News for the Federal Acquisition Workforce

December 16, 2020

1102s - Do you Track Your Experience? Contracting Professionals can track their job experiences using the 1102 Experience Development Tool on the "Tools" page of FAI.gov. Download the Excel spreadsheet to your desktop to view over 100 tasks, documents, contract strategies, and categories that you can track during your career. This information can be helpful when applying for new positions, applying for FAC-C Certification, or even identifying your personal skill gaps!

SAM.gov Transitions to beta.SAM.gov On April 26, 2021, the functionalities of current SAM.gov will be integrated into the modernized beta.SAM.gov environment. Once integrated, the environment will be renamed SAM.gov and the term beta will be retired. While the core data and functionality of the systems are not changing, there will be a new look and feel for much of that functionality. For more information, check out this article.

Professional Services Office Hours January 7 Register today for the next GSA Professional Services Office Hours, to be held on January 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET! The Office of Professional Services and Human Capital Categories has prepared a series of acquisition planning packages that outline best practices, ordering guidance tailored to specific subcategories, and Special Item Numbers (SINs) offered on GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule – Professional Services Category. The Acquisition Planning Packages contain sample Requests for Information (RFIs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Statements of Objectives (SOOs), Performance Work Statement (PWSs), Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs), and buying guides to make ordering easier for contracting officers. Earn 1 CLP!

Changes to the Federal Service Desk The Federal Service Desk (FSD) exists to help Integrated Awards Environment (IAE) system users with issues ranging from a lost or forgotten password to more complex issues with a specific system. On December 8, the FSD implemented two important changes. First, the FSD now requires multifactor authentication (MFA) via login.gov for those who have an account at FSD.gov - accounts are not needed to obtain help from the FSD. Second, the FSD launched a whole new look and feel. For more information about these FSD changes, check out this article.

New Installment to the Back to Basics Series Released! FAIth and FAIgan are tackling a new topic in FAC 090 - Back to Basics: Building and Strengthening Effective Communication with Industry. Developed by FAI in collaboration with OFPP, you will learn how to strengthen effective communication with industry partners by removing preconceived myths and replacing them with the facts of how the actual systems, strategies, and procedures work. Check out this new 1 CLP online course!

Get Your Free Acquisition Training! FAI’s incredible array of FY21 FAC-C, FAC-COR, FAC-P/PM, and continuous learning instructor-led training offerings are now open for enrollment. Book a seat now to take advantage of this free training. Visit FAI’s training page for a list of all the class offerings that have seats available. All the courses necessary for certification can be found there as well as course offerings for the following new subjects: Understanding Industry (Business Acumen), Cybersecurity—Supply Chain Risk Management, Information Technology Acquisition, Acquisition of Agile Services, Applying Agile Scrum Master—Practices in the Federal Environment, Developing Agile Requirements and User Stories in the Federal Environment, Conducting Acquisitions for Cloud Services, The Integrated Project Team, Government Product Owner, Procurement Innovation—FAR Flexibility, Other Transaction Authority, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and the Critical Decision-Making Capstone. Sign up for training today!

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