Description: 

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) role is essential to the acquisition lifecycle. CORs are critical to the development of measurable requirements and play a leading role in evaluating the quality of contract performance and deliverables to ensure that government agencies achieve missions and American taxpayers receive value.  This course will provide a foundation in the COR’s role and responsibilities and give practice in important skill areas required at each stage in the acquisition lifecycle. Lifecycle topics will cover pre-award, source selection, award, communications, contract administration, modifications, service contracts, surveillance, vendor payments, COR authority and more!  
 
Systems-focused resources will cover agency-specific systems including the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), Joint Appointment Module (JAM), Surveillance and Performance Monitoring (SPM), Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), Government Furnished Property (GFP), SAM.gov and Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). 
 
In four virtual sessions, you will learn essential skills and leverage lessons learned though this unique opportunity to engage with CORs across the federal government. Don't miss this chance to energize your career and bring valuable strategies back to your desk.  
 
Value Proposition 

• Practical examples of COR roles across federal government and the DoD.  
•  Interactive activities and discussions requiring applied knowledge and skills 
•  Build your professional network 
•  Supplemental videos and resources on COR systems used across federal government and the DoD.  
•  Earn 10 CPE/CLPs to use toward and exceed requirements for FAC-COR Level 1 Certification and DoD COR Refresher training requirements

Schedule:

The program takes place over four days for 2.5 hours each day on Zoom. At the end of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion and a digital badge you can share on LinkedIn and elsewhere. Attendance at all four sessions is required to receive the Certificate of Completion and the digital badge. 

• Days: Monday, January 13 - Thursday, January 16, 2025
• Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM each day
• NOTICE: This is a 4-day virtual event and you must attend all days to receive credit

Day 1: Acquisition Fundamentals and the COR Role 

• General Acquisition Concepts: Introduce the key principles of contracting and acquisitions covering the purpose and lifecycle of contracts. 
•  COR Roles and Responsibilities: Discuss the responsibilities of a COR in the procurement process, with a focus on ensuring compliance and managing performance. 
•  Contract Life Cycle: Recognize how the procurement process promotes uniformity in contract management practices. 
•  Ethics and Integrity: Highlight the ethical standards that CORs must adhere to, addressing potential conflicts of interest and the importance of transparency. 

Day 2: Pre-Award & Award 

• Requirements Definition and Scope of Work: Explore the COR’s role in defining & developing contract requirements, focusing on developing clear scopes of work or statements of objectives. 
•  Market Research: Explain the importance of conducting market research to identify potential vendors and gauge pricing. Examine market research techniques based on a product or service.  
•  Contract Types: Compare different types of contracts (e.g., fixed-price, cost-reimbursement) and how they affect contract administration and monitoring. 
•  Acquisition Strategy Development and Methods: Cover basic strategies impacting source selection including procurement methods (e.g., competitive vs. sole source, set asides, contracting by negotiation, sealed bidding, etc.). 

Day 3: Post-Award 

• Contract Performance Monitoring: Identify the tools and techniques CORs use to ensure contractors meet their performance obligations, including deliverable tracking, milestone reviews, and quality assurance. 
•  Documentation and Reporting: Practice maintaining proper documentation for contract performance, payments, and communication. 
•  Modifications and Changes: Review the COR’s role regarding contract modifications and scope changes. 
•  Risk Management: Explain the COR’s role in risk identification, mitigation, and management strategies in contract performance. 

Day 4: Contract Closeout and Challenges 

• Contract Closeout Procedures: Provide guidance on the COR’s administrative steps necessary to close out a contract. 
•  Dispute Resolution and Problem Solving: Discuss the COR’s role in handling disputes, issues with contractor performance, and remedies for non-compliance. 
• Audit and Compliance: Explain the importance of audits and reviews, covering common compliance issues CORs may face.
•  Career Development for CORs: Discuss pathways for career progression, continuing education opportunities, and professional certifications. 

• 10.0 CPE/CLP

Cost:  

• $936 member / $1194 non-member
• Membership + Certificate Course Bundle: $1106
  • Take advantage of this bundle and save on course fees and become a member of NCMA
  • Membership will activate after the course.

• After registration, to access your course, visit My Virtual Training.  
• *Note: you must be logged into your NCMA profile to access your courses on My Virtual Training. 

Connectivity Requirements:

• This training is conducted through My Virtual Training and presented via Zoom. 
• To have all the zoom features available during the live virtual training, we recommend using the most up-to-date version of Zoom for your system.
• System Requirements can be found here.