The Department of the Treasury Acquisition Career Management Program Handbook provides policy, procedures, and guidance to support the implementation of the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Reform Act (FARA) of 1996, OFPP Policy Letter 05-01, Developing and Managing the Acquisition Workforce, and OMB Memorandum dated January 20, 2006, the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program. On January 1, 2000, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in response to Section 4307(g) of the Federal Acquisition Reform Act (FARA), issued a new qualification standard for GS-1102 contracting positions in civilian agencies. The new requirements are generally comparable to those already established for Department of Defense positions in 1990 by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). The 2000 OPM qualification standard has not been changed by the issuance of either OFFP Policy Letter 05-01 or the January 2006 OMB FAC-C Memorandum.

This Handbook is designed for everyone involved in the Federal Acquisition or (Government Contracting) process. For the purposes of this Handbook, the terms "acquisition," "procurement," and "contracting" may be used interchangeably without notice. The U.S. Federal Government is the largest consumer in the world spending multi-billion dollars annually on supplies, services, construction, research and development and the leases for real property. Contracting with the Federal Government is a very intense and highly regulated process that begins with acquisition planning and continues through contract formation, source selection, and contract administration. This Handbook will provide information for every member of the acquisition team and its associated stakeholders. In order to attain success, each member of the team must know the responsibilities of that role/position. Everyone must know the extent of their respective authority in the acquisition process and/or acquisition life cycle.

This Handbook is a guide for the management of joint acquisition programs for current and future joint program personnel. As a complement to the more general Introduction to Defense Acquisition Management, Sixth Edition (Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Press, November 2003), this Handbook incorporates the perspectives of current and former joint Program Managers (PMs), including those who were members of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)-sponsored Joint Program Working Group (JPWG), which met at DAU in November 2003.

The Department of Defense (DoD) Manual, Career Development Program for Acquisition Personnel, states that members of the acquisition workforce may fulfill their mandatory training requirements based on previous experience, education, and/or alternative training programs. The FY 93 Defense Authorization Act requires that DoD have a fulfillment plan in place for eligible acquisition personnel. The Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition & Technology) delegated this responsibility to the Director, Acquisition Education, Training and Career Development (AET & CD). The fulfillment plan outlined in this guide utilizes competencies developed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Functional Boards. A consortium of DoD schools under the auspices of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), then develops and delivers this training to the acquisition workforce. These competencies establish the baseline standards for demonstrating fulfillment of the mandatory courses listed in DoD 5000.52M. The purpose of the fulfillment program is to enable acquisition workforce members to receive credit for courses for which they already have the required competencies. With increased emphasis on training for members of the acquisition workforce, having training on a personnel record makes an employee more competitive with his/her peers. In some cases, however, the employee already possesses the abilities that the course imparts but does not have the formal training. This program is designed to allow that employee to receive credit for the course and not fall behind other employees who receive this training.

The Acquisition Smart (AcqSmart ) guide is a handy quick reference tool that guides the reader through the policy and regulatory maze that exist in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The problem exist due to the manner in which the FAR was written initially and the current system used to incorporate policies and regulations resulting from recent acquisition reform initiatives and legislation.The AcqSmart Guide presents key policies, regulations and procedures in the operational sequence in which they should be implemented or executed. The AcqSmart guide is designed to improve the efficiency of the three (3) phased acquisition process. The actual FAR references are cited in relevant sections throughout the guide. The tool is ideal for acquisition workforce interns and professional with less that five (5) years acquisition and contracting experience. It is an essential tool for program managers and technical representatives in program management offices (PMOs) that are designated as contracting officer representatives (CORs) during the acquisition process.