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Kimberly C. BrownCOTR Program Lead

FEMA’s Contracting Officer Technical Representative

Program

Office of Chief Procurement OfficerAcquisition Program & Planning DivisionProgram Management Operations Branch

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Government Accountability Office (GAO) Acquisition findings and a COTR assessment pointed to the need for better coordination, training, and management of FEMA COTRs

GAO Findings:

•COTRs did not understand contract oversight responsibilities•Insufficient number of trained COTRs to oversee contractor performance

COTR Assessment Findings:

•Found that COTRs are essential to FEMA’s ability to carry out it’s mission and it was imperative that a program be created that is organized to meet the specific needs of COTRs

•Found that 66% of FEMA COTRs had 0-3 year’s of Acquisition experience

•Found that FEMA needed to development of COTR policies and procedures beyond those in MD-780-1

Resulted in the creation of FEMA’s COTR Program in June 2007

COTR Program Background

Case for Change:

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Strategy for Improving the Effectiveness of COTRs

Accountability and Mechanics of the Program

Understanding DHS MD 780.1

COTR Community Website

Implementation of FEMA Directive 228-1 and COTR

Manual 2281-1

COTR Tiered Certification

COTR Handbook

SOP for Terminating COTR Certification and Revocation

of COTR Certification

Minimizing Risk to Contract Execution

COTR File Compliance Review

COs input to COTR performance rating

COTR of the Year Program

COTR Assessment

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Timeline for Improving COTR Effectiveness

February 2009

Implementation of SOP for Terminating COTR Appointment and Revocation Procedures

November 2009 Implementation of the COTR Handbook

March 2010

COTR File Compliance Review

February 2010

COs input to COTR Performance Review

TodayCOTR Certification based on both demonstrated knowledge and experience

Mature COTR Program

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Tiered COTR Training

The tiered COTR training benefits FEMA by improving contract administration.

•Matches COTR competency with contract complexity

•Better written requirements, fewer errors, and a greater degree of oversight

•OCPO made commitment by dedicating funding in FY 2008 to begin implementation of the COTR tiered certification program

•OCPO continued commitment of funding allows COTRs to obtain Level II and III certifications to match contract complexity for which they are assigned

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COTR Tiered Certification Requirements

Tier I Certification Tier II Certification Tier III Certification

Contract Responsibilities Contracts up to $5M Contracts $5M to $57M Contracts $57M and above

Training Requirements

40 hours of Initial COTR Training

– Includes 2 hours of Procurement Ethics Training (new)

Free online training for the initial COTR training requirements can be accessed through Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI)

Free Vendor training is also available through DHS

Tier I Certification

3 Additional Courses:

1. Market Research and Commercial Item Acquisitions

2. Federal Contracting Basics

3. Federal COTR Training Program

Tier I and II Certification

3 Additional Courses:

1. Negotiation Strategies and Techniques

2. Performance-Based Acquisition: Preparing Work Statements

3. Pre-award Business Decisions in Contracting

Equivalent Certifications

Contracting (FAC-C) Level 2 Certification

Or

FAC P/PM Certification

Contracting (FAC-C) Level 2 Certification

Or

PM Level II Certification

Contracting (FAC-C) Level 3 Certification

Or

PM Level III Certification

Continuous Learning

Requirements

Biennial: 40 hours of training o 20 hours of technical competency training o 18 hours of business competency training o 2 hours of ethics training

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FEMA COTR Community Intranet Site Home Page

• COTR Certification and Training

• Contract Administration• Communicating Initiatives• DHS Certification Status• Tools and Templates• Feedback

Access provided to all FEMAEmployees

An online resource site for the FEMA COTR Community offering information and tools for:

http://online.fema.net/mgmt_acquisition/

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FEMA COTR Community Intranet Site Home Page (Con’t)

COs and Supervisors can verify COTR’s Certification Status

ToolsFor

COTRS

Visionary End State

COTRs

Certified based on experience and training

Recognized as equals with the CO in contract administration

Ensuring taxpayer dollars are prudently spent

Seasoned and well trained

Mandatory participant in the Pre-Award Contracting Phase

Recognized as a community of professionals

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Questions Please Contact:

Kimberly C. Brown

COTR Program Lead

Office of Chief Procurement Officer

Kimberly.C.Brown@dhs.gov

202-646-2902