NASA ProcurementCareer Development and Training Policy

GSFC Procurement ForumApril 15, 2008

New NASA Policy

Reasons for Policy Changes Agency Impacts 1102 Workforce Impacts Key Roles Certification Statistics

Reasons for Policy Changes Recent Policy Decision

OFPP Policy Letter 05-01 Developing and Managing the Acquisition

Workforce -April 2005 Applicable to acquisition workforce within all

civilian agencies Key components

Established government-wide framework for creating a federal acquisition workforce

Defined agency responsibilities Mandated that acquisition workforce core

competencies be updated Developed federal acquisition certification

programs

Reasons for Policy Changes

Federal Acquisition Certification Common certification programs reflecting a

government-wide standard for education, training and experience

Certifications demonstrate that employees meet the core education, training and experience requirements of the field

Certifications to be accepted by all civilian agencies as evidence for meeting the above requirements

Certification is not mandatory Certification is required for all new CO warrants

issued after Jan. 1, 2007

Reasons for Policy Changes Federal Acquisition Certification (cont.)

Education requirements – consistent with GS 1102 Qualification Standard (not the same as the DAWIA requirements for GS 7 - 12)

Training requirements – OFPP directed to establish uniform core training requirements for civilian and defense workforce

Experience requirements - consistent with GS 1102 Qualification Standard

Continuous Learning Requirements – 80 hours of continuous learning points every 2 years to maintain federal acquisition certification

Reasons for Policy Changes

Federal Acquisition Certification (cont.) Applicable Career Fields

Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) – January 2007

Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) – July 2007

Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer Technical Representatives (FAC-COTR) – October 2007

Agency Impacts NASA responsibilities as a result of OFPP mandates

Requirement: Develop and manage an agency-wide acquisition career

management program Action:

Career development and training policy updated to comply with new certification standards

http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/hq/library/training.html Working to develop implementation procedures for FAC-P/PM

and FAC-COTR Requirement:

Implement and manage Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) program

Action: Revised NASA policy implemented April 2007 Requested NASA Certification equivalency with FAC-C

FAI determined that NASA Level I and II certifications with electives are equivalent to FAC-C certifications

NASA 1102 Impacts Education Requirements

Effective Jan. 1, 2007 GS 1102 employees at grades 5 – 12 must have a

bachelor’s degree or 24 semester hours in business related fields

GS 1102 employees at grades 13 – 15 must have both a bachelor’s degree and the 24 semester hours

The 24 semester hours may be included in or in addition to coursework taken to complete the degree program

What changed? Qualification Standard for 1102 series changed in

2000 Old policy

NASA determined that individuals with tenure* in their current positions met the new standard

Compliance with the new requirements was necessary for promotions

*Tenure - employees continuously employed in GS-1102 series positions since January 1, 1998

NASA 1102 Impacts Training Requirements

Level II Mandatory Core Courses 2 Electives

Level III CON 353 – Advanced Business Solutions for Mission

Support 2 Electives

What changed? CON 353 or CON 333 requirement for Level III CON 301 alone does not satisfy requirement for Level III Electives requirement - Any training opportunity,

related to the employee’s job, necessary for career development, or for cross training. An elective must be at least 16 hours in length.

NASA 1102 Impacts Experience Requirements

Level II – minimum 2 years experience Level III – minimum 4 years experience

Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) Requirement Skills currency training completed after receipt of any level

certification CLPs can be earned through training, professional

activities, education, and experience A minimum of 80 CLPs are required every two years to

maintain the certification What Changed?

Previous policy required 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years – (not rigorously monitored or required for warrants)

CON 301 refresher every 5 years before course was discontinued

NASA 1102 Impacts FAC-C Application Process

Requests are initiated by individual employees through immediate supervisors

Individuals provide necessary documentation to verify that requirements are satisfied

Supervisors assess the skill and competencies of the individuals

Supervisor signs application and forwards to the Center Procurement Training Coordinator with documentation

Center Procurement Training Coordinator ensures that the document package is complete and forwards the application to the Agency Procurement Training Office for review

FAC-C applications are forwarded to the ACM for approval Certifications are issued by the SPE

What changed? NASA certifications were prepared by the Headquarters

Procurement Training Coordinator for SPE signature upon completion of mandatory courses

NASA 1102 Impacts Warrant authority linked to certification levels

Applicable to new warrants – eff. 1/1/07

Certification Level Warrant AuthorityLevel I $0 - $1M Commercial (Part 12)

$0 - $100K Non-commercial Level II $0 - $10M Commercial (Part 12)

$0 - $10M Non-commercial Unlimited incremental fundingLevel III Unlimited

(Subject to Center work instructions and Procurement Officer discretion)

What changed? Warrant authority was not linked to certification level Center unique policies guided the issuance of warrants

NASA 1102 Impacts

Career Advancement FAC-C Level I required for promotion to

GS-9 (or a GS-11 position, if hired as a GS-9)

FAC-C Level II required for promotion to GS-13

FAC-C Level III required for promotion to GS-14 and above

What Changed? Certification Levels were not previously tied to

promotions

FAC-C Levels

FAC-C Level I (Entry)

GS 5 - 7

FAC-C Level II (Intermediate)

GS 9 - 11

FAC-C Level III (Advanced)

GS – 13 and above

Mandatory Education: Baccalaureate degree OR 24 semester hours in a business discipline.

Mandatory Education: Baccalaureate degree OR 24 semester hours in a business discipline.

Mandatory Education: Baccalaureate degree AND 24 semester hours in a business discipline.

Mandatory Experience: 1 year of contracting experience

Mandatory Experience: 2 years of contracting experience

Mandatory Experience: 4 years of contracting experience

Mandatory Training: CON 100, CON 110, CON 111, CON 112 and CON 120 (or their predecessors, CON 101 and CON 104)

AND 1 elective

Mandatory Training:

NEW for 2008 – CON 214, CON 215, CON 216, CON 217, CON 218

AND 2 electives

Mandatory Training:

CON 353

(or its predecessor CON 333)

AND 2 electives

Key Roles Acquisition Career Manager (ACM)

Leads the acquisition career management program Procurement Functional Advisor

Responsible for the procurement career development and training program and policy

Works closely with the ACM Headquarters Analysis Division

Office responsible for establishing career development policy ACM & Functional Advisor reside in this office

Agency Procurement Training Office Responsible for all administrative and operational activities of

the career development program Activity resides at NSSC

Center Procurement Training Coordinator Center training POCs

FAC-C Statistics

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

ARC DFRC GRC GSFC HQ JSC KSC LaRC MSFC NSSC SSC

Center FAC-C Numbers

# of 1102's

# FAC-CCertified

FAC-C Statistics

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

ARC DFRC GRC GSFC HQ JSC KSC LaRC MSFC NSSC SSC

Center FAC-C Certified by Level

Level I FAC-C

Level II FAC-C

Level III FAC-C

FAC-C Statistics

NASA Wide FAC-C Certified by Level

24

50

175

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Level I Certified Level II Certified Level III Certified

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

CON 100Apr 07

CON 120May 07

CON 202Jul 07

CON 204Apr 07

CON 210Jun 07

ARCDFRCGSFCJSCKSCLaRCMSFCNSSCSSC

2007 CON Course Attendance

2007 CON Course Attendance

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

CON 353Mar 07

CON 353Apr 07

CON 353Jun 07

CON 353Aug 07

CON 353Oct 07

ARCDFRCGRCGSFCHQJSCKSCLaRCMSFCNMONSSCSSC

2007 CON Course Attendance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Total Attendance

ARCDFRCGRCGSFCHQJSCKSCLaRCMSFCNMONSSCSSC