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(a) Experience requirements.

(b) Training requirements.

(1) Contracting officer candidates must complete minimum training requirements. The preferred source for training is the Governmentwide contract for acquisition training established by the Federal Supply Service. However, training may be provided by other Federal Government training organizations, accredited colleges and universities, or the private sector, provided that the course uses the approved student and instructor textbooks and tests that are part of the Governmentwide acquisition curriculum.

(2) Courses may be taught by qualified GSA employees. The HCA (or his/her designee) is responsible for determining if an employee is qualified to serve as an instructor. Courses to be taught by qualified employees are subject to the following conditions:

(i) The course must use the approved training materials for student and instructor texts and course tests for the Governmentwide curriculum.

(ii) The instructor must have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree that included at least 24 semester hours in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

(iii) The instructor must have on-the-job experience in the course subject.

(iv) The instructor must demonstrate good teaching skills, and have experience in making presentations.

(v) Course tests must be administered by a GSA test control officer and scored by the Office of Acquisition Policy (MV). Instructors may not serve as test control officers for the same course. A current list of GSA test control officers is contained on GSA Insite at: http://insite.gsa.private/acqwork.

(3) Employees who complete courses in the Governmentwide acquisition curriculum from sources other than contractors on the Federal Supply Service acquisition training contract or an accredited college or university are cautioned that such courses may not be eligible for college credit unless the training organization has received a positive credit recommendation from American Council of Education. This includes training provided by designated GSA employees.

(4) The minimum training requirements apply to all contracting officers appointed on or after the date when the Governmentwide acquisition courses become available.

(i) Individuals holding a permanent warrant issued before the Governmentwide acquisition courses became available are not required to take additional training, other than the training required for continuing education. However, such contracting officers should give priority to completing any new COWP training requirements in fulfilling the continuing education requirement.

(ii) Individuals holding an interim warrant issued before the Governmentwide acquisition curriculum became available must complete the new training requirements prior to receiving a permanent warrant. A training course received before availability of the Governmentwide curriculum may be used to satisfy a new course requirement if it meets both of the following conditions: the interim warrant holder completed and received training credit from GSA for the course before availability of the Governmentwide acquisition curriculum, and the course is accepted as equivalent to one of the new required training courses (see 501.603-2(f)).

(c) Minimum training requirements.

(1) Micro-Purchase level candidates must receive on-the-job orientation or formal training in simplified acquisition procedures. Personnel who have completed any of the following courses meet the requirement: Small Purchases/Schedule Contracts, Simplified Acquisitions, Introduction to Contracting, Interactive Customer Assistance CD-ROM micro-purchase training, GSA disk titled “GSA Purchase Card Program, IMPAC (VISA).”

(2) Basic level candidates for:

(i) Fleet manager warrants must complete the Basic Fleet Management Procurement course (40 hours).

(ii) Fleet sales warrants must complete only the Fleet Sales course (40 hours) when commercial contractors will conduct fleet sales.

(iii) Building manager warrants must complete the COR Mentor training course in addition to other courses required at this warrant level. The COR Mentor is a self-paced, on-line training course available at: http://www.faionline.com.

(3) Candidates for warrants at the simplified acquisition, intermediate, or senior levels currently serving and classified in 1102 or 1170 positions or in positions whose primary responsibility involved contracting for an uninterrupted period of 3 years do not have to take the basic level courses.

(4) Personal property sales warrant candidates who are classified in 1104 positions, excluding marketing positions, for an uninterrupted period of 3 years are not required to take the Personal Property Utilization and Disposal course.

(5) All Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs):

(i) With or without warrant authority, must complete those portions of the COR Mentor training course that correspond to the duties assigned to them by you. The COR Mentor is available at http://www.faionline.com. Each COR must complete this training within a reasonable time after appointment as a COR. The COR must provide you with copies of completion certificates for each duty completed under the COR Mentor.

(ii) Seeking warrant authority must also complete all courses required at the applicable warrant level.

(iii) For construction contracting seeking warrant authority limited to the issuance of change orders up to $25,000, must complete the COR Mentor and Construction Contracting courses.

(6) TSR-issuer candidates must receive on-the-job orientation or formal training on the proper procedures for issuing TSRs and on the responsibilities and obligations of contracting officers.

(7) Contracting officers with dual warrant authority (e.g., with authority to dispose of and to acquire goods and services) must complete the mandatory training required for both types of warrant authority, based on the appropriate warrant level.

(8) Other warrant level training is outlined in Figure 501-1.

(d) Testing out of a course. [Reserved]

(e) Educational requirements. Effective January 1, 2000, applicants for permanent warrants above the simplified acquisition level must meet the stated education requirements prior to receiving a warrant. HCAs may, at their discretion, make this requirement effective prior to January 1, 2000. These requirements apply to all candidates for permanent warrants, regardless of job series.

(1) Applicants at grades 5 through 12. Applicants for permanent warrants above the simplified acquisition level, who are at grades 5 through 12, must either have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree or have completed 24 semester hours in any combination of the designated fields.

(2) Applicants at grades 13 and above. Applicants for permanent warrants above the simplified acquisition level, who are at grade 13 or above, must have completed a 4- year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the designated fields. The Senior Procurement Executive may waive one, but not both, of these educational requirements (i.e., either the requirement for a 4-year course of study or the requirement for 24 semester hours in designated fields), for applicants at grades 13 and above. The applicant must demonstrate significant analytical and decision-making capabilities, an acceptable job performance record, and qualifying experience.

(3) The designated educational fields are:

(i) Accounting.

(ii) Business.

(iii) Finance.

(iv) Law.

(v) Contracts

(vi) Purchasing

(vii) Economics.

(viii) Industrial management.

(ix) Marketing.

(x) Quantitative methods.

(xi) Organization and management.

(f) Course equivalencies.

(1) For employees who completed training prior to availability of the Governmentwide core curriculum, the following is a list of the courses contained in the Governmentwide curriculum and the course equivalencies that GSA will recognize. GSA cannot guarantee that other Federal agencies will accept the same substitutes.

(2) GSA employees who have successfully completed a GSA approved course are not required to complete the equivalent course in the Governmentwide curriculum for warrant purposes in GSA. There are no GSA courses considered equivalent to Acquisition or Procurement Planning II or Intermediate Contract Pricing.

(3) Acceptance of course equivalencies extends only to GSA-approved courses successfully completed prior to availability of the Governmentwide curriculum. Requests to consider course equivalencies for training taken thereafter will not be considered or approved.

(4) Employees who attended courses approved as course equivalencies, prior to availability of the Governmentwide curriculum, are not required to complete the corresponding course in the Governmentwide curriculum. GSA Insite at: http://insite.gsa.private/acqwork contains a list of course equivalencies for GSA courses.

(5) Employees are cautioned that GSA’s determination concerning the acceptability of GSA-approved courses is not binding on other Federal agencies. Employees who wish to qualify for senior 1102 positions in other Federal agencies may want to complete the courses contained in the Governmentwide core curriculum, as fulfillment of the mandatory training requirements for 1102 positions at grades 13 and above, to ensure acceptability across Government.