Definition of HHS Acquisition Workforce
MEMORANDUM
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
Washington, DC 20201
December 2, 2008
To: Heads of Contracting Activity, Executive Officers
From: Joe W. Ellis /s/, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
Subject: Definition of the HHS Acquisition Workforce
The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act of 1990 and the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 established education, training and experience requirements in the acquisition career field for Department of Defense and civilian agencies, respectively. These statutes provided the framework for creating a skilled Federal acquisition workforce. Building on this legislative
framework, Office of Federal Procurement Policy Letter 05-01, "Developing and Managing the Acquisition Workforce," gave each Federal agency the discretion to define the members of its acquisition workforce.
I am pleased that the Department has successfully implemented the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) program. Now that HHS has begun to implement the Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (FAC-COTR) program and Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) program, this is an opportune time to formally delineate the membership of HHS' acquisition workforce.
The following are official members of the HHS acquisition workforce:
- COTRs who are currently appointed by Contracting Officers to monitor or manage performance under one or more contracts, or COTR candidates who obtain an HHS FAC-COTR certification.
- Program Managers and Project Managers (P/PM) who currently monitor or manage one or more contract-related programs and projects (respectively), or P/PM candidates who obtain an HHS FAC-P/PM certification.
- All General Schedule (GS)-1102s, 1105s and 1106s; or personnel in any other GS series who possess warrant authority, a FAC-C certification, or a Head of Contracting Activity (HCA) designation.
- U.S. Public Health Service's Commissioned Corps personnel who administer or award contracts.
- Personnel within HHS University who are delegated the authority to acquire training by the HCA for Office of the Secretary.
- Reemployed Federal annuitants who occupy any of the positions identified above.
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