News for the Acquisition Workforce

New fiscal year 2024 Q1 FAC-C, FAC-COR, FAC-P/PM, credential, and continuous learning virtual instructor-led training is now available in FAI CSOD! View the complete list of new course offerings on FAI.gov. Seats will be first come, first serve, and, as always, there will be no tuition cost to students or their agencies. Do not delay; seats fill fast!

Acquisition workforce professionals holding a FAC-C, FAC-COR or FAC-P/PM certification have until April 30, 2024 to obtain the required continuous learning (CL) points to maintain their current certifications. CL activities remain an essential component of lifelong learning for all acquisition workforce professionals! Log into FAI CSOD to view your progress on your Continuous Learning Individual Progress (CLIP) dashboard and read more on CL requirements on FAI.gov. 

We encourage you to use the “Indicate Interest in a Future Session” feature in FAI CSOD. By using this feature, you will receive an immediate notification from FAI CSOD that a new session is available. To use this feature, follow the steps outlined on pages 51 and 52 of the Federal Employee Task Aid.

Unleash the power of innovation by trying out an innovative acquisition technique on the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations! Try this new technique recently added to the table: Facilitated Requirements Development Workshop. This innovation, conducted early in the market research, is a facilitated collaborative team engagement dedicated to developing the acquisition requirements and formulating procurement strategies. Facilitated Requirements Development Workshops have resulted in improved performance outcomes, reduced procurement lead times, and increased stakeholder buy-in for the end product.

Watch this PILCast episode to learn about the impact of solicitation delays on coding challenges and traditional submissions and some techniques that might help lessen the impact of delays on industry. You can watch this PILCast and many others on the DHS PIL YouTube channel. Have questions about a fourth quarter requirement? Just send an email to PIL@hq.dhs.gov.

The Acquisition Regulation Comparator (ARC) tool provides great value to anyone who references the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and its supplements, especially for new acquisition personnel. The capabilities of this tool provide seamless instruction when teaching how to navigate the FAR, as well as a way to more easily search and display content when conducting research. Additionally, for anyone else needing to research the FAR and its supplements, this tool makes it easier to make these comparisons side-by-side on one screen.

FAI is pleased to announce the posting of the fiscal year 2023 Q1 quarterly workforce metrics, which provide acquisition workforce updates across two critical occupational series, GS-1102 and GS-1101. The data illustrated in the tables and charts contained within the workbook is sourced directly from the Office of Personnel Management FedScope database. To access the metrics, please visit FAI's Human Capital Planning webpage.

Mark your calendars for ATARC’s Growing Good in Government by Building the Feedback Loops of the Future webinar on Oct. 3, 2023, from 1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. E.T. From enhancing operational efficiency through the Integrated Value Network, to nurturing the exchange of knowledge via the P/PM Knowledge Network, ATARC’s panel of experts will investigate the many intricate facets of the Growing Good in Government Initiative (G3I). You're invited to participate in dialogue that assures insights into the future of public service. This future entails blending tradition with innovation, thereby establishing a more agile, transparent, and optimized government landscape! Click here to register. 

DOI University is excited to announce the new cohort of the Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) program, a specialized training that helps government professionals understand how to craft acquisitions to buy digital services and design innovative, flexible procurements for services like human–centered design, iterative development and more. This virtual program runs from Nov. 6, 2023 to June 7, 2024. Register and find details here. Questions? Contact Shae Locke at shae_locke@ios.doi.gov.

The Department of Energy Richland Operations Office is advertising a job announcement for an industrial property management specialist (GS-1103-12T13) position and attempting to reach as many members of the civilian acquisition workforce as possible. The vacancy announcement for this great job supporting a worthy mission closes on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Please encourage any great potential candidates to review and apply! Please click here to learn more about the Department of Energy-Hanford Site.

In an upcoming crowdsourcing campaign, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy will preview planned changes for agency forecasts of procurement opportunities to ensure they are useful and align with the practical needs of businesses, federal agencies, and other stakeholders. The preview will offer early insights into plans to improve the quality, timeliness, and access to agency forecasts of procurement opportunities. Register here for updates about this and future campaigns!