Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM)

OMB Requirement

In a memorandum dated April 25, 2007, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) announced a set of mandatory requirements for the program and project manager (P/PM) community which applies to all civilian agencies.   Having skilled, competent and professional program and project managers is essential to the success of the critical agency missions.  Establishing rigorous professional development requirements better position the Department of Energy for success as  P/PMs ensure that requirements are appropriately written, performance standards are established, and contractors deliver what they promise. P/PMs develop requirements, lead integrated project teams (IPTs), and oversee budgeting and governance processes, all of which are critical to ensuring that agency mission needs are filled and expected outcomes achieved. 

Revisions to the Federal Acquisition Certification-Program and Project Manager Program (FAC-P/PM) went into effect on March 31, 2014, and is governed by the December 16, 2013, OFPP memo on Revisions to the Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM). The Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) then led an interagency working group to develop common, essential competencies for the program and project management community. The resulting Federal Acquisition Certification for Program/Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) outlines the baseline competencies, training, and experience required for P/PMs in the federal government.

The following memorandum governs the Federal Acquisition Certification program: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/procurement/memo/fac-ppm-revised-dec-2013.pdf , and are implemented in the Acquisition Certifications Program Handbook chapter covering FAC-P/PM https://powerpedia.energy.gov/w/images/b/bb/ACMP_Handbook_June_2015_Interim.pdf .

In response to OFPP guidelines, DOE developed a program to certify program/project managers (P/PMs).  The FAC P/PM senior level certification is mandatory for those persons appointed to manage programs considered major acquisitions by their agency. P/PMs managing IT investments determined to be major acquisitions must also hold IT specialization in accordance with DOE Order 361.1C, Acquisition Career Management Program.

Eligibility

The FAC-P/PM is founded on:

  1. core competencies that are considered essential for successful program and project management,
  2. experience requirements, and
  3. continuous learning to maintain skills currency. FAC-P/PM contains three levels of certification: entry-, mid- and senior-level.

The establishment of core competencies ensures the program and project management community possesses common skills and experiences. The objective of the FAC-P/PM is to align the essential competencies across the Federal Government’s acquisition workforce.

FAC-P/PM Competencies:

  1. Requirements Development and Management Processes
  2. Systems Engineering
  3. Test and Evaluation
  4. Life Cycle Logistics
  5. Contracting
  6. Business, Cost and Financial Management
  7. Leadership

FAC-P/PM certification requirements are detailed in the following chart:

DOE Training Requirements for FAC-P/PM at Each Level

DOE FAC-P/PM CORE Courses

Entry Level (I)

  • Project Management Essentials- available on demand through DOE’s Online Learning Center (OLC)
  • Earned Value Management- available on demand through DOE’s Online Learning Center (OLC)
  • Managing Contract Changes - Classroom

Mid-Level (II)

  • Project Management Simulation
  • Cost and Schedule Estimation and Analysis
  • Leadership through Effective Communication
  • Scope Management Baseline Development

Senior Level (III)

  • Advanced Earned Value Management Techniques
  • Advanced Risk Management
  • Executive Communications
  • Program Management and Portfolio Analysis

FAC-P/PM-IT core-plus specialization

The purpose of the FAC-P/PM IT Core-Plus specialization is to establish the additional training, experience and continuous learning requirements for FAC-P/PM certified personnel who manage specific investments requiring specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. Specialization for IT P/PMs was developed in collaboration with OMB’s Office of E-government and Information Technology.

All Federal IT P/PMs managing major specialty investments, as identified by the DOE IT Capital Planning Program (per the Department’s IT investment portfolio and major IT investments), must be qualified as meeting DOE and OMB/FAI stated requirements.

P/PMs managing major IT investments reported to the OMB shall hold senior level FAC-P/PM-IT core-plus specialization.

Applying for FAC- P/PM Certification in FAITAS

First time applicants, as well as incumbent FAC- P/PMs seeking higher levels of certification, should contact the agency POC to initiate the certification process.  All applicants must develop a profile and are required to register in the Federal Acquisition Institute's Training Application System (FAITAS). Candidates must submit application in FAITAS and provide responses to the different competencies for the level of certification sought. Once the application is complete, and submitted via FAITAS, the Bureau Certification Manager will initiate the review process.  Applications will be reviewed against current certification requirements.