Data underpins digital modernization and is the fuel for advanced decision-making. The DoD Data Strategy describes an ambitious approach for transforming the Department into a data-driven organization. Similarly, Personnel and Readiness Strategy for 2030 emphasizes a data-centric approach to how Defense civilians and military members are educated, trained, prepared, and managed. A data-driven personnel system enables adaptive systems and affords new opportunities for career field management, workforce planning, responsive training, and other talent management function. Data can also empower artificial intelligence (particularly, machine learning) to optimize the talent management system for employees, supervisors, and senior leaders, as well as organizational outcomes.
One ripe area for data modernization is within personnel readiness (aka talent management or Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education).
To become a data-dominant enterprise, DoD must be powered by a robust technical infrastructure, data management and business processes, and a thoughtful policy framework that enables the rapid analysis and flow of relevant, trustworthy, ethical, and secure information. However, DoD’s talent management system is complex, and there are inherent challenges to accommodating interoperability across the Department's diverse organizations and their heterogeneous systems. However, solving this challenge will pay dividends, and not only for the military. This interest in data-driven talent extends beyond DoD, to include Federal-wide initiatives, such as the Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to modernize America’s workforce, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) new standards groups around learner records, as well as recent popular news articles about personal data, technology-enabled learning, and personal data privacy, security, and equity. This special event includes senior leaders from across DoD and beyond to discuss the driving need to create a data-dominant talent system.