[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50405-50407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25393]


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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

Office of Federal Procurement Policy


Policy Letter on Procurement System Education, Training and 
Experience Requirements for Acquisition Personnel

AGENCY: Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP).

ACTION: OFPP is issuing a Policy Letter on ``Procurement System 
Education, Training and Experience Requirements for Acquisition 
Personnel.''

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SUMMARY: Section 37(b)(3) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy 
Act, as amended, 41 U.S.C. Sec. 401, et seq., requires the 
Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to issue policies to 
promote uniform implementation of a program to provide for improvements 
in the quality of the Government's acquisition workforce, with due 
regard for differences in program requirements among agencies that may 
be appropriate and warranted in view of the agency mission. To the 
extent practicable, the policies set forth in this Policy Letter are 
comparable to those established for acquisition personnel in the 
Department of Defense (DOD) who are subject to the Defense Acquisition 
Workforce Improvement Act (Chapter 87 of title 10, United States Code).
    Pursuant to Section 37 of the OFPP Act, the Administrator 
established a working group consisting of Senior Procurement Executives 
of the major civilian agencies to make recommendations concerning a 
program to improve the quality of the non-DOD acquisition workforce. 
The policies and procedures set forth in this Policy Letter represent 
the culmination of that effort.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard C. Loeb, Executive Secretary, 
Office of Federal Procurement Policy (telephone: 202-395-3254). The 
address is Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Room 9001, Washington, DC 20503. To obtain a copy of this Policy 
Letter, please call the Executive Office of the President's Publication 
Office at (202) 395-7332.

    Dated: September 12, 1997.
Steven Kelman,
Administrator.
Policy Letter No. 97-01

To the Heads of Civilian Executive Departments and Agencies

Subject: Procurement System Education, Training and Experience 
Requirements for Acquisition Personnel

1. Purpose
    The purpose of this Letter is to implement Section 37 of the Office 
of Federal Procurement Policy Act, as amended (hereafter referred to as 
the Act).
2. Authority
    These policies and procedures are issued pursuant to Section 
37(b)(3) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act, as 
amended, (41 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), which directs the Administrator, 
Office of Federal Procurement Policy, to issue policies to promote 
uniform implementation of Section 37 of the Act by executive agencies, 
with due regard for differences in program requirements among agencies 
that may be appropriate and warranted in view of the agency mission.
3. Background
    Beginning with the report of the Commission on Government 
Procurement in 1972, every major study of the Federal acquisition 
process has recommended improvements in the management of the 
acquisition workforce, because ``people are the most critical part of 
any effective procurement process''. Subsequently, Congress directed 
every Federal department and agency to develop and maintain a 
procurement career management program to ensure an adequate 
professional workforce (section 16(4) of the Act). In Section 6(d)(5) 
of the Act, Congress further directed the OFPP Administrator, through 
the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), to foster and promote the 
development of a professional acquisition workforce Government-wide. 
Pursuant to these statutory mandates, OFPP Policy Letter 92-3 
(implemented in section 1.603-1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation) 
establishes Government-wide policies and standards for skill-based 
training in performing contracting duties and tasks. In 1990 Congress 
passed the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) which 
established education, training and experience requirements for entry 
and advancement in the acquisition career field within the Department 
of Defense (DOD). In 1996, Congress amended the OFPP Act to establish 
comparable education, training, and experience requirements for 
civilian agencies.
4. Applicability
    This Letter applies to all executive agencies, except those subject 
to the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (chapter 87 of 
title 10, United States Code).
5. Responsibility for Acquisition Career Management Programs
    Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the head of an 
executive agency, the Senior Procurement Executive of the agency shall 
carry out all powers, functions, and duties of the head of the agency 
with respect to implementation of this Letter. The Senior Procurement 
Executive shall ensure that the policies of the head of the agency, 
established in accordance with this Letter, are implemented throughout 
the agency.
6. Establishment of Agency-wide Policies and Procedures
    Agency heads, after consultation with the OFPP Administrator, shall 
establish department or agency-wide policies and procedures pursuant to 
the provisions of the Act. The Senior Procurement Executive of each 
affected agency shall advise the Administrator, within 180 days from 
the date of this Letter, on agency plans for issuing such policies and 
procedures for the effective management (including accessions, 
education, training and career development) of the acquisition 
workforce. Agency heads, unless otherwise advised by the OFPP 
Administrator within thirty (30) days after such notification, shall 
proceed with planned implementation activities. To the maximum extent 
practicable, these acquisition workforce policies and procedures shall 
be uniform in their implementation throughout the agency. The head of 
each department and agency shall issue such policies and procedures by 
May 1, 1998.
7. Workforce Coverage
    For purposes of this Letter, the acquisition workforce of an agency 
includes:
    a. All positions in the General Schedule (GS-1102) Contracting 
Series and non-DOD uniformed personnel in comparable positions.
    b. All Contracting Officers regardless of General Schedule series 
with authority to obligate funds above the micropurchase threshold.

