EE - For Organizations - Military Partnerships - DCMA Programs

For over 50 years, Darden Executive Education has been an educational partner of the U.S. military, delivering programs that have benefited a wide range of officers and their DoD civilian counterparts.

We're proud to partner with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to deliver the following program:

DCMA Insights Into Industry Management Course

Program Length: 2 weeks 
Upcoming Dates Offered: 
15–27 June 2025
12–24 April 2026
31 May–12 June 2026

Target Audience:

High performing GS-13 to GS-15 (or equivalent); O-4 to O-6. Must be DAWIA certified at tier required for position.

Course Description

Residential executive-level business course designed to look through the lens of industry to understand what drives their behavior. The course delivers graduate-level business curriculum and focuses on industry structure/strategy, financial metrics, corporate culture, decision making drivers/processes, risk management and business management techniques.

Topics Covered:

• Industry Vitality (Structure and Strategy)
• Financial Metrics & Reporting
• Cost Allocations & Cash Flows
• Business Development & Decision Making
• Industry Change & Transformation
• Small Business Partnerships
• Negotiating with Industry

Course Features:

• Highly Engaging Case Method: Participant-centered discussions, ongoing feedback and a continual alternation between case/theory and practical application.
• DCMA Relevance: Every class ends with 15 minutes – “Now what does this mean for DCMA?"
• Hands-on Team Exercises: In week one, participants work in small teams to run a business and make decisions on what business to bid on, what process to bid and how to make money in the business. In week two, teams work to Make a Business Case to Industry and present that business case to the entire class.
• Guest Speakers: First-hand perspectives from industry and DCMA senior leaders. 
• World-leading Faculty: Exceptional facilitators help guide participants to discover key concepts while discussing real-world cases.

Continuing Education Credits

Graduates are awarded course fulfillment of DAU ACQ 315 — Understanding Industry and 80 Continuous Learning points.

Points of Contact

DCMA POC:

Amy Dale Johnson
Director, Policy and Programs
Chief Learning Officer
Total Force
DCMA
[email protected]
Office: +1-804-821-7757

Darden School POC: 

Jennifer Hicks 
Managing Director, Client Solutions
Executive Education & Lifelong Learning
[email protected] 
Office: +1-434-924-4922
Cell: +1-434-960-8330

About DCMA

The Defense Contract Management Agency is, first and foremost, a product delivery organization. Our nation’s warfighters expect our defense industry to produce and deliver the equipment they need to fight, survive and win. DCMA’s integrated team of acquisition and support professionals makes this happen.

The agency provides contract administration services for the Defense Department, other federal organizations and international partners, and is an essential part of the acquisition process from pre-award to sustainment. More than 10,000 employees, mostly civilians, work at offices and contractor facilities around the world, divided among three continental U.S. commands, one international command and other specialized offices.

Together, the agency manages more than 301,000 contracts, valued at more than $3.9 trillion, and services more than 17,000 contractor locations worldwide. DCMA makes sure DoD, other federal agencies, and partner nation customers get the equipment they need, delivered on time, at projected cost, and meeting all performance requirements.

Every business day, DCMA receives nearly 1,000 new contracts and authorizes more than $1 billion in payments to contractors. Most importantly, every day our team delivers more than a million and a half items – from fighter jets to fasteners – to our warfighters. Read a comprehensive history of defense contract management.