IT Modernization Case Study for OPM

ACQ 3200 Adversarial Foreign Investment and National Security

Client Information

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is the Department of Defense’s central training institution for acquisition professionals. DAU equips the Defense Acquisition Workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver effective, affordable warfighting capabilities, strengthening national security through agile, mission-ready acquisition support.

Challenge(s)

The DOD identified an urgent need to educate acquisition personnel on the growing threat posed by adversarial foreign investments, specifically those that attempt to acquire access to sensitive U.S. technologies through economic and financial channels. Learners needed a deep understanding of how these threats manifest, and how to assess and mitigate risks through regulatory, strategic, and acquisition-related responses. With thousands of pages of source material and over a dozen subject matter experts, DAU needed an exceptionally capable partner to design an impactful learning experience.

Solution(s)

CTEC developed a proof of concept for EVM 1100 using Unreal Engine to prototype and previsualize a live-action, interactive eLearning course. This concept explored a narrative-driven, gamified learning experience that combined high-fidelity storytelling with a fantasy metaphor. The storyline followed Mark, a new EVM analyst in the Sky Fortress Missile Program, who is unexpectedly transported to the mythic world of Eveum—a parallel realm threatened by “the Cynic,” a symbolic representation of EVM skepticism and failure. Through interactive quests, scenario-based challenges, and simulated environments, learners—guided by a wizard mentor—would explore Eveum’s Citadel and engage with core EVM concepts such as Schedule Variance, SPI, CPI, and Estimate at Completion (EAC). The previsualization leveraged rich visuals, metaphor, and humor to demonstrate how immersive storytelling and cinematic production could enhance learner engagement and deliver job-ready EVM skills in an interactive training environment.