Help Wanted: Federal Contract Specialists!
by Sandra L. Keppley
Peter R. Orszag, head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) says that Federal civilian agencies should grow their acquisition workforce by at least 5% over the next 5 years. Last year, these agencies awarded and managed an estimated $138 billion in civilian contracts, according to the Federal Acquisition Institute.
Knowing this, would you like to change your job series from Administrative, Program Analyst, IT, or other job series and move into the Business and Industry Career Series? Would you like new challenges, training, customers, projects, and opportunities for growth? Why not consider analyzing the 1101 and 1102 job series? If you are interested, then it’s time to add contracting, life cycle management and acquisitions into your Federal Career Toolkit. First you will need to study the Qualifications, Education and Specialized Experience in order to build your federal resume or KSAs toward Contracts and Acquisitions work.
Sandra Lee Keppley, retired Human Resources Specialist and Director, Labor Employee Relations at Department of Labor joins Kathryn Troutman to answer Frequently Asked Questions by current federal employees about applying to the Contract Specialist job series.
Educational Requirements
What are the basic educational requirements: To qualify for positions at grades GS-5 through GS-12 in the 1101 or 1102 job series, you must possess either a bachelor’s degree OR have completed at least 24 semester hours of coursework in certain business-related fields. In order to qualify for positions at grades GS-13 and above, you must possess a bachelor’s degree AND at least 24 semester hours of coursework in certain business-related fields. The 24 hours may be included in, or in addition to, coursework taken to complete the degree program.
Does the phrase “a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree” mean I must have a degree, or just that I must be enrolled in a degree program? The phrase means you must possess a bachelor’s degree conferred or approved by an accredited U.S. college or university based on a 4-year course of study. Simply being enrolled and working toward a degree does not meet the qualification standard. Furthermore, “honorary” degrees or other degrees with no basis in coursework do not satisfy the standard.
Does the degree have to be a business degree? No. A qualifying bachelor’s degree may be in any field of study and may be of any type, such as Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Business Administration. The 24 semester hours, however, must be in some combination of the eleven fields listed in the standard.
When the degree AND 24-hour coursework requirements must be met for GS-13 and above positions, can I count courses taken as part of my degree program to satisfy the 24-hour requirement? Yes, coursework could simultaneously count for the degree requirement and the 24-hour requirement. For example, if you earned a business degree, you should have completed sufficient credits in the required fields to satisfy the 24-hour requirement. However, if your degree is in another field, such as sociology, you might need to take some additional courses in the fields identified in the qualification standard to complete the 24-hour requirement.
“Grandfathering” — The Exception Provisions
I am currently working as an 1102 in a civilian agency. Am I “grandfathered” for civilian agency positions based on having a certain number of years of experience (meaning the requirements do not apply to me)? The 1102 qualification standard does have some grandfathering features for the existing workforce, although none of those features are tied to a prescribed number of years of experience. Every 1102, regardless of grade, is considered to meet the standard for the position and grade held as of January 1, 2000, and is qualified for positions in other civilian agencies at the same grade without having to meet the educational and training requirements. In addition, an 1102 can be promoted through grade GS-12 without meeting the qualification requirements. There is no grandfathering provision that allows experience to substitute for education in order to qualify for promotions to GS-13 and above.
Do existing Federal employees in other series, such as GS-1105, have to meet the educational requirements to move into the 1102 field? Yes. The 1102 standard applies to every civilian agency 1102 position and must be met by individuals entering the series from outside the Government, or from other series within the Government. If you are a current 1105, you must meet the educational requirements to lateral or promote into the 1102 series.
What does this phrase mean: “Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12″? This statement is found in the “exceptions” paragraph for GS-5 through GS-12. Simply stated, it exempts employees hired by January 1, 2000 from the educational requirements for any position up to GS-12. If you meet neither the degree nor 24-hour requirement, you can still be promoted through GS-12. All individuals hired since January 1, 1998 should meet the educational requirements since they were hired under the former standard. However, many 1102s hired before January 1, 1998 do not have the education now required, and the exception accommodates those employees. Additionally, in the event someone was inadvertently hired into the 1102 series between January 1998 and January 2000 who did not actually meet the former standard, that employee would be covered by the exception.
Education Waivers
Can the qualification requirements for positions in grades GS-5 through GS-12 be waived? No. All new entrants into the GS-1102 career field at grades 5 through 12 must meet the qualification requirements. The requirements cannot be waived. However, if you are already an 1102 below grade GS-12 as of January 1, 2000, the “exception” language of the standard allows you to be promoted through GS-12 even if you do not have the education specified by the standard.
Do I need a waiver for any promotions up to GS-12? No. A waiver is not necessary for promotions under grade GS-13 because all promotion candidates would either meet the standard or qualify for the “exception” at those lower grades. Waivers only exist for the requirements that apply to positions at GS-13 and above.
I do not meet the educational requirements for a position at GS-13 and above. Do I have to obtain a waiver to apply for a job? No. The senior procurement executive of the hiring agency must grant a waiver only if the agency wants to select you to fill a position. If the vacancy announcement indicates that waivers may be granted, you can apply for the position. The human resource office will forward your application for review, along with the other applications, with a note that one or more applicants may need a waiver. At the agency’s option, the waiver may be applied to any of the educational, training, or experience requirements, or combination thereof, as specified in the vacancy announcement.
Can I get a waiver and “carry it with me” every time I apply for a job? No. A waiver is the prerogative of the hiring agency and would be granted based on the unique circumstances of a hiring action. “Blanket” waivers do not exist.
If I receive a waiver for a GS-13 position, do I need a new waiver for a GS-14 promotion, even if it is in the same agency? Yes. Waivers are specific to a selection action, so any selection for a future promotion would require another waiver if you still did not meet the qualification requirements.
As the government grows its acquisition workforce, more career opportunities will become available, and you should consider whether a move to the 1101 or 1102 job series is right for you. If so, now is the time to work on building a resume with the right education, qualifications, and specialized experience. I hope this FAQ helps you think it out!
Sandy Keppley comes to The Resume Place as a Human Resources Professional with over 25 years of solid experience as a manager, supervisor, team leader and technical professional in the field of Human Capital Management. Sandy began her Federal career in the clerical field at one of the lowest levels, GS-2. Through years of diligence, self improvement, and hard work, she recently retired as Director, Labor Employee Relations at Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. at the GS-15 level.
Her career spans various Federal environments such as Navy Supply, Army installations, Army Research and Development, Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Labor, and she uses her knowledge of professional, scientific, administrative, clerical and trades occupations to help Resume Place clients present their qualifications effectively. Her own experience in leadership, human resources management, team and partnership building, and problem solving allows her to inspire applicants to develop application content on their own accomplishments. She also has experience in labor and employee relations (union and non-union); alternate dispute resolution; position management and classification; training; staffing; workers compensation; performance management; employee benefits; and employee recognition; she is a certified mediator.
Sandy’s expertise in federal application writing includes the federal resume as well as KSA narratives and self-assessment questions. She has comprehensive knowledge of automated staffing mechanisms such as RESUMIX, and has extensive first-hand experience with the federal hiring process.
This article was reprinted with permission from fedmanager.com
