OPM TMA

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Training and Development (OTD)

Virtual Career Center

The OTD manages the learning and development for all ICE employees by providing training opportunities to those who work within the agency. OTD recently identified the performance goal to provide leadership development for all ICE employees. One method of doing so was to initiate the creation of a tool, called the Virtual Career Center (VCC), that would allow users to access training and career development tools. The VCC would be located on the OTD Web page for employees to access.

The VCC Website would allow ICE employees to view suggested training and career development benchmark materials, and to learn more about various education programs and training related to their respective fields. VCC would store all materials so that they could be accessible in a single, consolidated location. The end product will include a Website that will be integrated into the ICE Virtual University Learning Management System.

* The project is currently still in progress. 

What we provided:

• A consistent brand and message with which all ICE employees can connect, regardless of their career lifecycle
• An intuitive interface and navigational structure for access to career planning information, resources, and tools
• A Website portal integrated appropriately and effectively into the existing ICE intranet infrastructure
• A portal solution that can be effectively maintained, and a robust platform for future requirements

Defense Security Service Academy (DSSA)

Joint Personnel Adjudicative System (JPAS) Training for Security Managers

DSSA is responsible for training security professionals, government, and industrial personnel in a variety of security topics. As the number of students increases, technology-enabled training has made the delivery of security content available to larger populations of students, world-wide.

VERTEX Solutions and our sub, NACON Consulting, LLC (a service-disabled, veteran-owned business), were contracted by DSSA to develop Web-enabled distance learning courses that would provide training, and exercises for DSSA employees on how to use the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) Tools for Windows. The product would then need to be integrated into DSSA’s learning environment.

What we provided:

• Instructional and technical assistance to support the design, development, and delivery of a Web-based and virtual-machine-enabled course designed to train security personnel in the use of the JPAS
• Training that included six (6) hours of Virtual Classroom-based instruction, combined with a series of practical exercises that students completed in a Virtual OnDemand Classroom environment designed to simulate the actual JPAS environment

Department of State, Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATA)

Training Mobile Training Teams

ATA provides advanced antiterrorism training and equipment grants to strengthen the capacity of Partner Nations to find and arrest terrorists. Many Partner Nations are developing countries that lack contemporary infrastructure and other resources needed to maintain an effective antiterrorism effort. Since its inception, ATA has trained and assisted over 48,000 foreign security and law enforcement officials from 141 Partner Nations.

ATA’s expanding mission requires a qualified contractor to supplement overseas delivery of advanced antiterrorism training courses and consultations critical to ATA mission accomplishment. ATA’s challenge is to field a large pool of qualified instructors to travel to third world countries to train local police and defense forces on the basics of anti-terrorism principles and procedures. VERTEX Solutions, along with our sub, Potomac River Group, LLC (PRG), will assist in providing up to 200 courses per year worldwide, mostly in developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South, Central, and Southeast Asia.

* The project is currently still in progress. 

What we provided:

• A tracking system to monitor over 100 specific training ventures, during the various stages of planning and execution
• Over 50 planning and budgeting documents for State Department end-of-year funding predictions in less than 3 weeks
• An implementation of over 13 courses in high-risk regions such as: Pakistan, Georgia, Philippines, Libya, and Bangladesh
• 107 planning proposals, worth over $7,000,000
• An innovative cost and pricing model to remain flexible with the State Department’s numerous policy changes
• Advanced antiterrorism training and consultations in a classroom environment for senior executives, intergovernmental, and mid-level managers

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD)

Lender Outreach Program

USDA RD Guaranteed Loan Programs provide significant value to rural America; they offer tremendous advantages to commercial lenders that do business in rural America by improving overall portfolio quality and increasing lending capacity. However, initial research suggests that in many states, commercial lenders are relatively unaware or do not know how to engage with RD Guaranteed Loan Programs.

For this project initiative, VERTEX Solutions provided management consulting services by analyzing current best practices to better understand lenders and their needs. VERTEX Solutions initiated a long-term relationship development strategy with lenders that originate guaranteed loans by developing a targeted association and non-traditional lender action plan to increase awareness and build long-term innovative partnerships.

Also, by culminating with the Equity Partners Across America (EPAA) program – which was designed specifically to reach target states that had been less successful with guaranteed loans – USDA was able to teach a larger number of individuals. 

What we provided:

• Education to more than 272 lenders across the nation about the Guaranteed Loans Program during a two-week “lender blitz”
• A targeted key account action to produce FY 2008 guaranteed loan volume, including supporting 21 target states and providing trained mentors
• An “RD Guaranteed Loan Portfolio Package/Offer” that includes training, promotion, and positioning materials
• A national lender relational database tool

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Workforce Development Division (WFDD)

Customer Profile Process

The WFDD represents the training needs of non-uniform and cross-functional CBP personnel in their various sub-agencies, such as: International Trade, International Affairs and Trade Relations, Intelligence, Information and Technology, Chief Counsel, Finance, Human Resources, Congressional Affairs, and Equal Opportunity.

WFDD is seeking to develop a customer profile process to serve the needs of these non-uniformed groups. VERTEX Solutions developed a customer profile process that captured and tracked key training data for each WFDD Customer. This framework will assist these users in navigating the established CBP business case process while facilitating collaboration and communication across these groups. It will ensure that their training decisions are based on sound business and instructional criteria, and facilitate better planning for future workforce development needs.

* The project is currently still in progress. 

What we provided:

• 12 Customer Profiles for each of the non-uniformed groups, based on a template developed with their input
• A design for creating a SharePoint site for the Customer Profiles
• Facilitation of a customer forum to identify ongoing training requirements and serve change management needs among these stakeholder groups
• A desired state process for training needs and business case analysis
• Job aids and other performance support tools to help automate the customer profile and business case process