SPP-224 is a practitioner-level course designed for National Guard security cooperation practitioners within the State Partnership Program (SPP) functional area track. The target audience is the State Partnership Program Directors and Coordinators, but other program practitioners can benefit as well. 

This course provides an understanding of the DoD's State Partnership Program emphasizing program administration, planning, organization, and operations as well as the interaction and constraints of the SPP with DoD security cooperation activities. By the end of this course, participants will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the National Guard Bureau functions related to the SPP, recognize the interrelated aspects of the SPP with other security cooperation authorities and programs, understand how to manage security cooperation activities and resources, make decisions under ambiguous conditions, and plan and execute SPP activities in compliance with U.S. law and policy nested within U.S. strategic guidance. 

This hybrid (virtual instructor-led training (VILT) and instructor-led training (ILT) course) consists of two parts over three weeks. The first part is two weeks of self-paced online VILT followed by part 2 which is 30 hours of instructor-led (either virtual or in-residence) classroom learning, usually at DSCU’s campus at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The course combines in-class lectures, facilitated discussions, scenario development, guest speakers, and in-class presentations to enhance the learning experience. Participants will develop an SPP Partnership Support Plan as well as construct an SPP activity. 

Students are evaluated based on their participation in discussions and their final project presentation demonstrating the application of course concepts, and quizzes on readings. At the end of the class, students will have two opportunities to achieve an 80% or better on the final multiple-choice assessment to receive their certificate of completion. 

At the end of the course students are allotted time to participate in a course evaluation to provide valuable feedback on course design, content, and instruction.