Breakout Session # 709 Karen Pica, Director, Federal Acquisition Institute

2. Federal Acquisition Workforce Landscape: What’s in It for You? Breakout Session # 709 Karen Pica, Director, Federal Acquisition Institute Wednesday April 25, 2007 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

3. Federal Acquisition Workforce Landscape: What’s in It for You? • Contracting for Mission Effectiveness • Contracting Professionals: Business Leaders in Life-Cycle Contract Management • Attracting the Best and the Brightest • Enabling Excellence

4. Contracting for Mission Effectiveness • Federal acquisition touches nearly every mission performed by the government from: • Delivering mail to fighting forest fires • Defending the nation to explaining Social Security benefits • Regulating clean air and water to ensuring the flow of goods through national ports • Federal acquisition accounts for nearly $400 billion in spending annually • Billions (or more!) of dollars are in various stages of life cycle contract management at any one time

5. Contracting for Mission Effectiveness • More and more of the government’s work is effected through government-industry relationships • Greater varieties of goods and services are needed • The government’s obligation for sound stewardship and transparency means government services must be managed effectively across the acquisition life-cycle

6. Contracting for Mission Effectiveness The Challenges : • Between FY 2000 and FY 2005, value of contract actions increased 74.6% with services accounting for more than half • Between 2000-2005, number of contract transactions increased 10.3% • Between FY2000-FY2005 contract specialist positions (GS-1102 series) increased 3.1%, purchasing staff (GS-1105 series) decreased 9.3%

7. Contracting for Mission Effectiveness The Challenges cont.: • Approximately 20% of key contracting professionals are eligible to retire now and another 40% will be over the next 10 years • FAI assists civilian executive agencies in meeting these challenges

8. Contracting Professionals: Business Leaders • There are many roles and responsibilities in the acquisition process as outlined in OFPP policy letter 05-01 of April 2005 • Technical - Program/Operational • Legal - Financial • Contracting Professionals are the Business Leaders creating synergy by providing: • Strategic advice and consulting, helping to build results oriented needs up front and managing performance for results throughout the contract life-cycle

9. Contracting Professionals: Business Leaders • Are more specialized, both in terms of what they buy and the environment in which they buy (e.g., emergencies) • Employ a variety of acquisition and business strategies • Collaborate with program managers and other acquisition professionals • Helping to organize the contributions of other professionals on the acquisition team

10. Attracting the Best and the Brightest • The percent of college graduates among Contracting series (1102s) has been rising • 67% in FY 2004 • 69% in FY 2005 • 71% in FY 2006 • Contracting professionals are pursuing Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) • The recent memorandum of agreement between FAI and NCMA provides even more opportunities for professional development

11. Attracting the Best and the Brightest • In FY 2006, 2,610 individuals joined the Contract Specialist (GS-1102) series • 1,460 (56%) were recruited from outside government • 1,025 (39%) came from various series within government • The source for the remaining 115 hires (4%) is not known

12. The best know that contracting is a team effort Leadership provides strength and direction Collaboration ensures effective partnerships Mentoring and coaching pass the wisdom to the next generation And all of this relies on clear, effective communication Attracting the Best and the Brightest

13. Enabling Excellence Excellence does not “just happen;” it must be nourished, encouraged and recognized by: • Ensuring competencies and training are up to date • Clarifying career paths through certification programs (for Contracting Professionals, Program and Project Managers, COTRs and others) • Awarding individual and team contributions • Promoting best practices and lessons learned • Encouraging partnerships between government, industry, educational institutions  • Communicating with professionals to learn of needs

14. Enabling Excellence Promoting growth through learning • Reviewing core courses • Wide range of opportunities for continuing education • Training for teams – to illustrate the importance of collaboration and the variety of contributions to the acquisition process • Courses that provide skills, not just knowledge • Online communities of practice • Communicating expected targets Goal: High proficiency in five years

15. What’s in It for Me? • Strong sense of mission • Stewardship of taxpayer dollars • Being the business leader • High-demand profession • Critical need across government • Clear career path toward certification • Including recognition by professional organizations such as NCMA • Practical, effective training • Wide range of opportunities for continuing education

16. Federal Acquisition Institutewww.FAI.gov Contracting Professionals represent a vital part of the overall government acquisition enterprise and have a unique vantage point from which to view the life cycle FAI recognizes that viewpoint by identifying and addressing concerns, by listening and acting on those concerns from civilian executive agencies WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

17. Federal Acquisition Institutewww.FAI.gov Thank You and Any Questions?