OMB sets standards for contracting officials

The Office of Management and Budget has instituted new competency and training requirements for contracting officer technical representatives, those acquisition employees who assist with contract administration and support acquisition management.

OMB's Office of Federal Procurement Policy recently issued a memorandum to chief acquisition officers delineating the requirements, which are mandatory for all civilian agencies and include a minimum of 40 hours of training. The memo recommends courses such as Market Research and Ethics Training for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The goal, according to the memo, is to ensure that all contracting officer technical representatives possess certain competencies.

The memo lists 24 key skills, ranging from acquisition-specific ones such as defining and communicating government requirements to broader traits like flexibility and integrity. The required COTR training is available through the Federal Acquisition Institute or the Defense Acquisition University, but the memo also says it can be completed through agency or commercially run courses or universities.

"The COTR is the contracting officer's right-hand resource for ensuring that contractors are meeting contract requirements in support of our mission objectives," OFPP Administrator Paul A. Denett said. "The COTR is an essential part of the acquisition team and must be sufficiently trained."

Under the new regulations, COTRs also will be required to undergo periodic skills training. In order to keep their certification up to date, the employees will have to earn 40 "continuous learning points" every two years through training programs.

All COTRs named to a contract must be certified within six months of their appointment. Employees with active contracts must be certified within a year, but can count any previous training toward the requirements if that training meets the new goals.

The certification requirements come in response to recommendations by the Federal Acquisition Institute and the Merit Systems Protection Board in reports on the skills necessary for technical contracting experts to properly perform. This is the third acquisition certification program OFPP has developed; the first two programs established training requirements for contracting officers and program and project managers.