Competence | The Contracting Education Academy

August 20, 2018 By AMK

Federal acquisition workers rate themselves highly on most skills

The government’s civilian acquisition workforce, long under pressure to improve hiring and modernize its skill sets, is feeling more satisfied with its own effectiveness, according to the latest biennial Acquisition Workforce Competency Survey released last week.

***Click on image above to see report.***

Considered the most comprehensive version of the survey yet (an 83 percent increase in response rates across agencies), it showed that the buyers rated themselves highest for issuing contract order changes and modifications, awarding contracts and competition. Also rated highly were inspection and acceptance and business acumen, said the results analyzed by a partnership between the White House Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Federal Acquisition Institute.

Areas rated the lowest in proficiency included negotiating forward pricing rates agreements and contracting in contingent or combat environments.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/contracting/2018/08/federal-acquisition-workers-rate-themselves-highly-most-skills/150611

August 23, 2016 By AMK

Achieving effective competencies in contracting

A key challenge to improving acquisition is defining what good contracting really is — and the proper skill sets necessary for those working within it.

There are many different views on this topic that show up in various legislation, course curricula, job descriptions, and a variety of professional certifications across public- and private-sector agencies, firms, and associations. These include large government contractors; Defense Acquisition University; Federal Acquisition Institute; colleges and universities with supply chain, contract management, and business programs; corporate training criteria; and all manner of nonprofit standards and certifications. Unlike many other professions, there is no universally agreed upon “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” that gives those working in or contemplating entry into contracting a universally adopted set of competencies for today’s acquisition manager. Instead, “good contracting” and its skill sets are defined (if at all) piecemeal, employer by employer, segmented by type and size of organization.

However, there are models in use today that could be a starting point. For example, the Volcker Alliance recently published a list of fundamental skills and experience required for those responsible for public procurement, based on interviews with procurement officials and academic experts, leveraging their expertise to develop a competency model and evaluate the current public procurement workforce against those competencies.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.wifcon.com/discussion/index.php?/blogs/entry/3193-effective-competencies-in-contracting/

July 25, 2016 By AMK

U.S. Government buys $2 trillion worth of stuff every year, and here are 5 ways to do it better

Every year, thousands of professionals at all levels of government in the United States execute contracts to buy $2 trillion in public goods and services, ranging from fighter jets to professional services to office supplies.

Their work is crucial, yet too often we learn that the public procurement system is at the heart of government breakdowns such as the launch of Healthcare.gov or cost overruns in the development of the F-22 fighter. These headlines lead to grandstanding and finger-pointing, but fail to offer a clear sense of what skills those professionals need to effectively manage taxpayer dollars, and where progress is most needed.

That’s why the Volcker Alliance — launched by Paul A. Volcker to address the challenge of effective execution of public policies and to help rebuild public trust in government — teamed with Censeo Consulting Group and Public Spend Forum to conduct a study to develop a draft competency framework laying out the core skills of an effective procurement workforce.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2016/07/government-buys-2-trillion-worth-stuff-every-year-here-are-5-ways-do-it-better/129865/

June 21, 2016 By AMK

Acquisition workforce capacity joins competency as an issue

Many issues influence the ability of the federal acquisition workforce’s to get its job done, according to a survey recently released by the Professional Services Council and Grant Thornton.

Acquisition Policy Survey 2016 In the annual Acquisition Policy Survey conducted by the two organizations, the development of the government’s acquisition workforce “showed mixed results.” The 80 persons who were surveyed reported positive trends in workforce capability, but they identified the persistence of lingering weaknesses in critical skill sets. “Workforce development and the ability to hire the right talent are key challenges,” the report states. “More than a competency gap, this year’s interviewees expressed concern about a capacity gap, wherein the existing workforce, however skilled it may be, simply does not have the time and resources to keep up with demand.”

The significance of budget, communication, innovation and oversight are also reported on in the study. Here are a few excerpts:

“Despite ongoing budget challenges … headaches, inefficiencies, and strain, the acquisition community is committed to ‘getting the job done.'”
“… [O]pen communication has not been routinely practiced at operational levels. Instead, communication between government and industry is viewed as inherently risky.”
“… [T]he government does not have a consistent, successful strategy for soliciting, evaluating, and contracting for innovative ideas from industry, whether in the ‘traditional’ or ‘cutting-edge’ contracting space. In fact, the government often views the traditional contracting base as being mutually exclusive from innovative offerors.”
“Policymakers and oversight bodies need to understand the impact of the requirements they place on an already complex acquisition system that is operating beyond its capacity ….”

Download and read the full text of the Acquisition Policy Survey here: Acquisition Policy Survey 2016

November 11, 2013 By AMK

Former comptroller questions competence of DoD’s acquisition team

Acquisition personnel at the Defense Department from management on down don’t have the knowledge or incentives to do their jobs well, said Dov Zakheim, the department’s former comptroller, on Oct. 29.

The era where DoD technology was far more advanced than the private sector has passed, he said, with Silicon Valley and other technology centers holding their own. But DoD doesn’t ensure that its acquisition workforce remains conversant with the latest advances, Zakheim said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“Too many program managers appear to be deficient when it comes to supervising the progress of programs simply because they don’t know the technology that they’re supervising,” he said. Some have to depend on contractors to help them understand the technologies they oversee.

Zakheim was DoD’s comptroller and chief financial officer during the George W. Bush administration. He was also a high-ranking DoD official in the Reagan Administration.

Also out of date, he said, are the policies for promotion within an agency, as many employees move up the chain because of their years of service rather than as a reward for good work. Zakheim proposed that DoD include cost savings that acquisition officers have achieved as a factor in promotions, to alter their incentives.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/ex-pentagon-official-acquisition-failures-tied-personnel-issues/2013-10-30

A webcast and prepared testimonies are available on the hearing webpage at http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings-display?ContentRecord_id=df2275cc-a8dd-40dc-878f-ed7afc2cdacd

The government’s civilian acquisition workforce, long under pressure to improve hiring and modernize its skill sets, is feeling more satisfied with its own effectiveness, according to the latest biennial Acquisition Workforce Competency Survey released last week.

A key challenge to improving acquisition is defining what good contracting really is — and the proper skill sets necessary for those working within it.

Every year, thousands of professionals at all levels of government in the United States execute contracts to buy $2 trillion in public goods and services, ranging from fighter jets to professional services to office supplies.

Many issues influence the ability of the federal acquisition workforce’s to get its job done, according to a survey recently released by the Professional Services Council and Grant Thornton.

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