Main menu
Policies & Legislation
Legislative Authority
The responsibilities and statutory authorities of the Federal Acquisition Institute are stated in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act in Title 41 of the United States Code (41 U.S.C.). According to the Act, FAI is located within the General Services Administration and receives policy direction from the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), which is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
-
FAI is charged with promoting the development of a professional federal acquisition workforce (41 U.S.C. 1122(a)).
-
FAI is also charged with supporting the heads of executive agencies in their efforts to manage and develop a professional acquisition workforce (41 U.S.C. 1703).
-
Finally, FAI is charged with the administration of the Acquisition Workforce Training Fund (41 U.S.C. 1703(1)(2)-(8)).
-
FAI also works closely with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC), which provides a senior-level forum for monitoring and improving the federal acquisition system (41 U.S.C. 1311-1312).
OMB Policies on the Acquisition Workforce
OFPP has issued several policy letters and OMB has issued memos that define and give direction to members of the acquisition workforce:
-
OFPP Policy Letter 05-01 established a government-wide framework for creating a federal acquisition workforce. OFPP Policy Letter 05-01 supersedes and rescinds two earlier policy letters, OFPP Policy Letter 92-03 and OFPP Policy Letter 97-01.
The letter 05-01:
-
Expands the definition of the acquisition workforce;
-
Directs affected agencies to develop and maintain an acquisition career management program and include the acquisition workforce in their human capital plans;
-
Directs agencies to appoint Acquisition Career Managers who are responsible for administering the provisions of the letter;
-
Directs OFPP to establish and maintain lists of core competencies that the acquisition workforce should possess;
-
Directs FAI to propose certification programs for Contracting, Program and Project Management, and Contracting Officer's Representatives/Contracting Officer's Technical Representatives;
-
Provides additional guidance on the use of the Acquisition Workforce Training Fund; and
-
Provides additional direction to FAI for the administration of provisions of the Letter.
-
The FAC-C Memo (PDF 156KB), issued by OMB on January 20, 2006, establishes the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program. It contains requirements for achieving certification and guidance for administering the program.
-
OFPP has also issued Qualification Standards for the 1102 Series (Contracting).
-
The FAC-P/PM Memo, issued by OMB on April 25, 2007, establishes the Federal Acquisition Certification Program for Program and Project Managers. It contains requirements for achieving certification and guidance for administering the program.
-
In the Architectural and Engineering Competencies Memo, issued November 1, 2005, OFPP establishes a model for architectural and engineering management skills.
-
The FAC-COR Memo (PDF 579KB), issued by OMB on September 6, 2011, establishes a structured training program for CORs and other individuals performing these functions.
-
Improving the Use of Contractor Performance Information (PDF 114KB), issued July 29, 2009, describes new requirements in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to strengthen the use of contractor performance information, outlines associated management responsibilities that agency Chief Acquisition Officers (CAOs) and Senior Procurement Executives (SPEs) must take to support robust implementation of these practices, and establishes the review process that the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) will use to further improve contractor performance information.
Note: Many of the competencies and learning objectives for professional development can be found in the Competencies section.
Regulations Used by the Acquisition Workforce
The Department of Defense (DOD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) jointly issue the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for use by executive agencies in acquiring goods and services.
Available Hiring Authorities
This interactive workshop included Jason Parman, Western Group Manager of OPM's Human Resources Consulting Program, who addressed the hiring flexibilities available to the acquisition community, and Stephen Shih, Chief of OPM's Center for Equal Employment Opportunity, who addressed the EEO issues surrounding these hiring flexibilities. Additionally, a panel of acquisition and human resources professionals discussed their experiences using these flexibilities and provide a hands-on approach for using them. Click here to view the video. Please note that a fully 508 compliant video will be up in a few weeks.