[[Page 50406]]

    c. All positions in GS-1105 Purchasing Series.
    d. All Contracting Officer Representatives/Contracting Officer 
Technical Representatives, or equivalent positions.
    The Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy will 
consult with the agencies in the identification of other acquisition 
related positions.
8. Management Information System
    Agencies are required to collect and maintain standardized 
information on implementation of the provisions of section 37 of the 
Act. The Federal Acquisition Institute will work with the agencies and 
the Office of Personnel Management to establish and prescribe standard 
data elements for the purposes of this statutory requirement. To the 
maximum extent practicable, such management information systems will 
conform to the standards established by the Office of Personnel 
Management for the Central Personnel Data File. These systems shall 
include a data element on waivers under paragraph 9.g. of this Letter.
9. Career Development
    a. Career Paths--Agencies shall identify and publish model career 
paths or ``road maps'' to ensure that contracting and other personnel 
interested in pursuing careers in contracting are knowledgeable of the 
education, training, and experience requirements for employment, 
progression and advancement to the most senior positions in the 
contracting field within the agency.
    b. Critical Skills--For each career path, the critical acquisition-
related duties and tasks employees must be competent to perform at the 
full performance and senior levels shall be established by the agencies 
and shall include coverage of duties and tasks as identified by the 
Director of the Federal Acquisition Institute. OFPP Policy Letter 92-3 
established Government-wide standards for these purposes.
    c. Mandatory Education--The education requirements for acquisition 
positions are established by the OFPP Administrator, in coordination 
with the Office of Personnel Management, as prescribed by section 37(g) 
of the Act. The education requirements for GS-1102 positions have been 
established in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management.
    d. Mandatory Training and Experience--Experience requirements for 
GS-1102 positions are identified in the OPM Contract Specialist (GS-
1102) Qualification Standard. In addition to the following mandatory 
training, agencies may require assignment-specific training for 
personnel in selected positions, as appropriate:
    (1) All personnel in the GS-1102 Contracting Series and Contracting 
Officers (regardless of General Schedule Series) with authority to 
obligate funds above the micropurchase threshold shall complete the 
mandatory and related on-the-job training, as prescribed in OFPP Policy 
Letter 92-3.
    (2) All Personnel in the Purchasing occupational series (General 
Schedule Series 1105), other civilian and uniformed personnel 
performing purchasing duties, and individuals with contracting 
authority at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, or with 
authority to place delivery orders at any dollar level, shall complete 
training in acquiring goods and services under FAR Part 13 and placing 
delivery orders.
    (3) Contracting Officer Representatives/Contracting Officer 
Technical Representatives (CORs/COTRs)--The core training for CORs/
COTRs must cover the competencies as contained in the FAI COR/COTR 
Workbook. Agencies may consider any training methodology to satisfy 
this requirement, i.e., classroom, correspondence, computer-based 
instruction, etc.
    (4) Other acquisition related occupations--Training for these 
participants in the procurement process will be established as such 
occupations are identified by the OFPP Administrator.
    e. Skills Currency--Agencies shall establish policies that require 
an equivalent of at least 40 hours of continuing education or training 
every two years for contract specialists (GS-1102 series) and 
Contracting Officers who have satisfied the mandatory and agency/
assignment-specific training for the purpose of maintaining currency of 
acquisition knowledge and skills. This may include, but is not limited 
to, agency sponsored training and management/executive seminars, 
special job and/or professional association related projects and/or 
participation in seminars/workshops, or other appropriated 
developmental activities.
    f. Tuition Assistance--The head of an executive agency may provide 
tuition reimbursement in education (including a full-time course of 
study leading to a degree) in accordance with section 4107 of title 5, 
United States Code, for personnel serving in acquisition positions in 
the agency.
    g. Waiver Authority for GS-1102 Education Requirements. The agency 
Senior Procurement Executive may, based on demonstrated analytical and 
decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying 
experience, waive one of the two sets of education requirements for an 
applicant for a GS-13 and above position based on a certification (see 
Contract Specialist (GS-1102) Qualification Standard) that the 
applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of 
greater responsibility and authority. This waiver should be utilized 
only in rare and unusual circumstances, i.e., when there are no 
qualified candidates readily available. The use of this authority 
should be adequately documented and exercised on a case-by-case basis.
    h. Funding Levels--The head of an executive agency shall set forth 
separately the funding levels requested for education and training of 
the acquisition workforce in the budget justification documents 
submitted in support of the President's budget submitted to Congress 
under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code. Funds appropriated 
for education and training under this section may not be obligated for 
any other purpose. 1
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    \1\ Section 433(h), Title 41 U.S.C.
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    i. Program Evaluation--The OFPP Administrator shall evaluate the 
implementation of these provisions by executive agencies.
10. FAI Responsibilities
    The OFPP Administrator is responsible for providing for and 
directing the activities of the FAI. The FAI is in turn responsible for 
a wide range of career management support activities associated with 
maintaining the inventory of acquisition personnel competencies for use 
by Federal and private sector education and training communities and 
providing specific and general technical assistance to Federal agencies 
in improving the quality of the acquisition workforce.
    As courseware (including Workbooks) are developed and/or updated, 
these products will be made available through the FAI Homepage. The FAI 
Homepage address is: http://www.gsa.gov/staff/v/training.htm. The FAI 
specific responsibilities relating to the provisions of this Letter are 
to:
    a. Foster and promote the development of a professional acquisition 
workforce;
    b. Promote and coordinate Government-wide research and studies to 
improve the procurement process and the laws, policies, methods, 
regulations, procedures, and forms relating to acquisition by the 
executive agencies;
    c. Collect and analyze acquisition workforce data from the Office 
of

