Introduction The Defense Contract Management Agency or the DCMA is the department of defense (DOD) constituent that works unswervingly with defense suppliers to help make sure that DOD, allied government and federal supplies and services are delivered on time at estimated cost and meet up all performance requirements.
DCMA straightforwardly contributes to the military promptness of the United States and its allies and helps safeguard the nation’s freedom. DCMA professionals serve up as “information brokers” and in-plant representatives for armed forces, federal and allied government buying agencies during all stages both at the initial stages of acquisition cycle and all the way through the life of the ensuing contracts. According to Williams Jnr, the director, DCMA “each and every person in this Agency is a leader- I look to them all to help us find the way forward.” the Agency’s vision is to be the foremost expert in Quality Assurance; Schedule, Cost and Supply Chain certainty and Contract management; enabling the cohorts to achieve contract objectives.
Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Body The DCMA being a military organized institution, all information from the Agency or to the Agency is treated as highly classified information. This type of information and communication channel makes the Agency have a complex way of transmitting its information. Anticipated Need to Change, Problem and Area for Improvement One major area that needs to change and make the Agency more open and transparent is the log in security in the Agency’s website. it is without doubt that the Agency deals with highly classified information and contracts for the sake of beefing the national security and making sure that the clients who are fetched from the DOD to the allied governments does not get a raw deal when in need to purchase military supplies, but at least some openness in communication should be observed and put into consideration. The websites and one to one interviews by the DCMA employees is a little bit tricky because everyone here is on a zipped lip and it is not easy getting one’s questions answered unless you are ready and able to surpass the bureaucracy involved. Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Impact of Organization’s Culture The DCMA is such a discipline and has its culture that has made it go through the numerous risks involved in the field of specialty as theirs.
The management hierarchy has defined the channels to use when having grievances and needs to be understood. Such culture made the Agency live up to its expectations which initially had a blow when the world trade center was blown down by terrorist in what has become popular as September 11 Attack. The Agency has also made sure that the US and its Allied forces get military supply in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Its organizational wellbeing has made its clients nurture the trust and sense of belief in the DCMA.
The clients in picture include the DOD, federal agencies and allied government. This ability to work and deliver played a pivot role in the late 2007 and early 2008 when the Agency was asked to increase the number of personnel deployed to war zones by more than 100. This was a milestone then especially after the September 11 attacks. The Agency’s culture has played a great role in making sure that disequilibrium is taken care of care of when ever there is one because it might jeopardize civilians’ lives and security. (Kouzes & Posner, 1995) Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Client and Practitioner Consideration. The DCMA has its annual employee recognition program done in January 16.
The program recognizes individual achievements, suggestion programs, team performances and equal service opportunity accomplishments. The ceremony provides a highly visible resource for the DCMA director to recognize better performers in every segment of the agency work force each year. These individuals are among the agency’s best, but they all recogize that they dint get there by themselves. They represent a large team of professionals around the world who are dedicated to getting the job done right, and enabling the war-fighters to win (Harrington, 2009). Complicated and mixed assessments by the client or practitioners have greater impact on an organization (white, 1998).
Diagnostic Process and Data Collection The DCMA has a platform that allows its clients and al other interested persons to communicate to the agency. The Communicator is a media through which all persons wishing to convey a message to the director or any other Agency’s branch should use. This channel makes open through displaying all recommendations and reviews by those who are interested in action and activities of the Defense Contract Management Agency. Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Overcoming Resistance to Change Through making sure that the Agency sheds more light on its activities, it will be taking a major step towards overcoming resistance to change. We do not however, intend to get a lot of change here because we all know the nature of duty the Agency assigns itself.
They should not make all those sensitive information open but they should make sure that those who intend to get some information about the Agency should be given an opportunity. The Communicator also helps the Agency get feelings that it has in peoples’ minds from the civilian’s perspective. They can always post all comments and reviews they have on the media.(Williams-Jnr, 2004) Institutionalization Action Plan and TimelineThe DCMA has product divisions that makes the Agency provide all military services and suppliers without must hustle. The Aeronautical Systems Division deals with all military aircrafts and aeronautical supplies. The Ground Systems and Munitions Division deals with all ground work, ammunition and other infantry supplies.
