy of each evaluation to: Department of the Army The completed questionnaires will be evaluated at both local and HQDA levels to ensure that utilization plans are being carried out effectively, improve administration of the long-term training program, and make better use of trainees upon completion of training. The requirement to evaluate long-term training applies to all centrally funded and locally funded programs. | ||||||||
| Point of Contact |
General questions regarding the program should be directed to the Executive Officer, Office, Chief Legislative Liaison,
at (571) 256-7280. Information and application procedures can be obtain from the applicable POC as follows:
Active Duty - Mr. Joel D. Strout, (502) 613-6411/DSN 983 email: joel.strout@us.army.mil) Army Civilians, send email inqueries to: CompetitiveProfessionalDevelopmentSupport@conus.army.mil. |
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