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Personnel Management, the heads of executive agencies and, through 
periodic surveys of individual employees;
    d. Periodically analyze acquisition career fields to identify 
critical competencies, duties, tasks, and related academic 
prerequisites, skills, and knowledge;
    e. Coordinate and assist agencies in identifying and recruiting 
highly qualified candidates for acquisition fields;
    f. Develop instructional material for acquisition personnel in 
coordination with private and public acquisition colleges and training 
facilities;
    g. Evaluate the effectiveness of training and career development 
programs for acquisition personnel;
    h. Promote the establishment and utilization of academic programs 
by colleges and universities in acquisition fields;
    i. Facilitate, to the extent requested by agencies, interagency 
intern and training programs; and
    j. Perform other career management and research functions as 
directed by the Administrator.
11. Information Contact
    Questions regarding this Policy Letter should be directed to 
Richard C. Loeb, Executive Secretary, Office of Federal Procurement 
Policy, 202-395-3254, facsimile, 202-395-5105. The address is Office of 
Federal Procurement Policy, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503.
12. Judicial Review
    This Policy Letter is not intended to provide a constitutional or 
statutory interpretation of any kind and it is not intended, and should 
not be construed, to create any right or benefit, substantive or 
procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the United States, 
its agencies, its officers, or any persons. It is intended only to 
provide policy guidance to agencies in the exercise of their discretion 
concerning Federal contracting. Thus, this Policy Letter is not 
intended, and should not be construed, to create any substantive or 
procedural basis on which to challenge any agency action or inaction on 
the ground that such action or inaction was not in accordance with this 
Policy Letter.
13. Effective Date
    This Policy Letter is effective 30 days after the date of issuance.
Steven Kelman,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-25393 Filed 9-24-97; 8:45 am]
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