The Space and Missiles System Division makes sure that all space and missiles supplies are acquired and taken to the right channels of the clients. There are the NavalSea systems Division which is specialized in dealing with purchase of the naval equipments and sea machineries. The Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Special Programs Division is in place to deal with all special needs and demands. The international division makes sure that the DCMA clients who sprawl to outer boundaries of the United States get all attention and services they demand.(Williams-Jnr, 2004) Action Plans, Strategies and Techniques The Agency has numerous customer access and action plans.
These action plans are vested on the CAS Directory, Delivery Schedule Management, EVMS Introduction, Fed Biz OPPs, Contract Inquiry, Customer Liaisons, Preaward Surveys Management, CMT Viewer and other strategies. The named teams are involved in making sure that the contract is sealed and the services offered are in the hands of the right persons in good shape. Action plans specify the actions that are needed to be addressed and develop and on the whole top echelon action plan that depicts how each strategic objective will be reached. The director of DCMA has an action plan that has and shall still contribute to the Agency overall. When developing objectives and timelines, the director should have in mind; That objective is specific, measurable and the results can be implemented. The question “are you sure you can do that” while trying to identify the objectives Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA To integrate current year’s objectives as performance criteria in each implementation job To remember objectives and their timelines as only guidelines and not rules set in stones.
(McNamara,n.d) Specific Intervention Analysis Through the many DCMA product divisions the Agency can get its specific intervention analysis done in an exclusive way. The Agency can not afford to misjudge the intervention analysis because it is through such channels that the Agency can get to know what is new and what the clients want. Straategic planning for DCMA includes opportunity assessment, market analysis, and integration potential for acquisition, joint ventures and mergers. Specific intervention facilitates organizational culture change, leadership effectiveness and teamwork which eliminates unnecessary work and build alignment around vision, mission and objectives Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Conclusion The DCMA is a highly safe guarded Agency that has its operation and activities monitored in a 24 hours security in a military discipline.
This makes the research and digging for the information from the Agency a taunting activity. The few personnel’s Who were willing to give information about the Agency said how well organized and managed the Agency is. Those who get awarded do not show up to work every day o get that recognition. They show up because they are dedicated to government services and are interested in making our team the very bets it can be (Harrington, 2009).
Managers need to communicate almost every time so that things can go well in an organization. Study shows that at leas6t 50-80% of the managers time is spent communicating. But for an organization to pull together its resources and be able to move forward in a successful manner, three forms of organizational communication must be adhered to. The players and all ranks I the organization must have the skills and understanding of how to communicate well and effectively.
(Bacal, 2009). Communication is not an easy process, hence one should not assume that it is just a simple process that can be done without proper thought and understanding.Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA Effective communication demands a climate or rather a culture that supports effective way of communicating. This climate most importantly must include the trust every person in the organization has over one another. Openness, corroboration of good communication practices as well as shared responsibilities for making the communication a success and effective. Thirdly, efficient communication requires attention.
No communication just happens, it develops after an intentional effort on the part of management and staff as well.(Bacal, 2009). In most cases communication whether good or bad is comprehended and taken for granted. So if the DCMA has to improve communication, it has to make sure that all its staff and management are well versed in communication skills and knowledge that is necessary. It may take an initiative of a formal education and internship but at the end the results will have to be achieved.
The organization should also foster and nurture a climate for an optimum communication flow. This is always characterized by openness and trust in the organization. Then lastly the director should bring forward the importance of communication to the forefront of the organization so that the other key players and subordinates can understand the importance of improving communication at the Defense Contract Management Agency. Improving Communication between Team Members within DCMA The following tips can be useful for the director off the DCMA; the director should ask questions about how they best decode the communication from the highest rank in the organization. If at all they understand the demands that the communication instruct.
The director should also assess his own communication knowledge and understanding. This should be followed closely by the need of working with the staff and other stake holders on how communication to the organization should be nurtured. The DCMA should work out ways through which the following issues can be handled. How disagreements and misunderstandings should be handled How horizontal structure of communication should be followed(communication from a staff to a staff) How vertical communication should be adhered to(communication from the director to the staff and staff to the director) What information should be made available and at what time of the day (Bacal,2009) The director should learn on how to use actively the listening techniques.
This will help bring a tone and contribute to a more positive communication hierarchy. The director should as well undertake the process of auditing the communication in the organization.
