Education & Distance Learning Enthusiasts- OPM Releases IT Workforce Tool; Large Training RFP Due In January

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OPM Releases IT Workforce Tool; Large Training RFP Due In January

Lifelong Learning Market Report - January 9, 2004

EXCLUSIVE: As part of the release of module three of the federal GoLearn.gov e-learning super site, the Office of Personnel Management has released an IT workforce development roadmap, along with a Web-based competency-mapping tool for federal agencies.

At the same time, OPM plans to put out a massive RFP for indefinite duration-indefinite quantity contracts on a range of IT training products and services that will meet the requirements of the new workforce development roadmap.

Down the road, OPM will look to fulfill other IDIQ training contracts in other key areas, including human resources, procurement and financial management.

For vendors, this represents a sizable opportunity in the federal government, which has proven to be a safer haven than corporate training over the past couple of years. Also, creation of the IT workforce roadmap and the competency mapping tool will be a business driver, as agencies become more active in efforts to identify and eliminate skill gaps while providing workers with individualized resources to help advance their careers.

Up until now, content on the GoLearn.gov site has been supplied by just three providers: SkillSoft (Nashua, N.H.), NETg (Naperville, Ill.) and Karta Technologies (San Antonio, Texas).

Michael Fitzgerald, outgoing project manager for GoLearn.gov at OPM, said the new competency-mapping tool was developed in collaboration with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton (McLean, Va.) and the federal Chief Information Officers Council.

"All agencies are required to do [competency] needs assessments, but how they've done them has been haphazard across the government," Fitzgerald said. "For the first time, in a virtual sense, the tool will give agencies the ability to do a strategic skills gap analysis of their IT workforce, identifying the most common competencies so they can resource learning interventions that target them. It's been hit or miss in a lot of agencies, and it's typically been paper-based."

In addition to aiding in skills gap and competency analyses, Fitzgerald said, the new tool can be used to do 360-degree assessments and to help federal training managers develop succession plans and knowledge management strategies. Also new with the latest iteration of GoLearn.gov is access to 24/7 online mentor support from Global Mentoring (Columbia, Md.).

The growth in training and development content and resources over the past couple of years is what prompted OPM to issue the new IDIQ contract, Fitzgerald said.

"There are new people, new technologies and new providers," he said. "We're looking to reach out and find out what they have to offer. It's not just about course content, but there are several other niches, like online degrees, certifications and professional licenses, which are huge markets that we're looking to expand into."

Office of Personnel Management: (202) 606-1800; www.opm.gov

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